You know you're a good cook if these 8 ingredients are never missing from your kitchen

I learned to cook properly when I moved abroad and couldn't rely on takeaways or my mother's cooking anymore.

At first, my kitchen was chaotic. I'd buy ingredients for specific recipes and then have no idea what to do with the leftovers.

But over time, I noticed a pattern emerging.

Certain ingredients appeared in almost everything I cooked. Things I reached for constantly, regardless of what I was making.

And when I visited the homes of friends who were excellent cooks, I noticed they all had similar staples.

Not fancy specialty items, but foundational ingredients that made it possible to create delicious food without following a recipe.

These aren't the trendy ingredients or expensive specialty items. They're the humble staples that separate people who can cook from people who can really cook.

Here are the ingredients that are never missing from a good cook's kitchen.

1. Good quality olive oil

This is probably the most important item on the list.

Not the cheap stuff you use for frying. I mean a decent bottle of extra virgin olive oil that you use for finishing dishes, making dressings, and adding flavor.

I keep two types. A cheaper one for cooking at high heat. And a better quality one for drizzling over finished dishes, making salad dressings, and using raw.

The difference in flavor is massive. Good olive oil tastes fruity, peppery, and complex. It elevates even the simplest dishes.

A bowl of pasta with just garlic, chili, and good olive oil can be extraordinary. Roasted vegetables finished with a drizzle of quality oil taste completely different from those cooked in cheap oil.

Good cooks understand that fat carries flavor. And the quality of that fat matters enormously.

I've watched friends who claim they can't cook transform their food just by upgrading their olive oil. It's that fundamental.

2. Fresh garlic

I've never met a good cook who didn't have fresh garlic in their kitchen.

Not garlic powder. Not pre-minced garlic from a jar. Fresh garlic bulbs that they peel and chop or crush themselves.

The difference between fresh garlic and the substitutes is profound. Fresh garlic has a sharpness and complexity that disappears in processed versions.

I go through several bulbs a week. It goes in almost everything I cook. Pasta sauces. Stir-fries. Roasted vegetables. Soups. Curries.

Good cooks also know how to use garlic properly. That crushing it releases more flavor than slicing. That cooking it gently until fragrant is different from burning it. That raw garlic has a different impact than cooked.

It's such a simple ingredient, but it's the foundation of so many cuisines and dishes.

If someone's kitchen doesn't have fresh garlic, they're probably not cooking much from scratch.

3. Lemons

I always have lemons in my kitchen. Always.

They're the secret weapon for making food taste better. That last-minute brightness that elevates a dish from good to great.

Roasted vegetables? Squeeze of lemon. Pasta? Touch of lemon zest. Curry or dal? Bit of lemon juice at the end.

Good cooks understand that acid balances flavor. When something tastes flat or heavy, acid often fixes it.

And lemons are the most versatile source of acid in the kitchen. You can use the juice, the zest, or both. They work in sweet and savory dishes. They brighten, they cut through richness, they enhance other flavors.

I've learned to taste my food and ask myself "does this need acid?" More often than not, the answer is yes. And a squeeze of lemon transforms the dish.

Plus, they're useful for so many things beyond cooking. Cleaning cutting boards. Making tea. Emergency salad dressing.

4. Quality salt

This might seem obvious, but it's not just about having salt. It's about having good salt and knowing how to use it.

I keep several types. Flaky sea salt for finishing. Fine sea salt for cooking. Regular salt for pasta water and other high-volume uses.

The difference between salting properly and under-salting is the difference between good food and great food.

Good cooks salt in layers. They season as they cook, building flavor throughout the process. They understand that salt doesn't just make food salty, it makes food taste more like itself.

They also know when to use which salt. Flaky salt for sprinkling over finished dishes. Fine salt for mixing into doughs or seasoning during cooking.

I've watched people who claim they don't like vegetables completely change their opinion when those vegetables are properly salted and roasted. The salt brings out the natural sweetness and flavor.

Under-salted food tastes flat, no matter how good the ingredients are. Proper salting is transformative.

5. Onions

This is another ingredient I'm never without.

Onions are the backbone of so many dishes. The foundation that you build flavor on.

Good cooks understand how versatile onions are. That cooking them slowly brings out sweetness. That they add depth and body to sauces. That different types of onions serve different purposes.

I keep yellow onions for general cooking. Red onions for salads and quick pickles. Spring onions for finishing dishes and adding fresh onion flavor.

Nearly every cuisine in the world uses onions as a base. If you can properly cook onions, caramelizing them or sweating them until translucent, you can cook half the world's dishes.

I've taught friends to cook by starting with how to properly cook onions. Once you master that foundation, everything else becomes easier.

6. Fresh ginger

For anyone who cooks Asian food, Indian food, or just wants to add warmth and depth to their cooking, fresh ginger is essential.

Like garlic, it needs to be fresh. Ground ginger powder is useful for baking, but it can't replace fresh ginger in cooking.

I always have a knob of ginger in my kitchen. I use it in stir-fries, curries, teas, and even in some salad dressings.

Fresh ginger has this bright, spicy, slightly sweet quality that adds complexity to dishes. It works in both savory and sweet preparations.

Good cooks know how to use ginger. That you can grate it or slice it or bash it, depending on the effect you want. That cooking it with oil releases its aromatics. That raw ginger is sharp and cooked ginger is mellow.

It's one of those ingredients that can completely transform a dish. Adding ginger to a simple vegetable soup suddenly makes it interesting and complex.

7. Dried herbs and spices

This might seem like cheating, listing multiple items in one category. But good cooks always have a well-stocked spice cupboard.

The specific spices vary depending on what you cook. But there are some essentials that appear in almost every good cook's kitchen.

Cumin. Coriander. Turmeric. Paprika. Black pepper. Bay leaves. Dried oregano or thyme.

These are the building blocks of flavor. The things that turn basic ingredients into specific dishes.

Good cooks also understand how to use spices. That toasting them releases flavor. That they lose potency over time. That they should be added at different stages depending on the spice.

I've organized my spice cupboard so I can see everything at a glance. I replace spices regularly rather than keeping them for years. And I've learned which ones I use constantly versus which ones just take up space.

A good spice collection isn't about having every exotic spice. It's about having the right spices that you actually use and knowing how to use them well.

8. Good stock or bouillon

This is the ingredient that separates decent cooking from really good cooking.

Homemade vegetable stock is ideal. But good quality bouillon or stock cubes work fine if you don't have time to make stock from scratch.

The key is having something that adds depth and richness to your cooking. Water is fine for some things. But stock makes everything better.

Soups. Risottos. Sauces. Braising vegetables. Cooking grains.

Good cooks use stock where others might use water. It's that simple shift that adds layers of flavor.

I make vegetable stock from scraps when I have time. I keep the ends of onions, carrot peelings, celery leaves in a bag in the freezer. When it's full, I make stock.

But I also always have good quality bouillon on hand. Those times when I haven't made stock but need something to add depth to what I'm cooking.

Final thoughts

Looking at this list, none of these ingredients are expensive or hard to find.

They're not truffle oil or saffron or other luxury items. They're humble, accessible ingredients that are available in any decent grocery store.

But together, they make it possible to create delicious food without following recipes. They're the foundation that lets you improvise, adjust, and create based on what you have and what tastes good.

When I moved abroad and had to learn to cook properly, building up my collection of these staples was transformative. Suddenly I could make something delicious with whatever vegetables I had. I could create flavor without relying on specific recipes.

That's what these ingredients do. They give you the tools to cook intuitively. To taste as you go and adjust. To create food that tastes like something, not just ingredients combined.

If your kitchen has these eight things, you're already most of the way toward being a good cook. Everything else is just learning techniques and building experience.