A smoky, spicy chilli paste, scented with caraway, coriander and rose (depending on who is making it), harissa is more about flavor than heat. Originally from North Africa, the condiment is hard hitter. Add to yoghurt for an instant sauce for falafel or lamb, rub onto steak or chicken as a marinade, or stir through hummus for extra flavor.

Rice paper rolls – whether stuffed with vermicelli, vegetables or fresh proteins – are the main go-to recipe for these babies, served fresh or fried. But the neutral flavor can hold any sort of filling – think mini BLT salad rolls as a canapé with bloody Mary dipping sauce, or use them to rework leftovers (satay chicken, leftover roast pork, poached salmon or fresh avocado and herbs would all work well).

Proper sushi hand rolls can be laborious to make, but roll up a wedge of avocado, a stick of cucumber and some tinned tuna in nori and you have a quick, healthy snack. Slice the sheets up to garnish home made soba noodle soups, shred and serve atop of steamed rice with sashimi or brush with a little shichimi (Japanese seven-colour chilli powder) and soy and bake in the oven for spicy chips.

We know that rehydrating dried beans is best, but a can of these in the cupboard can save a near-failed meal. Soup too thin? Drain the can, mash half in to thicken, and then stir the remaining beans in for instant bulk. Unexpected guests? Blitz the washed beans with tahini, lemon, garlic and olive oil for an instant dip, served with toasted leftover bread. You can even pair with a can of tuna, chopped herbs and red onion for the world’s quickest salad.

Gluten-free and high in protein, almond meal is a handy alternative to both breadcrumbs and plain flour for baking. Use it for a paleo-fied chicken schnitzel coating, or roll with coconut oil, honey and dark chocolate for quick, easy cookies.

And, for bonus points, the honeycomb. Rooftop and local honey has been a major trend for chefs in 2015, and with good reason. Fresh unpasteurized (so not treated with heat) honey tastes more complex and textural than it’s supermarket equivalents, and changes from hive to hive in both taste and consistency from hive to hive. As well the usual application, honey has moved into savoury dishes, paired with salty, spicy cured meats like sobrassada.

See also sauerkraut, dill pickles. We get that pickles are having more of a moment, and kimchi was a little last year, but we argue that both are essential for your home arsenal. Pickles for home-made burgers, charcuterie plates and general snacking, and kimchi for flavor-loading stews, wok-tossed or noodle dishes, or simple rice bowls with egg and avocado. You could even use the brine for home-made Bloody Mary’s.

When dipping sushi or sashimi, you should never mix your wasabi and soy. Any other time though, it’s game on. Need an instant flavor blast? Stir a generous amount through mayonnaise (preferably Kewpie) to dress a chilled iceberg lettuce salad and served alongside crumbed chicken, or just-seared tuna. It’ll also pair with most fried foods and add a whack of heap to guacamole.

The fermented soy bean paste is most widely uses as a soup base, but the salty-umami hit is perfecting for seasoning vegan and meaty dishes alike. In Sydney, Dan Hong swirls a teaspoon or two through his softened onions, Jamie Oliver uses it as a salmon glaze, mixed with a little sake and mirin, and our own food editor Warren Mendes turns it into miso butter for the ultimate ham and cheese toastie. For vegan dishes, we love grilled glazed miso eggplant or soba noodles dressed with miso, ginger, soy and sesame oil.

Love fiery, mouth-numbing Chinese hot pots? The key to replicating that tingly heat at home is Sichuan pepper. The red-hued dried berries are the back bone of Sichuan cusine, but also pop up in Tibetan, Nepalese and Indian dishes. Use them to add a twist to spiced nuts, flavor fried chicken or other marinades, make Sichuan salt (and Sichuan pepper squid), and of course, a whole bunch of amazing Chinese dishes. Just do a recipe search for “Sichuan”.

Quarter unwaxed lemons, add salt, cover with juice and, a few weeks later, you’ll have preserved lemons. Maggie Beer is obsessed (not quite verjuice level obsessed, but still), using the finely chopped peel in everything from lamb moussaka to freekah salad and a even a humble roast chook.

Mock it all you want, quinoa is here to stay. The Peruvian “superfood” seeds are the new cous cous, perfect for serving up alongside hearty stews or roasts, or to bulk up a leafy salad. Just add greens, feta and avocado for a speedy supper.

After chickpeas, tahini is the second most important in hummus. The ground sesame seed paste can work a little like peanut butter (it’s more bitter, depending on whether you choose hulled or unhulled) for both sweet and savoury recipes. Bake it into sweet or savoury cookies, blend into Middle Eastern-inspired sauces, thin out with lemon juice for a salad dressing or pair with dark chocolate and pistachio for a sweet pastry filling.

So the attributes of a lot of coconut products have been oversold (we’re looking at you, coconut water), but coconut oil is really handy. Use in place of neutral oil for Asian dishes and stir fries, or add to baking in place of butter. You can melt it down to make home-made raw chocolate and it’s great for loads of quick beauty fixes (including removing eye make-up).

Vegans have been on to this one for years, as a substitute for cheese for popcorn, crackers or the béchamel layer in lasagna. It has a long shelf life, so it’s handy to keep on hand if you run out of parmesan, plus it’s super cheap and packed with B vitamins. Use to add a layer of cheesiness to your polenta or pasta, omelettes or frittata, or any other dish that calls for a little extra seasoning.