My Top 5 Pantry Essentials

Back when I was living with my mom, I didn’t know the cost of each item in our pantry or what are essential to keep a decent and functional kitchen. But when I had my own family, I started to learn the importance of a fully stocked pantry, especially during a pandemic.

 
During our backpacking days, my buddy and I would frequent grocery stores for our food stock. I remember when we were in Japan, we would wait every night in one of the supermarkets near our lodging because their bento meals go on sale at fifty percent off every evening. Also, another thing about groceries is that it's a good place to get cheap pasalubong items--like the premium quality tea bags we got in Sri Lanka.

 

Tap Supermarket Game

We both love getting lost along the aisles of supermarkets. I love supermarkets so much that I even play grocery games on a website that features free online food-related games. My favorite is Tap Supermarket, wherein I get to manage a grocery store including restocking and checking out customers. I think in the future, we may venture into a travel-themed grocery that will feature our favorite stuff around Asia.

But since covid19 is still around, going to the grocery is something we haven't really done much in a while, sticking instead to online groceries instead. And being stuck in the house for two years, I can finally say that I'm now more aware of what needs to be always inside our pantry. I'd panic without any of these.


1. Salt

I was five months pregnant when we did our last backpacking trip to China, Mongolia and Russia in 2019. We were at an old street in Changsha, the capital city of China’s Hunan province, and I found an inscription outside a theater. A Chinese philosopher once said that his favorite food is salt. Salt? Because without salt, no dish would taste any good. Makes sense.


2. Cooking Oil

With the advent of air fryers and non-stick pans, we still love our French fries greasy and crispy. We use canola oil as it’s the “healthier” choice. Well, according to a documentary show we saw on TV.

 

Gastronomia Eliseevsky - The Oldest Grocery Store in Moscow, Russia

3. Eggs

We usually have breakfast meals at dinnertime, ‘cuz hey, it’s super comfort food. I wasn’t a fan of eggs before getting married, but now, I totally appreciate the versatility of this wonder food. We couldn’t live a day without eating an egg, or two.


4. Rice

Because Asians. Need I say more?


5. Coffee

I can't function properly if I haven’t had my caffeine fix in the morning, I love it black and with milk. I panic every time our coffee stash would be half-empty.

To each his own and I know that my needs are different from yours but regardless of the things on this list, I know that we are all aware now of the importance of having these items available all day, every day.