We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about the only “Italian seasoning” Italians really eat, as well as what’s really in pumpkin spice.
And we’ve even revealed the unexpected veg paprika is really made from (no, it’s not chilli as I’d previously thought).
But what about those premade packs of fajita mix that come with specially-designed sets? Because let’s be real, we’re not paying for what is essentially just a pack of tortilla wraps; there’s something magic in that spice pack.
Even if you get your hands on some liquid smoke (crucial to some brands’ signature BBQ flavour), your DIY chilli, onion, garlic, and salt mix just doesn’t hit the same.
That’s likely because you’re only accounting for flavour; one common ingredient is more of a textural component.
What is it?
Cornstarch appears in a lot of fajita mix recipes.
And while other common flavourings, like citric acid and sugar, might elicit mild surprise, those are at least seasonings, corn starch’s role is less to do with taste.
Instead, the ingredient ― which also appears in AllRecipes’ fajita mix ― answers a lot of common fajita-cooking problems.
Firstly, the bulk it adds to the powder means you’ll have more of the mix at a lower concentration.
That means you can coat all your ingredients in it evenly without getting bland stretches of bell pepper with blobs of way-too-intense flavour.
But perhaps most importantly, they prevent the soggy veg and chicken that way too many amateur cooks end up with when preparing the midweek classic.
Because cornstarch draws water from food that the pan can then fry off, it’s really good at getting foods which can run limp (like bell peppers) crispy.
It can also thicken the otherwise watery sauce the veg and protein often end up swimming in.
Is corn starch the only option?
No ― maltodextrin, which can be made from rice, spud, wheat, or corn starches also commonly appears on premade mixes’ ingredient lists.
Some mixes don’t include any variant of starch or corn starch at all.
If you want to try adding the ingredient to your homemade mix, though, AllRecipes puts the ratio at about one part corn starch to six-ish parts seasonings.
If you love it, good news ― you can store the mixture in airtight containers for months.