The 'Complete' Seasoning Blend Redditors Put On Everything

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If you know, you know, and if you don't, you will soon. A few shakes of Badia Complete Seasoning can transform the taste of anything from vegetable soup to carne asada to bland scrambled eggs. "I swear by that stuff. It goes in everything," said one commenter on Reddit. "I use this quite a bit. I really like it on popcorn with very finely grated parmesan," shared another.

Badia Complete Seasoning contains dehydrated garlic and onions, salt, monosodium glutamate, and unspecified spices and herbs. Based on the image on the shaker, those flavoring components include basil, parsley, cilantro, and black pepper. It's a simple mix that hits all the right notes, perfect for vegetables, meats, stews, sauces, and more. You can combine it with mayo, sour cream, or Greek yogurt for a quick creamy dip, use it in place of salt in salad dressings, or sprinkle it into the cream sauce of a classic three-cheese mac and cheese.

While the spices and herbs in Badia Complete Seasoning are flavorful on their own, it's the addition of monosodium glutamate (MSG) that makes this blend so craveable. MSG adds a certain oomph that's hard to put your finger on. It's responsible for that savory, umami flavor that makes you salivate and keeps you coming back for bite after bite. MSG occurs naturally in foods like ripe tomatoes, soy sauce, and real-deal Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Crystalline MSG granules — used in products like Badia Complete Seasoning or even packaged on their own — are made by fermenting sugar (glucose), which yields glutamic acid. That glutamic acid is then neutralized to create monosodium glutamate (a type of salt) — in this form, the crystals look like fine, thin, bar-shaped granules. "I joke that my secret ingredient is love, but it's really MSG," said one Redditor on a thread about adding Badia Complete Seasoning to a wide variety of recipes.