Chefs Tell All: Embarrassing Kitchen Ingredients and Fast-Food Choices

What ingredient are you embarrassed to have in your kitchen?

“Velveeta. It’s an upgraded version of Cheez Whiz.”

“MSG.”

“We get a fish called swai for banquets. It tastes good fried, but the quality is s— and it’s dirt cheap.”

What's your fast food of choice?

Burritos from Chipotle: “The ingredients are fresh, and you can see them making it.”

Popeyes: “Ask for Cajun Sparkle—it’s a packet of Cajun seasoning salt you can put on spicy fried chicken.”

Chick-fil-A:“Regular chicken sandwich, extra pickles and extra mayo.”

This article appears in the January issue of The Washingtonian.

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For our January issue, we asked 24 chefs to give their candid—and anonymous—opinions on overrated colleagues, underappreciated restaurants, embarrassing ingredients, and nightmare customers. We're posting the results throughout the month.