Eleni’s Kitchen Ethiopian Korerima
Dried near an open flame, Ethiopian black cardamom yields an earthy, smoky aroma that gives it an added savoriness compared to green cardamom. Floral, almost citrus-like notes follow the initial hit of smokiness, yielding more depth than the ground cardamom you can buy in the store. This hard-to-find varietal can easily be substituted in for green cardamom and its unique flavor is a great way to refresh your favorite sweet and savory dishes that include warming spices.
Eleni’s Kitchen Ethiopian Mitmita
Showcasing the fiery heat of African bird’s eye chilies, this Ethiopian spice blend is used as a flavorful finisher. The vibrant orange powder also includes earthy, herbal ajwain and aromatic, sage-like koseret, both of which yield a nuanced underlying complexity. A hit of salt brings out each seasoning’s bold flavor. Not usually found in grocery stores, this blend is a perfect entry point to the Ethiopian pantry.
Eleni’s Kitchen Ethiopian Berbere
This warming, punchy chili-based spice blend is a staple in traditional Ethiopian and Eritrean fare. It’s commonly used for hearty roasts and stews and includes an aromatic melange of seasonings like cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, which add complexity to its heat-packed chili base. Many store blends of berbere can be a miss, prioritizing heat at the expense of robust layers of spice. In this blend, the black cardamom is particularly noteworthy—it’s less sweet than green cardamom, with a tiny bit of smokiness. The overall effect is savory and spicy, with a wonderful warmth at its core.
Maskal Teff Brown Teff Flour
Earthy, nutty and never bitter, teff is an ancient grain that’s a staple ingredient in Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine. Brown teff is especially robust, which is why we chose that varietal to feature in our store. It can easily tip sweet when paired with chocolate or savory when drizzled with butter and herbs the rich taste works well in both sweet and savory applications, especially in backing, since the lack of gluten yields a delicate crum. Maskal Teff specializes in this ancient grain that’s only now gaining some more visibility on the U.S. market.
Essie Spice Mekko Dry Rub
Essie Spice's must-have sauces and spice rubs are the result of one woman's culinary creativity and playfulness with global flavors. Originally from Ghana, Essie Bartels draws inspiration from not only West Africa but all around the world. Mekko Dry Rub puts a twist on Ghana's ubiquitous kebab powder, which has an aromatic base of ground peanuts and earthy, musky grains of Selim, a West African spice that reminds us of white pepper. The spice powder gets an Asian twist with Chinese five spice, cardamom and star anise. We love the balanced, complex and aromatic flavor profile of Mekko Dry Rub; use it not only as a dry rub for meat and fish but also roasted chickpeas or umami-rich portobello mushrooms. Sprinkle on roasted vegetables or cooked rice or grains as a one-ingredient seasoning. It's even great on popcorn as a snack.
Essie Spice TamarindOH
Essie Spice's must-have sauces and spice rubs are the result of one woman's culinary creativity and playfulness with global flavors. Originally from Ghana, Essie Bartels draws inspiration from not only West Africa but all around the world. She grew up eating tamarind straight off the trees in her native Ghana, but it wasn't until she tried tamarind candy in Mexico that she learned the name of the sour fruit. TamarindOH! balances tamarind's tart flavor with guava, vanilla and ginger for a versatile sauce that can lean savory—as a base for salad dressings, meat glazes and barbecue—or sweet: Brush the syrup on a cake, swirl it over ice cream, or use as an ingredient in a compote or in place of honey.
Essie Spice Coco-for-Garlic
Essie Spice's must-have sauces and spice rubs are the result of one woman's culinary creativity and playfulness with global flavors. Originally from Ghana, Essie Bartels draws inspiration from not only West Africa but all around the world. Coco-for-Garlic is an amazingly balanced sauce that starts with a base of aromatic coconut oil (typical of West African cuisine) then layers on savory, earthy elements inspired by Bartels' travels to western Europe, such as roasted garlic, shallots, tomato paste and bell peppers. Rounded out with sweet honey and fiery habanero pepper, Coco-for-Garlic is an absolutely one-of-a-kind ingredient that's more than the sum of its parts. Whisk it into pan sauces, swirl it into a creamy dip, use it as the base for a marinade or dressing—the possibilities are endless!
Essie Spice Mango Chili Medley
Essie Spice's must-have sauces and spice rubs are the result of one woman's culinary creativity and playfulness with global flavors. Originally from Ghana, Essie Bartels draws inspiration from not only West Africa but all around the world. Inspired by Jamaican scotch bonnet pepper sauce, Essie Spice's fiery-hot Mango Chili Medley starts with a base of earthy scotch bonnet peppers and onions, with layered sweet notes from bright mango and subtly fruity Thai chilies. The sauce has chunks of real mango and a thin enough consistency that it's easily incorporated into recipes. And if you're a spice-lover, you'll love Mango Chili Medley as a standalone condiment for sandwiches. It provides a tangy-sweet, spicy accent and pairs well with similarly tropical flavors such as coconut, or you can use the vibrant sauce to balance the richness of roasted meats.
Kitchens of Africa Mombasa Tamarind Sauce
Jainaba Jeng was born and raised in The Gambia, a small country on the west African coast bordered on three sides by Senegal. When she moved to North Carolina in 1997, she noticed that she could find ready-made sauces for some international cuisines, but none from her native country—or, in fact, from Africa. So she took matters into her own hands, creating a line of small-batch simmer sauces that draw on flavors from West Africa to Jamaica. “When you taste our foods, I hope you will feel the warmth, love and soul of all women of Africa to whom I pay tribute on our packaging,” says Jeng. “They are responsible for most of the cooking in Africa.”
- Net Weight: 12 ounces
- Ingredients: Water, tamarind, lime juice, bell pepper, dates, sunflower oil, cider vinegar, cilantro, spices, onion, garlic, ginger, cane sugar, salt, mushroom powder (mushroom, salt, mushroom extract), paprika, xanthan gum
- Place of Origin: United States
Kitchens of Africa Traditional Yassa
Jainaba Jeng was born and raised in The Gambia, a small country on the west African coast bordered on three sides by Senegal. When she moved to North Carolina in 1997, she noticed that she could find ready-made sauces for some international cuisines, but none from her native country—or, in fact, from Africa. So she took matters into her own hands, creating a line of small-batch simmer sauces that draw on flavors from West Africa to Jamaica. “When you taste our foods, I hope you will feel the warmth, love and soul of all women of Africa to whom I pay tribute on our packaging,” says Jeng. “They are responsible for most of the cooking in Africa.”
- Net Weight: 12 ounces
- Ingredients: Water, onion, poblano pepper, sunflower oil, lime juice, cider vinegar, dijon mustard (water, mustard seed, vinegar, salt, citric acid), ginger, garlic, cane sugar, salt, spices, mushroom powder (mushroom, salt, mushroom extract), habanero pepper, paprika, xanthan gum
- Place of Origin: United States
Kitchens of Africa Maffe Peanut Simmer Sauce
Jainaba Jeng was born and raised in The Gambia, a small country on the west African coast bordered on three sides by Senegal. When she moved to North Carolina in 1997, she noticed that she could find ready-made sauces for some international cuisines, but none from her native country—or, in fact, from Africa. So she took matters into her own hands, creating a line of small-batch simmer sauces that draw on flavors from West Africa to Jamaica. “When you taste our foods, I hope you will feel the warmth, love and soul of all women of Africa to whom I pay tribute on our packaging,” says Jeng. “They are responsible for most of the cooking in Africa.”
- Net Weight: 12 ounces
- Ingredients: Water, peanut butter, tomato paste, lime juice, cider vinegar, cane sugar, ginger, garlic, onion, salt, mushroom powder (mushroom, salt, mushroom extract), habanero pepper, paprika, spices, xanthan gum
- Place of Origin: United States
Kitchens of Africa Mild Jerk Paste
Jainaba Jeng was born and raised in The Gambia, a small country on the west African coast bordered on three sides by Senegal. When she moved to North Carolina in 1997, she noticed that she could find ready-made sauces for some international cuisines, but none from her native country—or, in fact, from Africa. So she took matters into her own hands, creating a line of small-batch simmer sauces that draw on flavors from West Africa to Jamaica. “When you taste our foods, I hope you will feel the warmth, love and soul of all women of Africa to whom I pay tribute on our packaging,” says Jeng. “They are responsible for most of the cooking in Africa.”
- Net Weight: 7.5 ounces
- Ingredients: African spices, dates, tamarind, dijon mustard (water, mustard seed, distilled vinegar, salt, citric acid), apple cider vinegar, sunflower oil, ginger, garlic, salt, mushroom powder (mushroom, salt, mushroom extract), cane sugar, habanero peppers, xanthan gum
- Place of Origin: United States