Casablanca Market Preserved Lemons from Morocco
Casablanca Market's preserved lemons have a bright, balanced flavor and they aren't overly salty or bitter like some brands. We like that they add a bold, piquant kick to dishes without being too sour, and their tender texture is perfect for chopping finely and incorporating into recipes.
Eat This Yum Balsamic Caramelized Onions Jam
A little sweet, a little savory, this Balsamic Caramelized Onion spread from Eat This Yum is a cheese board’s best friend. Two varieties of onion, Vidalia and red—paired for well-rounded flavor—are diced and cooked down with balsamic vinegar. The onions get jammy but stay intact for a chutney-like texture—unlike some jams that can feel overly gelatinous. And it’s surprisingly well balanced: Balsamic vinegar shines in this, cutting through the jam’s sweetness for tang and umami. Made with just five simple ingredients, this versatile onion jam pairs well with a variety of savory recipes.
Fermín 50% Ibérico Sliced Cured Meats — Set of 2
This sampler pack of thin-sliced Ibérico meats includes classic Jamón Ibérico ham as well as Lomo Ibérico, dry-cured pork loin. Similar to prosciutto but with a drier texture—which actually makes it less stringy and tough—Jamón Ibérico's high fat content yields a sweet, decadent and intensely aromatic flavor. And slightly leaner Lomo Ibérico is nutty and meaty, with a touch of sweetness; smoky pimentón de la Vera (a type of Spanish paprika) and earthy garlic enhance the pork's savory flavor, which is best served at room temperature to fully savor its complexity. Adhering to tradition, these artisanal meats are dry-cured in mountain air with only salt as a preservative during the curing process; a ham master decides by smell, sight and touch when the pork is perfectly done.
Fermín 50% Ibérico Sausage — Set of Three
Most people only know Ibérico pork for jamón ibérico, the ultra-luxe Spanish cured ham, but the melt-in-your-mouth meat tastes delicious in any form. For the highest-quality Ibérico products, we trust family company Fermín, which is based in Salamanca, Spain, and was the first authorized exporter of Ibérico products to the United States. We love that these dry-cured sausages are coarsely ground for a meatier texture and to emphasize their marbled appearance. Thinly sliced, they taste tender and rich, with the naturally nutty and sweet flavors that Ibérico pork is prized for. This set of 3 includes warm, peppery Mild Chorizo made with sweet paprika and balanced by garlic and oregano; smoky Spicy Chorizo with hot paprika, cumin and a nutty boost from nutmeg; and Salchichón, a Spanish equivalent of salami that is minimally spiced to highlight its robust meaty flavor. As an added bonus, Fermín only uses pure salt to cure its chorizo, for a cleaner flavor than other brands made with nitrates.
Fukami Organic Umeboshi
These potent cured ume plums are hand harvested and barrel-aged for one year with salt and fragrant shiso leaves to develop the stone fruit’s robust flavor. These whole plums have been enjoyed in Japan cuisine for centuries—adding a robust tangy, fruity and salty hit to savory dishes without being too overwhelming. Their slight initial chew leads to a soft texture, while the unique addition of shiso leaves add a rosy-purple color and a second, refreshing layer of fruitiness.
Villa Jerada Preserved Lemons
Villa Jerada’s preserved lemons are simply made with Beldi lemons, salt and time, just like the Moroccan culinary tradition. With bright citrus, umami depth and light saltiness, these lemons add a flavorful punch to braises, tagines and dressings. They are packed whole but tender enough to slice easily and use in a variety of dishes. Besides their complex flavor, we also love them for their long shelf stability. It’s no wonder they are popular in North African and Middle Eastern cuisine, and even used medicinally in China and Vietnam.
Bona Furtuna Sundried Tomatoes
Grown carefully in limited harvests, these sun-dried tomatoes grown in Sicily are bright and sunny red in color and soft and supple in texture, which can be hard to come by in sundried tomatoes. On the nose, the smell of warm tomatoes in the sun and sweet dried fruits. The flavor is noticeably bright, salty and acidic—very powerful for a sun-dried tomato. In fact, the brightness and strong tomato flavor is the most exceptional aspect of Bona Furtuna’s sun-dried tomatoes.
Pacific Pickle Works Stokra
Pickled and packaged by hand in Santa Barbara, these hot pickled okra from Pacific Pickle Works are a great version of a classic. The pickling process gets rid of okra’s signature (and off-putting) slimy texture—which explains pickled okra’s cult following—and these are no exception. They’re refreshingly crunchy, with a moderate kick from California-grown jalapeño peppers, bright flavor from aromatics and spices and a puckering, briny tartness from organic vinegar. Add chopped to salads, sandwiches, or pasta salad; serve on charcuterie plates; or batter and fry for southern-style fried pickled okra (with hot sauce aioli on the side).
Mama Lil's Sweet Hot Pickled Peppers
These Hungarian goat horn peppers—a regional favorite in the Pacific Northwest—are produced in small batches based on a family recipe from more than 25 years ago. These pickled peppers are similar to peppadews but without the metallic aftertaste that peppadews are prone to. Packed with fennel and maple syrup, they have a complex—but not sugary—sweetness and moderate heat, with a flavor reminiscent of Italian sausage. They are as good straight from the jar as stirred into countless dishes—there’s little that Mama Lil's peppers can’t improve. Tuck the peppers into most any sandwich, or mince finely and stir into egg salad or your deviled egg filling (add a couple of anchovies too for a game-changing combo). Pile them on a burger or scatter them over homemade pizza—they'll even liven up pies delivered from your favorite pizza chain. Chopped fine, the peppers add a sweet-tart burst to most any tomato-based pasta sauce, especially our Pasta alla Norma or Pasta con Fagioli. Or add to stews and braises for a clarifying accent note, like our Tuscan Beef and Black Pepper Stew (Peposo alla Fornacina) or Roman Braised Beef with Tomato and Cloves. Or swap in any of our recipes where we use peppadew peppers, like our ultra-fast Skirt Steak Salad with Arugula and Peppadews.
Mama Lil’s Bread And Butter Pickles
With their sweet, sour and spicy flavor combination, these tasty bread & butter pickles definitely stand out from the rest. Whether used on a sandwich in a salad, or eaten straight out of the jar, we found that they have a great sweet and sour balance and a good hit of heat. The pickled onions and red pepper slices in the brine are an added bonus, as they not only give a nod of flavor, they are also delicious on their own. Mama Lil’s sources the ingredients from local farms, including Willamette Valley cucumbers, spicy red “peppas” and Walla Walla sweet onions pickled in a sweet apple cider vinegar brine. Packed in a glass jar with a colorful folk art label, these pickles make a great gift to bring to a picnic or barbecue.
Mama Lil’s PeppaLilli Mustard Pickle Relish
You’ll never look at relish the same way again after tasting this sweet, tart and spicy mustard-spiked version. It’s a bolder version of the producer’s grandmother’s generations-old chow chow recipe, with plenty of heat from Mama Lil’s signature pickled Hungarian Goathorn peppers. Sweet cubes of pickle are at the fore of this bright yellow condiment, followed by an aromatic hit of mustard, finishing with a lingering, mouth-watering heat that truly sets this relish apart.
