Kyuemon Awase Dashi-Powdered Soup Stock
Savory, briny and packed with complexity, Kyuemon’s Awase Dashi Powdered Soup Stock is a perfect marriage between sweet and smoky flavor. Naturally made with just four ingredients—a rarity amongst other brands that contain artificial flavoring, preservatives and salt—this blend combines only dried bonito flakes from Kagoshima, dried sardines from Nagasaki, Japanese shiitake mushrooms and kelp from Hokkaido. One small seasoning sachet is all you need to create a clear, traditional Japanese dashi stock or use it to flavor stews, soups, simmered vegetables, pasta and more. We even like the powder on its own as a topping for rice and noodles or mixed into dumpling filling and soy sauce.
Hanamaruki Foods Liquid Shio Koji
A traditional condiment made from fermented malted rice, shio koji is known in Japan for packing a punch of umami into everything from marinated meats to savory soups. All shio kojis aren’t created equal, though, for Hanamaruki Foods distills the powerful flavor properties of this essential Japanese ingredient into an easy-to-use liquid form—the only Liquid Shio Koji available on the market—to create the ultimate pantry secret weapon. We love the condiment’s clean, yet bold flavor: salty rounded out with a pronounced sweetness and burst of umami. It’s made by pressing shio koji in its original paste form and filtering until it yields the clear, golden-hued liquid. The product isn’t heat-treated, so its enzymes remain active and effective in rendering meat remarkably moist and juicy, balancing bitterness in veggies like eggplant and adding amino acids for a full-flavored finish to any dish to truly change the way you cook. Use as a marinade for meats and fish, drizzle into salad dressings and sauces to balance savory flavors, or incorporate into baked goods to add a layer of tantalizing complexity.
Inoue Miso Gozen Nesashi 5-Year Barrel Aged Miso
A staple in the Milk Street pantry, Japanese miso adds intense depth to all types of dishes, even sweet ones. But this one from Inoue in Naruto, Tokushima, is truly the crown jewel. Aged in wooden barrels that have been in existence since the company’s start 147 years ago, the miso is made from domestically produced rice, soybeans and salt, as well as handmade koji (malt).
While most miso typically ages for a few months to a year, Inoue’s gets its deep complexity and robust flavor from aging for a whopping five years. The result? A wonderfully special miso with rich notes of fruit, chocolate, caramel and hints of earth and wood. Use it anywhere that calls for miso—its deep flavor lends itself to applications both savory and sweet. Add to broths, pan sauces, dressings, soups, compound butters and meat marinades, or caramel, brownies, cookies and more. Even non-traditional dishes like bolognese or chili could benefit from the addition of this powerful flavoring agent.
Hanamaruki Foods: Liquid Shio Koji
A traditional condiment made from fermented malted rice, shio koji is known in Japan for packing a punch of umami into everything from marinated meats to savory soups. All shio kojis aren’t created equal, though, for Hanamaruki Foods distills the powerful flavor properties of this essential Japanese ingredient into an easy-to-use liquid form—the only Liquid Shio Koji available on the market—to create the ultimate pantry secret weapon. We love the condiment’s clean, yet bold flavor: salty rounded out with a pronounced sweetness and burst of umami. It’s made by pressing shio koji in its original paste form and filtering until it yields the clear, golden-hued liquid. The product isn’t heat-treated, so its enzymes remain active and effective in rendering meat remarkably moist and juicy, balancing bitterness in veggies like eggplant and adding amino acids for a full-flavored finish to any dish to truly change the way you cook. Use as a marinade for meats and fish, drizzle into salad dressings and sauces to balance savory flavors, or incorporate into baked goods to add a layer of tantalizing complexity.
Koy Pantry Tomato Paste
Koy Pantry’s Tomato Paste is well seasoned, deeply rich and comes in a wide-mouthed jar for easy measuring. Made in Hatay, Türkiye, from local tomatoes harvested at the peak of freshness, the only other ingredient in this savory paste is salt, which is used to break down the produce and turn it into a smooth, spreadable paste that doesn’t run. The resulting flavor is outstanding—slightly acidic, sweet and fruity with a punch of a umami and a hint of salt. The robust tomato flavor makes it the perfect candidate for any range of cuisines or dishes, from pastas and stews to beans and marinades. Plus, because it comes in an easy-to-scoop jar, you’ll be able to spoon out every last bit—and won’t get any of the metallic taste you may find from canned or tubed versions.
Namikura Red Miso
Red Miso is stronger, saltier and more assertively flavored than yellow or white miso due to its six-month aging process and has a higher proportion of soybeans for a richer taste. This particularly interesting version has sweet flavors reminiscent of sherry and milk chocolate that are perfect for pairing with red meat and other robust dishes.
Haeoorim Jeju Korean Fish Sauce
For those put off by the typical pungency of fish sauce, Haeeorim’s Jeju Korean Fish Sauce—a milder, less funky take on the classic staple—may be just the thing. Caught in the waters off of Korea’s Jeju Island by local fisherman, a combination of young and horse mackerel marinate in salt crystals from Jeju before being expertly sealed in traditional Onggi (Korean earthenware pots) for more than a year. After the initial fermentation, a mixture of locally-grown daikon radish, sea kelp from Wando and local mandarin orange are added to the Onggi to add interesting notes of flavor, complexity and a bit of sweetness. After another period of aging and ripening, the resulting sauce is clean without the funk of typical fish sauce— thanks to milder mackerel, a less pungent option than the anchovies typically used for fish sauce, and longer fermenting—yet still full of meaty fish flavor. With a little more sweetness and a lighter touch of salt than most other brands, this fish sauce lends itself beautifully to a variety of dishes, from noodles and vegetables to sauces and marinades.
Milk Street Ginger Confit
The worst thing in any recipe is seeing, “2 tablespoons of ginger, grated.” Ginger is one of the most annoying ingredients to prep. It’s a pain to peel, grating takes forever and by the end, you’ve probably dirtied a spoon, plate and a grater—which gets packed with stringy fibers. Instead, reach for Milk Street Premium Essentials Ginger Confit, the closest thing to fresh ginger you’ll ever taste out of a jar. Supermarket ginger pastes can be stinging-sharp, packed with additives and unpleasantly fibrous, so we developed this product to solve those problems to produce a fresh, clean ginger taste. Never grate ginger again!
Milk Street Garlic Confit
The worst recipe ingredient is, “4 cloves garlic, minced.” You know that it is going to be hard to do, it will make a mess, and you will end up with garlic all over your cutting board and knife. Jarred supermarket garlics are, well, awful! They often taste bitter and harsh or lack flavor altogether. Our solution to this problem is to create a garlic confit—mellow but full-flavored and enhanced with a few nice touches, including bay leaves, Aleppo pepper, ghee, olive oil and a hint of lemon. You will never have to mince garlic again with Milk Street Premium Essentials Garlic Confit!
Yondu Vegetable Umami
We love finding new “magic” pantry ingredients from around the world that instantly boost flavor, and this Yondu is no exception. Fermented soybeans and a rich stock made from a robust blend of vegetables—including shiitake mushrooms, onions, garlic and cabbage—yield a concentrate bursting with umami. Not only will it give you delicious savory vegetarian broth in the blink of an eye, it can also be used as a secret umami boost for everything from marinades to cooked grains. We love how it’s an easy-to-pour liquid (and not a paste, which can be harder to incorporate into dishes) and how deeply savory its flavor is compared to store-bought broths—which can taste too sweet from relying on carrots. It’s wonderfully earthy from alliums and mushrooms, yet remains balanced. And the yeast extract, a popular ingredient for boosting savoriness in vegan dishes (and for creating the distinctive flavor of Marmite), produces an incredibly rich, intensely savory character that complements the Yondu’s complex flavors perfectly.
Woon Kitchen Stir Fry Sauce
Packed full of savory, umami flavor, Woon Kitchen’s Stir Fry Sauce is a quick and satisfying addition to noodles, vegetables, rice, meat and more. Based in LA, the mother and son duo behind the company began selling Chinese comfort dishes at a pop-up restaurant. Immensely popular today, Woon Kitchen now has a brick-and-mortar location where they sell the same comfort food and some of the ingredients that make it—including their stir-fry sauce. Packaged in an easy-to-squeeze bottle, perfect for controlling your drizzle, this sauce combines a punch of oyster sauce and the funk of mushrooms, balanced out by a hit of sugar and salty soy sauce. It coats udon noodles and vegetables evenly, or makes a fantastic marinade for grilled meats.
Milk Street Shallot Confit
Tired of trying to mince slippery shallots, or cook them to an even golden brown without the risk of burning? Slow cooking takes time and supervision, which is something few of us have the time for on busy weeknights.
Milk Street Premium Essentials Shallot Confit is a rich-tasting blend of minced shallots, olive oil and ghee simmered slow and low to a deep, savory flavor and jammy texture. White wine, bay leaf and a touch of spice add dimension to boost any cuisine. It’s designed to be all-purpose enough to replace cooked shallots in virtually any recipe. Try in soups, stews, sauces and sauces. Fold into grains or beans, spread inside grilled cheese and paninis, top burgers or dollop on to pizza. It saves valuable time and effort, getting a flavorful dinner on the table faster.
Villa Jerada Harissa
Villa Jerada’s Harissa No. 1 is our favorite version of this North African red pepper paste for its bright, complex flavor. While many store-bought varieties have a one-dimensional spicy flavor, this harissa layers acidity and fruitiness with preserved lemons, a touch of vinegar and tomato paste for a lively, tangy condiment. Villa Jerada uses just enough high-quality Moroccan olive oil to make the harissa spreadable and smooth without diluting its flavor, as opposed to conventional brands that contain a high proportion of water and vegetable oil.
Milk Street Premium Essential Confits — Set of 3
Milk Street Garlic Confit
The worst recipe ingredient is, “4 cloves garlic, minced.” You know that it is going to be hard to do, it will make a mess, and you will end up with garlic all over your cutting board and knife. Jarred supermarket garlics are, well, awful! They often taste bitter and harsh or lack flavor altogether. Our solution to this problem is to create a garlic confit—mellow but full-flavored and enhanced with a few nice touches, including bay leaves, Aleppo pepper, ghee, olive oil and a hint of lemon. You will never have to mince garlic again with Milk Street Premium Essentials Garlic Confit!
Milk Street Ginger Confit
The worst thing in any recipe is seeing, “2 tablespoons of ginger, grated.” Ginger is one of the most annoying ingredients to prep. It’s a pain to peel, grating takes forever and by the end, you’ve probably dirtied a spoon, plate and a grater—which gets packed with stringy fibers. Instead, reach for Milk Street Premium Essentials Ginger Confit, the closest thing to fresh ginger you’ll ever taste out of a jar. Supermarket ginger pastes can be stinging-sharp, packed with additives and unpleasantly fibrous, so we developed this product to solve those problems to produce a fresh, clean ginger taste. Never grate ginger again!
Milk Street Shallot Confit
Milk Street Premium Essentials Shallot Confit is a rich-tasting blend of minced shallots, olive oil and ghee simmered slow and low to a deep, savory flavor and jammy texture. White wine, bay leaf and a touch of spice add dimension to boost any cuisine. It’s designed to be all-purpose enough to replace cooked shallots in virtually any recipe. Try in soups, stews, sauces and sauces. Fold into grains or beans, spread inside grilled cheese and paninis, top burgers or dollop on to pizza. It saves valuable time and effort, getting a flavorful dinner on the table faster.
Enokida Jozo Chili Miso
Saucy and full of subtle—not overwhelming—chili flavor, Enokida Jouzo's Chili Miso is a peppery twist on a typical umami-packed miso. With a texture perfect for spreading or glazing, this slightly sweet miso is made from rice malt and Japanese green chili peppers. Add this zippy flavor bomb on top of rice, mixed into noodles, on vegetables, fish, chicken, meat and more. Based in the Gunma Prefecture at the foot of Mt. Akagi in Maebashi City, a city known for its fermented foods, the company has been in business for over 100 years.
Enokida Jozo Yuzu Miso
Saucy and full of punchy yuzu flavor, Enokida Jouzo's Yuzu Miso is a lovely twist on a typical umami-packed miso. With a texture perfect for spreading or glazing, this slightly sweet miso is made from rice malt and yuzu, a tart citrus fruit grown in Japan. Add this citrusy flavor bomb on top of rice, mixed into noodles, on vegetables, fish, chicken, meat and more. Based in the Gunma Prefecture at the foot of Mt. Akagi in Maebashi City, a place known for its fermented foods, the company has been in business for over 100 years.
Milk Street Sofrito
We created our sofrito to be the perfect building block to cook a wide variety of recipes in less time, based on the tradition of Italian and Spanish grandmothers who make this by the jar to simplify cooking and boost flavor. After much testing, we came up with an aromatic base of sautéed onions, carrots and celery, complemented by the bright tones of tomatoes, white wine and vinegar. For additional depth, it has earthy, umami notes from mushroom powder, aromatic notes of rosemary and thyme, and just a hint of heat from black pepper and Kashmiri chili powder. A few tablespoons of this jammy sofrito is all it takes to spread rich, concentrated power into soups, sauces, stews, braises and nearly anything else that needs a boost of big flavor.
Milk Street: Garlic Confit
The worst recipe ingredient is, “4 cloves garlic, minced.” You know that it is going to be hard to do, it will make a mess, and you will end up with garlic all over your cutting board and knife. Jarred supermarket garlics are, well, awful! They often taste bitter and harsh or lack flavor altogether. Our solution to this problem is to create a garlic confit—mellow but full-flavored and enhanced with a few nice touches, including bay leaves, Aleppo pepper, ghee, olive oil and a hint of lemon. You will never have to mince garlic again!