Japanese producer Sugimoto grows their shiitake naturally on sawtooth oak logs, which are known in the country for imparting sweet, dense flavor into the mushrooms, and then dried with an far-infrared method, which minimizes moisture more than other brands to preserve quality and taste. These woodsy shiitakes are then ground into a fine powder that’s easy to sprinkle into all manner of savory dishes to add a touch of umami. Its flavor is delicate, but can easily be amped up the more you sprinkle into your dish, adding a lovely mushroom character to dishes without the prep work.

Only eight islands in Japan produce Okinawan brown sugar, or kokuto, a raw smoky sugar that is made by slow-cooking sugarcane juice in a centuries-old production method protected by the Okinawa Prefecture. It is smoky and intense, with a tobacco-like aroma and a perfect balance of sweet and bitterness. The Japanese sugarcane imparts a slight fruity aftertaste, and its naturally high mineral content is not only healthier for you but also translates into complex warming spice notes. Use Okinawan brown sugar as a smoky alternative to dark brown sugar, or take advantage of its spicy, bitter notes to add depth to savory recipes. Try it in rich meat braises, swapping out some of the molasses in our Sweet Soy-Braised Pork—it pairs wonderfully with the umami of soy sauce. Similarly, try it in recipes with fish sauce, such as our Stir-Fried Beef and Ginger with Garlic and Scallions or Stir-Fried Black Pepper Chicken with Green Beans; in both cases, substitute an equal amount of Okinawan brown sugar for the white sugar the recipe calls for.

This small-batch Mild Jamaican Jerk Paste is almost indescribably complex, with a fruity, earthy and smoky flavor that's great for marinating or basting any kind of meat. Sweet-tart tamarind, soy sauce and a blend of spices provide an aromatic foundation. The sauce also includes two types of mustard and fruity-floral habanero peppers for heat, complemented by smoky cumin and paprika. Kitchens of Africa layers on fresh ingredients like cilantro, ginger and garlic for a well-rounded marinade. You can use Jamaican Jerk Paste on any meat, but we especially like it for chicken and kebabs. Add honey or agave for a sweeter glaze, or try it with soy sauce or fish sauce for deeper, meatier umami notes. Or simmer with tomato puree for a tangy-savory sauce to serve over beans.

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

This oil yields clean, bold chili flavor that’s much more punchy and complex than typical store brands, which are often too muted in taste or mask the chili with flavored oil and aromatics. To maintain the integrity of the chili, Banhoek uses premium canola oil, which is flavorless unlike the olive oil often used by other brands, as well as heat induction technology and a 16-step filtration system that lets the sun-dried bird’s eye chilies deeply infuse the oil. Upon opening the bottle, a toasty aroma emerges with an earthy-sweetness reminiscent of high-quality paprika. Once a drop of the rosy-hued oil hits your palate, a clean spice that’s not overwhelming blooms on the tongue—potent and bright. And that bold flavor will keep even weeks after you open the bottle, since Banhoek filters out any bits of chili that could alter the oil’s taste as it ages, making for a consistent, quality pantry staple able to elevate any dish with a dash of fragrant spice.

Originally from Senegal and popular throughout West Africa, traditional yassa is a spicy, tangy dish made with chicken or fish in a lemony caramelized onion sauce. Kitchens of Africa's Traditional Yassa Simmer Sauce is a generations-old family recipe, with a sweet and mellow caramelized onion base accented by zesty ginger, lime and dijon mustard. Poblano pepper and a secret blend of spices add heat and depth, for an overall bright-tasting sauce with a tropical feel. Like curry, yassa is an easily adaptable recipe; simply simmer covered with your choice of meat, seafood, vegetables or even tofu for a quick and easy weeknight meal. We recommend serving over a bed or rice or couscous to soak up all of the sauce—and don't forget an extra squeeze of lime at the end of cooking to accentuate the bright flavors. Beyond the traditional, toss with roasted vegetables with right before serving, or use a light coating as a glaze for grilled vegetables.

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

With over 95% of store-bought shiitake mushrooms being produced artificially in China, you might never have had one that’s naturally grown. Japanese producer Sugimoto grows theirs on sawtooth oak logs, which are known in the country for imparting sweet, dense flavor into the mushrooms, and then dried with an far-infrared method, which minimizes moisture more than other brands to preserve quality and taste. Natural shiitakes contain a special compound that makes for a much richer umami flavor, and that’s clearly evident in these mushrooms. Their flavor is earthy, meaty and slightly sweet, nothing like the dirty taste and aroma that can often plague dried mushrooms. The koshin varietal of shiitake are larger and fully opened—pleasantly chewy, yet still tender, and are an easy way to add convenient savoriness to all manner of dishes, especially noodle dishes.

Hotter and deeper-tasting than smoked hot paprika, Romín Casero Morita Chili Powder is a great option to have on hand in your pantry for adding smoky-sweet flavor. Morita chilies are a type of chipotle pepper, made from jalapeños that have fully ripened before being smoked and dried. Because the peppers are red, ripe and sweeter than other smoked chilies, the powder has an especially pronounced fruity-sweet aroma that we love, which is rounded out with pungent garlic and a touch of salt. Morita chilies pack a ton of flavor in each chili pepper, and in this powdered form you can conveniently adjust your level of spice as you like. Use this Morita Chili Powder to add bold flavor to all manner of Latin foods. Or use in conjunction with conventional chili powder for easy extra flavor for your chili or quick refried beans. Swap out 3 to 4 teaspoons for the canned chipotles in our quick Refried Beans, or add some to the marinade of our Grilled Tacos al Pastor for extra dimensions of heat. We also like to blend with kosher salt, ground coriander, black pepper and brown sugar to use as a rub on chicken, pork or even steaks before roasting or grilling. For a sweet and salty combination, try blending into melted butter with a touch of sugar and drizzle over salted popcorn.

Here at Milk Street, we love crushing spices or herbs by hand to create more variation in texture and extract more flavor, and a mortar and pestle allow us to blend them more precisely. The molcajete is a traditional Mexican variation of a mortar and pestle for grinding dried chilies to use in salsas or for making perfect guacamole. It has a shallower, wider bowl than a typical mortar—about 6 inches in diameter—which helps for closer control and more surface area to break down tough textures, like the skins of guajillo or ancho chilies. Plus, the molcajete is made of coarse and incredibly durable volcanic stone that creates plenty of natural friction. Its accompanying pestle is called a tejolote; at 3 inches long, it's perfectly proportional to the shallow bowl of the molcajete. Our food editor, Matt Card, says this tool is worth owning for guacamole if nothing else—the texture it yields is the ideal balance of creamy and chunky. Try our recipe for Central Mexican Guacamole, picked up from Mexican cooking doyenne Diana Kennedy. Each molcajete comes in a one-of-a-kind, hand-woven and vibrantly colored basket made from palm leaves. It's meant to hold tortillas and has a lid to keep them warm, but we also like to use the basket to keep fruits and vegetables on the counter, such as tomatoes, onions or avocados for the guacamole you'll be making. It even makes an attractive container to store kitchen clutter—loose change, receipts and the like.

Inspired by Korean stoneware dolsot bowls, traditionally used for bibimbap, these warmly colored, matte-grey porcelain bowls are just the right size for a bowl of rice, miso soup or even late-night ice cream. The snugly fitting bamboo cover keeps food warm and prevents spills during transport, as well as providing elegant visual contrast. We especially love how the lid’s simple handle serves double duty a chopstick rest when placed on the table (it’s considered rude in Chinese culture to stick chopsticks upright into your bowl). The Kkini bowls and chopstick set are produced by JIA, an importer of fine Chinese ceramics and tableware. The company, whose name means “home”, works with international designers to put a modern spin on classic Chinese designs. Try this set for your next dinner for two, with dishes like our Taiwanese Five-Spice Pork with Rice or Chicken Teriyaki Donburi.

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.

Named for its place of origin, La Chamba clay cookware from Colombia is crafted completely by hand using centuries-old methods. Made from local river clay, the stunning matte-black surface of this salsa dish looks similar to cast iron but is much more lightweight and easier to handle. It also adds a beautiful authentic accent to your table. The handcrafted lid is perfect for keeping your condiments covered until the moment you need them, especially when cooking outdoors—we love the look of La Chamba as part of an outdoor barbecue spread. Use it to serve our Colombian Avocado Salsa (Áji de Aguacate) or our Green Chili and Tomatillo Hot Sauce. Making La Chamba cookware is quite literally a community effort, and every piece passes through the hands of various skilled artisans in one village in Colombia. The three types of clay used in the dishes’ construction make them strong enough to use in the oven, microwave or on your stove—but as with all clay cookware, La Chamba pieces should not be exposed to extreme temperature shock.