A deep marigold yellow, this mild, Sonoko Sakai’s Japanese-style curry powder lingers on the palate with notes of warm spices such as cardamom, black pepper and cayenne. Each small batch is made by hand—blending 16 different sustainably-sourced spices (and no artificial additives) to achieve the perfect harmony of tastes. If you stop and savor its deeply-layered aroma, you can nearly identify every ingredient due to the freshness of each spice and seasoning. The sweetness of clove and cinnamon are given a grounded base by the mustard, black pepper and cumin, with earthy and herbal notes shining through with tumeric and coriander. What truly sets this curry powder apart from others, though, is the hint of rich umami brought by infusing the powder with kombu and mushrooms.

Acclaimed cook and food writer Sonoko Sakai developed and fine-tuned this balanced blend over the course of many months, keeping in mind versatility and concentrated flavor. This curry powder is perfect for making traditional curry bricks—the Japanese curry equivalent to bouillon cubes—or adding an aromatic kick to any recipe. Incorporate into a rub for meat, bloom with other aromatics when sauteeing, or perhaps stir into a soup such as our Black Eyed Pea and Tomato Stew. Combine with butter or ketchup to craft a condiment with a kick, or add to entrees like Ed Lee’s Coconut Curry Braised Fish or our Japanese-Style Beef Curry—substituting the curry powder in place of the garam masala.

Curry is one of the most beloved dishes in Japan–generally mild, not fiery, and often made by Japanese chefs with a curry brick. Similar to the depth of flavor you can achieve from a bouillon cube, a curry brick combines fragrant spices and fat, which once added to a hot pan with some liquid, transforms into flavorful, fresh curry that tastes like it has been cooking for hours. Knowing that store-bought bricks are usually loaded with salt and preservatives, acclaimed cook and food writer Sonoko Sakai decided to create her own curry brick kit, packaging together a collection of whole spices, pre-measured dry spices, dried shiitakes and kombu that easily comes together to form curry bricks in your own kitchen. While fairly mild, the blend of spices gets a warming kick from plenty of aromatic black pepper and cayenne. Earthy-sweet turmeric and herbal coriander pair beautifully with the strong dose of mustard and cumin for a grounded base, balanced out by a touch of cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and allspice for a bit of sweetness. We also love the bit of umami that comes through thanks to the addition of kombu and shiitakes, adding a rich complexity that shines in any dish. To use, simply toast the whole spices until fragrant, and grind with the rest of the ingredients in a spice blender. Once blended, create a roux using flour and a fat of your choice before adding in your spices and packing into a mold, such as a mini loaf pan or ice cube trays. Once cooled into a hard brick, you can use a knob of the brick right away or keep it in your fridge or freezer for weeks to use whenever you need to punch up flavor.

Japanese cooking expert Sonoko Sakai grew up on a curry that started from a store-bought block of roux: a combination of spices, seasonings, fat and flour for thickening. She set out to make a better one that still delivers the flavor of Japanese curry, without the palm oil and additives found in mass-produced options. Her efforts resulted in this time-saving, do-it-yourself kit, which comes with her pre-blended curry powder featuring 16 toasted ground spices, sweet rice flour and loaf tins to mix everything in. Simply add high-quality coconut oil or butter and allow the bricks to set, ready to be popped out as a dinner starter. The curry brick has a mild, warmly spiced flavor, with kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms for umami and depth. Store in your fridge for a dinner that comes together in minutes but tastes like it’s been simmering for hours.