Many supermarket tahinis are over-roasted, which gives them an unpleasant, bitter flavor. They are also too thick and hard to stir into a creamy blend. Soom's tahini has a full, nutty flavor as well as a pourable and well-balanced texture, made from single-origin white sesame seeds from northwestern Ethiopia that have an ideal oil-to-protein ratio.

I discovered this Pomegranate Molasses from Mymouné through a Cambridge restaurant called Moona; the Lebanese company makes all of its products by hand in small batches, and their pomegranate molasses is the sharpest and brightest I have ever tasted. The bottle will last a long time, and it is so much better than the sweeter, less balanced supermarket products. It's a a powerhouse ingredient used throughout the cooking of the Middle East and the Caucasus region that I guarantee you'll love. — Christopher Kimball

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.

Fruity, subtly cumin flavored and only moderately spicy, coarse-ground Aleppo pepper is used throughout Middle Eastern cooking. We use it frequently and consider it a valuable flavoring for all manner of dishes that benefit from a little spark of heat. Villa Jerada’s sourcing is impeccable as these flakes are particularly moist and richly flavored.

Unlike many apricot jams that taste mostly of corn syrup, Mymouné's apricot preserve is bursting with real apricot flavor. The Lebanese company uses local apricots that are grown without irrigation, which ensures they have a more concentrated flavor, and cooks the fruit whole down until thick and syrupy. Tasting this bright jam reminds us of fruit just picked off a tree at the end of a warm, summer day. Stir it into yogurt, or pair it with a drizzle of earthy tahini on a bowl of oatmeal. Matthew Card, our food editor, thinks it makes the best PB&J, especially on a nutty whole-grain bread. For desserts, Mymouné Apricot Jam is great as a cookie filling or, when warmed up and combined with an optional touch of bourbon, as a glaze for a pound cake. The fruity intensity of these preserves works with savory foods, too: Try blending it with equal parts extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne pepper to toss with roasted carrots, sweet potatoes or butternut squash.

Soom imports our favorite tahini, and this silky-sweet date syrup has quickly become a kitchen staple sweetener. Also known as date honey, Soom’s Silan is a thick, glossy syrup prepared from steamed and pureed dates. It’s earthy and rich, with a rounded flavor and dried-fruit finish. Use it anywhere you might drizzle maple syrup or honey; it makes a terrific alternative to maple syrup on pancakes and waffles, or drizzled over oatmeal and yogurt. Silan even works for savory recipes. Pair it with toasted nuts or nut oils in vinaigrettes; you can also drizzle it over roasted meat or toss it with roasted vegetables, especially naturally sweet carrots, sweet potatoes or butternut squash garnished with toasted almonds and chili flakes.

Literally translated as “top of the shop,” this Ras El Hanout is a warm, complex, savory North African spice blend that can be a go-to rub for chicken, grilling, or simply mixed with Greek yogurt or softened butter. Every pantry should have a jar. Key ingredients in this blend include saffron, rose petals, grains of paradise, fennel seeds, monk pepper, galangal, orris root, white peppercorns, anise star, lavender, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, cardamom and allspice.

This may be my favorite jam in the world, other than my favorite Sicilian Orange Marmalade. It is astonishingly refreshing and intriguing, with a flavor that balances sweetness and wild blueberry with wild herbs. It tastes undomesticated, as if it had been made in the far hills of some undiscovered country or something offered at the table in a Greek myth. It is great as a spread for pancakes (I love my own maple syrup but mulberry jam on pancakes is one of life’s rare treats), on toast, or on a fresh, hot corn muffin. Just delightful!

Rose water is the aromatic, subtly perfumed essence that defines the flavor of many of the baked goods of the Middle East; it has the remarkable capacity to cut through saccharine sweetness. We like that Mymouné's product tastes clearly like rose and has a natural, not chemical, flavor, so it isn't perfumey like supermarket versions.

After completing a tour of duty in Afghanistan, a team of U.S. Army veterans founded Rumi Spice, a company that grows, collects, and exports saffron, giving hundreds of local women well-paying jobs. It turns out that a good deal of saffron sold around the world is either old or made from dyed corn silk—Rumi Spice sells the real thing. This is premium saffron: collected by hand, sustainably farmed and ethically sourced. Here at Milk Street, we support the notion of helping the women of Afghanistan earn their own money directly for the first time in their lives.

The secret to so much cooking rests on ingredients such as rose water and orange blossom water. Use them in rice pudding, cheesecake, poaching syrups or in just about anything. The rose water actually tastes like rose water; it is not as perfumey as the supermarket stuff. Same goes for the orange blossom water, which has a natural, rather than a chemical, flavor.

This dense, intensely flavored Lebanese Sundried Fig Jam is perfectly balanced and only moderately sweet. It consists of 75% fruit, so you can taste all the richness of the figs. We like how the decadent, warm sweetness is accented and made more interesting by subtle savory notes from aniseed, while the sesame seeds in the jam enhance the figs' natural texture. This thick, decadent fig jam also has chunks of fruit for a more satisfying bite. Spread it with butter or ricotta on toast or in a sandwich. You can also feature it on a cheese tray, paired with creamy goat cheese, or even add a little to a meat stew to balance heavier flavors. Or smear a little between layers of carrot cake along with cardamom-scented cream cheese frosting.

I discovered this Pomegranate Molasses from Mymouné through a Cambridge restaurant called Moona; the Lebanese company makes all of its products by hand in small batches, and their pomegranate molasses is the sharpest and brightest I have ever tasted. The bottle will last a long time, and it is so much better than the sweeter, less balanced supermarket products. It's a a powerhouse ingredient used throughout the cooking of the Middle East and the Caucasus region that I guarantee you'll love. — Christopher Kimball

This mulberry syrup is from Mymouné, the same folks who make our favorite pomegranate molasses. This syrup contains nothing more than wild mulberries, sugar and fresh lemon juice; there are no colorants or preservatives added. It has a fruity, slightly astringent flavor and we love it over yogurt, ice cream, waffles, or pancakes and in soda water.

One of our go-to baking tricks is using crystallized fruit in our baking. This lemon peel is bright and citrusy, and we love the pop it adds to bites of dessert. Dice it and use it as an addition to apple pies, muffins, cookies and in cakes and or add in strips while poaching summer fruits. This lemon peel works in more savory dishes too, and I use it in my skillet cornbread recipe, in biscuits, and to flavor sugar (throw sugar and a couple of peels in a food processor to make lemon sugar), which can then be used to infuse your baking throughout.

I discovered this Pomegranate Molasses from Mymouné through a Cambridge restaurant called Moona; the Lebanese company makes all of its products by hand in small batches, and their pomegranate molasses is the sharpest and brightest I have ever tasted. The bottle will last a long time, and it is so much better than the sweeter, less balanced supermarket products. It's a a powerhouse ingredient used throughout the cooking of the Middle East and the Caucasus region that I guarantee you'll love. — Christopher Kimball

Ingredients: Pomegranate [/accordion] Specifications [/title]Net Volume: 250 milliliters
Place of Origin: Lebanon [/accordions-break] Twenty years ago when John Willoughby, the former executive editor of Gourmet magazine, sang the praises of pomegranate molasses, I, of course, made fun of him for suggesting yet another hard-to-find ingredient. [/banner_heading] As usual, I was wrong and he was right. I now use this simple ingredient every week, adding it to soups, stews, salad dressings—just about anything that could use a hit of sweet and sour. — Christopher Kimball [/banner-text-break] Use pomegranate molasses for a deep, slightly sweet tang in marinades, salad dressings or sauces. It pairs particularly well with earthy whole grains and legumes, and with dried fruits and nut-forward desserts. [/how-to-use-break] Because this pomegranate molasses is so well-balanced, you may find yourself looking for more and more uses outside of marinades and dressings. Try a splash in your seltzer or ginger ale, or use it in a cocktail.