Cera Bakeware Square Baker
Greasing your glass bakeware with butter, oil or spray is usually one of the first steps in a recipe—and more often than not, most baked goods still stick to the pan anyway. Not so with Cera bakeware, designed in Japan to be truly nonstick, without any need for extra greasing agents, flour or parchment. And it’s only available in the US at Milk Street. Made from ceramic-coated glass that is durable, easy to wash and completely nonstick, this square baker is the perfect vessel for baked goods, roasts, casseroles and more. Anything you cook in it will come out cleanly, without any fuss or mess. The frosted glass is also easy on the eyes, ensuring your dish can go seamlessly from oven to table.
Hakata Salt Moshio Saredoshio (Japanese Seaweed Salt)
Made from seawater and seaweed straight from the Seto Inland Sea, Hakata Salt’s Moshio “Saredoshio,” or Japanese seaweed salt, brings a distinct complexity that enhances the flavor of typical sea salt. It’s made using a traditional method, in which Hondawara variety seaweed is soaked in seawater, naturally thickened in salt fields under the sun, then boiled down into a fine, easily dissolvable salt. The minimal yet time-intensive process helps preserve each complex mineral, adding even more impact to the flavor of what is dried and harvested off of the seaweed. The salt imparts a combination of delicate bitterness and a punch of briny umami that clings to food nicely; use it to finish grilled fish, karaage (Japanese fried chicken), tofu and carpaccio, or add it to soup, pickles and sushi. Mix into dressings and marinades to boost savoriness, or sprinkle it over ice cream, cookies or muffins if you’re feeling extra adventurous.
Marukin Mentsuyu All-Purpose Noodle Sauce & Soup Base
Used widely across Japan as a standalone sauce, soup base and dressing for cold noodles, this umami-packed mentsuyu from Marukin needs no diluting. Unlike other similar products on the market, this full-flavored, complex sauce is completely ready to use—without adding any water. A blend of premium soy sauce and dashi broth, each high quality ingredient is sourced from Japan. Balancing both salty and sweet, each bite is smoky and briny without overpowering. With a variety of uses, we like it served alongside both hot or cold noodles, as a dipping sauce or as a broth. It also works well as a dipping sauce for tempura, as a base for other soups, subbed in for dressing, marinade, pickling liquid or splashed in as a flavor enhancer for egg dishes.
Suncraft Usuba Knife
Traditionally used in professional kitchens, this small but mighty Usuba knife from Suncraft is a great addition to any knife block. Fashioned with a tall, thin blade that’s slightly curved for rocking, it’s made in Japan from layered VG-10 Damascus steel. Resembling a “mini cleaver,” it’s great for chopping and dicing mirepoix, smashing garlic and ginger, thinly slicing vegetables or thick steaks and chiffonading bundles of herbs. The durable black Pakkawood handle is also comfortable in the hand—not too short like other smaller knives.
Lino Chopsticks with Ceramic Rest
Made in Japan, these lovely wooden chopsticks with squared off ends are designed with a flowing spiral shape and painted with transparent color to shimmer in the light. Sleek, elegant and easy to grip, each dishwasher-safe set comes with a convenient ceramic rest, so your chopsticks stay off the table. Available in Blue/White and Pink/Grey.
Kuze Fuku & Sons Garlic Miso
Combining the umami depth of miso and the sweet bite of garlic, Kuze Fuku & Sons’ Garlic Miso Topping has become a staple ingredient in the Milk Street fridge. A coarse yet spreadable paste, it begins with garlic-forward, savory flavor, followed by sweet and subtly funky notes of miso. Perfectly balanced for more than just Japanese dishes, a first intense hit of flavor mellows out and leaves you craving another bite. Add it to noodles, pizza, pasta dishes, dressings, dips, sandwiches, broths and sauces. Use it as a marinade for meats, fish and vegetables, or mix into butter for an elevated compound butter. Or just slather it on bread. It’s that good.