Las Hermanas Pimentón de la Vera Dulce DOP - Sweet Smoked Paprika
This sweet paprika from Hijos de Salvador López has a complex smokiness that comes from a two-week drying process over smoldering oak logs as well as subtle fruitiness imparted by the local red peppers from which it was made. Because of the traditional methods used to produce it, pimentón de la Vera has an intense, penetrating flavor that adds depth to any dish—it does so much more than the supermarket stuff you dust over deviled eggs for color.
Villa Jerada Aleppo Pepper
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.
Burlap & Barrel Royal Cinnamon
Also known as Saigon cinnamon, Royal Cinnamon is a hard-to-find heirloom variety that comes from the mountains of central Vietnam. Our recipe developers agreed it was the sweetest and brightest cinnamon we have ever tasted, with an aroma you can smell from across the room. It's clean-flavored and boldly spicy-sweet, yet with a delicate quality. To fully appreciate its flavor, we recommend trying Royal Cinnamon first in simple applications.
Las Hermanas Pimentón de la Vera Picante DOP - Hot Smoked Paprika
This hot paprika from Hijos de Salvador López has a complex smokiness that comes from a two-week drying process over smoldering oak logs as well as subtle fruitiness imparted by the local red peppers from which it was made. Because of the traditional methods used to produce it, pimentón de la Vera has an intense, penetrating flavor that adds depth to any dish—it does so much more than the supermarket stuff you dust over deviled eggs for color.
BoTree Organic Kampot Pepper
The black Kampot peppercorns, picked green and unripe then dried in the sun, are the most intense of the lot, packing a bright, fleeting heat and flavor notes of menthol and floral notes. It’s different than any other pepper we have tasted and an exciting new addition to the home pantry. We use them as our everyday peppercorns for bold flavor or highlight the flavor in Southeast Asian curries and even Italian classics, like cacio e pepe. The red Kampot peppercorns are left on the vine to fully ripen and possess a complex aroma and bright, fleeting heat level tempered by a sweet, almost fruity note. Use these as an everyday peppercorn, or blend with black peppercorns for complexity. We like them blended into southeast Asian curries or salad dressings, where the peppercorn’s sweetness can temper acidity. Fully ripened and peeled of their strong-tasting exterior layer, white peppercorns are the mildest of the bunch (though still pack a bright, fleeting heat) and ideal for milder dishes or light-colored dishes that would otherwise be marred by the fleck of peppercorns.
Mekhala Living Organic Red Curry Paste
Mekhala red curry paste has bright chili heat punctuated by galangal, lemongrass, cilantro roots, ginger, shallots and white peppercorns. It is great blended with coconut milk and used as a simmer sauce for all manners of meats; the sweetness of hearty root vegetables like butternut squash or sweet potato also pairs well with this paste. We also like to use it “neat” as a quick and easy flavor enhancement. Try it as a rub for roasting meat or on salmon. Started in Singapore by a pair of entrepreneurial women disappointed in commercial curry pastes made from dubious ingredients, Mekhala curries are organic and vegan. We love that this red curry paste packs bold flavor even without the traditional underpinning of fish sauce or shrimp paste.
Jacobsen Salt Co. Infused Black Garlic Salt
We love the deep savoriness and subtle fermented funk of this infused black garlic salt, whose every component is made in-house by Jacobsen Salt Co. near Portland, Oregon. Aged for two to three months in controlled heat and humidity until it undergoes the Maillard reaction (the same phenomenon that gives seared meats their umami flavor), black garlic is more mellow than raw garlic, with caramelized notes and a delicate balance between sweet and savory. Jacobsen Salt Co. grounds black garlic into a powder and mixes with the company's flaky, hand-harvested Pacific sea salt.
Angkor Food Makrut (Kaffir) Lime Leaves
Makrut lime leaves are characterized by a penetrating citrus flavor and bold, clarifying aroma with a slight floral accent. Makrut lime leaves pair well with ginger, lemongrass, galangal, garlic and cilantro and will add a distinctive flavor and wonderful aroma to curry pastes, soups and marinades.
Villa Jerada Saffron
A few threads can go a long way of this incredible organic saffron harvested from the Moroccan city of Taliouine, high in the country’s Atlas Mountains. While most saffron is cultivated in the Middle-East, with much of the world’s production coming from Iran, but there’s something so special about Moroccan saffron. It tastes of hay, honey and hibiscus flower, with a lovely aroma that hits you the second you open the jar. Inferior saffron threads are often dry and brittle and crushed to bits by the time you crack open the jar (a sign of lackin freshness) but these are fully intact and look like delicate threads of rich crimson. It’s even placed judiciously in the tin in such a way that prevents breakage. Plus, it’s pure saffron with no fillers—some less quality versions are bulked up with dyed corn silks. Moroccan saffron is some of the most fragrant available—a sweet aroma of honey with a pleasant bitterness. It’s remarkably potent, rich, heady and unmistakably saffron.
Jacobsen Salt Co. Pure Kosher Sea Salt
Jacobsen Salt Co.’s Pure Kosher Sea Salt is wonderful as a finishing salt—but it can do so much more. It has a smaller grain than the company's signature flaky sea salt, which makes it a perfect go-to alternative for table salt in recipes: It weighs just a tad less than table salt, so the volumes are almost equivalent, yet it's easier to pick up by hand and sprinkle into dishes than table salt (which is why all Milk Street recipes call for kosher salt). The company hand-harvests every single grain of salt from the Netarts Bay in northern Oregon, so this bright, clean-flavored sea salt has an even consistency ideal for cooking, baking or pickling, in addition to finishing sprinkles.
Sonoko Sakai Japanese Curry Powder
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.
