Villa Jerada Harissa
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.
Casablanca Market Black Olive Tapenade
Casablanca Market's simple and delicious Black Olive Tapenade has a rich olive flavor and even, spreadable texture. It's not overly salty like so many supermarket versions, but rather balanced between briny capers, fruity extra-virgin olive oil, savory garlic and an unconventional ingredient: herbs de Provence, an aromatic blend that often includes parsley, thyme, rosemary, savory and marjoram. The herbs act as a counterpoint to keep the spread from tasting cloying or fatty. Instead, the tapenade has light floral notes on top of the grassy-fruity aroma of the olive oil.
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 Silk Chili
Softer and more vibrant than the stale chili flakes on grocery store shelves, these fruity chilies are sun-dried then stone-ground into flakes with a touch of sunflower oil and salt to preserve their soft texture. They have a bright medium heat and rich flavor reminiscent of sun-dried tomato.
Villa Jerada Dukkah
Rich, earthy dukkah—a blend of crushed, toasted hazelnuts and spices like cumin, coriander and sesame—is as much an all-purpose seasoning in Egypt as garam masala in India or five-spice powder in China. Villa Jerada's Dukkah is one of the freshest, most aromatic versions we've tried, with a fine texture that's perfect for mixing into dips or for sprinkling over food. The blend tastes prominently of cumin and coriander, with the hazelnuts adding a rich, sweet nuttiness and cayenne rounding out the dukkah with a touch of brightness.
Soom Premium Tahini
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 roasted and pressed premium white sesame seeds that have an ideal oil-to-protein ratio.
Casablanca Market Marrakesh Spiced Olives
Marinated in turmeric, lemons, sea salt and extra-virgin olive oil, these Marrakesh Spiced Olives from Morocco have a complexity similar to Casablanca Market's Preserved Lemons (a Milk Street favorite), with an added earthy element from turmeric. The olives have small pits so they're especially meaty and bursting with savory, grassy and buttery flavors. And not only do the lemons lend an intense aroma and brighten up the briny mix, the tender chunks of preserved citrus also taste great on their own.
Mymouné Rose Water
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.
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