Che Fico Calabrian Chili Bomba
The iconic condiment of San Francisco’s Che Fico restaurant, this Calabrian chili paste is incredible, with a pleasant texture and layered flavor that sets it apart from others we’ve tasted. Where most chili condiments have a one-note chili flavor, Che Fico’s features the fruity Calabrian chili at the forefront but also adds nuance with the additions of bright Fresno chilies, savory roasted garlic and a tangy vinegar that lingers on the palate. The juicy pulpiness of the peppers and the slick of oil is both pleasantly textural and somehow creamy and silky. The opening pop of slightly vinegary calabrian chili flavor is perfectly seasoned, but the following fade into garlic is what makes this feel appropriate for any and everything.
Mymouné Mulberry Syrup
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.
Il Colle Del Gusto Hazelnut Spread with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Il Colle del Gusto's hazelnut spreads are lighter, glossier and more aromatic versions of Nutella. With a high hazelnut content of up to 42%, they are made using local, high-quality roasted nuts from Italy, which have a toasty, buttery flavor, light sweetness and earthy depth.
Auria’s Malaysian Kitchen Hot Chili Sambal
This small-batch chili paste from Auria's Malaysian Kitchen has a wonderful chili-forward flavor, with a balance between the brightness of fresh peppers and the earthiness of dried chilies that makes it adaptable to all manner of recipes. The spice is rounded out with pungent garlic and a touch of sugar and vinegar, and the producer also uses shrimp paste in its recipe, which contributes umami flavor without any fishiness. As an ingredient for cooking, you can get more mileage out of sambal than hot sauce thanks to its thicker consistency, while its complexity makes it a great powerhouse ingredient for weeknight stir-fries. Try substituting sambal for the red chili flakes in our Thai Stir-Fried Spinach.
Casablanca Market Preserved Lemons from Morocco
Casablanca Market's preserved lemons have a bright, balanced flavor and they aren't overly salty or bitter like some brands. We like that they add a bold, piquant kick to dishes without being too sour, and their tender texture is perfect for chopping finely and incorporating into recipes.
Il Colle Del Gusto Sicilian Pistachio Spread
Made from Sicilian pistachios and extra-virgin olive oil, Pistacchiosa is a creamy, aromatic spread you will want to put on all your desserts and, yes, eat straight out of the jar.
Graza Co. Squeeze "Drizzle" and "Sizzle" Olive Oil Set
Enjoy the best of both worlds with Graza’s “Drizzle & Sizzle” combo pack of extra-virgin olive oils. Grown and made in Jaen, Spain, the country where about half the world’s olive oil is produced, Graza uses 100% picual olives for both their blends of extra virgin olive oil. Use “Drizzle” for finishing, made from olives harvested by hand in October when they are still young, green and not fully ripe. The younger olives make an olive oil that is full of attitude, grassy and peppery, with a spicy zip that finishes a dish beautifully. “Sizzle” is for everyday cooking, made from picual olives harvested in December and January, when they are more mature and juicy. Once pressed, “Sizzle” is a bit more mellow and milder in flavor—though still with a grassy, peppery bite—perfect for roasting, searing, poaching, pan frying, baking and marinating. Both versions also come packaged in an easy to use squeeze bottle, so you can emulate exactly what chefs do in restaurants.
Irish Black Butter
A conserve of apples, cider, brandy, and spices, Irish Black Butter has a uniquely deep, caramelized apple flavor with subtle spice notes and an almost earthy, smoky finish. It’s made by cooking down the country’s famous Armagh Bramley apples until they developed a rich molasses-like quality and warm complexity; the apples themselves have a Protected Geographic Indication recognized by the European Union. Irish Black Butter has an excellent smooth, spreadable texture that is a bit thicker than store-bought apple butters; it isn’t silky or gelatinous on the tongue but rather has a very fine granularity like any good homemade apple butter. We absolutely love this award-winning paste for its depth of flavor—it’s the best apple butter you’ll ever have.
Colonel Pabst All-Malt Amber Lager Worcestershire Sauce
This sauce’s profile is unlike any other we’ve tried. While Worcestershire can typically have a reputation as being tart and tangy, we love how this one leads with sweet and malty notes. It’s brewed in small batches before it’s carefully strained and bottled. And it begins with award-winning Milwaukee amber lager from Lakefront Brewery—mellow, yet rich. Made from a family recipe, it has far more noticeable layers than the typical grocery store variety, but still offers that special flavor boosting quality Worcestershire is known for. Indian tamarind, molasses and Demerara sugar offer a unique sweetness, while madras curry, peppercorn and cinnamon yield a balanced warmth. We especially love the use of tomato paste here, which is relatively uncommon, and the classic umami base that comes from classic anchovy paste and soy.
Super Sarap Sauce
Sarap is the Tagalog word for “delicious” or “tasty,” and Super Sarap Sauce, small-batch Filipino condiment made in San Francisco, certainly lives up to the name. Savory, tangy, sweet, citrusy and a little peppery, this powerhouse sauce is unlike anything we’ve ever tasted. The pairing of calamansi, a tart citrus that combines lemon, lime and orange flavors, with mushroom, tamari and sugar adds salt, acid, umami and brightness to any dish. If we were to liken it to anything else on the market, it’s closest to a mixture of ponzu and Worcestershire sauces—but the comparison doesn’t do it justice. And with a relatively thin consistency, it’s easy to mix into sauces, dressings, use as a marinade, coat noodles, tacos, eggs or french fries.
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 single-origin white sesame seeds from northwestern Ethiopia that have an ideal oil-to-protein ratio.