Oliveri Fungi Secchi Porcini (Dried Porcini Mushrooms)
The flavor and appearance of many supermarket brands of dried porcinis can be dirty, muddy, or overpowering, but these high-quality mushrooms from Piedmont, Italy, are anything but. Cleaner, richer and more savory, with a distinct buttery, earthy essence, these dried porcini from Oliveri look more like slices of actual mushrooms rather than typical shriveled, twisted pieces. And we found the clean, woodsy taste was everything a mushroom should be. Once hydrated, they become meaty and tender and can be used in recipes in place of fresh mushrooms, for soups, sauces, risottos and more. Their soaking liquid can also be strained and added to a dish for a more intense mushroom flavor.
KariKari Garlic Chili Crisp
We were blown away by this Garlic Chili Crisp from KariKari. We find most chili crisps tend to be mostly oil, but this version is incredibly textured with thin slivers of golden garlic, shallots and peanuts—not surprising since the name KariKari which means crunchy in Japanese. Garlicky and spicy off the bat, followed with a hit of umami and a delightful tingling from Sichuan peppercorn, you can add this crisp to just about any dish for more flavor and complexity. We like it mixed into noodles, rice, veggies and dolloped on top of fried eggs. Or try it spooned over vanilla ice cream for a sweet and spicy treat.
Fly By Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp
This chili sauce is enhanced with preserved black beans, mushroom powder, sesame oil and garlic for a complete flavor profile. The crispy bits of chili, the namesake ingredient of this dish, provide bursts of contrasting texture, making it an ideal tableside topping for stir fries, soups, braises and more.
Tenorio Tuna Fillet in Olive Oil
Line caught around the Azores, a carefully managed group of Portuguese islands in the North Atlantic, Tenorio’s Tuna Fillets in Olive Oil are nothing like the canned tuna you’re used to. Tender and moist, this tuna is cut into large pieces before being packed in buttery extra virgin olive oil. Lightly salted with a briny, clean fish flavor, each tender cut is just as good on its own as it is added to a salad or sandwich. Established in 1880, Tenorio sustainably fishes all of their skipjack tuna and is committed to maintaining a healthy ocean wildlife population.
Namikura Kyoto-Style White Miso
Savory, sweet and flavor-dense, white miso is an absolutely essential pantry item. Winey-sweet, buttery and deeply rich, this organic version from Japanese family producer Namikura Miso Co. is more complex and less salty than other brands, which means it can be used more freely with soy sauce without dishes tasting overly seasoned.
Pic's Smooth Peanut Butter
Pic’s Peanut Butter works equally well for classic peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as it does for baking and cooking. Choose between salted or unsalted—even the salted version has only half the salt of comparable brands. And while not impervious to separating, we find the peanut butter comes together quickly with just a stir or two, as opposed to the vigorous blending required with other versions. It also boasts a shelf stability up to 10 times greater than regular peanut butter. And the peanut butter itself is always made without any added sugar, oil or emulsifiers, so the peanut flavor comes through clearly in both sweet and savory recipes.
Pic's Crunchy Peanut Butter
Fans of chunky peanut butter will love this version from New Zealand. Whereas many chunky peanut butters are just smooth peanut butter with occasional nut pieces, the New Zealand brand has a full mouthfeel, with the right ratio of plentiful crunchy bits to smooth butter for a satisfying consistency with every bite. It also boasts a shelf stability up to 10 times greater than regular peanut butter. And the peanut butter itself is always made without any added sugar, oil or emulsifiers, so the peanut flavor comes through clearly in both sweet and savory recipes.
Shortbread House of Edinburgh Original Recipe Shortbread Biscuits
Many store brands lack the rich butteriness of true Scottish shortbread, ending up too gritty or pasty on the tongue, but these treats are truly authentic, handmade from a family recipe. Made entirely by hand, Shortbread House of Edinburgh’s classic crisp, velvety biscuit gets a bright boost from the pulp of Sicilian lemons (a zesty, less acidic citrus varietal) and lemon oil. The lemony shortbread is tender and just sweet enough. It reminds us of a perfect glass of lemonade—sweet and sunny, without too much tang.
Shortbread House x Sara Miller Tin - Original
Now available in tins made by British home designer Sara Miller, known for her playful prints. Many store brands lack the rich butteriness of true Scottish shortbread, ending up too gritty or pasty on the tongue, but these treats are truly authentic, handmade from a family recipe. Each one of these classic biscuits is richly buttery and tenderly textured with the perfect amount of crumbliness. Their sweetness is balanced with a hint of salt, while the addition of ground rice gives these cookies a delightfully light and crisp texture. Dare we say, they’re better than homemade.
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.
Kolsvart Raspberry Swedish Fish
The movie theater Swedish fish most Americans know get a flavorful update in these punchy Swedish fish from Kolsvart. With a satisfying chew and bright color, the raspberry flavor is reminiscent of the iconic American candy but tastes distinctly of pure raspberry, with a wonderful sweetness and a subtle tart note on the finish.
🐰 Milk Street Sofrito
We created our sofrito to be the perfect building block to cook a wide variety of recipes in less time, based on the tradition of Italian and Spanish grandmothers who make this by the jar to simplify cooking and boost flavor. After much testing, we came up with an aromatic base of sautéed onions, carrots and celery, complemented by the bright tones of tomatoes, white wine and vinegar. For additional depth, it has earthy, umami notes from mushroom powder, aromatic notes of rosemary and thyme, and just a hint of heat from black pepper and Kashmiri chili powder. A few tablespoons of this jammy sofrito is all it takes to spread rich, concentrated power into soups, sauces, stews, braises and nearly anything else that needs a boost of big flavor.
Milk Street Garlic Confit
The worst recipe ingredient is, “4 cloves garlic, minced.” You know that it is going to be hard to do, it will make a mess, and you will end up with garlic all over your cutting board and knife. Jarred supermarket garlics are, well, awful! They often taste bitter and harsh or lack flavor altogether. Our solution to this problem is to create a garlic confit—mellow but full-flavored and enhanced with a few nice touches, including bay leaves, Aleppo pepper, ghee, olive oil and a hint of lemon. You will never have to mince garlic again with Milk Street Premium Essentials Garlic Confit!
🐰 Milk Street Ginger Confit
The worst thing in any recipe is seeing, “2 tablespoons of ginger, grated.” Ginger is one of the most annoying ingredients to prep. It’s a pain to peel, grating takes forever and by the end, you’ve probably dirtied a spoon, plate and a grater—which gets packed with stringy fibers. Instead, reach for Milk Street Premium Essentials Ginger Confit, the closest thing to fresh ginger you’ll ever taste out of a jar. Supermarket ginger pastes can be stinging-sharp, packed with additives and unpleasantly fibrous, so we developed this product to solve those problems to produce a fresh, clean ginger taste. Never grate ginger again!
Tastëlanghe IGP Piedmont Hazelnuts
Incredibly hard to find in the U.S., Tonda Gentile hazelnuts are considered some of the best in the world. Sweet, nutty and satisfyingly crunchy, these shelled, whole toasted ones are perfectly browned with a clean taste on the finish. Grown exclusively in the Langhe area of Piedmont, Italy, Tastëlanghe has been producing them since 1891. These hazelnuts will shine in dishes from sweet cakes, creams and cookies to savory salads. Or just snack on them whole.
Tastëlanghe Hazelnut Caramel
Incredibly hard to find in the U.S., Tonda Gentile hazelnuts are considered some of the best in the world. Grown exclusively in the Langhe area of Piedmont, Italy, Tastëlanghe has been producing them since 1891. In their Hazelnut (Nocciola) Caramel, those renowned hazelnuts turn into a creamy, rich, sweet caramelly spread with a hint of salt. Light in texture but deep in flavor, this spread is full of caramel flavor from a mixture of caramelized hazelnuts and milk that is cooked down to perfection. It’s like dulce de leche, but less dense and far more flavorful. Spoon it onto ice cream, cakes, cookies, or any baked good, spread on toast or eat straight from the jar!
Blake Hill Preserves Pumpkin Maple Butter
This Pumpkin Maple Butter is the perfect, understated addition to your autumn pantry. Made with pumpkins, Vermont maple syrup, apple cider vinegar and spices, the resulting butter is creamy and smooth—and refreshingly restrained compared to most pumpkin spice products. With its soft, silky texture and delicate spice, the pumpkin butter is perfect for stirring into oatmeal or porridge, fall soups like butternut squash, and holiday desserts (we also love it right out of the jar). This jam is nut-free and gluten-free.
Shortbread House x Sara Miller Tin - Dark Chocolate
Now available in tins made by British home designer Sara Miller, known for her playful prints. Decorated with vivid colors and gold accents, these extra-large tins make perfect gifts or keepsakes. Many store brands lack the rich butteriness of true Scottish shortbread, ending up too gritty or pasty on the tongue, but these treats are truly authentic, handmade from a family recipe. Each one of these classic biscuits is richly buttery and tenderly textured with the perfect amount of crumbliness—with tasty morsels of dark chocolate studded throughout. The decadent bittersweetness of the chocolate is balanced with sugar and a hint of salt, while the addition of ground rice gives these cookies a delightfully light and crisp texture. Dare we say, they’re better than homemade.