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 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.
Vain Vanilla Original Baker's Blend Pure Vanilla Extract
This small-batch vanilla extract from Kansas-based Vain Vanilla is prepared completely by hand using only the best ingredients. The Original Baker's Blend is made with top-shelf rum that emphasizes vanilla's sweet characteristics and adds its own cane-sugar dimension. We especially love that Vain Vanilla leaves its vanilla pods in the bottle, which has two benefits. First, over time the extract will continue to deepen in color and become more complex as the pods release more flavor compounds. Second, when you're done with the vanilla extract, you can still slice open the pods and use the beans themselves in your desserts.
Il Colle Del Gusto Arachidella Peanut Spread
Not to be confused with your run-of-the-mill peanut butter, Il Colle del Gusto’s Arachidella Peanut Spread is decadently sweet—elevating the beloved taste of the childhood favorite with the molasses-y depth of caramelized brown sugar. Petite flecks of candied peanut add a toffee-like crunch to every spoonful, while a silken base of extra-virgin olive oil yields a luscious, caramel-like texture. And as we learned from the ever-popular “Nutella,” the Italian suffix “ella” is tacked onto a word to show affection, so there’s no question why it’s used in the name of this divine spread.
Dong He Oil Cold Pressed Peanut Oil
Peanut oil is great for stir-frying thanks to its high, 450℉ smoke point, but most brands can taste bitter on the finish. Not Dong He’s Cold-Pressed Peanut Oil. It’s made with Tainan No. 9 nuts, a special peanut varietal with a high oil content only found in Taiwan. Using the same practices since 1921, Dong He never heats the peanuts or oil during production, which could harm the flavor and reduce the nutrients in the finished product. This cold-press technique makes the oil’s aroma so warm and nutty, our kitchen team likened it to smelling “liquid peanut butter.” But the flavor is still mild enough to work well in both sweet and savory applications—it adds a nutty flavor profile to any dish. And unlike vegetable or canola oil, it won’t turn bitter when stir-frying, frying or searing thanks to its higher smoke point.
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