Juicy, flavorful and wonderfully textured Yakami Orchards Yuzu Marmalade is made with fresh, local yuzu from a collective of family farms in Japan’s Miyazaki prefecture. Balanced out with honey and sugar, this yuzu marmalade is bright, tart and warmly sweet with every bite. Just by opening a jar of Yakami Orchards’ product, you’ll be able to smell the bright and subtly floral aroma of yuzu. We love the plentiful chunks of yuzu rind, which are thinly sliced and add texture without making the marmalade clumpy. The yuzu pieces contribute a pop of piney bitterness that is a pleasant counterbalance for the overall sweet spread.

Bitter oranges, also known as Seville oranges, are the go-to for classic British marmalades because of their natural pectin content and thick, dimpled peels. San Giuliano's hand-cutting method showcases these oranges' superior texture. The almost spicy quality of this marmalade pairs well with the crystallized ginger in our marmalade bundt cake.

Bred for their sweeter and more intense flavor than other varietals, mandarin oranges make for a rich and warm marmalade. This small-batch version from the Marchesi Di San Giuliano estate in Sicily is vibrant, wonderfully textured and contains no additives—just fruit, sugar and water. It is excellent in dressings to temper bitter greens, such as radicchio or escarole. To make, blend with extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice or white balsamic vinegar, and salt and black pepper. Or for something warmer, do as the Russians do and mix marmalade into black tea; we like to add a couple of cardamom pods.

Made with a juicy varietal of mandarin, this succulent marmalade pairs well with dairy. Try it with whole-milk ricotta on crusty toast as a snack or on vanilla ice cream with pistachios and Amarena cherries for an Italian-inspired dessert. For a savory Sardinian twist, we simmer marmalade with chopped artichoke hearts to accompany charcuterie. Click here for the recipe to this unlikely yet addictive combination.

There's a saying among Sicilian locals that a lemon is not a lemon unless it was grown in Sicily. The higher acid content among lemon varietals produced on the island in fact makes for a tarter flavor, which in turn yields a fresher and tangier marmalade. We like to use this in baked goods: Substitute it for lemon curd in a pie, or mix some into lemon bar filling for complexity and texture.

Rarely have we seen a mango puree in supermarkets and, if we do, it’s often full of sweeteners and additives. Made from Alphonso mangoes, which are renowned in India for their natural sweetness and buttery-smooth texture, this puree contains no added sugar or preservatives—it’s just pure, juicy mango. About five fresh mangos are packed into every jar of this luscious puree and its silky texture is pourable, yet decadent like yogurt, and has a rich, bright flavor that balances sweet and tart, akin to snacking on refreshing mangoes at their peak season.

​

Unlike many apricot jams that taste mostly of corn syrup, Mymouné's apricot preserve is bursting with real apricot flavor. The Lebanese company uses local apricots that are grown without irrigation, which ensures they have a more concentrated flavor, and cooks the fruit whole down until thick and syrupy. Tasting this bright jam reminds us of fruit just picked off a tree at the end of a warm, summer day. Stir it into yogurt, or pair it with a drizzle of earthy tahini on a bowl of oatmeal. Matthew Card, our food editor, thinks it makes the best PB&J, especially on a nutty whole-grain bread. For desserts, Mymouné Apricot Jam is great as a cookie filling or, when warmed up and combined with an optional touch of bourbon, as a glaze for a pound cake. The fruity intensity of these preserves works with savory foods, too: Try blending it with equal parts extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne pepper to toss with roasted carrots, sweet potatoes or butternut squash.

Yuzu Kosho is a Japanese condiment prepared from fermented yuzu, chilies, kombu and salt. This spicy, briny paste combines chili heat with yuzu, the best-tasting citrus fruit you’ve never heard of that is used broadly in Japanese cooking as an accent note. We like this kosho's fruity, bright red bell pepper aroma and subtle sweetness.

This may be my favorite jam in the world, other than my favorite Sicilian Orange Marmalade. It is astonishingly refreshing and intriguing, with a flavor that balances sweetness and wild blueberry with wild herbs. It tastes undomesticated, as if it had been made in the far hills of some undiscovered country or something offered at the table in a Greek myth. It is great as a spread for pancakes (I love my own maple syrup but mulberry jam on pancakes is one of life’s rare treats), on toast, or on a fresh, hot corn muffin. Just delightful!

This dense, intensely flavored Lebanese Sundried Fig Jam is perfectly balanced and only moderately sweet. It consists of 75% fruit, so you can taste all the richness of the figs. We like how the decadent, warm sweetness is accented and made more interesting by subtle savory notes from aniseed, while the sesame seeds in the jam enhance the figs' natural texture. This thick, decadent fig jam also has chunks of fruit for a more satisfying bite. Spread it with butter or ricotta on toast or in a sandwich. You can also feature it on a cheese tray, paired with creamy goat cheese, or even add a little to a meat stew to balance heavier flavors. Or smear a little between layers of carrot cake along with cardamom-scented cream cheese frosting.

Cozy, complex and ideal for the holidays, this Persian-style jam boasts bursts of rich red fruit flavor brightened by juicy whole sour cherries. Notes of decadent cocoa play up the pomegranate’s slight bitterness, while delicate orange blossom mingles harmoniously with the succulent cherries—which are dried and then rehydrated, packing a more concentrated flavor. We also love the use of mahlab—an aromatic spice made from the seed kernels of cherries—in this conserve, yielding a nutty, pleasantly bitter taste reminiscent of marzipan. Compared to your standard sour cherry jam, this spread offers many more layers of fruit flavor and nuance, with an extra-tangy kick brought by the pomegranate. We won’t judge if you just savor a spoonful straight from the jar, but this conserve has limitless potential to elevate all manner of dishes.

This compote of whole, jammy-sweet dates, each pitted and stuffed with an almond, is one of our favorite Lebanese desserts. Mymouné uses fresh Zaghloul dates, a long, red-skinned varietal that doesn't lose its texture when preserved, compared to other dates that become mushy. The addition of the almonds, softened by the cooking process, provides just enough crunch and a nutty balance to the dates' warm sweetness, which is complemented by the spicy aroma of a clove-infused syrup. This compote needs very little embellishment and can be eaten straight out of the jar, though we also like to serve it with chopped walnuts and coconut flakes sprinkled on top. Its rich flavor also makes a great addition to charcuterie boards as a sweet counterpoint for salty cured meats and pungent cheeses. Or try chopping the dates up as a topping for oatmeal or rice pudding.

Austrian producer Staud's unique Pickled Garlic has a fresh, raw garlic pungency without the harsh bite; rather, the garlic is tempered by a touch of sweetness and acidity from brandy vinegar. Pickled Garlic has all the convenience and clean, true flavor of a jar of minced garlic, with the added perk that it stays fresher for longer. Use as you would regular garlic, especially in raw applications such as salad dressings which benefit from the mellowed-out flavor. Since 1883, the Staud family has been selling sweet and sour pickles at Brunnenmarkt, one of Vienna's largest open-air markets. An Austrian classic, the brand can be recognized by its iconic octagonal glass jars and black lids.

• Net Weight: 228 grams
• Ingredients: Garlic, brandy vinegar (pure fermented vinegar), sugar, salt, onions, hot peppers, pepper, citric acid
• Place of Origin: Austria

Austrian producer Staud's Pickled Silver Onions have a bright and mellow onion flavor, pleasant tang and superb texture—they're never mushy or soggy but rather satisfyingly crunchy. The family company adds sweet and herbal tarragon for a delicate secondary note to complement the onions' natural sweetness. They can be used just like fresh cipollini onions and are far more convenient since they're already peeled (anyone who's tried peeling a fresh pearl or cipollini onion knows it can be a hassle). Plus, they last longer in the fridge than fresh onions that might sprout or spoil. Since 1883, the Staud family has been selling sweet and sour pickles at Brunnenmarkt, one of Vienna's largest open-air markets. An Austrian classic, the brand can be recognized by its iconic octagonal glass jars and black lids.

• Net Weight: 228 grams
• Ingredients: Onions, brandy vinegar (pure fermented vinegar), sugar, salt, pepper, estragon (tarragon), mustard seeds, potassium metabisulphite
• Place of Origin: Austria

Once you try this, you might not be able to go back to grocery store blackberry jam. Thick yet easily spreadable, this jam is punctuated with soft shreds of rhubarb and delicate lavender buds. The lavender and rhubarb weave together as a bright base for the juicy blackberries. The buds’ floral flavor rounds out the tart-sweet fruit. The brightness of the berries is complemented perfectly by the addition of honey, sourced from a local Vermont producer just down the road from where the berries grow.

​