Too many supermarket hoisin sauces come across as cloying—usually candy-sweet with an occasional aftertaste of unpleasant chemical bitterness. Tan Tan’s version of the classic Chinese fermented soybean condiment, however, yields the perfect balance of sweet, earthy and savory notes with an addictive umami core that adds even more depth. An elegant hint of anise floats in and adds aromatic, nuanced complexity, while garlic grounds the sauce without overwhelming its other flavors. It’s texture is satisfyingly syrupy, not too molasses-thick like some brands, and it’s made with no preservatives from a family recipe—the epitome of an elevated pantry essential.

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.

We love this fish sauce because it is smoother and more complex than other varieties, with a unique nutty quality. To make it, Red Boat ferments wild-caught black anchovies with sea salt for 12 months in wooden barrels, then presses out and bottles the resulting liquid—that's it. All of its flavor comes from the natural aging process, not added sugar like with most commercial fish sauces. Its name is a reference to degrees N: the scale used to measure the amount of nitrogen in fish sauce, which correlates to protein content and thereby flavor. Forty degrees is up to three times the amount of protein of other brands because the company doesn't dilute its product with water, another indicator of Red Boat's superior quality. Though the initial aroma is intense and pungent, the flavor of this fish sauce isn't fishy, but rather a bold and complex hit of umami. Use this fish sauce as a savory complement to aromatic Southeast Asian curry flavors, such as in our Lemon Grass-Coconut Tofu or Singaporean Shrimp and Chicken Noodle Soup (Laksa). It's also a key flavoring for our Thai Fried Rice and adds savory notes to sweet shrimp in our Thai Grapefruit Salad with Shrimp (Som Tom O) and Grilled Skewered Cilantro-Lime Shrimp. You can also make dipping sauces, such as the dressing of our Grilled Cilantro-Lime Skirt Steak inspired by our travels in Cambodia. Or try our Southeast Asian Chicken Salad with Cashews and Coconut or Vietnamese-inspired Caramel-Braised Chicken with Ginger and Lime to add a rich, savory element to chicken.

Mekhala red curry paste has bright chili heat punctuated by galangal, lemongrass, cilantro roots, ginger, shallots and white peppercorns. It is great blended with coconut milk and used as a simmer sauce for all manners of meats; the sweetness of hearty root vegetables like butternut squash or sweet potato also pairs well with this paste. We also like to use it “neat” as a quick and easy flavor enhancement. Try it as a rub for roasting meat or on salmon. Started in Singapore by a pair of entrepreneurial women disappointed in commercial curry pastes made from dubious ingredients, Mekhala curries are organic and vegan. We love that this red curry paste packs bold flavor even without the traditional underpinning of fish sauce or shrimp paste.

Based on a family recipe, Lime Leaf Sambal by Auria's Malaysian Kitchen is a one-of-a-kind tangy and savory chili paste made with makrut lime leaves and lime juice. The clarifying aroma and complex floral notes of makrut lime complement the chili peppers' fresh, vibrant quality without making the hot sauce taste overwhelmingly citrusy. The sambal is rounded out with pungent garlic, cane sugar and kosher salt for a savory, balanced condiment that has both the brightness of fresh chilies and the depth of cooked chilies.

Characterized by the bold flavor of green chilis and fresh herbs, Mekhala green curry paste is spicy but not overwhelming, with a complex cumin/coriander earthiness and a verdant, floral aroma. We also like the clarity and citrus juiciness from lemongrass, Kaffir lime and galangal. This green curry paste is ideal for pairing with coconut milk. Try it for lighter foods like chicken or white fish, or make a dressing for vegetables: Blend a spoonful of the paste with thick coconut milk and lime juice, then toss with blanched green beans, spinach or roasted eggplant.

With subtle Indian flavor influences, Mekhala yellow curry paste is mild, a little smoky and strongly flavored with turmeric. It’s quite good when blended with coconut milk and simmered with sautéed beef or lamb, though it works equally well with chickpeas or even meaty red lentils. Started in Singapore by a pair of entrepreneurial women disappointed in commercial curry pastes made from dubious ingredients, Mekhala products are organic and completely vegan. Even without the traditional underpinning of fish sauce or shrimp paste, this curry paste is bright and bold, living up to the classic flavor profile we love in Thai curries.

For fish sauce aficionados who are looking for the next level of umami, Red Boat's Mắm Nêm will bring bold flavor in the smallest quantities. Made only from wild-caught black anchovies and sea salt, it is fish sauce aged for 12 months that hasn't undergone any pressing or filtration, resulting in an even more pungent and concentrated product. All of the flavor comes from the natural aging process, not added sugar as is the case with most commercial fish sauces We like how it contributes the same saltiness as anchovies but with a more savory, complex flavor. It's similar to garum, the Italian fish sauce that originated from the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Red Boat's product is the world's first and only kosher-certified fish sauce, with a clean, crisp minerality and robust umami flavor reminiscent of Parmesan. Under the supervision of Rabbi Menachem Hartman, wild-caught black anchovies are hand-sorted for their quality and fermented with sea salt in barrels that have been checked to make sure they are kosher-grade. After 12 months, the resulting liquid is pressed out and bottled—that's it. All of the flavor in this fish sauce comes from the natural aging process, not added sugar as is the case with most commercial fish sauces. Though its initial aroma is intense and pungent, the flavor isn't fishy but rather a bold, complex and savory. Use this fish sauce as a savory complement to aromatic Southeast Asian curry flavors, such as in our Lemon Grass-Coconut Tofu or Singaporean Shrimp and Chicken Noodle Soup (Laksa). It's also a key flavoring for our Thai Fried Rice and adds savory notes to sweet shrimp in our Thai Grapefruit Salad with Shrimp (Som Tom O) and Grilled Skewered Cilantro-Lime Shrimp. You can also make dipping sauces, such as the dressing of our Grilled Cilantro-Lime Skirt Steak inspired by our travels in Cambodia. Or try our Southeast Asian Chicken Salad with Cashews and Coconut or Vietnamese-inspired Caramel-Braised Chicken with Ginger and Lime to add a rich, savory element to chicken.

This deep-red, chili-forward sauce packs a good amount of spice, but it’s balanced by the bright acidity of white vinegar and fresh ginger. A smokey note from the anchos and paprika is lightly evocative of the grill, while warming spices like cinnamon add depth and complexity. Made by hand in small batches, this sauce can be used both as a complete simmer sauce or a flavor booster to jumpstart homemade dishes like stews, marinades and dressings.

This vibrant orangey-red sauce is the foundation of the flavors Spicemode founder Amar Singh grew up enjoying. Slightly sweet with layers of nuanced complexity, warming spices such as cardamom and cumin punctuate the earthy onion base, while a mild heat and subtle tang from the tomato and amchoor dance on the tongue. Made by hand in small batches, this sauce is the perfect base for a classic tikka or channa masala and can be used both as a complete simmer sauce or a flavor booster to jumpstart homemade dishes like stews, marinades and dressings.

Pandan Kaya is a Southeast Asian coconut jam often eaten on toast or baked into bread and pastries. It has a jiggly, custardy consistency, a spring green color from pandan leaves and a light coconut aroma. The creamy jam has a salted caramel-like character and a lightly herbal quality that is utterly addictive. Auria's Malaysian Kitchen slow-cooks their product in small batches in Brooklyn using a minimal ingredient list and no artificial preservatives or colors. Use Pandan Kaya like you would a custard or curd: Layer between cakes or cookies, use it as a filling for crepes, or smear on waffles with fruit instead of syrup. Try it as a base filling for baked tart shells topped with fruit, or mix with milk and cream and freeze in an ice cream maker

The flavors of Southeast Asian cuisine are as varied as its myriad cultures and landscapes, so that’s why Omsom created this convenient variety pack that lets cooks sample sauces from across the region to find their favorite. The pack of three includes one each of herbal, bright Vietnamese Lemongrass BBQ, spicy-sweet Thai Larb and spicy, citrusy Filipino Sisig—each of which are developed by professional chefs who are making waves in the Manhattan restaurant scene.

This set of two Malaysian sambals pack a punch of bold flavor pleasant heat. Hot Chili Sambal has a chili-forward flavor and fire that's balanced between the brightness of fresh peppers and earthiness of dried chilies. In addition to garlic, sugar and vinegar, this small-batch sauce also includes shrimp paste, which contributes umami without a fishy flavor. The sambal has a thick, spreadable consistency and incorporates easily into dips, spreads and sauces. Based on a family recipe, Lime Leaf Sambal is a one-of-a-kind tangy and savory chili paste made with makrut lime leaves and lime juice. The clarifying aroma and complex floral notes of the lime complement the chili peppers' fresh, vibrant quality without making the hot sauce taste overwhelmingly citrusy. The sambal is rounded out with pungent garlic, cane sugar and kosher salt for a savory, balanced condiment that has both the brightness of fresh chilies and the depth of cooked chilies.

Spicemode’s Golden Madras evokes the tropical flavors of India’s Spice Coast, with notes of tangy tamarind, mango and turmeric. Flecks of spicy red chili punctuate the sauce’s golden color, while mustard, fennel and caramelized onion provide a savory base of flavors. Herbal, mapely fenugreek, cumin and coriander give the sauce an aromatic lift. Made by hand in small batches, this sauce can be used both as a complete simmer sauce or a flavor booster to jumpstart homemade dishes like stews, marinades and dressings.

Not to be confused with the jarred curry powders we’re familiar with, curry leaves are a popular aromatic in Southeast Asia that grow from the country’s native curry tree. Think of them as an edible relative of the bay leaf—able to conveniently infuse dishes with bright and aromatic flavor. Angkor Food’s dried curry leaves, grown in the San Joaquin Valley by Cambodian refugee farmers, maintain the vibrant green hue found in fresh leaves and have a light texture that makes them easy to break down with a mortar and pestle or simply crumble between your fingertips to release their powerful fragrance. Herbal, savory, citrusy, nutty and slightly garlicky notes come together in harmony, yielding a mouthwatering aroma indicative of the leaves’ distinct flavor. Usually, these leaves are only carried in specialty spice shops since they are so rarely known in Western cooking, and even then, some brands’ versions can be dull and weakly fragrant, but we found that Angkor Food’s curry leaves are consistently quality and feel freshly-picked.

The first thing you notice when you pour out this bold, aromatic sauce are the flecks of real lemongrass, indicative of its lively herbal flavor and very clear character despite being packaged and left to mingle with other strong flavors. Less of a dipping sauce and more like a “toss sauce,” or secret weapon for flavorful glazes and marinades, we love its bright acidity, which is difficult to maintain without other additives, but Omson pulls it off, adding lime concentrate to enhance and bring out the freshness of the lemongrass. Red Boat fish sauce (one of Milk Street’s pantry staples) provides a base of mouthwatering savory funk, while a dash of oyster sauce yields a pleasant meatiness balanced by the sweet-bitter soy sauce and sugar. Not too thick and perfectly drizzly, this version of the Vietnamese staple is like nothing else on the market—made with no additives, preservatives and in collaboration with pro chef Jimmy Ly of NYC’s Madame Vo restaurant.