Mutti Tomato Paste is tomato paste as it was originally intended. Traditionally, this ingredient was made by drying tomato sauce on wooden boards in the sun; likewise, Mutti's modern version has a sun-dried flavor and caramelized richness reminiscent of molasses. Yet the tomato paste is not overly sweet—as tomatoes cook, their amino acids break down, which produces savory umami compounds. And unlike most tubed tomato pastes which are double-concentrated, this version is triple-concentrated, so a little goes a long way. We far prefer it to other tomato pastes in tubes, not to mention canned varieties that inevitably have a metallic taste from reacting with acidic tomato juice.

This hot paprika from Hijos de Salvador López has a complex smokiness that comes from a two-week drying process over smoldering oak logs as well as subtle fruitiness imparted by the local red peppers from which it was made. Because of the traditional methods used to produce it, pimentón de la Vera has an intense, penetrating flavor that adds depth to any dish—it does so much more than the supermarket stuff you dust over deviled eggs for color.

Named Jordan’s “Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil,” Onsuri’s Signature Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil is rich and buttery with soft grassy notes and a slight finish of pepper at the back of the throat. It’s mild enough to use for everyday cooking but contains sweet buttery notes that also make it ideal as a finishing oil. And at a comparable price point to other EVOO’s in the supermarket, you’ll get award-winning quality and flavor without sacrificing your wallet. Owner Ziad Bilbeisi designed this oil for everyday use. He imported trees of Europe’s most prestigious olive varieties—Greek Koroneiki, and Spanish Arbequina and Arbosana—and planted them alongside local Nabali olive trees. Once ripe, the olives are picked and pressed within hours. The rugged landscape of Bilbeisi’s 300-acre, solar-powered family farm in Jordan makes for fruity, aromatic and intense olives and even better olive oil.

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Most people only know Ibérico pork for jamón ibérico, the ultra-luxe Spanish cured ham, but the melt-in-your-mouth meat tastes delicious in any form. For the highest-quality Ibérico products, we trust family company Fermín, which is based in Salamanca, Spain, and was the first authorized exporter of Ibérico products to the United States. The company's traditional chorizo is coarsely ground for a meatier texture that shows off the pork's marbling; thinly sliced, it tastes tender and rich with the naturally nutty and sweet flavors that Ibérico pork is prized for. This mild version is made with sweet Spanish paprika, or pimentón, that gives it a warm, peppery flavor, with a fruity undertone that brings out the natural sweetness of the pork. We like that the sausage is robust and meaty, with its fatty richness balanced by garlic and oregano. As an added bonus, the company only uses pure salt to cure the meat, for a cleaner flavor than other brands made with nitrates.

Most people only know Ibérico pork for jamón ibérico, the ultra-luxe Spanish cured ham, but the melt-in-your-mouth meat tastes delicious in any form. For the highest-quality Ibérico products, we trust family company Fermín, which is based in Salamanca, Spain, and was the first authorized exporter of Ibérico products to the United States. The company's traditional chorizo is coarsely ground for a meatier texture that shows off the pork's marbling; thinly sliced, it tastes tender and rich with the naturally nutty and sweet flavors that Ibérico pork is prized for. This spicy version gets its smoky depth from hot paprika and cumin, with a nutty boost from nutmeg and lactic tang from the fermentation process; as an added bonus, the company only uses pure salt to cure the meat, for a cleaner flavor than other brands made with nitrates.

Traditionally crafted in Cordoba, Spain, this dry vinegar is made from award-winning Pedro Ximénez grapes that are harvested, sun dried, pressed and then fermented to remove the sugars using traditional methods. The flavors of the base wine are more concentrated, thanks to this method of drying and pressing ripened grapes. What you get is a juicer, more honeyed character. Even just on the nose, this really has the character of a lovely sherry. You can smell the nuances that the oak imparts— vanilla, subtle baking spices and soft woodiness. On the palate, the vanilla notes come hand-in-hand with an almost maple-like roundness, sort of a toasty toffee flavor. You really get a sense for that sherry nuttiness, and it gives a gentle savoriness to the overall flavor that is wildly delicious. It’s also much brighter than other more deeply aged sherries.

Traditionally crafted in Cordoba, Spain, this sweet vinegar is made from ripe, award-winning Pedro Ximénez grapes that are harvested, sun dried, pressed and then fermented using traditional methods. Although it’s labeled as “sweet,” it’s only so because it’s made from a sweet sherry wine, so it’s not cloying, but you can detect a bit of the grape’s natural sugars. The flavors of the base wine are more concentrated, thanks to the method of drying and pressing ripened grapes. What you get is a juicer, more honeyed character. The touch of sweetness left in the vinegar enhances those aromas, yielding notes of dried fruit like raisins, figs and apricots. It’s much brighter than other more deeply aged sherries, with undertones that lean more earthy.

The aromatic oils in fresh bay leaves can be transformative in your cooking. Unfortunately, much of what’s found on supermarket shelves is anything but fresh, often musty and weakly scented. Harvested by hand on an organic farm near the Ionian Sea, dried naturally and sorted one by one, Daphnis and Chloe’s Bay Leaves are of the highest quality. A staple used to infuse cooking liquids, bay leaves add deep flavor and slight bitterness, that balances richness in soups, stews and braises. Crisp, peppery and reminiscent of eucalyptus, this aromatic Greek variety grows on bay trees native to the sunny southern Mediterranean. Each Daphnis and Chloe leaf is so potent that simply rubbing one between your fingers will leave a strong scent, unlike many supermarket versions.

These green lentils from Sabarot are true Le Puy lentils; like Champagne, no lentils grown outside the Puy region can claim the name of this cherished legume (in fact, they’re protected with a special designation from the French government). Lentils du Puy differ from standard green lentils in size and color; they’re roughly one-third of the size, which contributes to their unparalleled sturdiness, and darker in hue. They’re perfect for recipes that require longer or harder cooking, and cook up tender without falling apart—try them in soups, stews, lentil salads and or alongside fish. The microclimate and volcanic soil where these lentils are grown give the lentils their unique, sought-after taste: earthy, nutty and peppery, sometimes with a slight flintiness or mineral-quality in the background.