Tomato paste is great for building deep flavor fast, but most don’t last long in the fridge once they’re opened. So we were thrilled to try Burlap & Barrel’s shelf stable Sun-Dried Tomato Powder, which when mixed with a bit of water, doubles as tomato paste. And not just any old tomato paste, a sun dried, umami bomb tomato paste. Made from tomatoes dried in the Aegean region in Turkey, this powder is rich and sweet without being cloying or overly acidic. We especially love the slow baked, tangy flavor this powder adds to any dish you use it in, without any risk of clumping. Try it in place of tomato paste (1 tsp of powder mixed with 2 tsp of of water= 1 tbsp of paste), stirred into soups or sauces, added to ground meat, pastas, veggies and meat rubs or sautéd with mirepoix. Or sprinkle it over sliced tomatoes, focaccia and pizza.

A traditional condiment made from fermented malted rice, shio koji is known in Japan for packing a punch of umami into everything from marinated meats to savory soups. All shio kojis aren’t created equal, though, for Hanamaruki Foods distills the powerful flavor properties of this essential Japanese ingredient into an easy-to-use liquid form—the only Liquid Shio Koji available on the market—to create the ultimate pantry secret weapon. We love the condiment’s clean, yet bold flavor: salty rounded out with a pronounced sweetness and burst of umami. It’s made by pressing shio koji in its original paste form and filtering until it yields the clear, golden-hued liquid. The product isn’t heat-treated, so its enzymes remain active and effective in rendering meat remarkably moist and juicy, balancing bitterness in veggies like eggplant and adding amino acids for a full-flavored finish to any dish to truly change the way you cook. Use as a marinade for meats and fish, drizzle into salad dressings and sauces to balance savory flavors, or incorporate into baked goods to add a layer of tantalizing complexity.

Japanese producer Sugimoto grows their shiitake naturally on sawtooth oak logs, which are known in the country for imparting sweet, dense flavor into the mushrooms, and then dried with an far-infrared method, which minimizes moisture more than other brands to preserve quality and taste. These woodsy shiitakes are then ground into a fine powder that’s easy to sprinkle into all manner of savory dishes to add a touch of umami. Its flavor is delicate, but can easily be amped up the more you sprinkle into your dish, adding a lovely mushroom character to dishes without the prep work.

Many store-bought anchovy pastes feel musty and too fishy, but IASA’s version is made with only three simple ingredients—anchovies, olive oil and salt—and truly honors the delightful savoriness of the popular Italian ingredient with its fresh flavor. After being caught off of the Amalfi Coast, the fish are salt-cured in drums for one year to allow its briny, umami flavor to develop. One squeeze of the tube yields a clean anchovy flavor that’s perfectly balanced with salt, ideal for adding a dab savory depth to dishes without fussing with a whole tin of anchovy fillets.

Produced in Turkey and sun-dried to enhance their flavor, the glossy, deep burgundy-colored chili flake has an earthy, cocoa-rich flavor with moderate heat level and stone-fruit finish to it. This fragrant paste is thick and spreadable and yields a bold, but not overwhelming heat. The heat level reminds of harissa, but offers more of a nuanced earthy flavor and bright spices than chili punch.

Colatura di alici is a traditional anchovy extract from the area around the fishing village of Cetera in Campania, Italy. The amber-hued liquid is intensely flavored and akin to garum, the Roman fish sauce. It’s a quick, simple way to add savory umami complexity and a hit of brine to dishes. But don’t worry—it’s not too fishy, like some other brands can be. We love the body it gives to a starchy pasta: bright, salty and savory—it truly adds so much to a dish.