Stock Your Pantry With Ingredients From Around the World, Care of These Online Shops

Photo: Courtesy Retailers

This post originally appeared onEater.

You’ve stocked yourpantrywith somebasics, but now you can’t stop thinking about vegetable dum biryani, chorizo tacos, or nasi lemak. Maybe you can’t bring yourself to do anything but refresh Twitter, andsnackscount as meals now, and you’re dreaming about salami and cornichons but you can’t really justify stepping out for such luxuries. (I’m not speaking from experience. Not at all.)

There is a wide world ofpantry itemsfrom global regional food cultures that you can use to add acidic brightness (think sumac),heat(a dab of yuzu kosho), and umami (a dash of fish sauce) to your dishes — just like your favorite restaurants do. Sometimes it just takes adding a couple of items to your pantry.

It’s always worth starting with yourlocalspecialty markets, bakeries, butchers, wine shops, restaurants, andcoffeeshops that you’d normally frequent, which may be doing local delivery or contact-less pickup. Check their social-media feeds — you may find that they’re getting creative. In certain locations,wholesalersandCSAsthat normally serve restaurants have opened business to home cooks and can deliver locally. Don’t forget to tip extra.

Meanwhile, many online retailers are overwhelmed, and shipping may take longer than usual. As things develop, some may stop taking new orders or restrict their delivery zones (alas, Sahadi’s in Brooklyn). The list below includes stores that are still shipping nationwide as of this writing.

Many cooking traditions share ingredients, and our eating — both at restaurants and at home — increasingly crosses borders. With that in mind, I’ve organized this pantry shopping list by flavor profile and ingredient type. It’s by no means comprehensive. Let’s get shopping:

•igourmet

•MexGrocer

•Zocalo Foods

•H Mart

•Yamibuy

•Gotham Grove

•The Japanese Pantry

•KayanoyaNijiya

•Despaña

•Gustiamo

•La Tienda

•Mercado Little Spain

•Portugalia

•Real Good Food

•igourmet

•New York Shuk

•Nouri Brothers

•Persian Basket

•Shatila(sweets)

•I Shop Indian

•igourmet

•iourmet

•Pinoy Groceri

•Yamibuy

•Arrowine,Cowgirl Creamery,Despaña,La Tienda,Murray’s Cheese, andZingerman’soffer a variety of cheeses from across Europe and North America. A few of these also offer subscriptions.

• If you’re splitting orders with friends or neighbors, you might also be interested in a big order fromZabar’s.

•Murray’s Cheesesells feta. You can also tryPersian Basketandigourmetfor feta in olive oil and halloumi.

• igourmet is one of the few online retailers sellingpaneer.

• Soy sauce:NijiyaandH Martfor cooking,the Japanese Pantryfor high-quality, small-batch soy sauce that you’ll want to use to finish dishes.

• Sriracha and sambal oelek:Yamibuy

• Yuzu kosho:The Milk Street Store,H Mart, andigourmet.

• Dukkah:New York Shuk

• Preserved lemons:Chelsea Market Baskets,Milk Street,New York Shuk(ormake your own)

• Za’atar:Seed + MillandNew York Shuk

• Anchovies:igourmet,La Tienda,Murray’s Cheese

• Cured meat: Whether you’re looking for speck, prosciutto, salami, chorizo, or ’nduja for snacking or dressing up a humble pot of beans, tryLa Tienda,Murray’s Cheese, andOlympia Provisions.

• Tinned fish:Portugaliaspecializes in Portuguese tinned fish, including sardines and cod. You’ll find excellent, if pricey, Spanish canned seafood fromDespaña’s online store and fromLa Tienda.Food52usually sells canned sardines from BELA and may restock soon.Murray’s CheeseandReal Good Foodsell a small selection of sardines and PNW-sourced tinned seafood, like smoked oysters.

• Extra virgin olive oil:Pineapple CollaborativeandReal Good Foodhave good “everyday” options.

• Other styles — at varying price points — are available atBrightland,Real Good Food,Milk Streetor Italian and Spanish specialty stores likeGustiamo.

• Rice vinegar:the Japanese Pantry(artisanal) orNijiya(larger production)

• Purple sweet potato vinegar:East Fork(shipping delays)

• Toasted sesame oil:the Japanese Pantrysells a range of artisan toasted sesame oils, and a little goes a long way.H Martis a good bet for supermarket versions.

• Apple cider vinegar: For extra-delicious if spendy apple cider vinegar, try“The Apple Cider Vinegar”from Pineapple Collaborative orKatz Gravenstein Apple Cider Vinegar(also available throughReal Good Food).

• Wine vinegar: There are many options for good salad and finishing wine vinegars, includingKatzandReal Good Food. This is likely also an item you can order locally.

•The Spice Housesells Jamaican allspice, jerk and cajun seasoning blends, and tamarind paste.

• Chili garlic paste:Yamibuysells a few options.

• Dashi: For ingredients to make dashi (kombu, bonito flakes, and dried shiitake) as well as instant dashi, tryH Mart,Nihon Ichiban, orRakuten.The Japanese Pantry,Kayanoya, andMilk Streetare also good for artisanal or small batch versions of these essentials.

• Dried fish: Try the Japanese and Korean markets listed above.Real Good Foodsells dried shrimp sourced from Louisiana.

• Dried gochugaru and sansho peppers:Milk Streetorigourmet

• Fermented black bean:The Mala MarketandYamibuy

• Fish sauce: Order fromRed Boatdirectly, or trySonfrom Real Good Food.

• Gochujang:YamibuyandH Martfor supermarket brands.Gotham Grovespecializes in gourmet Korean ingredients, with a few pricier, artisanal options for gochujang and ssamjang.

• Miso and doenjang: Try the Japanese and Korean markets mentioned above orMilk Street.Gotham Grovealso sells a small batch doenjang that is aged for three years.

• Oyster sauce:Yamibuy

• Sichuan pepper:The Mala Marketspecializes in Sichuan spices, including Sichuan peppercorns and other aromatic spices like star anise.Milk Streetalso sells Sichuan peppercorns.

• Yuzu kosho:Milk Street,H Mart, andigourmet

•Burlap & Barrelis an excellent source for single origin spices and seasonings, including sumac, Urfa chili, saffron, and smoked paprika.

•igourmet, it should come as no surprise by now, is also a good source if you can’t find something. They carry Calabrian chilies.

•The Milk Street StoreandThe Spice Houseare also good bets for Middle Eastern, African, and Asian flavors.

•New York Shuksells a variety of Middle Eastern and Sephardic seasonings and spices, including dukkah, harissa, ras el hanout, and hawaij.

•Burlap & Barrelis also good here for things like cumin and various types of chili.

•The Spice Househas a Latin American spice section, including aji amarillo ground chile, ancho chile, guajillo, and chile de arbol.

• For whole dried chipotle and chipotle in adobo, also tryMexGrocer,Zocalo Foods,igourmet, orMelissa’s.

• For tamarind, tryThe Spice House.

•Burlap & Barrel,Diaspora Co., andRumi Spiceare all stand-outs for ethically sourced single origin spices commonly used in South Asian and Southeast Asian cooking, including turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, and cumin.Milk StreetandThe Reluctant Trading Experimentare also worth checking.I Shop Indianandigourmet, once again, will fill any holes.

•The Mala Marketfocuses on Sichuan spices, but many of the aromatic spices like star anise are also used in South Asian and Southeast Asian cooking.

•The Spice Housesells a variety of spices and harder-to-find ingredients like tamarind paste.

• If you’re looking for shortcuts: For Indian cooking,Brooklyn Delhisells its sauces direct.Chilicalisells various bumbu for Indonesian flavors, including galangal and sambal.

• Dried fruit:Bellavivaproduces organic dried fruit from California’s Central Valley. New York City’sRuss & Daughterssells excellent dried fruit (the strawberries will ruin you forever).

• Dried hibiscus:Burlap & Barrel,The Spice House,Alma Semillera

• Black sesame paste:The Japanese Pantry

• Capers and olives:Despaña,Gustiamo,La Tienda,Mercado Little Spain,Murray’s Cheese,igourmet,Real Good Food

• Seasonal Jams:Ayako & Family(Seattle) andSqirl(Los Angeles)

• Dates:Joolie’s ships its fresh Medjool dates nationwide.

• Date Syrup:Just Date Syrup

• Preserved lemons:Chelsea Market Baskets,Milk Street,New York Shuk

• Pomegranate molasses:Milk StreetorJust Date Syrup

• Tahini: You can order direct fromSeed + MillorSoom(which is currently only selling in 6-jar cases, but no complaints there).

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