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The more you cook, the more you realize how much the quality of your ingredients affects the final outcome. High-quality doesn’t always mean expensive, of course, but sometimes spending a little extra can make a huge difference in the recipes you’re whipping up at home.
To help you take things up a notch, I asked 18 chefs about the splurgy pantry ingredients they swear by. You’ll likely have to shell out a little extra, and you probably won’t find them at your local grocery store, but these high-end spices, extracts, sauces and butters and have the pros’ stamp of approval.
Shared Cultures Koji Salt With Porcini & Black Garlic
“Shared Cultures makes some really amazing products. I am particularly fond of their koji salt — it is a secret weapon anytime I’m looking for an extra layer to a dish. The Porcini & Black Garlic is excellent on proteins, especially beef, and if you want to take your burgers to the next level, adding a pinch will layer in just enough to have your diners questioning how your food tastes so much better than theirs. Sprinkle a little on your next bowl of popcorn to elevate your snacking.” — Tyler Fenton, chef/owner of BATA
El Capricho Salmŭria Anchovy Extract
“I love to use it for special occasions but wish I could use it on everything, if it weren’t for the price tag. It’s super smooth and helps bring umami to everything.” — CJ Jacobson, chef and partner of Aba and Ema
Colatura di Alici
“Colatura di alici is one of those ingredients that lives in the background but changes everything. I like to call it liquid anchovy gold. I typically add some to savory sauces, brush it into a glaze for proteins or even add a couple of drops to finish roasted veggies. It gives a dish structure and depth without overpowering it. For home cooks, it’s a perfect example of ‘less is more.’ You don’t need much to make something taste like you knew exactly what you were doing.” — Chris Piro, owner and chef of Again. and The Again. Foundation
“One of my go-to splurge ingredients is colatura di alici. Chef Melissa [Rodriguez] and I both love all things anchovy, and we appreciate the depth and complexity that just a few dashes of colatura can bring to a dish, adding brine and subtle oceanic flavor without being overtly fishy. We use it often, from lending a savory backbone to sauces to tying together flavors in pasta dishes. Traditionally made in Cetara on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, colatura is still produced in small batches using centuries-old methods. It’s labor-intensive, low-yield and bottled in small quantities, but a little goes a long way.” — Katherine Rock, executive chef at Crane Club
Moromi Shiro Miso
“Even just a spoon of high-quality miso can add umami and richness to dressings, broths or marinades. The Moromi Shiro Miso is deeply flavorful without being too salty.” — Dan Kluger, chef at Greywind
Lescure Butter
“My personal guilty pleasure: French butter. Lescure is one of my favorite brands, fairly easy to find and incredibly flavorful. Whether using it for baking, cooking fish or steak, or just spreading on a crunchy piece of bread, it’s to die for! Made with high-quality milk and artisanal French methods, it’s worth every penny.” — Sherry Cardoso, executive chef at Metropolis by Marcus Samuelsson
Budo Sansho Peppercorns
“I love using budo sansho peppercorns, the seed pods from the Japanese prickly ash tree, which have a unique citrus quality along with a light numbing sensation. They are a great way to level up grilled flavors — heavily-grilled avocado with budo sansho is a surprisingly killer combination.” — Isaac Leidenfrost, chef de cuisine at Sip & Guzzle
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“Lighter than regular soy sauce in both taste and color, this wheat-based seasoning delivers a subtle umami boost to countless preparations, from bright citrus vinaigrettes to delicate whitefish tartares. I also love adding a few drops to a classic French beurre blanc, bringing depth and complexity without overpowering the dish.” — Andrea Calstier, chef of La Bastide and Cenadou Bistrot
Olio Piro
“This oil is well rounded, peppery and robust.” — Franklin Becker, chef of Point Seven
Dried Porcini Mushroom Powder
“I love mushrooms, so one of my go-to staple pantry items is this porcini powder. I use it in so many recipes, including fresh pasta sauces, stews, dry rubs on steaks or poultry, soups and even some egg dishes. It’s a highly flavorful addition to almost any type of dish and is an immediate hit with my family and friends. Savor the flavor.” — Glenn Rolnick, chef at Carmine’s
Don Bocarte Anchovies
“They’re concentrated umami. I eat them with good bread (Sparrowbush Sesame Sourdough) and butter (Bordier), both of which are also worthy splurges. But they’re also great mashed into a simple vinaigrette or as the flavor foundation for puttanesca.” — Craig Koketsu, chef/partner of Quality Branded
Blis Elixir XO Sherry Vinegar
“My pantry is a stash of culinary contraband, stocked with things that make even the laziest snack feel like a flex. Case in point: Blis Elixir XO Sherry Vinegar. It’s sherry vinegar aged in an eight-barrel solera system, the casks previously used for maple-cured bourbon. The result is a syrupy, dark elixir that tastes like butterscotch. Drip a few drops over hunks of parmesan and you’ve just engineered a snack with the sex appeal of a high-end cheese course, no cooking required.” — Alex Stupak, executive chef at The Otter and Sloane’s at The Manner
Pianogrillo Estratto di Pomodori
“This Sicilian tomato paste from Pianogrillo is one of the craziest items we’ve ever tried. Every chef I know is obsessed with it. There is nothing else on the American market that compares. It has such an amazing tomato flavor and texture. Spread it on toast with a little salt and olive oil or add it to pasta, sauces, beans or braises. It will improve just about anything.” — Mike Fadem, chef and owner of Ops
Mondega Natural Hot Sauce
“Mondega hot oil is my go-to finishing oil — I’ll add it to everything from my eggs in the morning, to a couple of drops on a lunch sandwich, to a touch over grilled fish or steak. It has this perfect balance of heat and depth that elevates even the simplest dish. Our approach in the kitchen is always to keep things simple and let natural flavors shine, and ingredients like this let us take something humble and turn it into a big surprise.” — Anthony Gonçalves, chef at Kanopi
Bottarga
“Bottarga is my go-to, splurge-worthy pantry ingredient. Made from cured roe of grey mullet (or sometimes tuna), it can completely change a dish with just a small amount. It’s a traditional ingredient in Japan as well, where it’s called karasumi. I grate it with a microplane over pasta, rice or our Caesar salad at Matsuyoi, where the chef adds it as a flourish in front of the guests. It adds a deep, savory flavor of the sea that’s hard to match. Although it is an expensive ingredient, one piece goes a long way for home cooks and is a reminder that sometimes less is more.” — Taka Sakaeda, chef partner at Matsuyoi
XO Sauce
“If I had to pick one pantry splurge, it would be XO sauce. I’m talking about the kind that’s rich with dried scallops, shrimp, Jinhua ham and just the right hit of heat. It’s not cheap, but a little goes a long way. For me, XO sauce is the way to add instant depth and rich umami. I swirl it into noodles (any kind, even spaghetti), spoon it over seared fish, toss it with roasted vegetables. It’s like adding a big dose of WOW to your everyday cooking. Suddenly, you’ve elevated Tuesday night into something unforgettable.” — Peter Som, cookbook author and lifestyle expert
Burlap & Barrel Spices
“This may seem very simple, but one of the most splurge-worthy spice brands on the market is a company called Burlap & Barrel. Their spices are outstanding — Cybille and I swear by them and use them all the time at home. After having Burlap & Barrel’s spices, you’ll think any other spices taste like cardboard. The ones we most commonly use are the Royal Cinnamon, often for the kids’ breakfast; Wild Timur Pepper for dinner; and the Black Urfa Chili, which is my personal favorite and great on steak and hummus. We also have a collection of spices in collaboration with them, a trio that celebrates the flavors of the African diaspora and Black culinary traditions. I truly believe they are the best spice company from a flavor and ethical perspective.” — Chef Omar Tate, co-founder of Honeysuckle
La Boîte O.M.G. Spice Blend
“Everything chef Lior Lev Sercarz crafts is amazing, but La Boîte’s O.M.G. takes anything you cook at home to the next level. A distinct spice blend of onion, mustard and garlic, it’s something I heavily rely on in my own home kitchen. I love it on a ribeye, but it’s also great on poultry. The 2.5-ounce jar costs $16 and is worth every penny.” — Josh Smith, co-owner and executive chef of Talise and Little Sister
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