For many home cooks, the difference between a mundane meal and a restaurant-quality dish lies in the quality of the spices. While standard grocery store seasonings serve their purpose, high-quality, single-origin blends can fundamentally transform how we experience food.
To find the best options, editors from The Kitchn turned to Burlap & Barrel, a brand recognized for sourcing sustainable, high-quality spices directly from small-scale farmers worldwide. By prioritizing freshness and origin, these seasonings offer more depth than mass-produced alternatives.
Here are five standout seasonings—starting at $10—that our editors recommend for everything from breakfast to cocktails.
1. The Savory Upgrade: Purple Shallot Powder
Price: $10
If you are used to standard onion powder, the Purple Shallot Powder is a game-changer. Executive Editor Lauren Miyashiro notes that it offers a significantly more complex flavor profile, hitting both sweet and savory notes.
Best used for: * Roasting vegetables, seasoning taco fillings, or adding depth to savory dishes.
2. The Flavor Multiplier: Spicy Salty Sour Sprinkle
Price: $12
This is a complex, multi-dimensional blend featuring chili, hibiscus, sugar, salt, sumac, and mango amchur. Food Editor Andrea Rivera describes it as adding a “zippy” quality to food. Because it balances heat, acidity, and sweetness, it is incredibly versatile.
Best used for: * Eggs, oatmeal, and beans, or as a bright topping for summer fruits like peaches and mangoes. It can even be used to edge cocktail glasses.
3. The Citrus Substitute: Ground Black Lime
Price: $10
Black lime provides a concentrated, earthy acidity that is difficult to replicate with fresh citrus. Culinary Producer Rachel Perlmutter uses it as a pantry staple when fresh lemons or limes aren’t available.
Best used for: * Topping yogurt dips, seasoning salmon, mixing into guacamole, or creating a unique rim for cocktails.
4. The Gold Standard: Royal Cinnamon
Price: $10
Following a rigorous taste test where it beat out seven other competitors, our team has dubbed this the premier ground cinnamon. Director of Groceries & Shopping Mara Weinraub describes the experience of using it as “going from black and white to color in the Wizard of Oz.”
Best used for: * Baking, sweet breakfasts, or any dish where the warmth and aroma of cinnamon are central.
5. The Kitchen Shortcut: Ground Laurel Bay Leaves
Price: $10
While whole bay leaves are a cooking staple, they can be cumbersome to remove from soups or stews before serving. Ground bay leaves solve this practical problem while delivering the same aromatic benefits. Andrea Rivera calls the convenience “life-changing.”
Best used for: * Incorporating directly into soups, stews, and sauces without the need to “fish out” whole leaves before eating.
Summary: Investing in high-quality, specialized seasonings like those from Burlap & Barrel allows cooks to add complexity and convenience to their meals, turning everyday ingredients into extraordinary dishes.
