Hi everyone :)
For those of you that have been here a while, you know that I LOVE putting together this annual list. Itās a special ritual to spend early November compiling all the best things that I think we should be spending our money on. ALWAYS from small, independent brands, that are also usually BIPOC/women/queer-owned, because wellā¦ me :)
If youāre new here - my 2024 and 2023 gift guides are pretty great, if I may - and continue to be our most popular blog posts to date.
Since I've already covered my fave pantry items, fashion brands, and kitchen tools in those, I decided to do something a little different this year.
Firstly, as a spice dealer, whose literal job is to source, grade, and sell the worldās best spices, I know a thing or two about sourcing the good stuff, regardless of its country of origin. So this year, Iām sharing some of my Diaspora favorites of course (all 20% off currently, as part of our Big Thank You Sale), but Iām also sharing the spices from other brands that make up the rest of my spice drawer! In the spirit of community > competition, I hope yāall will enjoy cooking with these spices from Greece, Japan, Ethiopia, Oregon and Afghanistan just as much as yāall enjoy cooking with our beautiful Indian and Sri Lankan ones!
Second, we launched our Masala Chai in August, and it has quickly become our #1 product?! I did NOT see that coming, beating even our cult fave Aranya Black Pepper on the leaderboard! Iāve been a tea > coffee drinker for most of my life, and growing up in Asia, thatās meant being lucky enough to drink some pretty incredible teas from across India, Nepal, Taiwan, Japan, and Vietnam. I lean towards lighter, nuttier teas, so that makes up a bulk of my recs, but each company that Iāve linked below sources a wealth of INCREDIBLE, equitably sourced, and truly delicious teas for every palate. Letās ditch the colonizer aesthetic tea companies and the big box stuff that is responsible for some truly terrible labor practices, and build the tea future of our diaspora dreams :ā)
Spices:
- Rancho Gordoās Mexican Oregano & Bay Laurel - I make a pot of brothy beans almost every week, often seasoned with our Taco Masala, but ALWAYS with RGās oregano and bay leaves. Recently, my household has become pozole obsessed, and frankly, this kit might be the reason why. We make every color of pozole we can, we freeze it, we gift it to our neighbors, it is truly a perfect food!
- Jacobsen Salt Co.ās Pure Flake Sea Salt - Sure, Maldon is great, but Jacobsenās flakey salt is made right here on the Oregon coast, and is absolutely delicious. No chocolate chip cookie should be finished without these!
- Diasporaās Popcorn Seasoning - Iām a self confessed popcorn fanatic, but itās been heartening to see this cute lil blend of ours become our #1 bestseller across almost every grocery store and indie shop that we work with. YāALL LOVE IT AS MUCH AS I DO AND IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY!!
- Sonokoās Japanese Curry Powder - The minute thereās a chill in the air, there are few things as cozy as a bowl of kare raisu, or Japanese Golden Curry with rice. You can read about the history of the dish here, and use this recipe to make it yourself.
- Queenās Gochujang - given the weather, I feel like this list is becoming an ode to soups, but this spicy Korean chilli paste is the smoothest, most delicious iāve ever tried. Fermented for 90 days and sweetened with jujube instead of corn syrup, I use this to make a comforting spicy kimchi and tofu stew aka Kimchi Jjigae.
- Podi Lifeās Tangy Rasam + Crunchy Peanut Podi - since weāve launched (and nearly sold out of!!) Padmaās Gunpowder Podi, I KNOW yāall now know the magic of podis - crunchy, nutty spice and lentil blends that can add oomph to any meal! I use the crunchy peanut to top just about everything from rice, to roasted veggies, and I use the tangy rasam podi to make a feisty pot of Archanaās rasam/chaaru - another epic soup for this list!
- Diasporaās Aranya Black Pepper, Sirarakhong Chillies, and Pahadi Pink Garlic - These are the three spices I use almost every single day. Thereās nothing the worldās best pepper, a smoky medium heat chilli, and a deeply umami garlic powder cannot bring big flavor to! Just today, I used the trio to zhuzh up a meh chicken tortilla soup, but itās also the secret to my mac and cheese, to my homemade bone broth, truly everything!
- Pure Indian Foodsās Best Hing Ever - Despite my best efforts, Iāve never been able to source a truly high quality, ethically sourced hing or asafoetida, the potent but highly flavorful resin that is indigenous to Iran, Afghanistan, and parts of Central Asia. Whilst a potent, and acquired aroma, when used correctly, hing adds an addictive allium-y flavor to your cooking. Unfortunately, the resin is often cut with wheat or rice flour to make it easier to work with. This hing is 100% pure, and strong, so a little goes a very long way! Until I can source something better, I can concede defeat ;)
- Canaanās Zaāatar - Iāve been making King Arthur Flourās Big & Bubbly Focaccia all year long, and this beautiful, indigenous Palestinian Zaāatar, a mix of organically grown oregano, wild collected thyme and sumac, and native sesame seeds, is my go-to seasoning and topping! Itās never been more important to support Palestinian farmers, foragers and foodways, so whilst youāre at it, stock up on some Huwa olive oil for drizzling too!
- Brundoās Berbere - South Asia boasts thousands of different varieties of dals (legumes and lentil dishes) that Iāve just barely scratched the surface of, and yet when I find myself getting sick of the same old rotation of dal, I make Cafe Colucciās Ethiopian Misser Wot, berbere spiced red lentils that are rich and fiery. The ideal is to eat them with injera (a spongy fermented teff pancake), but I often eat them with idlis as an easy substitute to sambhar!
- Bernal Cutleryās Yuzukararin and Premium Miso Powder. A block of silken tofu, drizzled with nice soy sauce, and with a smear of punchy, spicy Yuzukararin on top is my go-to Japanese side. The brightness of the yuzu, paired with the salty, peppery notes makes this my favorite chili crisp-esque thing for anything even vaguely Japanese! The Miso powder might seem frivolous, until you start sprinkling it on top of your cacio e pepe, and your roasted potatoes, and your salads, and suddenly youāre wondering how you ever did without it!
- Daybreak Seaweedās Ume Shiso Furikake - We make a LOT of lunch box onigiri at home, and the viral Emily Mariko leftover salmon recipe, both of which would be significantly less delicious without this bold, salty, nutty blend!
- Daphnis & Chloeās Aegean Oregano - But really, all of the beautiful Greek herbs and spices that Evangelia of D&C sources are just beautiful! I obsessively make this Broiled Halloumi, Tomato and White Bean recipe for weekday lunches, and this fresh, gorgeous oregano takes it to a whole new dimension!
- Villa Jeradaās Dukkah and Harissa Paste - I first tried Dukkah at a brunch restaurant in Berkeley where soft boiled eggs were drizzled with olive oil and then generously sprinkled with this nut and seed blend, and then served with crusty bread. I was hooked and never looked back! VJās version uses Oregonian hazelnuts, which is a wonderful riff on the classic! Harissa is delicious in shakshuka and probably where it's best known, but these chicken thighs with dates, citrus and harissa is my favorite way to burn through a jar!
Teas:
- Song Teaās Shan Lin Xi Winter Sprout and Soba Botanical Tea - Eight years on, Shan Lin Xi is still my favorite tea of all time. I take it everywhere with me - no plane ride, no farm visit, no morning ritual is complete without a cup, itās a dangerous one to fall for and oh so worth it! Meanwhile, on the herbal side of teas, a mug of this complex, toasty blend while flipping through a cookbook in bed has become a beloved nightly ritual.
- Smith Teaās Rose City Genmaicha - I love classic Japanese Genmaicha for all that savory green nuttiness. So I was initially quite suspicious of this Oregonian twist on the original. But the addition of rose petals and a hint of honey, whilst a little audacious, is extremely delicious. These are my tea bags for a crowd.
- Mizubaās Yorokobi Matcha - Whilst the matcha craze has reached an all time fever pitch and there seems to be a new matcha brand popping up every day, Mizuba has been thoughtfully and diligently working with small, regenerative farms in Japan since 2013. Fun fact: Lauren of Mizuba actually taught me the ropes of importing into the US way back in 2017 when I was just getting started! This particular matcha is a blend of two cultivars, and has a beautiful velvety sweetness.
- Young Mountain Teaās Organic Nepali Golden Black - I often find black teas too astringent and strong but this was an absolute revelation. Honeyed and silky, this tea is a gateway to the sweetness and depth of high quality Nepali teas!
- Diaspora Spice Co.ās Chota Tingrai CTC Black Tea - If youāre making masala chai at home, or you just like a high strength, bright black tea, I think thereās truly no CTC tea quite as delicious or high quality as this one!! It just plays SO nicely with milk, sugar and/or spices.
- Anna Ye Teaās Wild Silver Tips - Until Anna visited our Mumbai test kitchen earlier this year for a tasting, I knew little of Vietnamese tea. One of the many teas she poured for our team was this one, and I was so captivated by its delicate sweetness, I placed an order for it immediately! Processed from wild tea buds by the Hmong people of YĆŖn BĆ”i, we are so lucky to have access to this beautiful tea!
- Kettlās Jou Yanagi Houjicha - Roasty, nutty and downright chocolatey, brewing houjicha as a loose leaf tea rather than using the powdered version for a latte opened up a whole new world for me. And because itās low in caffeine, this is my go-to 5pm brew when I need a lil boost as I cook dinner.
- TĆ© Companyās Superb Iced Tea Set and Pineapple Linzer Cookies - I cold brewed these beautiful ice teas from Taiwan all summer, and agree that they are, in fact, superb. Their cookies are very special (this year, the New York Times Gift Guide agrees with me!) and honestly, the loveliest companion to a cup of buttery oolong.
- Diaspora Spice Co.ās Masala Chai - I always used to find making chai, even as a literal chai dealer, a bit of a hit or miss process. Truly, since we developed this blend, I make chai for our guests and visitors at home and the office like itās a magic trick. We use 100% more spices, that are also fresher and higher quality than basically anyone else in the world, and the highest quality CTC we could possibly source, making this a bestseller for a reason. I couldnāt be prouder.
- Not a tea, but Kee Wah Bakeryās Egg Yolk Custard Mooncakes - I got addicted to these in Hong Kong, and now whenever I order some as a treat, Iāll cut each mooncake into the thinnest slivers to enjoy with a cup of tea, and stretch the box of eight pieces for as many weeks as possible. Thereās something about the richness of the custard and the dough that is made to be drunk with tea.
PS - my #1 (highly biased) rec for holiday gifting this year is The Diaspora Cookbook. It comes out in March ā26 but if you preorder today, youāll get 20 exclusive bonus recipes that you can gift in time for Christmas, and then have the second part of the present arrive in the spring!
Happy cooking!
With love and in community,
Sana Javeri Kadri
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