$37.00
Graza
Salt was once considered so valuable that Roman soldiers were often paid in it — the term “salary” is derived from this very practice. It’s still a treasured ingredient because it brings out flavor, and there’s numerous types to choose from, like sea salt, kosher salt and table salt. So how do you decide which one to use for your dish? Experts say it comes down to two main factors: what you’re cooking and what stage of the cooking process you’re salting your food in.
Honey won’t cure your seasonal allergies, but it will sweeten your oatmeal, tea or toast. The sticky stuff mainly gets its flavor from the types of flowers and plants bees collect nectar from, which are different across the country. That’s why honey made in New York tastes different from a batch made in Georgia. But where honey comes from isn’t the most important thing to think about while shopping — first, you need to weigh the differences between filtered and unfiltered options, and whether it matters if you see “organic” on the label.
When it comes to the difference between milk, dark, white and ruby chocolate, it’s a numbers game — each type is defined by a ratio of ingredients, like cocoa and milk. Even then, there’s variation among categories, so the best way to figure out what you prefer is to try lots of options. As you bring home chocolate to conduct your taste tests, pay extra attention to what you’re storing it next to in your cabinets, experts say. Chocolate easily absorbs odors, and the last thing you want to do is bite into a bar that tastes like garlic.
I’m a reporter at NBC Select who’s covered food, beverages and kitchen tools for five years, including topics like non-alcoholic wine and spirits, dinnerware sets and cookie-making supplies. I also frequently test related products. For this ongoing pantry staples series, I compiled recent food-related articles I’ve written and rounded up some of our favorite items in each category.
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