Omega

Almond powder, 1kg. Fine ground almonds, the flour a pastry kitchen uses for macarons, for gluten-free baking, and for marzipan. It contains almond...

White sesame seeds, 1kg. The everyday sesame. Grind them for tahini and for hummus you are making from paste you mill yourself. Halva uses them. A ...

Black sesame seeds, 1kg. Nuttier than white sesame, and a little more bitter. Gomashio, a black sesame paste, Chinese sweets, Korean banchan, and a...

Whole almonds, 1kg, skins on. A pastry kitchen toasts them, a snack bowl serves them, and a dessert bench chops them for baklava, kheer or halva. B...

Skinless peanuts, 1kg, shelled and blanched. The red skin is already gone, so a kung pao, a Thai curry or a peanut sauce looks clean. Indian chikki...

Garlic powder, 1kg. Dried garlic, one strength, no peeling. A rub, a marinade, a bread dough, a pizza bench and a pasta seasoning all take it when ...

Bicarbonate of soda, 1kg. Omega. Pure baking soda, the leavener that reacts with acid in a batter. A kilo for a bakery and a home kitchen that bake...

Peeled pistachios, 1kg. Skins off, so the green shows in ma'amoul, kunafa, baklava, ice cream and a macaron. A rice garnish uses the same nut. You ...

Cinnamon sticks, 1kg. Whole quills. You simmer them in biryani, in a stew, in a tagine or in a mulled pot, then you lift them out. Masala chai take...

Onion powder, 1kg. Dried onion, same strength in every rub, no peeling and no water in the mix. Marinades, soups, stews and a sauce base take it. A...

Walnuts, 1kg, shelled halves and pieces. Slightly bitter, buttery. Brownies, banana bread and walnut cake take them. Muhammara is the dip. A walnut...

Turmeric powder, 1kg. Golden, earthy, a little bitter, and it stains. Curries, dals and rice take it. Middle Eastern stews and pilafs take it. Gold...

Dried apricots, 1kg. Sweet-tart and chewy. A snack bowl, a fruit cake, a granola bar or a scone takes them. A tagine and a lamb stew take them for ...

Ground black pepper, 1kg. The everyday seasoning, fine, so it disappears into a sauce, a gravy, a soup, a rub or a marinade. A restaurant fills the...

Whole black peppercorns, 1kg. Grind them for the mill so the smell is there. Leave them whole in a brine, a pickle, a stock or a slow stew so the h...

Skinless hazelnuts, 1kg. Blanched, so a pastry kitchen is not rubbing skins off a hot tray. Praline and gianduja start here. A hazelnut chocolate s...

Rice flour, 1kg, fine. Naturally gluten-free. Dosa and idli batters take it. Thai and Vietnamese cooking use it. A fritter batter gets crisper with...

Chilli flakes, 1kg. Crushed dried red chilli, medium heat, with the flecks you can see on the plate. A pizzeria keeps them for the pie and for the ...

Black raisins, 1kg. Larger and a bit tarter than the golden ones. Fruit cake, scones and bread take them. Jewelled rice and pilaf take them. Irania...

Bay leaves, 500g, dried and whole. You drop them into a stock, a stew or a biryani and you pull them out before the plate goes out. They scent the ...

Za'atar, 1kg. Thyme, sumac, sesame and salt. Manakish is the flatbread: oil, then a heavy scatter of this, then the oven. Bread dipped in oil and z...

Blanched almonds, 1kg, skins off. The white nut, for marzipan, for a French pastry, and for a Middle Eastern sweet where the brown skin would show....

Pecan nuts, 1kg, shelled. Buttery and sweet. Pecan pie is the dessert. Praline and butter pecan ice cream are the others. Granola, a breakfast bar,...

Semolina, 1kg. Coarse durum wheat. Sooji halwa, upma and rava idli take it. Basbousa, ma'amoul and harissa cake take it. Gnocchi alla romana and a ...

Chilli powder, 1kg. Ground red chilli for heat and for colour. Medium to hot. An Indian curry and a tandoori marinade take it by the spoon. A stir-...

Navy beans, 1kg, the small white bean. Creamy, mild, the bean in a Boston baked bean pot and in a British baked bean if you are making them yoursel...

Golden raisins, 1kg. Sultanas, sweeter and softer in taste than black raisins. Hot cross buns, oatmeal cookies, scones, fruit cake and a Christmas ...

Split red lentils, 1kg. Masoor dal. They cook fast and go soft and creamy. Everyday Indian dal, shorbat adas, and koshary all use them. A soup thic...

Coriander seeds, 1kg, whole. Toast them and grind them when you want the smell that powder has already lost. Curries, a garam masala, a curry powde...

Omega dried prunes, a 1kg pack. Soft, sweet dried plums with a chewy bite, for a snack or for the pot. Bakeries and kitchens use them in cakes and ...

Whole green lentils, 1kg. They hold their shape, which is why a salad and a mujadara use them instead of a lentil that collapses. Shorbat adas, a F...

Ground white pepper, 1kg. Sharper than black pepper, and no dark specks. Béchamel, hollandaise and a white sauce take it so the sauce stays pale. H...

Ground coriander, 1kg. Mild, lemony, a little sweet. Indian curries and a curry powder blend start with it. Garam masala uses it. Middle Eastern an...

Dried figs, 1kg. Naturally sweet, soft if they are fresh in the bag, and full of fibre. A snack, a cheese board, a fig bar, a scone or a cake takes...

Ground cinnamon, 1kg. The warm sweet spice a bakery weighs into rolls, cookies and cakes. Masala chai takes a pinch. Biryani and some curries take ...

Pistachio sticks, 1kg. Slivered, even pieces, for the top of a kunafa or a baklava, for a gelato, for a cake, for mandi or biryani, and for muhalab...

Pine nuts, 1kg. Shelled, buttery. Pesto is the sauce that uses them by the handful. Kibbeh and a rice topping use them. Baklava and ma'amoul take t...

Ground ginger, 1kg. Warm, a little hot, slightly citrus. Gingerbread, cookies and spice cake take it. A curry powder, a chai masala and a marinade ...

White bulgur, 1kg. Parboiled cracked wheat, the fine pale grade. Tabbouleh is the salad. Kibbeh is the meat-and-grain dish. A pilaf, a stuffing for...

Dried red kidney beans, 1kg. Meaty, and they hold their shape if you cook them properly. Rajma is the North Indian pot. Chili con carne is the othe...

Whole white peppercorns, 1kg. Sharp, and they do not leave black specks in a pale sauce. A brine, a pickle, a stock or a Chinese braise takes them ...

Curry powder, 1kg. A ready blend in the Indian style: turmeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek and warm spices already together. A kitchen uses it whe...

Cumin seeds, 1kg. Whole, so you can bloom them in oil for a tadka. Dal and curry start that way. Biryani and pulao take a spoon of seed. Pickles an...

Toor dal, 1kg. Split pigeon peas. Sambhar is built on them. Gujarati dal and a daily dal with rice use them. Rasam and other regional dals take the...

Ground cumin, 1kg. Warm, earthy, a little nutty, ready to spoon. Middle Eastern, Indian and North African pots all expect it. Curries, rice, marina...

Green cardamom pods, 1kg. Sweet, floral, strong. A coffee service cracks them for Arabic qahwa. A cafe puts them in karak and in masala chai. Birya...

Turmeric, Gold grade, 1kg. Ground, with more colour and more smell than a standard turmeric, the grade a kitchen uses when the curry or the golden ...

Whole red lentils, 1kg. Brown on the outside, red inside, and they hold their shape better than the split dal. Whole masoor, a dal that should stay...