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The BHG solid food team cooked and taste our way through C of sauces , spiciness , and meal starter to pick our 50 pet ingredients to bring oomph to your larder . Time to make some shelf space !
Canned bean , pasta sauces , various spices — we all have our must - wealthy person for the larder . Since raw products are always lining up ongrocery shelf , our editors cooked and screen our means through more than 200 product . It was a delicious task , and we determine what deserves a spot in the larder .

Credit:Rachel Marek
We gathered our intellectual nourishment editors and Test Kitchen experts to try outpasta sauces , spices , and meal starters in the BHG testing kitchen . From there , we took product home to see how much we liked them and whether they were suitable of the cost and shelf place . So if you ’re looking to enliven up that French dressing forlunch saladsor modification upweeknight chicken dinners , we ’ve got the best products to give your pantry a modern raise .
These are the 2024 BHG Food Awards product categories :
Rachel Marek

Credit:Rachel Marek
Flavor Boosters
A spoonful , a drizzle , a sprinkle . It wo n’t take much of these seasonings and sauces to make everyone at the tabular array say “ Yum . ”
Best Spiced Ghee: Paro Tarka Spicy Ghee Chili Crisp
Tarka , the practice of frying spices in oil — and clear up butter in this case — intensifies flavors . tender slightly to stir up up the Cuminum cyminum , chili flakes , andcurry notes .
Best Chimichurri in a Hurry: The Spice House Green Chimichurri Mix
When bracing herbs are n’t handy , this dry herbaceous plant mix is the next best thing .
Best Spicy Umami: Yondu Hot & Spicy Umami
A minuscule of this fiery dressed ore goes a long way in boosting spicy flavor . Add a panache tostir - fryor soup for heat with depth .
Best Soy Sauce Alternative: Kikkoman Umami Joy Sauce
It ’s gluten - devoid and soy - gratis , and you ’ll never guess it ’s made from a love apple base . The product is get going to turn over out on ledge nationwide , so check theKikkoman siteto see if it ’s available in your orbit yet .
Best Salsa Macha: Somos Mexican Chili Crisp
The stumpy chili pepper oil with sesame and pepita germ , ail , testis , and dried chile is an excellent opera hat for gist and veggies , but you ’ll be tempt to use up it straight from the jar .
The Next Chili Crisp : need to make out what the next “ it ” condiment will be ? Tarka ? Salsa macha ? Zhug ? We augur you ’ll be serving one or more of these spicy , herby sauces with just about everything .
Best Herb-Based Hot Sauce: Blank Slate Kitchen Zhug
This hopeful , herby hot sauce comes from Yemen and is popular around the Middle East . It ’s chimichurri meets salsa verde with an intensely gamey kick .
Most Innovative Spice Blends: Spiceology Rub Set 6-Pack
Any of these hitch will advance weeknight poulet ; also try the Black & Bleu on popcorn or the Chile Margarita around a cocktail rim .
Saucy Finds : Bottled sauce are a brilliant manner to bring eating house deary home without buying a go-cart of constituent .
Best Huli Huli Sauce: Poi Dog Huli Huli
It ’s a traditional Hawaiian sauce with sweet , teriyaki , and five - spice notes . Authentic huli huli chicken is baste with the namesake sauce and turn ( or “ hulied ” in Hawaiian ) over a hot flak . So fire up the grille and bulge slather .
Best Vinegar-Based Barbecue Sauce: Duke’s Southern Sauces - Carolina Vinegar BBQ
The sauce made popular by North Carolina boasts a sourish , vinegary base with a soupcon of tomato for bouquet . Yourpulled pork barrel sandwichhas a new good friend .
Best Dipping Sauce: Lillie’s Q BBQ Aioli
Our new go - to dip for chicken tender , the creamy garlic - mayo and smoky BBQ optical fusion is also surpassing on Roger Fry .
Best Sweet and Spicy Mexican Condiment: Siete Chamoy Botana Sauce
Chamoy is a sourish preserve fruit sauce made from mangoes , plums , or apricots ; chiles ; salt ; and lime . Drizzle on tacos or wise yield or dip your margarita deoxyephedrine to rim with Tajín .
Best Miso Barbecue Sauce: Bachan’s Miso Japanese Barbecue Sauce
Test Kitchen culinary specializer Emily Nienhaus describes this sauce as “ a little like soja bean , Pisces sauce , and hoisin all in one . ”
Best Fruit Salsa: Lola’s Cherry Jalapeño Salsa
wise cherry tree balances the slight heat of jalapeños . Marinate a pork tenderloin or pelt it over cream Malva sylvestris and trump it up with fries .
Best Flavor Base: Better Than Bouillon Sofrito Base from the Culinary Collection
A blend of veggies , herbs , and spices commonly make down to flavor Latin American dishes . Drop a teaspoonful of sofrito concentrate into soup , salsas , or beans for instant flavor without chop .
New Basics
Updated flavor or nutritive profiles plus convenient packaging reimagine and refresh classic larder staple .
Ready-to-Go Squeeze Tahini: Seed + Mill Organic Tahini
If you ’ve ever made a messspooning tahinifrom a jar , you ’ll know the slick squeeze bottle . Use it to make a straightaway dressing or mizzle overhomemade felafel .
Best Canned Tuna: Tonnino Yellowfin Tuna with Jalapeño in Smoked Olive Oil
Our testers voted this tuna the good for eating right out of the can .
Best Savory Sprinkle: Just Spices Avocado Topping
Black sesame seed , flaky salt , and dry out tomato — the pleasant surprisal we did n’t know avo toast needed . Also excellent on eggs orroasted veggie .
Best Tuna Pouch: Chicken of the Sea Lemon-Garlic Tuna
No sad desk lunches here . Pack a sack of this lemon - garlic tuna for a bright flavour hike .
Courtesy of American acetum Works
Best White Wine Vinegar: American Vinegar Works Better Than Champagne Chardonnay Wine Vinegar
We ’re salute this acetum made in small , barrelful - aged tidy sum and its implausibly discrete wine flavor . Save it forhomemade vinaigrette .
Best Naturally-Sweetened Ketchup: Primal Kitchen A Tad Sweet Ketchup
Honey - sweetened with half the pelf of even ketchup . ( entrust us — you wo n’t overlook the other half . )
Tastes-Just-Like-Homemade Relish: Bubbies Sweet Pickle Relish
Chunky pickles provide serious crunch in wimp or tuna salad and some heft to a Chicago - stylus hot detent .
Best Artisan Ketchup: Brownwood Farms Dill Pickle Ketchup with Bourbon
Pickle flavor is everywhere , and thisfancy ketchupmay be our favorite iteration of the trend yet . Gourmet burgers , anyone ?
Best Everything Bagel Seasoning: Lil Bucks Everything Bucks SZNing
upgrade with sprouted Fagopyrum esculentum , it ’s the classical blend but with much more crunch and a loony flavor collision .
The Best Dressed Balsamic
Fresh figure are a brain born sweetener in this update balsamic dressing .
Best Compound Butter: Kerrygold Sundried Tomato & Basil Butter Blend
Rich , flavorful , quick - to - spread Irish butter in a tub . Top yourgrilled steakand vegetable .
Most Versatile Cheese: Boursin Bites Garlic & Fine Herbs
down a few pearls into hot alimentary paste to make an effortless creamy sauce or skewer them for on - demand apps .
Best High-Protein Oats: Bob’s Red Mill Organic Protein Oats
Hey , all you non eggs - eaters ! These protein - boosted oats craft from a particular oat sort provide 50 % more protein than regular oat ( 9 gm per ⅓ cup dry oats ) .
Most Convenient Ghee: 4th & Heart Ghee Butter Sticks
Rather than scoop ghee out of a tubful , measure it as smoothly as , well , butter with these sticks . uncommitted in salted and unsalted assortment to meet all your cookery needs .
Courtesy of GoodWheat
Best Stealthy Healthy Pasta: GoodWheat Pasta
Get the same flavor and grain of even pasta but four times the fiber , thanks to a newly civilise non - GMO wheat caryopsis .
Shortcuts
If you ’re old-hat of previous reliable meter - savers , give this bunch a twisting on evenings when agenda are close .
Best Gourmet Pasta Sauce: Rao’s Homemade Vodka Arrabbiata Sauce
A pleasing balance of two classics . Arrabbiata rescue the spiciness , and vodka throw the sauce cool and creamy .
Best Stir-Fry Base: McCormick Salt Free Sauté Business by Tabitha Brown Seasoning Mix
Big flavor from a versatile salt - detached seasoning mixture — supply bean curd or your favorite protein . These seasoning blends are just one of the many originative pursuits our March issue cover star , Tabitha Brown , has cooking on the front burner these days .
Best Shortcut Chili: Muir Glen Organic Chili Starter, Seasoned Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Bell Peppers (Mild or Medium)
" I ca n’t believe chili this good comes from a can , ” says food editor in chief Jan Miller . Just add meat , beans , and heat . Prepare to be amazed . We were .
Best Refrigerated Dough: Pillsbury Corndog Wraps
contribute this iconicfair foodhome and skitter the mess of deep - frying . Stick optional . For an easy app , try wrapping up hero sandwich of Brie and jam .
Excellent Instant Side: Ben’s Original 10 Medley
boot - start up your grain bowl with a originative blend of 10 grain , legume , and vegetable .
Best Rice Blend: Minute Jasmine Rice & Red Quinoa Cups
Say goodbye to a boring bottom of rice . Fragrant jasmine rice bring flavor ; quinoa boosts aliment .
Best Frozen Vegetable Mix: Green Giant Restaurant Style Asparagus, Roasted Red Potatoes & Onions
Perhaps the only path these veggie finish cook at the same clock time — roasty , caramelized feeling from stove top to table in 10 bit .
Best Takeout-Style Noodles: Omsom Coconut Lemongrass Curry Saucy Noodles
separate out from your distinctive ramen packet and test a voguish new spin on instant noodles . You ’re going to want to buy a pack to keep on hand when noodle cravings strike .
Quickest Pizza Topper: Volpi Pepperoni and Chorizo Crumbles
Classic pizza opera hat meets Spanish chorizo . Stir into alimentary paste or patter on pizza , focaccia , or salad .
Tastiest Marinated Tofu: Hodo Organic Indian Spiced Tofu
squeeze , marinated , and quick to heat up , with enough leftover sauce to coating added veggie .
Best Freezer-to-Pan Ground Meat: Pound of Ground Crumbles
Precrumbled for even preparation , a pound of frozenground beefbrowns in 8 minutes .
Best Frozen Meatballs: Farm Rich Maple Bacon Meatballs
Finally a meatball that sour for breakfast and dinner . Tuck into biscuits for anytime sliders .
Treat Yourself
If you have room in your buttery , we jibe these particular are worth the splurge .
Best Fruit Preserve: Pika Pika Calamansi Marmalade
A tangy spread head made from the lilliputian Philippine calamansi — tangerine and lime in one .
Most Innovative Syrup Flavor: Torani Puremade Toasted Black Sesame Syrup
A splash in dusty brewage is a no - brainer , but also try out this sheer flavor in a savory spin like bulgogi boeuf or spring roll dipping sauce .
Best Fruit Vinegar: Kosterina Crushed Strawberry Vinegar
This vinegar is good enough to drink . love true yield flavour in salad , on seafood , or in a cocktail .
Freshest-Tasting Jarred Sauce: Sonoma Gourmet Lemon & Herb Ricotta
We ’re toss out this creamy ricotta sauce — vivacious with real citrous fruit juice — in alimentary paste with salmon and prickly-seeded spinach .
Most Versatile Flavored Olive Oil: Brightland Rosemary Olive Oil
Wildly aromatic , it makes the kitchen smell incredible . Use as a scratch dipper or drizzle lightly overroasted veggies .
Best Tinned Fish: Sea Tales Sardines in Spicy Tomato Sauce
" This is a great way to inclose someone to pilchard , ” say Erin Hooker , adjunct food editor and tinned - fish enthusiast .
Best Truffle Butter: Isigny Ste.-Mère x Fabrique Délices Black Truffle Butter
Truffle is back ! This is our favored usance of the funky fungi .
Best Flavored Hot Honey: Red Clay Spicy Peach Honey
Testers were please by the sweet-smelling , instinctive peach preference in this “ swicy ” ( sweet and hot ) honey .

Credit:Rachel Marek

Credit:Rachel Marek

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Credit:Courtesy of American Vinegar Works

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Credit:Courtesy of GoodWheat

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