Help with buying ingredients

February 15, 2024 by
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We know it can be frustrating to come across unusual ingredients in a recipe and have no idea where to find them. With online shopping it is much easier now than it used to be – but how do you know that the supplier is reliable and the products are good quality? EYB to the rescue – we are adding Buy links to ingredients so there is one link to suppliers that we or our members have personally vetted.

The first supplier we are working with is the fabulous spice company, Diaspora Co. We have loved their spices for a long time (I am addicted to their turmeric) so we are delighted to be sharing every spice they sell through our links. Not only are the spices top quality, they come in the cutest, colorful tins which are made from recycled aluminum, reducing waste and shipping costs. Importantly, the company is committed to paying their farmers in India and Sri Lanka a living wage, which is 3-4 times commodity and Fairtrade prices.

Wherever an ingredient is available to buy you will see the ingredient in blue – click the arrow to the right and you will see a Buy Now button with the suppliers listed. Where a supplier ships internationally (as Diaspora do) we will not list the country. If the supplier only ships to a certain area – then we will list the country.

We are interested to hear from members on what food products they order online as these are the links we should be providing. And we are also interested in what online suppliers you use in your own country. You can add a comment on this post or if you prefer, email us at info@eatyourbooks.com with “online supplier” in the subject field.

Update Feb 28: all products sold by Burlap & Barrel are now linked (note, although they show as US they also ship to Canada). And we have also added links for all VanillaPura and King Arthur Baking products. I am waiting to hear back from the other suppliers members have listed here.

Category: What's New on EYB

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57 Comments

  • jdejong  on  February 15, 2024

    Like many others, I became a dedicated culinary online shopper in 2020 out of sheer necessity. I still rely heavily on the following three suppliers due to quality, diversity of products, customer service, and positive business models.

    Burlap and Barrel (like Diaspora) strongly supports international farmers to produce high quality spices. They also offer great collaborations with small companies and chefs to create exciting products that have helped me curate a rich and exciting pantry. I buy tons of beans from Rancho Gordo and Anson Mills is my go to for flour, grains, and rice.

    • Jane  on  March 1, 2024

      Burlap & Barrel is now set up with links to all their ingredients we have in the index. We are still waiting to hear back from Anson Mills and Rancho Gordo. We will follow up but you could maybe also email them as a customer to let them know how useful it would be for you to be able to link directly to ingredients from EYB.

  • KatieK1  on  February 15, 2024

    One of the remaining joys of living in NYC is the opportunity of shopping at Kalustyan’s, which has a mind boggling range of spices and herbs. They do mail order as well.

  • JaniceKj  on  February 15, 2024

    This is a great help, thanks for including it on EYB!

  • Fyretigger  on  February 15, 2024

    Ingedients I’ve shopped for online:
    Bitter Orange Juice
    Red Szechuan Peppercorn
    Gochugaru (Korean Red Pepper)
    Fermented Black Beans
    Salt Pickled Sakura Cherry Blossoms

    • Jane  on  February 19, 2024

      Fyretigger – where did you buy those items from?

  • redbird  on  February 15, 2024

    Rancho Gordo beans (every variety), White Lily flour, Duke’s mayonnaise. The latter should be a separate ingredient in the database IMHO. There is mayonnaise, and then there is Duke’s. No comparison between the two for this Southerner trapped in Vermont.

    • Jane  on  March 1, 2024

      We are waiting to hear back from Rancho Gordo but you could maybe also email them as a customer to let them know how useful it would be for you to be able to link directly to ingredients from EYB. White Lily doesn’t sell their products from their website. Duke’s does sell through their site but they don’t seem to have an affiliate scheme and I don’t think we have many of their products in our ingredients database. Duke’s mayonnaise is probably the only one – it is used in 131 recipes, almost all from The Duke’s Mayonnaise Cookbook.

  • lorloff  on  February 16, 2024

    For Chinese ingredients Mala market is amazing. Szechuan peppers oyster sauce black bean sauce with chiles and much more. It’s a mother daughter business with amazing quality

    • Jane  on  March 1, 2024

      I emailed them but have yet to hear back. You could maybe also email them as a customer to let them know how useful it would be for you to be able to link directly to ingredients from EYB.

  • lean1  on  February 16, 2024

    penzey’s, La Boite for spices.

    • Jane  on  March 1, 2024

      I have contacted Penzeys but have yet to hear back. I will contact La Boite next week.

  • eliza  on  February 16, 2024

    I’m in Canada and I order my flour from Arva flour mills who now have emmer, red fife, and their regular flours ground at their mill. I order quinoa, grains and specialty flours from Flourist. I also order from Burlap and Barrel in the US…lovely spices.

    • Jane  on  March 1, 2024

      I contacted Flourist 10 days ago but have not heard back. I will follow up but you could maybe also email them as a customer to let them know how useful it would be for you to be able to link directly to ingredients from EYB. Arva Flour Mill has very few products so I don’t think they are right for this but I have them on the list so will contact later.

  • vickster  on  February 16, 2024

    The Spice House. I like it that they ship paper flatpack with no shipping charge. Also nuts.com

    • Jane  on  March 1, 2024

      The Spice House products should be added early next week. nuts.com have not replied to my email of 10 days ago but you could maybe also email them as a customer to let them know how useful it would be for you to be able to link directly to ingredients from EYB.

  • Rinshin  on  February 16, 2024

    Been buying soy beans for making tofu and natto from Laura Soybeans. They changed the name from a farmer’s name where it is produced. Been using their beans for tofu and milk, over 22+ years with them. Started carrying soy beans for natto later which makes great natto.

    • Jane  on  March 1, 2024

      I contacted Laura Soybeans two weeks ago but have not heard back. I will follow up but you could maybe also email them as a customer to let them know how useful it would be for you to be able to link directly to ingredients from EYB.

  • nwaterman967  on  February 16, 2024

    Rancho Gordo, Burlap & Barrel, Rishi Tea are my main online sources. All are very reliable with great products.

    • Jane  on  March 1, 2024

      As noted above, I’m still waiting to hear back from Ranch Gordo. I wonder whether they are so popular that they don’t need further exposure. I gather they have a waiting list of 27,000 for their bean club which has a cap of 20,000 members. Also as noted above, all Burlap & Barrel links are in place. Rishi Tea have also not replied to my email two weeks ago but you could maybe also email them as a customer to let them know how useful it would be for you to be able to link directly to ingredients from EYB.

  • AECintheKitchen  on  February 17, 2024

    Bob’s Red Mill, which is employee owned, has grains and items that can be purchased from online purveyors.

    • Jane  on  March 1, 2024

      Bob’s Red Mill doesn’t sell directly from their site. If we end up linking to any online purveyors that sell their products then we will have the links but from their own directory it just seems to be big companies like Amazon and Target. We are planning for our links to be to smaller specialist purveyors.

  • smartie101  on  February 18, 2024

    I buy my flour and grains (many varieties) from Barton Springs Mill in Dripping Springs, Texas. They are organic and the owner selects and visits all the farmers he uses. You can read all about his operation on his online page. I also use Harvest Grain Mills – Anahuac, Texas – for the most outstanding rice – Carolina Gold and Charleston Gold – they also have rice flour. Both are family owned and operated. AND organic. I buy some spices – mainly their black pepper from Reluctant Trading Company.

  • mjes  on  February 18, 2024

    https://www.flatironpepper.com/ is the absolute best for chile flakes blended from identified (and sometime smoked) varieties of peppers.

    • Jane  on  February 19, 2024

      These do look good mjes but we are looking for ingredients we can link to from our ingredients database. Because these products are blends of several different chile peppers, they don’t feature in any recipes we have indexed.

  • MollyB  on  February 20, 2024

    For dried chiles, I like Spices, Inc. They have a good variety and the quality has been very reliable. Nuts.com is good not only for nuts but also for dried fruit and whole grains (farro, einkorn, buckwheat, etc.).

    • Jane  on  March 1, 2024

      I will contact Spices.com next week. As mentioned above nuts.com have not replied to my email of 10 days ago but you could maybe also email them as a customer to let them know how useful it would be for you to be able to link directly to ingredients from EYB.

  • franniepie  on  February 21, 2024

    Gustiamo, owned by Italian born woman in the Bronx, imports from vetted producers all over Italy that make the real deal ingredients.

    • Jane  on  March 1, 2024

      Gustiamo have not replied to my email of earlier this week but you could maybe also email them as a customer to let them know how useful it would be for you to be able to link directly to ingredients from EYB.

  • sbranom  on  February 21, 2024

    Awesome feature, love King Arthur!

  • JoanN  on  February 28, 2024

    Jumping in to second Mala Market. The quality of their products can’t be beat, equalling what I brought back from Chengdu. Can even find there such specialized ingredients as caiziyou (roasted grapeseed oil) which is what Kenji calls for in his outstanding recipe for Sichuan Málà Chile Oil in “The Wok.”

    • Jane  on  March 1, 2024

      As mentioned above, I emailed Mala Market but have yet to hear back. You could maybe also email them as a customer to let them know how useful it would be for you to be able to link directly to ingredients from EYB.

  • KennethJames  on  February 28, 2024

    Hello,
    I have been using these guys for years. The Spice House
    They have fresh spices and great selection. I usually order online, however the Evanston, IL. store is a great place to see all the spices in apothecary jars and friendly staff. They start a new feature called ‘flat packs’ which always ship out for free. A bonus, if you have storage jars available.

    • Jane  on  March 1, 2024

      The links for The Spice House should be added next week.

  • tbocly  on  February 29, 2024

    I’m in Canada and have been ordering from Silk Road Spices since 2010. Love their spice and herb selection. Always fresh.

    • Jane  on  March 1, 2024

      Unfortunately Silk Road Spices have declined to participate. A shame as we really want to add more Canadian purveyors. You could contact them as a customer to explain why it would be helpful for you to have these links.

  • jifar  on  February 29, 2024

    In the UK I can recommend:
    Bakery Bits for many unique baking ingredients https://www.bakerybits.co.uk/baking-ingredients

    Japan Centre for Japanese ingredients
    https://www.japancentre.com/en/categories/10100-groceries

    Spice Mountain for a very wide range of spices https://boroughmarket.org.uk/traders/spice-mountain/

    thanks!

    • Jane  on  March 1, 2024

      I have contacted BakeryBits and Japan Centre but not yet heard back from either. Spice Mountain seems to be on vacation until early April.

  • reader1trees  on  February 29, 2024

    I’m in the UK and can also recommend Bakery Bits for everything you need for bread, pastry and cake making as well as recipes from Dan Lepard on their blog. It’s also well worth keeping an eye on their sale page.
    https://www.bakerybits.co.uk/

    For all things gluten free I can wholeheartedly recommend Doves Farm.
    https://www.dovesfarm.co.uk/

    For any unusual ingredients that I can’t find locally or want to treat myself to I go straight to Yotam Ottolenghi’s website which is absolutely droolworthy.
    https://ottolenghi.co.uk/shop

    Finally a couple of places I think are worth looking at but haven’t used yet myself.
    https://www.souschef.co.uk/
    https://foratasteofpersia.co.uk/shop/

    • Jane  on  March 1, 2024

      Thanks for all those suggestions. We are contacting them all.

  • sanajaverikadri  on  March 1, 2024

    Thank you so, so much for including us at Diaspora Co. Spices – we are also die hard cookbook lovers who use EYB with such adoration in our own homes. Feeling very, very lucky to have our spice listed on EYB! <3

    • Jane  on  March 1, 2024

      Thanks Sana. We love your spices so much here – you were our first choice when we set up these links!

  • Scottycooks  on  March 1, 2024

    Penzey’s and Rancho Gordo

    • Jane  on  March 1, 2024

      As mentioned above we are waiting to hear back from both. You could maybe also email them as a customer to let them know how useful it would be for you to be able to link directly to ingredients from EYB.

  • Maxineanna  on  March 2, 2024

    Fox’s Spices Ltd (https://m.facebook.com/FoxsSpices) is brilliant. I’ve bought a lot of stuff from them over the years. However, the do not have an online shop. They can email or post a catalogue and you order over the phone.

  • Maxineanna  on  March 2, 2024

    The Spice Shop (https://thespiceshop.co.uk/) is great for individual spices.

  • KarenGlad  on  March 16, 2024

    Would it be possible to see a listing of these links under Ingredient Vendors in the library?

    • Jane  on  March 17, 2024

      We plan to do that eventually when we have a decent number of vendors signed up.

  • Zephyrness  on  March 16, 2024

    I was just about to ask what KarenGlad did. I don’t mail order 1 ingredient at a time, I would love to be able to go to a supplier directly, cause I am likely to order a fair amount at once. If I link to a site from an item on EYB, will all of my order be credited to you or just the single item? Shipping costs being what they are, I like to go big, but less often

    • Jane  on  March 17, 2024

      Anything you include on that order and any other orders for a period (it varies between suppliers) will be credited to EYB.

  • eliza  on  March 17, 2024

    Jane, I just saw your response from March 1. I will contact both and suggest they may want to participate. I forgot to mention The Spice Trader located in Toronto. They also have lovely spices and might be interested as a Canadian source.

  • Madrid  on  March 27, 2024

    Curio spice in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
    https://curiospice.com/

  • Megoola  on  March 29, 2024

    When we encourage a vendor to participate, what are we asking them to do? Pay a sales referral fee or percentage to EYB? Reciprocal marketing? Something else? I would like to know before asking a vendor. Thanks.

    • Jane  on  March 29, 2024

      Ideally we would like there to be an affiliate scheme where they pay EYB a small percentage when our members link to their site and buy ingredients. But if they don’t have an affiliate scheme in place there are other options such as linking to the EYB Online Recipes using an ingredient, which we believe is useful for their customers to find recipes to use the ingredient they are purchasing. So for example on their sumac page there is a link to the 2,000+ recipes on EYB that use sumac. And in return we link to their site for all the ingredients they sell.

  • Megoola  on  March 29, 2024

    US only
    https://ilovedatelady.com/
    Date syrup
    Date paste
    Date sugar
    Whole dates
    They have other products like chili sauce and chocolate sauce but I don’t foresee those as linkable for recipes.

  • Megoola  on  March 29, 2024

    Aronia berries and their juice. Homestead Aronia.

    https://www.homesteadaronia.com/

  • Megoola  on  March 29, 2024

    Duck fat spray and other rendered animal fats. I know people who like this and it is a good company local to me (but I haven’t tried myself as I typically eat vegetarian).

    https://duckfatspray.com/collections/all

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