TL;DR
The Kitchn published a roundup based on interviews with 13 chefs about the spice brands they use and recommend. The excerpt highlights Burlap & Barrel, Spiceology, Diaspora Spice Co. and Everest, with chef suggestions ranging from cinnamon and black lime to chaat masala. These are individual recommendations, not the results of a comparative product test.
The Kitchn has published a guide to spice brands recommended by 13 chefs, with suggestions including Burlap & Barrel, Spiceology, Diaspora Spice Co. and Everest. The recommendations name particular spices and blends, offering home cooks a set of chef-sourced options for seasoning food; the article is a roundup of interviews, not a controlled comparison of brands.
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Burlap & Barrel received four recommendations in the source excerpt, more than any other brand listed there. The chefs named include Matthew Cutolo, executive pastry chef at Gargiulo’s; chef and cookbook author Claudette Zepeda; Jamie Rothenberg of Dinner Party; and New York City-based chef Raúl Duarte. Cutolo praised the spices’ freshness and flavor, while Rothenberg recommended the brand’s Royal Cinnamon and Ground Black Lime. Rothenberg suggested using black lime in chicken rubs, stews, congee or rice.
Spiceology was recommended by two chefs: Robert Hale, a corporate executive chef and brand ambassador, and Edwin Fernandez, executive chef of The Austin Proper Hotel. Hale singled out the brand’s blackberry balsamic seasoning for pulled pork, describing a combination of blackberry, honey and balsamic flavors. The source says both chefs praised the range of products, but their individual product recommendations differed.
Other recommendations include Diaspora Spice Co. and Everest. Cookbook author Jessie Sheehan praised Diaspora Co. and Burlap & Barrel for fragrant spices and sourcing practices. She said Diaspora Co. pays its farm partners a living wage and that Burlap & Barrel sources directly from farmer cooperatives and small farms. Steph De Sousa, a two-time MasterChef Australia contestant, recommended Everest’s chaat masala for mango or roast potatoes and its tea masala for chai. The supplied source excerpt ends while introducing another chef’s recommendation of Big Green Egg, so it does not provide the full list of brands or all 13 chefs’ suggestions.
Chef Picks for Everyday Cooking
The guide gives readers concrete starting points beyond standard supermarket seasonings, including blends tied to particular uses. Black lime, for example, is presented as a way to add citrus notes to rice, stews or chicken, while chaat masala is suggested for both fruit and roast potatoes. That makes the roundup useful to cooks deciding what to try, rather than simply offering a list of names.
The recommendations also point to differences in sourcing and flavor. Sheehan’s comments draw attention to producer relationships, while other chefs focus on taste and versatility. Those comments are attributed opinions from people interviewed for the article; they do not establish that one brand is objectively superior or that every product from a brand has the same qualities.
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How the Recommendations Were Gathered
The Kitchn says it spoke with 13 chefs about where they source spices and which products they favor. Its report frames the brands and seasonings as personal recommendations and includes short explanations of how chefs use or value them. The supplied excerpt identifies several interviewees and their recommendations, but it is incomplete and does not show the full roundup.
The source also discloses that The Kitchn may earn a commission if readers buy products through its links. It says prices were accurate at the time of publication. The excerpt does not include a testing method, scoring system, price comparison or independent verification of the brands’ sourcing statements; readers should treat the piece as an interview-based shopping guide.
“Their spices have a much more vibrant flavor compared to standard supermarket spices, and as a chef, that makes a huge difference when building flavor naturally.”
— Matthew Cutolo, executive pastry chef at Gargiulo’s, as quoted by The Kitchn
What the Excerpt Does Not Show
The supplied material does not include the complete article. It stops during a section about Big Green Egg, so the remaining brands, chef recommendations and any additional details cannot be confirmed from the excerpt. The source headline refers to 13 chefs, but the material provided here does not reproduce all of their comments.
The recommendations are subjective and the excerpt gives no comparative test results. It does not specify how brands were selected, whether chefs received products or compensation, or whether every sourcing claim was independently checked. The publication’s commission disclosure applies to purchases through its links, but the excerpt does not explain any other relationships.
How Readers Can Use the Guide
Readers can use the named products as suggestions and compare them with their own taste preferences, cooking habits and budgets. The cited uses provide practical starting points, but the source excerpt supplies no prices, availability details or storage guidance for the products.
The full roundup is needed to see all 13 chefs’ picks and the rest of the brands featured. Until the complete article is available, the listed names should be understood as the recommendations visible in the supplied source material, not a complete inventory of the guide.
Key Questions
Which brand received the most recommendations in the excerpt?
Burlap & Barrel was recommended by four chefs named in the supplied material: Matthew Cutolo, Claudette Zepeda, Jamie Rothenberg and Raúl Duarte.
What Burlap & Barrel spices did the chefs recommend?
The excerpt names Royal Cinnamon and Ground Black Lime, recommended by Matthew Cutolo and Jamie Rothenberg. It also reports Zepeda’s recommendations of Nothing Hidden Ranch blend and Hot Pot Seasoning.
Which Spiceology seasoning did Robert Hale recommend?
Hale recommended Spiceology’s blackberry balsamic seasoning, suggesting it for barbecue pulled pork. That is his personal recommendation as reported by The Kitchn, not a product-test finding.
Are all 13 chefs’ recommendations included here?
No. The supplied source material ends during the Big Green Egg section and does not include the complete list of brands or recommendations from all 13 chefs.
Source: thekitchn.com
