MyTastr

Best spices, according to chefs

Four picks, each tied to a named taster and a public source — from Matthew Cutolo, Zoë Kanan, Jamie Rothenberg, The Kitchn blind tasting and 5 more. Recommendations come from thekitchn.com, eater.com, aartisequeira.com and latimes.com and 1 other sources.

Pantry Staples · The ranking

  1. 1
    Top pick

    Burlap & Barrel Royal Cinnamon

    Chosen by
    Also chosen by
    Cutolo: “the best cinnamon I’ve ever used, hands-down.” Kanan: “fiery, enormous flavor.” Single-origin Vietnamese cassia. It also won The Kitchn’s snickerdoodle blind test.
    Where to buy · burlapandbarrel.com ↗Instacart ↗Source: thekitchn.com ↗
  2. 2

    Burlap & Barrel Wild Mountain Cumin

    Chosen by
    “Even stale grocery store cumin usually smells like something, but this is like a supercharged version of what you know and love from Sichuan food or tacos.” Giambruno crusts meat with it and toasts and crushes it over salsa.
    Where to buy · burlapandbarrel.com ↗Instacart ↗Source: eater.com ↗
  3. 3

    Diaspora Co. Pragati Turmeric

    Chosen by
    Also chosen by
    Sequeira’s favorite turmeric: it “smells fresh, as if it was just milled,” with notes of mustard, grass and loam, and a marigold-orange color that “puts all other turmerics I’ve used to shame.” Heirloom turmeric from one farm, milled every few months.
    Where to buy · diasporaco.com ↗Instacart ↗Source: aartisequeira.com ↗
  4. 4

    Penzeys Cinnamon (Vietnamese or Ceylon)

    Chosen by
    Also chosen by
    The widely stocked alternative to mail-order single-origin jars. Morris reaches for Penzeys Vietnamese Cinnamon, and Milk Street’s blind tasting of supermarket and specialty cinnamons picked a Penzeys cinnamon as its favorite.
    Where to buy · penzeys.com ↗Instacart ↗Source: thekitchn.com ↗

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Questions, answered

What is the best spices, according to chefs?
MyTastr’s top pick is Burlap & Barrel Royal Cinnamon, chosen by Matthew Cutolo (Gargiulo’s); Zoë Kanan (pastry chef). Cutolo: “the best cinnamon I’ve ever used, hands-down.” Kanan: “fiery, enormous flavor.” Single-origin Vietnamese cassia. It also won The Kitchn’s snickerdoodle blind test. Source: thekitchn.com ↗
What are the other top picks for spices?
No. 2 is Burlap & Barrel Wild Mountain Cumin, chosen by Rikki Giambruno (Hyacinth). No. 3 is Diaspora Co. Pragati Turmeric, chosen by Aarti Sequeira (chef, Food Network). Each card above links to the original source.
How does MyTastr choose these picks?
Every pick is tied to a named chef, cookbook author or food expert and links to the public interview, panel or article it came from. We survey dozens, often hundreds, of top chefs, food writers and critics, and order reflects how often and how strongly a brand is recommended. Only organic recommendations count — paid endorsements don’t — and brands can’t buy a spot. Read how we pick.

The tasters behind this ranking

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