MEZCAL FROM OAXACA
'A good, village-made mezcal from Oaxaca is a wonderful and still largely under-appreciated thing. But hipsters are on to it. Production of the stuff is pretty limited, and it will all be gone in a few years. I'm stockpiling.'
PEPPERCORNS FROM CHENGDU
'You can buy Sichuan peppercorns - also known as Chinese coriander - in New York, but only after they've been irradiated. And so there's nothing like the flavour, the aroma, the mouth-numbing, endorphin-flooding pleasures of these things fresh and untouched in Chengdu.'
KRAMER KNIVES FROM OREGON
'It can take five years to even get the chance of buying one from legendary knife-maker Bob Kramer, who is based in Portland. It can cost as much as a sports car. But if you're lucky enough to get one, you shall know that no finer, entirely handmade, one-of-a-kind chef's knife exists on earth.'
TINNED SEAFOOD FROM BARCELONA
'I cannot resist the many delights of Espinaler's tinned seafood. You couldn't imagine that oysters and mussels in a tin could be as amazing as this. And its high-end tuna belly? Incredible. As are the prices.'
PIRI-PIRI SAUCE FROM MOZAMBIQUE
'The name is Swahili for "pepper pepper". I love this homemade hot sauce. It's good on anything, but particularly great with fish. I'm not far from putting it on my Cheerios for breakfast in the morning.'
PATA NEGRA FROM SPAIN
'Cramming an entire leg of jamón ibérico - say from Salamanca - into my suitcase would be, I believe, illegal. But I am tempted. Sorely tempted. If God made ham, this would be it.'
BOURBON FROM KENTUCKY
'Sean Brock, a chef who specialises in American Southern cooking, has converted me to the thrills of bourbon. But due to the arcane and unpredictable distribution process, it's almost impossible to find a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle in Kentucky (where it's made). I'm always on the lookout for it, and its precursor Very Old Fitzgerald.'
BALSAMIC VINEGAR FROM MODENA
'If I'm anywhere near Modena, I'll hunt down some very old, top-quality balsamic vinegar. As I have come to learn, there's ba/samico and then there's ba/samico. Acetaia Pedroni is one of those really brilliant houses that has been making it for generations.'
RED KARA-AGE KUN FROM JAPAN
'I'm addicted to these deep-fried chicken cutlets, specifically the ones from Lawson convenience stores in Japan. It makes no sense. It's a guilty pleasure. I know exactly where to find a Lawson in Narita International Airport, and I never get on the plane without loading up on these bad boys.'
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