Top Food Products Of The Year
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Food & Wine's editors try hundreds of products each year while researching stories. Here, senior food editor Kristin Donnelly names her best food and drink finds of the year.
Farmhouse Kitchens Butter
Mary Bess Michaletz discovered this hand-formed butter, made by third-generation Wisconsin farmers, in an unlabeled wrapper at a local shop. Loving its lush creaminess and sweet flavor, she partnered with the farmers to launch the butter as a brand. It's currently not for sale online, but email her to find it. From $6 per pound; farmhousekitchens.coop.
Tomr's Tonic
Made with organic ingredients, including bark from the cinchona tree (the original source of quinine), this pleasantly bitter, woodsy tonic syrup is great for mixing with its classic gin partner or even just with soda water. $13.50 for 200 milliliters; amazon.com.
Feudo delle Ginestre Amarena Mosto Cotto
Blended with Italian Amarena cherry juice, this stellar mosto cotto (a syrupy, reduced unfermented grape juice) is fantastic mixed in cocktails, drizzled on salty cheeses or served over desserts, like this brandy semifreddo. $20 for 7 ounces; ditalia.com.
Tcho Milk Chocolates
Chocolate snobs often think milk chocolate is inferior to the super dark, intellectually challenging stuff. San Francisco–based Tcho, however, took a brainy approach to two new bars they call SeriousMilk. "Cacao" is rich and fudgy, while "Classic" is a bit sweeter and creamier. Both redefine how good milk chocolate can be. $10.95 for two 2-ounce bars; tcho.com.
Anything from MarxFoods.com
Whether I'm looking for soft, fragrant Tahitian vanilla beans; gorgeous, obscure dried chiles; or fantastic meat and game birds, I find them at marxfoods.com. Prices might seem high, but what you see is what you pay — shipping is included. marxfoods.com.
— Kristin Donnelly, Senior Food Editor, Food & Wine
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