Ocean Kit Cooking Gift Box – Flavors of the Islands and Seas

Ocean waters provide a wealth of briny flavors that inspire coastal delicacies around the globe. This box of ocean-influenced seasonings celebrates island cuisines and the beachy essence they add to a plate. Take a deep dive into these new ingredients, and let your taste buds think you’re on vacation with our brand new Ocean Kit.

The Ingredients

Please note: your box may not contain all of the items below. Ingredients change seasonally and based on availability from producers, but we leave out-of-season ingredients on this list for past Culinarie cooks to reference!

Jerk Seasoning

H&K Gourmet is one of our favorite spice artisans because they create spice blends so versatile they can be used on proteins, in broths, on veggies, and anywhere else you can image. This Jamaican-inspired jerk seasoning is one of their newest offerings, relying on a light spice and herbaceousness to convey the traditional island flavor with plenty of room for improvisation.

Jerk Seasoning Tips

  • Let’s state the obvious: this seasoning is awesome as a rub on meats, seafood, or tofu.
  • Spice up your spread by mixing a tablespoon of this jerk seasoning into mayonnaise, greek yogurt, or hummus. Your sandwich will thank you.
  • This seasoning adds a nice punch to a brine for eggplant or chicken. To make a brine, heat 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 1 tablespoon jerk seasoning per quart of water until salt dissolves. Cool, then brine your eggplant for about 30 minutes, or your chicken overnight.

Ginger Pear Rice Vinegar

Sparrow Lane Artisan Vinegars is based in California, distilling the most delicious acidic concoctions. You may have tried their line of balsamics or cider vinegars in our other boxes, but this rice wine vinegar has a whole different approach with a sweeter nose and a slightly spicy finish.

Ginger Pear Rice Vinegar Tips

  • Add a teaspoon to any Asian-inspired sauce for a much-needed touch of sweetness and acidity.
  • Step up your poke game by cooking up a batch of ginger pear sushi rice!

Ginger Pear Rice Vinegar Recipe Ideas

Sushi Rice Recipe [Alton Brown, Food Network]

Miso-y Grilled Potatoes [Bon Appétit]

Black Pepper Tofu & Asparagus [Bon Appétit]

Stir-fried Garlic Eggplant with Ground Pork [Chowhound]

Japanese 7 Spice

Two Snooty Chefs stars in several of our boxes with their fresh-ground seasoning blends. This Japanese 7 Spice blend–also known as Schichimi Toragashi–is a standout with its visible strips of seaweed, whole sesame seeds, and a hearty kick from cayenne pepper.

Japanese 7 Spice Tips

  • Make your burger into a flavorful statement by mixing a tablespoon of this Japanese 7 Spice into ground beef, pork, or even black beans.
  • Create a delicious–and spicy!–aioli by adding a teaspoon to a homemade mayonnaise. Kick it up even more by adding a dash of sriracha or your favorite hot sauce.

Togarashi Ahi Tuna with Avocado [Molly Mills]

7 Spice Chicken Teriyaki Bowls [FoodieCrush]

Honey Tangerine Quinoa Salad [Season with Spice]

Japanese Frites [Food and Wine]

Spicy Mango Salad with Shichimi Togarashi [Herbivoracious]

Roasted Kabocha Squash [Serious Eats]

Da Kine Hawaiian Rub

“Da kine” means “the best” and we’re inclined to agree. Da Kine is a family-owned ingredient artisan from–you guessed it–Hawaii. This “original” rub functions as an all-purpose seasoning, but adds new life to classic dishes with its bright flavors and the addition of Kona coffee.

Hawaiian Rub Tips

  • As the name suggests, it’s a rub: caress this tasty blend into any protein you want to cook, from seafood to steak to seitan. It even acts as a natural tenderizer for meats!
  • Sprinkle onto skewered pineapple or peaches and grill for a smoky, sweet & savory treat or burger topping.
  • Use anywhere you’d use lemon pepper seasoning — on green veggies, on seafood, or on potatoes.

Hawaiian Rub Recipe Ideas

French Green Beans [Da Kine]

Soy Rubbed Tri-Tip [Da Kine]

More recipes on Da Kine’s website

Shiitake Seaweed Sprinkle

Ocean’s Balance obviously has a product line perfectly suited to this ocean-inspired box of ingredients, so it was hard to pick a standout. This furikake-style seasoning definitely takes the cake, though. It’s full of umami from the mushrooms and seaweed, and will add that elusive but impressive “fifth taste” to your dishes.

Shiitake Seaweed Sprinkle Tips

  • “Furikake” means “sprinkle over,” and that’s exactly why this seasoning is so easy to use. Try it on top of freshly popped popcorn, avocado toast, or a salad.
  • Use the umami depth from this seasoning to enhance broth soups. It’s a special star in meat-free soups, too.
  • Add to a rice pilaf or other plain starch dishes to amp up the flavor and presentation.

Shiitake Seaweed Sprinkle Recipe Ideas

Miso Deviled Eggs [Ocean’s Balance]

Avocado & Tomato Salad with Miso Dressing [Ocean’s Balance]

Miso Glazed Salmon [Ocean’s Balance]

More recipes from Ocean’s Balance

Ocean Gold

Barnacle Foods‘ Ocean Gold is a simple but versatile tool in the kitchen. It’s made from just two ingredients: Alaskan kelp and nutritional yeast. Chefs love nutritional yeast for its cheesy, rich flavor, while the kelp provides a healthy dose of umami and saltiness.

Ocean Gold Tips

  • Use Ocean Gold as a natural flavor-enhancer. Adding it to rice or stir fries acts like a magnifying glass for other flavors!
  • Sprinkle it on top of popcorn or fresh baked croutons for a healthy punch of flavor.
  • Make a boring salad bold with a few pinches of Ocean Gold as a topping.

Culinarie Exclusive

Allumi Seasoning Blend

Culinarie Kit seasoning blends are created by our own Chef Ellie. Allumi is an herbaceous onion blend, designed to be a more complex take on a traditional onion powder.

Allumi Tips

  • Combine with mustard powder for a savory dusting blend. Try it on an egg wash, seasoned nuts, or homemade snack mixes.
  • Use anywhere you would use onion powder for more depth of flavor.
  • Add to any protein rub before grilling.
  • Mix a pinch into any vinaigrette recipe to boost flavor on your greens.

Don’t toss that cloth that your ingredients came wrapped in! It’s flour sack towel and every kitchen needs one…or twenty. They’re huge, they’re absorbent, and they’ve been used in professional and home kitchens for ages because they’re so versatile. You can use this towel to clean, or use it to cover dough while it rests. You can even use it as a substitute for cheesecloth in a pinch–it’s great for wringing moisture out of vegetables. Best of all, they’re durable and can be washed by hand or in a machine.

All Culinarie Kit packaging is 100% recycled or reused from our vendor shipments! Please continue the trend and reuse or recycle your Culinarie Kit box to help preserve the planet.

Loving your Gourmand Kit? Did you cook up something special? Let us know on our Facebook page, tag us @culinariekit on Instagram, or join our Culinarie Cooks Facebook group to share your creations.