Sometimes in life an unexpected special treat arrives in your mouth. At least for those of us in the food world.

And that is the case for this tuna. Packed in its own juices, with no added olive oil to mask the bite, it is pure fish, and that to me is all part of why this tuna in a can is so special!

It has been many years since my first bite of this tuna at a food show in San Francisco.

When you go to the big shows where there are thousands of exhibitors, you have to go with a goal or with a plan in mind. Otherwise your brain will explode! Not to mention your gut and your palate will be shot and everything will taste like the jelly belly you couldn’t resist.

That year, tuna was not on my list. We had — and still have plenty of great tuna, packed in delicious olive oil from Spain and Italy. What more could one need?

This one! At least for me. I like adding my own special olive oil if it is needed for the dish. And if none is called for, then great! No extra calories from the olive oil and I get nothing but tuna.

American canned tuna was born as an accidental fix for a sardine shortage, turned into a mass-market staple by two World Wars, and was optimized for cheapness and efficiency — which is exactly why it gets flaked and chunked rather than packed as beautiful whole loins.

The Mediterranean tradition came from centuries of artisanal fishing culture where quality and olive oil were the whole point.

Two completely different food philosophies, ending up in the same metal can.

Want to know more about “The Accidental Birth of Canned Tuna in the United States” click here.

This is absolutely one of our go-to recipes, as it is not only delicious and very popular with our guests, but we can make it easily with ingredients from our pantry (except for the parsley and lemon - which we usually have on hand - but can also either be omitted or substituted with lemon olive oil) -- and it only takes about 5 minutes. It has very few ingredients, but the key is ALL the ingredients have to be top-of-the-barrel.

Most of us have heard about the health benefits of Anchovies -- high in EPA and DHA fatty acids.

We carry anchovies packed in both salt and olive oil from Italy and Spain. The three brands we have come to rely on, based both on customer feedback and on knowledge and information about how the anchovies are harvested and processed. They are: Recca and Scalia from Sicily, and Ortiz from Spain. Three of the best in the anchovy business.

Click here to read - Anchovies - why do they have glutamate? And what about other fishies?

This classic recipe is simple, fast and easy. Capers, tuna are often added as well.

equipment: frying pan large enough to hold the pasta, and a pot to boil the pasta in

These bars are perfect for travel!

And after lunch or before dinner. Sneak into the movies.

Think a classic bar that you grew up with, that is full amazing chocolate praline.

First up is the Sesame Praline.

Take the classic French idea of praline and give it a modern twist—swapping in sesame for a deeper, more savory edge. The result is a bar that’s impossibly smooth, richly nutty, and layered with flavor.

Despite being completely dairy-free, the texture is strikingly creamy. The sesame brings warmth and depth—slightly toasty, slightly savory—balanced by the roundness of dark chocolate.

It’s familiar, but just different enough to make you pause. And then take another bite.

Made with finely ground hazelnuts and dark chocolate, this praline bar is deeply nut-forward, smooth, and indulgent. The texture melts almost instantly, releasing layers of roasted hazelnut and cocoa.

There’s no dairy here—but you wouldn’t know it. The richness comes entirely from the nuts themselves, giving the bar a purity of flavor that feels both refined and comforting.

Classically done exceptionally well.

This bar leans into the softer, more delicate side of nuttiness—ground almonds blended into dark chocolate for a smooth, balanced bite that’s less intense than hazelnut, but just as satisfying.

The texture is creamy and easy to savor, with a gentle sweetness and a clean cocoa finish. The almonds bring a subtle, almost buttery note that lets the chocolate stay at the center.

What's Happening in the Store

Did you know the store has 2 Parking lots?

Come, taste and check it out! Pick your favorite and meet friends new and old who all love food. We love it when you hang out!

C'mon by!
Monday - Saturday 10am-5pm
ChefShop Retail Shop, 1425 Elliott Ave West, Seattle

Kinca (also written as kinca kelapa or saus kinca) is a classic Indonesian sweet coconut sugar caramel sauce, deeply rooted in Sundanese and broader Indonesian culinary tradition.

It is made by gently simmering coconut sugar (gula aren or gula kelapa) with coconut milk (santan) and a pandan leaf (daun pandan) until the mixture thickens into a rich, glossy, fragrant sauce.

The flavor is distinctly tropical — deeply caramelized, slightly smoky, and earthy from the coconut sugar, with a creamy richness from the santan and a floral, vanilla-like aroma from the pandan. The color ranges from warm amber to deep brown depending on the type of coconut sugar used.

The sauce is best served warm, as it thickens considerably upon cooling. A pinch of salt is often added to balance and deepen the sweetness — a hallmark of Indonesian dessert cooking.

This is some of the most fragrant, flavorful sugar we've ever tasted. Hints of toasted coconut and caramel waft from the open bag. Not quite as sweet as cane sugar or as overpowering as dark muscovado, it is loaded with toasty flavor. Maple sugar fans will love this.

Sprinkle this coconut palm sugar on your oatmeal; use it instead of white sugar on top of crème brulée; make a syrup from it and drizzle it over some banana nut pancakes; use it as part of the crumbly topping for crisps, crumbles, or coffee cake; try it in coffee or herbal tea; use it to add a bit of sweetness to marinades and stir-fries, and experiment with all sorts of desserts. (We've even been known just to pop it right into our mouths for a sweet treat...!)

In the village of Dawan on the island of Bali, artisans collect the sweet "tuak" sap from the bounty of coconut palms that keep this coastal village shady and cool. The village of Dawan is renowned throughout Indonesia as the place where coconut sugaring first began, and their golden harvest is highly prized.

With the coming of dawn, the silhouettes of island farmers can be seen climbing high into swaying palms, tapping the flower spikes that hang within the green fronds. A sweet nectar is released and drips slowly into earthen vessels hung below the flowers.

This nectar is "tuak:" the sweet sap of the palm. The tuak is boiled over open fires in cast iron kettles and slowly thickens to sugar. At just the right moment, the sugars are stirred to form crystals and ladled hot into waiting coconut shell molds and then ground back into granules for transport to America.

The art of sugaring the palms is a tradition dating back over centuries, its secrets passed from generation to generation. An artisan sugar made on a scale of kilos a day...nothing short of perfection.

So crazy easy for fantastic results that makes the mundane disappear with ease. Oven roast your broccoli and do a few smashed potatoes or rice.

The pollen dust and flower is vibrantly full of flavor!

Wild Fennel Pollen is made from fennel flowers picked at full bloom. The plants are then dried and the pollen is sifted out, creating a seasoning that has the flavor and aroma of fennel, but with far greater intensity. Nothing is added to this beautiful golden-green dust - its incredible flavor stands on its own!

Think of it whenever you find yourself reaching for salt and pepper! The wild fennel flower pollen adds a wonderful touch to chicken, fish, and pork, as well as on grilled vegetables atop a sprinkling of good olive oil and coarse salt.

Add it to your favorite marinades and rubs for exceptional grilling! Once you try it you can't live without it! Or not...

Every year with great anticipation we look forward to having this oil! It has never disappointed!

Keep in mind, if you want your oil to always be exactly the same every year this oil may not be for you. What we love about this oil is that it always different, a direct reflection of the terroir and the weather over the last 12 months.

That is not to say it doesn't taste familiar, because it does. It seems more like the same personality is there, just wearing a different hat. In the end it is a very Italian Tuscan oil!

Read more about the oil and why we have it with the link.

The nose on it is as you anticipate and expect ALL Tuscan olive oils to taste. There is something about Italian extra virgin olive oil that epitomizes all great olive oils and even just by the smell you know you are in for a treat. With just the right blend of olives and ripeness creates this flavor. It's a refinement of age and young vim and vigor that creates an oil that is both pleasant and flavorful.

Delicately placed anchovies in a jar in olive oil. Pleasant, pleasing, perfection, the anchovy.

This little fish is a small, warm water relative of the herring, a Northern European staple. And just as the peoples of the north salted their herring to preserve them, the anchovy has long been salted by fishermen and packers in the Mediterranean, where it is a staple.

I love these nuts! I could easily eat an entire bag all by myself. They are so satisfying that they will last and last!

These might be the very best nuts you may ever have! Perfect hazelnuts with just enough texture from the pralinate or sugar. The feel in the mouth is delicious! One nut at a time is all you need in your mouth. With the gentle bite and the crunch that comes with it is a joy indeed!

These hazelnuts are typically made using Tonda Gentile Trilobata hazelnuts, a prized variety native to Piedmont known for its rich flavor, smooth texture, and high oil content.

The pralination process enhances the natural nuttiness of the hazelnuts with a delightful caramel crunch, creating a luxurious snack or dessert ingredient.

Shared by Connie M.

BEST CARROT CAKE IN THE WORLD

— Connie M., Newsletter subscriber

This Deep Dark Dutch-processed dark unsweetened cocoa powder is in a class unto itself. We have removed less fat from our cocoa (22-24% fat content), which results in a more intense and immediate chocolate flavor.

This "service pack" of ChefShop cocoa powder is designed for commercial users like baristas, bakers, and gelato makers. It is sealed in a thick zip-lock style bag for production baking with a Plain Jane label.

Price relative to quantity is also a crucial part of the commercial kitchen — quality and consistency relative to cost. The resealable bag keeps the cocoa powder fresh for a good long time.