French Breakfast Radishes

French breakfast is the name of an heirloom cultivar of radish that was introduced in 1879 and became a popular radish in Paris produce markets. Where the North American salad radish is peppery and spicy, the French breakfast radish is much milder with a sweeter flavor. The French breakfast radish has a mild peppery flavor and crisp texture. Although named “French breakfast,” the French do not eat radishes as part of their first meal of the day. They do eat them as a snack, sometimes dipped in salt, sometimes lightly buttered and then dipped in salt, and sometimes sliced and served on a toasted, buttered baguette along with a sprinkling of salt.

Griffin

Sweet Grass Dairy’s Griffin is a French farmhouse-style cheese that’s been washed in Terminus Porter, a local beer from Gate City Brewing in Roswell, Georgia. Named for Sweet Grass Dairy owners Jessica and Jeremy’s son Griffin, this firm and snackable cheese has a tangy, malty profile and notes of fresh hops, sea salt, and popcorn

Insonne

La Via Lattea, a 22-year-old creamery in the Piedmont region, now produces more than 100 styles of goat cheese of astonishing novelty—among them, the soft-ripened coffee-crusted Insonne, which in Italian means sleepless. It is a cheese made according to tradition of the soft pasta typical of the Piedmont region, aged with coffee. The roasted aroma of coffee does combines with the nutty scent of cheese, making an unexpectedly delicate flavor. The paste is white, in stark contrast to the dark crust; the creamy and greasy structure is characterized by hints of melted butter and hazelnut, which accompany the strong character of the coffee powder.

Katsuobushi

These shavings from Matoba Suisan are made from katsuobushi known as Karebushi, which is skipjack tuna that has been poached, smoked, and then repeatedly taken through a cycle of fermentation and sun drying. The fermenting process is laborious and takes at least 6 months to produce. Often used by the highest end restaurants in Japan, it really is the pinnacle of katsuobushi. They impart a wonderfully smoky, slightly salty flavor and bring a deeper, rounder, more nuanced umami. This thinly shaved katsuobushi is probably the most common style used for making dashi but can also be used as a topping for okonomiyaki.