Always in stock: The best of Seed + Mill

What started as a kiosk located in New York’s historic Chelsea Market in 2016 has grown into a first-of-its-kind retail store dedicated solely to sesame products, with a focus on tahini. Co-founder and CEO Rachel Simons started Seed + Mill along with Lisa Mendelson and Monica Molenaar after discovering a shared passion for cuisine, cooking, and nourishing their families with healthy, high-quality food. Their mission was clear: to share with American taste buds just how versatile and delicious sesame products can be. 

A big idea from a little seed 

As an immigrant, who was herself the daughter of an immigrant, culture and how it evolves are central to her relationship with food. “The history of food, its culture and migration, as well as its ability to bring people together over a diverse and lively table, is why I love what I do,” Rachel says. Before co-founding Seed + Mill, Rachel had moved to New York with her family from Sydney, Australia, in 2014, when she was still “a food entrepreneur trapped in the body of a media lawyer.” After 15 years of practicing law, she saw an opportunity to combine her lifelong passion for food with business. 

While tahini is known as a key ingredient in hummus, Seed + Mill set out to encourage people to explore the ingredient in other ways. “There’s a million things you can do,” says Rachel. “Put it into your ice cream, put it over yogurt, make cookies with it, squeeze it into a tahini chocolate brownie. And that’s just the sweet stuff—there are also dips beyond hummus, or you can add it to a ramen soup.” Rachel is also passionate about the health benefits of tahini. “There’s a whole nutrition story to tahini that we haven’t even talked about,” she says. “It’s super high in calcium, it’s got a bit of protein, it’s got other vitamins. It’s like liquid gold for your insides.”

Seed + Mill’s products have become beloved staples for countless chefs and home cooks and are now available across the country from grocery chains, specialty shops, and online retailers. Their wholesale products are also available on Faire, and Rachel regularly stocks her pantry and creates recipes with items from other brands on Faire. She recently published a cookbook filled with global recipes and stories featuring the ancient seed. Today, she’s sharing some of Seed + Mill’s best-selling products and her favorite pantry picks from other Faire brands. Plus, read to the end for a special recipe made from her picks.

Seed + Mill’s always-in-stock picks

Fly by Jing Sichuan Chili Crisp

Fly by Jing is one of Rachel’s favorite brands on Faire. The company was founded in 2018 by renowned chef, entrepreneur, and expert on Chinese cuisine Jing Gao and is known for thoughtfully crafted Chinese pantry staples like its Sichuan Chili Crisp. Rachel regularly uses its chili crisps in some of her favorite recipes.   

“I’m a big chili crisp user, and I love Fly by Jing,” Rachel says. “She’s got this Xtra Crunchy Sichuan Chili Crisp, which is spicy but not too spicy, with lots of texture.” Rachel likes to put it on eggs, in noodle dishes, or on tofu. She even uses the brand’s chili crisp in one of the recipes included in her cookbook.

Momofuku Soy Sauce

Rachel loves different Asian flavors, so she always has Momofuku products in her pantry. The Momofuku brand was founded by two-Michelin-starred chef David Chang in 2004 when he opened the famous Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York City. The restaurant was credited with “the rise of contemporary Asian-American cuisine” by The New York Times and named “the most important restaurant in America” by Bon Appétit. “I do a lot of spicy tofu with buckwheat noodles,” Rachel says. “We dress the noodles with some sesame or tahini and a little bit of soy sauce—and I often use Momofuku soy sauce or sesame oil. I use a lot of their products.”

Fishwife Anchovies

Tinned fish has had a big glow-up in recent years and was even named one of the hottest spring trends of 2023 on Faire. Brands like Fishwife have helped bring about a “tinned fish Renaissance” with carefully prepared seafood products canned using flavorful oils, herbs, and spices. Fishwife was founded in 2020 by Becca Millstein based on her mission to make ethically sourced, premium, and delicious tinned seafood a staple in every cupboard. 

“We cook a lot of pasta, and I always need good condiments for pasta,” Rachel says. “I’ve always got good olive oil, and I’ve always got Fishwife Anchovies, so I can also make a great Caesar dressing. My pantry is my happy place.”

Burlap & Barrel Five Spice Seasoning

“My kids love any kind of Asian stir-fry, but that’s why my pantry is so important. I always have on hand everything I need to make a great stir-fry,” says Rachel. The foundation of her Five-Spice Crispy Tofu with Greens (see below) starts with Burlap and Barrel’s Five Spice Seasoning. Burlap & Barrel was founded in 2016 and sources its spices directly from farmer cooperatives and small farms, making it easy for home chefs and foodies alike to access distinctive and thoughtfully sourced flavors. Its Five Spice Seasoning takes the traditional base of anise, cloves, cinnamon, fennel, and peppercorns, representing the five earth elements, and builds additional warmth and depth with ginger and cardamom. 

Seed + Mill Organic Tahini Squeeze Bottle

The Seed + Mill Organic Tahini Squeeze Bottle features the same high-quality sesame seeds as its tahini in a jar, but it mills the seeds twice to make the product easier to squeeze. “It’s super popular,” Rachel says. “The reason that I love it’s just so versatile. You can use it for sweet; you can use it for savory. And I like to encourage people to think differently about tahini, which is why I wrote the cookbook.” The squeeze bottle has become particularly popular because it’s less messy, and there is less stirring or shaking compared to traditional tahinis. “It’s been a really transformative change for us in terms of how people are using it,” Rachel says. “Even for a blender—you can just squeeze a bit of tahini in a smoothie.” 

Want to stock Rachel’s go-to products in your shop? Shop Seed + Mill’s picks on Faire.

Bonus: Rachel’s recipe for Five-Spice Crispy Tofu with Greens 

A bowl of crispy tofu, stir-fried greens, and steamed rice is pretty much our family’s favorite meal. I almost always have a couple of blocks of tofu on hand, ready to make as a last-minute clean-out-the-fridge-style meal. By the time our food has arrived at the table, my kids have usually stolen half of the crispy tofu chunks—they like to take a tax for their laboring at the stove! The secret to the perfect crisp coating is to lightly dust the tofu cubes in seasoned cornstarch. My other tip is to make sure you’re using the right tofu. In my view, firm tofu tastes rubbery when fried, silken tofu will fall apart, and medium-firm tofu will be ‘just right! Serve with rice, noodles, or cauliflower rice. 

Time: 20 minutes
Serves 2 to 3

INGREDIENTS

For the Greens & Toppings:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 bunch hearty, leafy greens, such as chard, snow-pea shoots, or spinach, sliced into ribbons
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced 

For the Tofu:

• ⅓ cup cornstarch 
• 1 tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 14-ounce block medium-firm tofu, drained and pressed 
• ½ cup vegetable oil

For the Sauce: 

• ½ cup tahini
• ¼ cup water
• 1 teaspoon shoyu or soy sauce  
• 1 tablespoon honey 
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 tablespoon chili crisp, plus more for drizzling

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the greens, garlic, and salt, and cook until soft or just cooked through, approximately 2 to 3 minutes, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Add 1 tablespoon of water, cover the skillet, and remove from the heat. Leave the greens in the pan to wilt for a further few minutes. 
2. In a shallow mixing bowl, stir together the cornstarch, five-spice powder, and salt. 
3. Pat the drained tofu dry with a paper towel and cut into 1-inch cubes. Gently press a paper towel on the cubes one more time before placing them in the bowl with the cornstarch mixture. 
4. Gently dredge the tofu cubes in the cornstarch mixture, being careful not to break each piece, until they’re well covered on all sides. If the tofu coating appears too wet, add a touch more cornstarch.  
5. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add tofu cubes and fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden. Using a slotted spoon, remove the tofu cubes from the oil and transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain excess oil. 
6. To make the sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth, adding more water as needed to loosen. Add 2 tablespoons of the sauce to the reserved greens in the pan and toss to combine. 
7. To serve: Place rice on a plate, then top with greens, tofu, and remaining sauce. Scatter with scallions and additional chili crisp, if desired.