Tamarind Heads

Best in Show · The Kitchn
2026 Summer Fancy Food Show · July 21, 2026

“Truly, the best barbecue sauce I’ve ever tasted.”

Ali Domrongchai · Associate Editor, Groceries · The Kitchn

The Kitchn’s editors sampled hundreds of products at the Fancy Food Show in New York. Eight made their Best in Show list. Ours was named first.

Their tasting notes: tamarind brings fruity, earthy, lightly smoky layers — a punchier counterpart to a tomato-based BBQ, with more sweetness and more tang.

The sauce they tasted is our Medium. Made with love, from our family to yours.

Add Medium to cart  →
★ Best in Show · The Kitchn, 2026 6 ingredients · vegan · gluten-free · no preservatives · no corn syrup · contains sesame
Sashi and Brittney, founders of Tamarind Heads
Sashi & Brittney · founders, Tamarind Heads
Grill, glaze, dip, stir-fry

Tangy, smoky, swicy — on everything you were already making.

Mop it on in the last forty minutes. That’s the move.
Six ingredients, zero shortcuts

What makes it different

01

Tamarind, not tomato

Almost every BBQ sauce starts with tomatoes and vinegar. Ours starts with tamarind.

sofi Gold award

sofi Gold, blind tasted

Gold winner, Barbecue Sauce — Specialty Food Association sofi Awards, judged blind (2024).

06

Six ingredients

Vegan, gluten-free, no preservatives, no corn syrup. Contains sesame.

Kitchen reports

From people who cooked with it

”
★★★★★

Your new go-to BBQ

As an accomplished home chef, I’m not often using ready-made sauces, but this will be on my go-to list. What makes it valuable is its versatility.

Verified buyer
”
★★★★★

Sweet & tangy with a kick

I’m loving this BBQ sauce! The tamarind and sesame oil give it a unique flavor twist. It’s a delicious balance of tangy, smoky, and sweet, with some nice heat.

Verified buyer
”
★★★★★

The authentic stuff

This sauce is the real deal. It tastes home made, and the ingredients combine to make really awesome and deep flavors. For me, the amount of heat the Medium has is perfect.

Verified buyer
Tamarind Heads
A borderless ingredient

History’s secret ingredient

Tamarind shows up in the cooking of South Asia, Southeast Asia, West Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America. It has been making food taste better for centuries. We built a BBQ sauce on it.

Add Medium to cart  →