Most Cast in Iron recipes use standard grocery store ingredients. Some don’t. The Walford-CRON framework leans heavily on seaweed, fermented pastes, and nutrient-dense staples that deliver outsized micronutrient value per calorie.

This is what to stock. Links are Amazon affiliate links — they help keep the site running at no extra cost to you. All of these are also available at Asian grocery stores, health food stores, or online specialty retailers.

Seaweed

Seaweed is the single highest-impact addition to the CRON pantry. Iodine, iron, calcium, magnesium, and B12 — in quantities that no land vegetable matches.

Dulse Flakes

Maine Coast Sea Vegetables Dulse Flakes — The most-used ingredient on this site. Appears in 35 recipes. Sprinkle on everything: eggs, roasted vegetables, salads, sauces. Smoky, salty, dissolves into whatever it touches. Iron, iodine, potassium, and B12 in a single shake.

Wakame

Emerald Cove Pacific Wakame — Dried seaweed that rehydrates in 5 minutes. Used in cowboy caviar, seaweed salads, rice paper rolls, and broths. Calcium, magnesium, and folate. Buy dried, soak when needed.

Kombu

Wel-Pac Dashi Kombu — Thick dried kelp strips. Goes into every braised protein on this site — chuck roast, pork shoulder, turkey breast. Adds glutamate depth to braising liquid while delivering iodine. One strip per braise.

Nori

gimMe Organic Roasted Seaweed Sheets — Crumbled over cowboy caviar, used in vinaigrettes. Less nutrient-dense than dulse or kombu but adds texture and umami.

Fermented Pastes & Sauces

Fermentation delivers probiotics and concentrated flavor. These pastes are the backbone of the sauce library.

White Miso

Miso Master Organic White Miso — Mild, sweet, versatile. Used in glazes, dressings, broth bases, and marinades. Appears in 21 recipes. Probiotic, rich in manganese and zinc. Keeps for months in the fridge.

Gochujang

Chung Jung One Gochujang — Korean fermented chili paste. Sweet, spicy, deeply savory. The base for gochujang pork shoulder and several dipping sauces. A tablespoon transforms any braising liquid.

Gochugaru

Tae-kyung Korean Red Pepper Flakes — Korean chili flakes. Smoky, moderately hot, fruity. Different from standard red pepper flakes. Used alongside gochujang in Korean-inspired recipes and as a finishing spice.

Harissa

DEA Harissa Paste — North African chili paste. Smoky, warm, complex. Used on shrimp, in shakshuka, and in roasted vegetable dishes. Tube format keeps well.

Ponzu

Kikkoman Ponzu Sauce — Citrus-soy sauce. Used in the ponzu-miso cream. Umami with brightness.

Nutritional Staples

Nutritional Yeast

Bragg Nutritional Yeast Seasoning — Deactivated yeast flakes. Cheesy, nutty flavor. B12, folate, zinc, selenium. Appears in 20 recipes — on eggs, roasted vegetables, chickpeas, and in sauces. The single best supplemental B12 source in food form.

Dried Shiitake Mushrooms

Terrasoul Superfoods Organic Dried Shiitake Mushrooms — Rehydrate in hot water for 20 minutes. The soaking liquid becomes dashi. Used in braised proteins, bok choy dishes, and broths. Spermidine content is among the highest of any food — relevant for autophagy research.

Spirulina

Nutrex Hawaii Pure Hawaiian Spirulina — Blue-green algae powder. Iron, B12, protein. Used in the protein smoothie and in cilantro-dulse crema. Intense — a teaspoon is enough.

Matcha

Jade Leaf Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder — Culinary grade is fine for recipes. Used in the matcha-citrus-ginger glaze. Catechins and L-theanine.

Spice Blends

Ras el Hanout

The Spice House Ras el Hanout — Moroccan spice blend. Warm, aromatic, complex. Used on pork shoulder, roasted carrots, and egg muffins. Every brand is different — find one you like and stick with it.

Pantry Liquids

Rice Vinegar

Marukan Genuine Brewed Rice Vinegar — Mild, clean acidity. Used in 13 recipes — seaweed salads, cowboy caviar, dipping sauces, and glazes. Buy unseasoned (no added sugar).

Toasted Sesame Oil

Kadoya Pure Sesame Oil — Finishing oil, not cooking oil. A few drops transform any Asian-inspired dish. Used in seaweed salads, rice paper rolls, and stir-fry sauces.

For the full breakdown of why these ingredients matter, see the Walford Ingredient Legend.