Prep Kitchen Essentials, Seal Beach

At Antica Olive Oils and Vinegars, the namesake cooking elixirs adhere to Italian standards stricter than the mothers who created them. The shop stocks a rotating inventory of more than 50 extra-virgin olive oils, which originate in Italy, Spain, Tunisia, and other exotic locales and bear the taste of olives crushed at the peak of harvest months. Creative flavors infuse each oil, with almonds, chipotle peppers, and Tuscan herbs lending their profiles to oil meant for sprinkling on salads or drinking straight out of a champagne flute. White and dark balsamic vinegars also emanate unique flavors–aged apricot, honey ginger, and lavender among them–but their journey to bottles is much longer. They steep in seasoned wood casks in Modena, Italy for up to 18 years and bubble over an open wood fire before immigrating stateside.