Spice of the Week

Native to the eastern Indonesian islands known as the Moluccas or “Spice Islands,” cloves are the dried, unopened buds of a tropical evergreen. Our cloves come from Madagascar, now one of the world’s major producers. ... Continue Reading about Cloves – Spice of the Week

This pungent, sweet spice is actually the fruit of an evergreen tree in the Magnolia family. Although it is native to the south and southwest regions of China and North Vietnam, star anise is also grown in India, Japan and the Philippines. Our star anise is sourced from China. ... Continue Reading about Star Anise – Spice of the Week

Cinnamon has a storied past and was present in many of the great civilizations. The Egyptians used cinnamon in the embalming process and it was traded widely in the Roman empire. According to Greek mythology, giant birds in the land of Dionysus (Greece, India, or lands to the east) used cinnamon sticks to build their nests. Arab traders would collect the sticks when they fell from the nests and ... Continue Reading about Cinnamon – Spice of the Week

Szechuan peppercorns are called by a variety of names, including Chinese pepper, aniseed pepper, Indonesian lemon pepper, Japanese pepper and Chinese prickly-ash, among others. In addition, there are many alternate spellings- Sichaun, Szechwan and Schezuan. ... Continue Reading about Szechuan Peppercorns – Spice of the Week

Montreal Seasoning is a favorite of many steak-eaters, and is definitely an immediate go-to at our house. The beginnings of this deliciously complex spice originate in Montreal, Canada (big surprise), where Schwartz's, a Hebrew Delicatessen established in 1928, is credited with its creation. ... Continue Reading about Montreal Seasoning – Spice of the Week