With over 160 different spice blends lining the shelves of our stores, people are always curious to know what inspired all of our unique flavor combinations. So we’d like to share with you the process by which our limited time (exclusively for Valentine’s Day) Black Onyx Chocolate Sugar was created.
Have you ever pondered the chemical micro-reactions that happen in your mouth when consuming food? Nope, me either. But when it comes to the searing sensation of spicy foods, I often find myself wondering “Why?!” while eating (and painfully enjoying)...
Chile. Chili. Chilli? In the words of Shakespeare, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Technically he was right. It doesn’t matter how you spell it, if you bite into a ghost pepper, that capsicum is going to be HOT!
As a spice merchant and owner of Savory Spice Bend, people often tell me it must be amazing to travel the world looking for new flavors and foods. The truth is, most of my exploration of the world’s flavors happens in my own kitchen and inside our shop. After eight years roaming our shop sections, voraciously reading spice related books, and experimenting in the kitchen, it was time for this spice merchant to embark on a family adventure across the ocean.
Considering that those of us in the northern hemisphere are just one month into winter, some of you may scoff at the idea of eating ice cream right now. And that’s fine – it just means there’s more ice cream for the rest of us.
Some like it hot. Others like it hotter. Something everybody likes? Flavor. And our Chiles & Paprikas section is overflowing with fruity, earthy, and smoky chile powders that you won't just like—you'll love (regardless of whether you like it hot or not)!
Ask five people to define American cuisine and you'll probably get five different answers. One will tell you about their grandma's apple pie. Another will tell you the secret to their family's famous gumbo is in the roux. Two will tell you about a really good sandwich they had this one time and the last will ask you to repeat the question.
There's a solid 85% chance that whatever recipe you have planned for dinner tonight contains garlic or onion. Or both. Why? Mostly because they're delicious, but also because they are nearly universally synonymous with big flavor, being utilized in copious amounts across the majority of cuisines. So tonight, collectively in kitchens all across the world, we're going to dice onions, mince garlic, slice shallots, and chop chives. We're going to sizzle them in some butter or oil as a flavor base for doro w’et, pineapple fried rice, lentil stew, or shrimp scampi. Our friends and family are going to follow their noses to the kitchen; it's going to smell amazing.
How do you feel about double-dipping? Not a fan? Well, how about a dip that doubles? Now that’s something we can all get behind.
