Serious Heat: Where Do You Buy Your Spices?
Note: On Thursdays, Andrea Lynn, associate editor of Chile Pepper magazine, drops by to drop some Serious Heat.
I just returned from a trip to Morocco with an extra bag packed with spices--ras el hanout, dried ginger root, long peppercorns--the options were seemingly limitless. While I lugged my spices around Morocco, a friend on the trip said she would just keep ordering all hers from Penzey's. Fair enough—Penzey's does produce first-rate spices.
My supply of spices comes from a few different locales. In New York, my go-to source for spice is Kalustyan's. Whenever I'm in Atlanta, I make sure to hit up the DeKalb Farmer's Market. And when I'm in Alabama, I steal some chile powder from my mother. She picks chiles fresh from the garden, dries them for months, then grinds them into powder.
Those are my main spice sources, but it's just the tip of the iceberg. What are your go-to places for the best spices?
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54 Comments:
World Spice Merchants in Seattle. I think they're better than Penzey's, and their 1oz increment method of selling really appeals to me.
arbeck at 5:43PM on 06/10/09
I usually order online from Penzey's or The Spice House. I'm finding that I like The Spice House a little better.
aharste at 5:45PM on 06/10/09
Penzey's or Kalustyan's.
laurelie at 5:46PM on 06/10/09
We have a Penzey's right here in good old West Hartford Center so that's where I buy most of my spices BUT there's also a killer little Indian market across the street from me that has an amazing selection.
bessfour at 5:47PM on 06/10/09
I second World Spice Merchants. I first bought there in person on a trip to Seattle for business, and I looooove the store and the people there. Their chai mixes are also excellent.
Truculence at 6:07PM on 06/10/09
Penzey's has a store nearby--I admit to being drawn in by the sniff jars.
tangentrider at 6:07PM on 06/10/09
I love the Dekalb Farmers Market, and that's where most of my spices are from. I moved to Michigan (from Atlanta) four years ago, but I make sure to leave plenty of space in my bag for spices whenever I visit friends and family in Atlanta. Everything is so cheap (but a very good quality) that I can't resist!
fortunavirilis at 6:26PM on 06/10/09
World Spice or Spice House. Depends on what I am getting. Sometimes, one is less expensive than the other or has things the other does not. World Spice not having a credit card process is a pain, though.
MikeSims at 6:27PM on 06/10/09
Another vote for World Spice here. Love them!
alosha7777 at 6:40PM on 06/10/09
I bow down at the altar of Savory Spice Shop in Denver. They have this spiced vanilla sugar that's to die for and don't get me started on their Greek Lamb Rub!
GretchinF at 7:14PM on 06/10/09
At a local market. They sell in much bigger containers than the supermarket and have great prices.
xwafflesx at 7:15PM on 06/10/09
Kavanaugh Hill Spice Works, which is Ruth and Bill Penzey's original spice shop. Or I go to Penzey's or The Spice House, both of which were started by Ruth and Bill's kids. My husband used to work at Kavanaugh Hill when he was in high school and we love to take out-of-town guests to see the tiny little shop where it all started - and to spend money, of course!
Nezrite at 7:16PM on 06/10/09
I go to World Market, Penzey's, or random Asian market depending on what I need.
Cassaendra at 8:07PM on 06/10/09
What, no one else buys spices in bulk from a food co-op or organic market? By far the cheapest way to buy, once you have the little glass jars. Either that or an Indian, Chinese, or Korean grocery, and for a super-specialty item that I can't get elsewhere, Penzey's (very spendy!). Never from the supermarket, unless it's an emergency.
emilydev at 8:18PM on 06/10/09
TheSpiceHouse.com
dvchurch at 8:25PM on 06/10/09
Because I'm creating recipes for consumers every day, I use grocery store spices so that I can be sure my recipes are easily replicated by home cooks.
DanaMcCauley at 8:37PM on 06/10/09
The Spice House or Penzy's.
I especially like the Spice House, because you can purchase smaller amounts.
CJ McD at 8:51PM on 06/10/09
I get mine from Market Spice in Pike Place Market. I've always wanted to go to World Spice, but so far I've been unable to locate it. It must be the better of the two, as I continuously see it mentioned as superior.
Carnal at 8:52PM on 06/10/09
Chelsea Market- Manhattan Fruit Exchange.
:]
engmcmuffin at 9:03PM on 06/10/09
a close friend works for McCormick, so i can get anything they sell, even if it never makes it to our market.
falnfenix at 9:49PM on 06/10/09
Ditto Penzey's or Kalustyan's. I have been very surprised by the quality of Penzey's spices, and a number of them come in handy jars. Still, for selection, I've not seen anywhere beat Kalustyan's.
luvstoeat at 9:59PM on 06/10/09
I always buy my spices mail order from Penzey's. I live in Chicago but I will not even visit the Spice House.
jresser at 10:19PM on 06/10/09
penzey's. i used to buy at kalustyan but i think penzey's quality is higher for most of the things i use.
cybercita at 10:27PM on 06/10/09
So glad someone already mentioned Savory Spice Shop in Denver! I love that place, particularly because the people are friendly and helpful.
candresc at 10:36PM on 06/10/09
The Spice House in Chicago
estepcha at 10:49PM on 06/10/09
I buy my spices at a food co-op also. It's the cheapest way to go and I don't have to buy a whole jar of something I don't use often. I shop Penzeys for spices I can't find at the co-op.
kalajo at 11:54PM on 06/10/09
Limbo in Portland is pretty awesome.
PDXbiker at 1:02AM on 06/11/09
A few rules changed how I buy spices:
1. Whole spices last many times longer than ground. Buy everything whole that I don't use at least once a week. A big granite m&p can grind anything into a find powder. Have you ever had fresh ground dried ginger root? WOW! Makes all the powdered junk you've had over the years seem like weak dust.
2. Cheap fresh spices are always better than old expensive spices. I now buy everything from the latin/mexican selection in little plastic baggies with the best expiration dates, or from an Indian spice shop known for their turnover (a lot of shops seem to specialize in ancient dusty old merchandise, be careful!).
peekpoke at 3:12AM on 06/11/09
We get most of ours at stores with bulk bins, and frequent turnover. Some spices are available at Winco (Cub Foods), and others we go to the natural foods stores for (New Seasons, Whole Foods, even the natural foods department at Fred Meyer) - the more exotic the spice, the more likely that we will need to find it at either a natural foods store or ethnic store - Uwajimaya for all kinds of asian spices and groceries, the little chinese grocery for star anise, five spice, szechuan pepper, sesame seeds, etc., a little asian store named Manila (found basil seeds there - it seems they are popular soaked as a beverage), etc. Even Costco can be a good source - got a really large jar of smoked paprika, another of cinnamon (we use a lot of cinnamon) for example. We have two of the old rubberwood spinning spice racks (Kamenstein, I believe), looking for another - the spices are in alphabetical jars, and the inevitable backstock is in alphabetical ziplocks, in freezer boxes. The place I'm most nervous about buying spices from is the dollar store, so I don't.
renewbee at 4:38AM on 06/11/09
I used to just use grocery store spices or spices from a local health/new age store here in town. I recently ordered from The Spice House because of a recomendation here on SE. Not only was the order shipped quickly and correctly, but the spices and salts I bought were amazingly good. I didnt find everything I was looking for on the Penzey site, that may well have been operator error, I freely admit I'm not lucky to be able to find SE day after day. But Spice House was an easy site to navigate and order from and the quality, cant be beat.
huneybumper at 7:55AM on 06/11/09
I'm so, so, so lucky to live in Atlanta. The Dekalb Farmers Market takes care of all my spice needs, and makes it so easy to stock up. I moved into a new apartment recently, and my plastic tubs of spices from that place required their own huge box!
unpocojmoney at 8:24AM on 06/11/09
In Boston, either Penzey's or this fabulous little place called Christina's in Inman Square in Cambridge.
thehungrymouse at 8:43AM on 06/11/09
Living in the Chicago area, the big choices are Penzeys and The Spice House. I far prefer The Spice House because I have always received so much better customer service there; I like that you get someone helping you from the moment you walk in the door (or not long after, if they're busy). I'm pleased to say that this has been true at the Chicago, Evanston, and Milwaukee locations of The Spice House.
I agree with Nezrite that Kavanaugh Hill (http://www.kavanaugh-hill-spices.com/) in the Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosa is a lot of fun to shop at as well. The little shop is quite the jumble, but it's a pleasure to talk with Ruth and Bill and we've always come away with a surprising gem that we wouldn't have found if we hadn't chatted with the nice folks who work there.
DuncanHusky at 8:44AM on 06/11/09
I primarily order (mostly whole) spices from Penzeys, but I like to buy chiles from Kalyustyans in person because the prices are better and I can see what I'm buying.
producestories at 9:02AM on 06/11/09
I'm in the Detroit suburbs, and typically get mine from Dirty Girl Farm (http://www.dirtygirlfarm.com/) at the Royal Oak farmer's market. Great selection and much less expensive/better quality than the grocery store. I do buy oddball stuff for rubs from the bulk bins behind the deli at our grocery store, though.
LauraII at 9:32AM on 06/11/09
Scoop'n'weigh Canada.
Only place I can find tomato powder!
hungrychristel at 10:14AM on 06/11/09
Penzey's and Kalustyan's are both overpriced yuppie warehouses. I turn to them as a last resort and only rarely as I can get most of what I need either at Patel Bros. or the Chinese and Thai markets.
JungMan at 11:09AM on 06/11/09
I used to go crazy buying spices when I'd come across an "exotic" spice market in some far-off corner of the world, but I came to the realization that I was never able to use up even a tenth of what I bought. I still have some saffron I wasted money on in Spain 10 years ago, because even though I use it from time to time I still couldn't use up all I bought. Did I really think I was going to make paella every week or even once a month? I am content buying locally now at the large Mexican or Asian markets that stock pretty much everything I could need, and mail-ordering more exotic stuff as needed (e.g., Penzeys).
Lorenzo at 11:13AM on 06/11/09
I get mine from the Savory Spice Shop too. Locally owned and operated, with a knowledgeable and friendly staff. You can't beat that, really.
bearsonawire at 11:21AM on 06/11/09
I go to Punjab Groceries and Halal Meat, around the corner from my house in Baltimore.
ham_snadwich at 11:35AM on 06/11/09
IMO the best places to buy spices are indian stores, and they're pretty affordable and you can get a huge bag. I've never heard of Penzey's, but typically the some of the farmers markets , but mostly the indian stores have pretty cheap spices.
elara22 at 11:53AM on 06/11/09
Spice House in Chicago is by far the best! Forget Penzeys!!
caralynn at 11:59AM on 06/11/09
i always go to the indian and asian grocery stores - you can pay almost nothing for a lot of high-quality hard-to-find spices.
arbus_is_god at 12:36PM on 06/11/09
sahadi's in brooklyn is my first stop for spices.
sloppy at 1:58PM on 06/11/09
My favorite is Adriana's Caravan. The very helpful and enthusiastic owner had a booth in NYC's Grand Central Terminal for years until Penzey's outbid her for the space. In addition to a vast variety of superior spices, she sells a number of hard to find items - oils, beans, dried mushrooms (including a great porcini powder), rices, and a good selection of hot sauces:
http://www.littleviews.com/home/newyork/adriana_caravan.cfm
It's a small, owner operated business that sells other products along with the house brand, and I always appreciated that she dispensed great cooking suggestions and advice when she had the GCT store.
Though I do duck into Penzy's in Grand Central when I'm there and in need of something, I'm an enthusiastic supporter of Adriana.
MMinNYC at 7:08PM on 06/11/09
I'm fairly amazed that after 45 comments no one has mentioned Indian grocery stores! I buy all my spices there - whole - and grind them myself (even cinnamon). They are cheap, fresh, and there's a great selection. Now if you want Italian seasonings or the like, that's not the place for it. But almost anything else - heck, yes - that's the place I go.
Dcarl1 at 9:55PM on 06/11/09
Living in Brooklyn, I also go to Sahadi's. But unfortunately they recently did away with the bins (where you could buy as little or as much as you liked as you liked, or thought you could use) and now sell everything prepackaged (in their own packages). Even so its cheaper than anywhere else locally. But I also think they pared down there selection and don't seem to have the more unusual stuff anymore. I need to find an alternate!
jinx35 at 10:53AM on 06/12/09
Seattle people NEED to check out Big John's PFI (Pacific Food Importers). Tons of bulk spices/rice/beans/flours etc. and so cheap! The only thing I don't like about that store is their one pound minimum on cheeses, unless its $20+/lb.
AlkiGirl at 7:08PM on 06/12/09
Any Asian, Indian, or Middle Eastern market. I love Purpose Design on Etsy for pre-packaged spices to give as gifts.
mylibraryideas at 11:14PM on 06/14/09
Patel Brothers in Hicksville, Long Island, or the original store in Jackson Heights. Great prices on nuts, too.
jscheck at 11:46PM on 06/14/09
I go to the Spice House in Illinois for freshly ground Ceylon cinnamon and soft cinnamon sticks. I like www.store.mustaphas.com for true Marrakech grown whole cumin seed and green anise seed. And for most general spices. I prefer Kalustyans for ground ginger and black and white peppercorns.
Ras el hanout is a problem because each Moroccan recipe has its own best blend. I'm still lookin'
Soumak at 3:15PM on 06/15/09
Get spices at middle eastern, hispanic, or asian grocery stores - it's much cheaper.
quitecurious at 3:32PM on 06/15/09
I get mine at Penzeys Spices. They have a store close to where I live, in Menlo Park. They have jars that you can open up to smell each product that they offer. It's a really fun place to explore.
Lando at 7:24PM on 06/16/09
I totally understand the allure of Kalustyan's with its coffers overflowing with every spice imaginable beautifully arranged in a Morrocan bazaar-like setting. But here's the dirty little secret--many of the chefs in NYC pass over Kalustyan's for the more sedate place next door, Food of India. In my more than a decade of cooking Indian food (and other ethnic foods) I have found Foods of India's spices to be more reliable in freshness, quality and price. Next time you're in the area give them a try.
ohmygod at 6:46AM on 06/18/09