How to Toast Spices

We have lots of tips and tricks for getting the most from your spices, but few techniques build flavor depth quite like toasting. The process is almost alchemical: a handful of seeds, pods, or barks meet a hot pan, and within seconds, the kitchen is filled with rich, nutty, deeply aromatic notes.Many of our favorite blends, like Kashmiri Garam Masala and Tabil, are crafted with ingredients we toast right here in our warehouse. Our Toast-Worthy Selects Clockwise from top right, Star Anise, Tellicherry Black Peppercorn, Fennel Seed, Pequin, Indian Coriander Seed, and Black Sesame Seed. How to Toast Spices at Home  Start with a heavy-bottomed skillet like cast iron, making sure it's large enough to spread all your spices out in a single layer. Set it over medium heat — no oil needed — and warm the pan for a few minutes.Once it's warm, add in your whole spices, keeping them in a single layer.Keep your spices moving, stirring or tossing them frequently. You'll notice a shift in as little as 30-60 seconds as the kitchen fills with fragrance. On lighter spices you'll notice a color shift, but on darker ones you may not see a big difference. Smaller seeds like sesame and mustard might pop and jump around to announce they’re ready!Once toasted to perfection, transfer the spices immediately to a heatproof dish to avoid burning, and cool.From there, grind them into a fragrant powder, toss them whole into a simmering pot, or fold them into your favorite spice blend. Seeds, barks, pods, and roots all benefit from a gentle toasting.For inspiration, check out this list.  Quick Tips  The longer you toast, the deeper the flavor — but like toast, once they’re burnt, there’s no going back. If you see or smell smoke, the spices are on the edge and should come off the heat immediately. Toasting chiles? Go easy. Make sure your space is well-ventilated and toast lightly. The smoke from heavily toasted chiles can be surprisingly caustic. Mixing spices? Size matters. If you’re toasting a few different spices together, choose ones of similar size so they toast at the same rate. Toast whole — not ground — spices. Ground spices tend to toast very quickly and can burn easily. If you want to enhance ground spices, choose a technique called "blooming." When making a dish, add oil, butter, or ghee to your heated pan and then stir in your spices. Let them warm in the hot oil for 30 seconds to a minute before adding your other ingredients. This is a much gentler way to get those toasted flavors without burning the ground spices.

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Frozen Tea Treats 🧊🍹

Tea lovers, rejoice! While a steaming cup of tea is perfect for cozy moments, there’s a world of cool, refreshing tea treats waiting to be explored. This summer, beat the heat with some creative and delicious frozen tea delights. From tea pops to slushies, these treats are sure to inspire you to think outside the teapot. Frozen Tea Ice Cubes Frozen tea ice cubes are a versatile and chic way to keep your beverages cold without watering them down. They’re perfect for iced tea, lemonade, or even cocktails. Ingredients: Your favorite brewed tea Fresh herbs, fruit, or edible flowers (optional) Instructions: Brew your tea and let it cool. Pour the tea into ice cube trays. For an extra touch of elegance, add a small piece of fruit, herb, or edible flower to each compartment. Freeze until solid. Use the tea ice cubes in your drinks to keep them cool and flavorful. Tea Slushie Turn your iced tea into the best slushie with just a few simple steps.  Ingredients: Strongly brewed iced tea Sweetener to taste Ice Fresh fruit (optional) Instructions: Brew a strong batch of iced tea and let it cool completely. Sweeten the tea to your preference. In a blender, combine the cooled tea with a generous amount of ice. For added flavor and texture, you can also add fresh fruit like berries or peaches. Blend until you achieve a slushie consistency. Pour into a glass and enjoy immediately! Tea Pops Tea pops are a fun and refreshing way to enjoy your favorite tea flavors. They are easy to make and perfect for a hot day. Ingredients: Your favorite brewed tea (green tea, herbal tea, chai, etc.) Sweetener (honey, agave, sugar) to taste Fresh fruit or herbs (optional) Instructions: Brew a strong batch of your favorite tea and let it cool. Sweeten the tea to your taste. You can also add milk, fresh fruit slices, or herbs like mint or basil for an extra flavor boost. Pour the tea into popsicle molds or dixie cups. Freeze for at least 4 hours or until solid (if using dixie cups, insert popsicle sticks after about two hours). Enjoy your tea pops straight from the freezer! Looking for tea pop inspiration? Check out these recipes:   Tea can be so much more than a hot beverage. These frozen tea treats are not only refreshing but also a fantastic way to enjoy your favorite tea flavors in a whole new form. And remember, these treats are highly customizable! Add a splash of juice, a twist of citrus, or a handful of your favorite berries to create something truly unique. So, grab your favorite teas, get creative, and have some fun.  

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How to Make a Vinaigrette

Making your own dressing at home is not only simple but also allows you to tailor the flavors to your liking. Today, we're diving into the delightful world of vinaigrettes, the unsung heroes of salads everywhere. First, let's explore the basic vinaigrette recipe. Basic Vinaigrette Recipe The classic vinaigrette is a simple blend of oil and vinegar, typically in a 3:1 ratio. Here's a simple recipe to get you started: Ingredients: 3 parts extra virgin olive oil 1 part vinegar (balsamic, red wine, or apple cider vinegar) 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 clove garlic, minced Salt and pepper to taste Instructions: In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while continuously whisking until all the oil is incorporated. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Get Spicy Once you’ve mastered the basic recipe, get creative with your flavors. Spice blends like Lemon Herb Pepper and El Greco work great in vinaigrettes, and you can use Nigella Caesar and Ranch this way too. Just add a teaspoon of your favorite spice or blend to the basic recipe.  Here are some ideas for flavor enhancing add-ins: Ranch Seasoning and plain Greek yogurt. Lemon Herb Pepper and lemon zest. El Greco and minced olives. Final Tips Experiment with Oils and Vinegars: Don't be afraid to mix up your oils and vinegars. Try using walnut oil, sesame oil, or flavored vinegars for a unique twist. Sweeten It Up: A touch of honey, maple syrup, or agave can balance the acidity and add depth to your vinaigrette. Storage: Store your homemade vinaigrette in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Shake well before each use. Making your own vinaigrette is a great way to enhance your salads and showcase your culinary creativity. Stick to the classic recipe or spice it up; your taste buds are in for a treat. Enjoy experimenting and happy dressing!

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How to Make a Rub

A quick 101 on what rubs are, how to use them, and even how to make your own!

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How to Use - Montreal Steak & Chop

Quick and Easy Just before cooking steaks, pork chops, or roasts, sprinkle all sides of your protein with Montreal Steak & Chop. Pat the spice blend in firmly with your hands to make sure it sticks and creates an even coating. Cook as usual.  Extra Time, Extra Flavor If you are a planner, use Montreal Steak & Chop to make an overnight marinade. Here’s a simple recipe to try: ½ cup olive oil ¼ cup soy sauce 2 cloves garlic, chopped or grated 2 Tbs Montreal Steak & Chop Mix ingredients together, add your protein, and leave it to hang out and get delicious in the fridge for at least a half hour and ideally overnight. Get Creative Despite its name, Montreal Steak & Chop has so many more uses than seasoning big cuts of meat. Try it in these non-traditional pairings: Add to a pot of hearty greens like chard, kale, or collards Mix with breadcrumbs for topping casseroles or breading chicken or fish Sprinkle in chunky summer salads featuring beans or chickpeas

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Floral Teas 101

Here's to embracing the essence of Spring! Floral foods and drinks are nothing new, and in fact flowers have been a staple of pantries from grandma’s house to royal kitchens around the world for millennia. All flowers have a flavor that we call floral, but every flower also has a unique flavor all its own. So, yes, flowers taste like flowers, but they all taste a little bit different.  Here are some of our favorites: Chamomile (Europe and North Africa): Mild herbal and apple notes, often used for its soothing and calming flavor in teas and baked goods. Lavender (Mediterranean region): Lavender flowers are infused to make a fragrant tea with hints of mint and pine. Often turned into a simple syrup for cocktails, coffee and lemon desserts. Rose (Middle East and Asia): Rose petals are brewed into a delicate and aromatic tea with sweet undertones, frequently used to add a perfumed essence to desserts, beverages, and jams. Hibiscus (Africa, Caribbean, Asia and in Latin America): Brews a shockingly vibrant red tea with a tart and fruity flavor, often used as a natural food coloring and to infuse tangy notes in fruity desserts. Chrysanthemum (China and East Asia): Chrysanthemum flowers produce a light and grassy tea with a slightly sweet taste, often paired with citrus.  Elderflower (Europe): Delicate and aromatic honey and pear notes. The tea is commonly used in cocktails, syrups, and custards. 

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Spring Cleaning Spice Advice

🌼 Spring is in the air, and it's the perfect time to refresh your spice pantry! Do you know what spices' biggest enemy is? TIME. Over time, they lose their mojo and turn into flavorless dust. You end up having to add a ton to your meals just to get a hint of flavor, and even then, it's kinda meh when it should be packing a punch. Spices don't really go "bad" in the traditional sense of being unsafe to consume, unless they get moldy or cross-contaminated. So, as long as you use clean utensils and go through your stock regularly, your spices will remain safe and delicious. Here are some handy tips and advice to keep your spices fresh and flavorful: How do I keep my spices fresh? We're confident in our resealable pouches; however, if you choose to transfer them, we suggest using airtight glass jars with rubber seals and storing them in a cool, dark place. While shaker tops are convenient, they may not provide a tight seal, so we recommend avoiding them for storage.  We know spices create a beautiful rainbow display, but try not to keep them where temperatures fluctuate and they are exposed to light. How long will my spices last? It varies depending on the spice. Ground spices typically have a shorter shelf life compared to whole spices. Once spices are ground, their oils start to oxidize, making them age quicker. Peppercorns and hard seeds like nutmeg can last up to a year when stored correctly. Herbs have a higher moisture content and lower oil content, making their flavor more delicate. For peak flavor, we recommend using dried herbs within six months of purchase. Don't worry 😊 we have zero tolerance for old spice, and we print the pack date on our label for you to easily keep track at home. Signs it's time to let go? Trust your nose! If your spices no longer have a strong aroma, it's time to replace them. A lack of smell means the flavor isn't as strong. Also, watch out for any fading in color or sun bleaching, as this can result in duller spices. Please Don’t ❌ Freeze your spices. The moisture in freezers can lead to clumping. Additionally, fluctuating temperatures can result in flavor loss, freezer burn, and overall can change the texture once thawed again. Overall, freezing spices can shorten their shelf life and diminish their potency when used in cooking. Give your spice pantry the spring cleaning it deserves, and let your senses guide you to fresh and flavorful culinary adventures! 🍽️🌿

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What is Umami?

Umami, which translates from Japanese to mean “delicious taste” or “essence of deliciousness,” is a type of flavor and it's gotten a lot of attention recently in the culinary world. When we talk about flavors, we tend to divide them into five categories:  Sweet, Salty, Bitter, Sour, Umami These are the main flavors that our taste buds are wired to recognize. But while the first four are pretty familiar, umami is still not what you’d call a household name. The addition of umami as the fifth flavor was originally proposed by Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda in 1908 and officially recognized as an official scientific term in 1985. The umami flavor is rich, deep, and meaty, coating the mouth and tongue. Foods that are high in it have a tendency to make people say “yuuummm!” Umami is sometimes also called “savoriness.” Some examples of foods with strong umami flavor are cured meats, anchovies, aged cheeses (like parmesan), mushrooms, seaweed, garlic, tomatoes (especially sundried), soy sauce, and long-simmered broths. Want to experiment with some umami flavors? Try these savory blends: Cascade Mushroom Mix Garlic Salt Nigella Caesar  Osaka Seasoned Salt

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A Beginner’s Guide to Spicing Up Your Coffee

The practice of adding spice to coffee is common all over the world. Turkish, Egyptian, and Indonesian-style coffee all contain warming spices like cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, and nutmeg. In Mexico, café de olla is a popular spiced breakfast coffee with a rich cultural history. No matter your heritage, adding spices to your coffee can brighten your morning and, in our opinion, set you up for a great day, no matter what your plans are. If you’ve never experimented with spicing your coffee the whole idea might be a little intimidating, so we put together this guide to get you started with confidence. Sprinkle  The easiest way to spice up your coffee is to simply sprinkle your spice right on top. This works best with coffee that has steamed milk foam or whipped cream on top.  Our favorites for this method: Cinnamon Toast Spice  Gingerbread Spice Nutmeg Matcha Stir Ground spices can be stirred into brewed coffee in the carafe or by the individual cup. You can do this with black or milky coffee, but the creaminess of milk will help distribute the spice flavor better.  Our favorites for this method: Pumpkin Pie Spice Maple Sugar Cocoa Powder Turmeric Brew Toss a little scoop of whole or ground spices in with your coffee grounds and brew it all together. This is the best way to really infuse the flavors of the spice into your brew and the tastiest choice if you prefer your coffee black.  Our favorites for this method: Cardamom Cinnamon Allspice Ginger Sweeten Did you know you can make syrups as good as the ones at the coffee shop at home? Here’s a quick how-to for making a basic flavored syrup: Bring 1 cup of water to a boil Take off the heat, add about 3 heaping tablespoons of spices, flowers, or tea Cover tightly and let infuse for 8 - 10 minutes Strain out the plant matter and add 1 cup of sugar or honey to the liquid portion Stir over gentle heat until fully dissolved Once it has cooled, store in the fridge  Although there is some work on the front end, once you’ve got your syrup made it is quick and easy to add to any coffee beverage. Our favorites for this method: Lavender Roses Advieh Juniper Notes:  Less is more  Start with a small amount and work up until you’ve found your perfect spice level Stick with warm or floral flavors When trying out new spices with your coffee, the best options will be warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom, or florals like roses and lavender.  Have fun and stay spicy!    

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