Spices begin to release their flavors as soon as you grind them, so freshly ground spices have more flavor. If you have a grinder and like to keep larger quantities of spice on hand it is ideal to grind them as you use them.

If you buy ground spices, just be sure to store them in airtight containers to keep those flavors fresh. They should be great for at least 90 days after you receive them.

We never use filler of any kind, and use salt mainly in our rubs and occasionally in other blends — only as needed. We never add salt to a blend just to bulk it up. We have a large selection of salt-free blends.

Our spices are sourced all over the world. Some, like our saffron, are sourced directly from the producers, while others are bought strategically from foreign and domestic brokers, with maximum flavor and freshness as our guiding principle.

We make all our spice blends in-house!

At World Spice, our talented staff has been collecting and creating blend recipes for two decades. We cook all the time and are constantly tinkering with new spice combinations - we add one or two to the permanent archive each year. Please let us know if there is something you’d like to see added!

For commercial partners purchasing minimum quantities, yes. Please contact us at spiceadvice@worldspice.com.

It varies. Stored correctly (in airtight containers and with minimal light exposure), some herbs and spices will maintain peak freshness up to a year, while others lose flavor more quickly.

Ground spices have the shortest shelf life. Ground cumin and cardamom lose their flavor very quickly, while peppercorns and hard seeds like nutmeg may last up to a year.

Herbs like thyme and rosemary should be used within six months for peak flavor.

When in doubt, we recommend using your nose. If your spices don’t smell like anything, they are not likely to taste like anything, and it is time to replace your supply.

Yes: none of our spices, herbs, or blends contain gluten. Our facilities do not have gluten.

However, some of our spices, herbs, and ingredients may pass through facilities that also process grains containing gluten.

Our Hazelnut Dukkah is the only blend we offer that contains tree nuts. It is stored and handled with separate equipment than our other blends.

We handle sesame seeds with the same care.

However, many of our spices and ingredients pass through facilities that also process tree nuts. Please contact us directly if you have any questions or concerns about allergens in our facility.