Any time is a great time to banish those dusty, flavorless spices from your pantry. Fall, as the holidays encroach, is an especially appropriate occasion. No one needs a pumpkin pie that tastes like the groundcover of a carpentry shop. Hop into the online storefront of some of the country's best spice purveyors to solve that issue once and for all. Or, rather, for at least a few months until you need to reboot those unused spices once more.
Burlap & Barrel
Direct from farmers; packaged at harvest; single-origin: Burlap & Barrel is serious about its spice sourcing. Admirable, indeed. We've seen chefs freak out on social media about the company's big-flavored Cloud Forest Cardamom and Black Urfa Chili. Good-tasting spices with a good mission, that is how Burlap & Barrel rolls.
Diaspora Co.
Sana Javeri Kadri began this spice company with the intent to source peerless spices and chiles from across the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka. A noble goal, that, but Kadri also insisted that the farmers from whom the company sourced those spices were paid a living wage. Diaspora Co.'s turmeric, the company's first product, is legendary, floral and golden like a sunflower on a bright day. The blends, aka masalas, are smart and vibrant. There is no wrong spice answer here.
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Penzeys
One of the grandpappies of the fresh-is-best spice companies, Penzeys debuted in 1986. It now has hundreds of stores across much of the United States. Vanilla beans from two different countries; spices from ajwain to zatar in jars or bags; gift boxes for bakers and grillers: Penzeys has a little something for most everyone.
The Spice House
Freshness is key with any spice, and The Spice House packs and grinds their spices at a regular clip. The company's flatpacks are a sustainable solution to a spice-world problem: Too many jars used one lone time. Instead, the flatpacks are designed as a refill mechanism for jars you already own — dump the contents into a jar and you are back in spice business. The holidays are around the bend, so stock up on The Spice House's fall baking and Thanksgiving blends.
Spicewalla
Spices are foundational to the cooking of Spicewalla's founder, chef Meherwan Irani of Chai Pani in Asheville, North Carolina, and Decatur, Georgia. So the range of herbs and spices offered by Spicewalla are sourced in small quantities, and the company collaborates with other restaurants, like Island Creek Oyster Company, and even celebrities, like the record producer T-Pain, to create special blends. Bonus: The company's ties to Asheville means purchases will help support the region's recovery from Hurricane Helene.
