The World's Finest Spices
Amazing Farm-Direct Spices
Spices aren’t like fish or milk. They don’t spoil all at once. They lose flavor at rates that can vary wildly depending on things like light exposure, container quality, temperature and the type of spice. Changes are difficult to track, but if you compare an older spice of questionable quality with a great spice at peak flavor, the difference is startling; the color is brighter the aroma and flavor are deeper, more potent, more complex.
After a long search, I was lucky to find a truly unique supplier for most of our spices. Burlap and Barrel was started a few years ago by a few young guys who didn’t realize what “couldn’t be done” - so they did it. They literally travel around the world to individual farms in search of their very best crops; paprika harvested in northern Spain and smoked over open fires; wild mountain cumin picked by hand in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains; turmeric grown in the shade of the jungle canopy.. Without exception, these spices are amazing, the best of the best. They have received rave reviews from a who’s who list of experts from the New York Times to Bon Appetit to Food and Wine and more. Their supplies and selection is limited so they can’t supply all our spices, but what they lack in selection, they more than make up for in amazing, often unique flavor. For common spices not available through Burlap and Barrel, we source from a number of other meticulous suppliers which are noted on the packets in each product description.
We prioritize quality and freshness over selection. Instead of offering hundreds of spices, we only have about 40 - an eclectic mix of the most commonly used spices as well as some outliers that are so unique and flavorful we couldn't pass them up. We only sell them in complete sets and you choose which spices to include. Once you’re a customer you get access to fast, cost-effective refills. The packets are air-tight, recyclable and refills are a breeze - you scan the label with your phone camera and click on the link.
Most people have never cooked with spices like these - it can take a bit of getting-used-to. The flavors jump out.. They're different.. more potent.. more complex. You will notice it right away. Amazing spices at their flavor peak are as close to a culinary superpower as you can get.