One of my favorite parts of being the grocery buyer is that any time we receive an order from a small producer, it feels like I’m getting a present! Even though it’s a present for the shop and I know exactly what’s inside, I still get excited to see just HOW GOOD it all is. One of my favorite packages to receive is from Curio Spice, a Cambridge based shop where they source their own spices and make amazing spice blends. When I opened the box, wonderful smells of chilies, rosemary, fennel, oregano, and lemon drifted into my nose. It reminded me of Christmas, making beef stew, and a fall evening, which made me want to get cooking immediately!

Owner Claire Cheney has traveled all over the world visiting spice farms to bring back the most interesting and brightest tasting spices. She uses ingredients that I’ve never seen anywhere else, like pickled cherry blossom in the Edo Spice and Lam Dong cocoa nibs in the Da Lat blend. However, the blends have other ingredients that are familiar enough that it’s not difficult to find places to use them. That Edo Spice, for example, is amazing over salmon (or any fish) and rice for a bit of Japanese flair. 

I want to double highlight Curio’s Rose Harissa because it is a personal favorite with a light heat that means you can be very generous with this delicious blend of chilies, spices and rose buds. As someone who has a front seat on the the Yotam Ottoleghi bandwagon, I also have a special place in my heart for this spice blend because he uses it in so many of his recipes. He was the reason I bought the Rose Harissa from Curio in the first place – I couldn’t find it anywhere else! Now, everyone at the shop is obsessed. We throw it into labneh or olive oil for a dip, sprinkle it over lamb chops before grilling, or throw it onto roasted potatoes. 

So if you’re feeling in a cooking rut, come grab some Curio Spice blends because they make any dish more exciting! If you’re not in a cooking rut, still try out these blends because they’re fun and creative and they’ve introduce us to so many different flavors!

 For the love of cheese and spices,

Kiri

PS If you’re interested, Simple is a nice way to dip your toe into the Ottoleghi cookbook pool.