Spice up your life

This week I went to Gewurzhaus Spice Merchants in Carlton to get some spices to make my own spice blends for Christmas.  As soon as I walked in my nose started twitching with all the amazing aromas from the store.

Fill your own bags from the wall of spices or buy them already packaged

Instantly I could feel my adrenaline take over as sensory overload set in (not so dissimilar to the adrenaline caused on entry to Top Shop on Oxford St).  I quickly abandoned the thought of making the spice blends myself as Gewurzhaus had taken spice blends to a new extreme.    Move over your run of the mill Moroccan spice blends we are talking ras el haout (the very best a spice merchant has to offer), ventian gondola spices, laksa lemak,  a salt and pepper squid blend, and the list goes on.  They have everything covered from your posh blends to your every day (even one for your dad with the BBQ Blokes Spice). 

Fill your own bags, complete with label, ingredients and often a simple receipe

If you want to get really smart in the kitchen, they also have the wide selection of salts (Merlot, French lavender and charcoal salt to name a few) and also sweet spice section.  You could even make your own tea bags with the range of teas available.

The weigh station

You can buy you spice blends by the 10g and 20g, they are packaged in a very cute little paper bag, labelled with instructions for use and in some cases recipes. Cutest of all is the little mini spice spoons to go with your spices.

Merlot Salt

If you love matchy matchy like me, you will love the little brown industrial style jars, I plan to be back in the new year to kit out my spice cupboard with a matching set.

Cute brown jars to collect

This shop is more than spices it is full of cute kitchen gadgets and is perfect for a pressie for the food lover.

Lots of pressies to choose from

What you need to know in a nut shell:

1.Offers you plenty of potential to show off to your mates with something relatively obscure such as as small dish of Merlot salt on the dinner table!
2. Super tasty and much more flavoursome than the run of mill supermarket spices
3. Friendly, helpful and passionate staff that love to have a chat, even when the Christmas rush is on (also not shy in showing you how much 10 g really is)

4. Creative and delicious Pressie (Could spend from $3 present – the sky is the limit)comes beautifully packaged (complete with storage instructions)

So get in there and check it out (342 Lygon St, Carlton, Vic 3053)....you never know what else you may find.

 

Stay tuned for more updates from the Flavourhound in the new year