Find of the Month: Spice Trekkers

Posted by Canadian Gift Guide on May 1, 2013 · 85 Comments

They say you can’t tell ‘tone’ or ‘personality’ in an email, but in my correspondence with the lovely and spirited Ethné (one half of Montreal’s Spice Trekkers), I can tell you that I completely and totally felt the passion she and her husband Philippe have for their life’s work – bringing the world’s very best spices to us lucky Canadians. The married for 31 years twosome quite literally traverse the globe to source out authentic, aromatic, flavourful spices and bring them back to their Montreal shop (which has earned the distinction of being known as THE spice shop in town), as well as their online store.

If you’ve ever sat down for what you hoped would be a tasty, flavour-packed meal and are woefully disappointed, the truth is, it probably comes down to your spices. Most people know that spices lose their potency in as little as a year, depending on how you store them and their original quality. But in learning more about the spice trade while writing this post, it actually goes well beyond that. For one, starting with your spices in powder form allows crafty sellers to dilute their product with mix-ins that reduce the flavour power. In truth, good spices can garnish the same kind of fervor as good wine or good coffee – true connoisseurs of the kitchen, foodies, and really just those that appreciate a good meal will be able to smell and taste the powerful difference using fresh, whole spices makes in any dish.

So aside from me telling you that whole, quality spices are the way to go, how would one get into the spice game? As Ethné candidly explained to me, she and her equally globetrotting husband were both working as caterers, and were fed up by the terrible quality of what passes for ‘ethnic spices’ on the store shelves. They started hauling whole spices back on their travels and it eventually blossomed into their little spice empire in Québec – one that is currently building up steam and spreading across the nation. The happy couple have a good deal of accomplishments under their belt aside from their amazing shop – they’ve written a book (a second book that will also be available in English hits shelves this fall), starred in a TV series (with talks to do a second season, also in English), and their Spice Hunters box sets are frequently on back order. Beyond all the good they’re doing in Canada, they’re also working with suppliers in 20 different countries to create viable work for folks often living in developing regions.

Now that we’ve covered all the superb back story of Spice Trekkers, let’s talk about the gifting goods. You can buy ‘loose’ spices (a term I use loosely) depending on what you need – shop by cuisine or spice types or just browse the mind-boggling selection until you find exactly what you need. The spices come whole, so you will need a mortar & pestle or a spice grinder to unlock ’em for most cooking purposes. The best part is, they also come in gift-ready, vintage-style tin cans that are well-sealed to lock in flavour and freshness for up to three years. If you know someone is craving a particular cuisine, stock up on a few spices to get them through a bout of homesickness, pregnancy cravings, or a simple love of a culture’s food. Most spices start at the $4 range so you can easily afford to stock up – especially when you consider the crazy-high comparable prices of banal grocery store equivalents.

Alternatively, the Spice Kits do the guesswork for you and come in a range of sizes and prices. Collect them all over a period of time, or gift ones that best fit your giftee’s personal tastes. For example, if your husband or brother is a hunter, take an interest in HIS interests with the Hunter’s Spice Collection ($24) that features blends perfectly suited to season your big and small game or wildfowl. Maybe you’ve got an avid BBQer on your hands. The Grilling Spice Kit ($28) comes with six spices to ramp up the flavour of your favourite grilled meats, and makes a swell Father’s Day gift along with a pack of organic steaks or fresh fish fillets. If someone can’t kick a particular food craving, make sure their meals are sensational with one of Spice Trekkers amazing ethnic spice kits like the Masala Dhabba Spice Box ($35) filled with classic Indian spices. Spices, for the record, don’t necessarily mean spicy. We’re talking about the basics – including sea salt and pepper – and how much better they can make your food taste. If you’re shopping for a milder palette, try the Mediterranean Herb Blend Kit ($17) to season your favourite meat & side dishes.

It’s worth mentioning that in their travels, Philippe and Ethné have also collected some pretty spectacular loose teas as a secondary line. If you’re shopping for a tea lover, try out any one of their exotic blends ($6+ each) or go for one of their tea kits ($30+ each) for an equally gift-worthy choice. Mother’s Day is just around the corner after all, and if mom’s got a taste for tea, these are absolutely lovely gifts that manage to combine Canadian pride with international flavour.

I really can’t say enough pleasant things about Spice Trekkers. Their website is wonderfully organized and provides a real guide to cooking with quality spices – I highly recommend the blog for some multi-culti insight to their travels and haute cuisine. I’m also psyched to be giving away not one, but three prizes this month. You could win one of the Spice Trekkers books + travel guides (which come with spices) as well as a Grilling Spice Kit in time for BBQ season, or just the Grilling Spice Kit on its own, or an All Purpose Kit which has the possibility of taking you through 80 different meal combinations. Interested? Here’s how to enter:

1) Leave a comment by May 31st with links back & names of TWO of the spices, spice kits, or teas you’re most excited to get your hands on. I’m not kidding when I’m asking for links – if you don’t have ’em, your entry won’t count, so have fun browsing!

2) Entries are limited to one per person / per email address / per household (or more if you score bonus entries). A random draw will be conducted on or around June 1st to select the winners, who will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen in their place.

3) Entries are limited to Canadians that have reached the age of majority in their province.

4) Bonus Entry #1: Check the Canadian Gift Guide every single day for the rest of the month – you’ll find bonus entry opportunities galore.

5) Bonus Entry #2: Get helpful cooking tips & recipes by liking Spice Trekkers on Facebook. Leave a comment on their wall with why you love the brand and you’ll earn yourself a bonus entry. Just let me know your FB usernmae in the comments below and / or a link back to your FB comment.