The Spice House. Photo by Cari Taylor-Carlson.
Every at-home cook can appreciate the welcome aroma of gently toasted spices, the sharp bite of chili flakes or a perfectly balanced seasoning blend. Now, customers at The Spice House will be able to experience all of these and more right in the store.
The spice, herb and extract purveyor recently introduced The Scent Experience and Spice Bar, two new programs designed to take customers on a “sensory journey” through a collection of the store’s signature offerings.
Twenty different spices and blends will be featured in The Scent Experience, which will educate customers on the nuances between varieties of paprika (Hungarian, smoked sweet), Thyme (Mediterranean, French), Oregano (Mexican, Greek) and Curry (Vadouvan, sweet). The experience will also offer insight into scent-forward spices like coriander, cumin, Hawaiian smoked salt, tellicherry, Italian herb and Herbes de Provence.
The Spice Bar program will call on another sense, taste, to further enhance the experience. A rotating assortment of four different spices will be available each month for sampling. In October, the Spice Bar offered a taste of Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto‘s signature collaboration with The Spice House, including Black Garlic Ramen Pepper, Sichuan Chile BBQ Rub, Yuzu Kosho, and Shichimi Togarashi.
November’s selection includes a variety of cinnamons, including citrusy Ceylon, aromatic Korintje and fiery sweet Saigon, plus a new blend of cinnamon maple sugar.
“Customers have been excited about the opportunity to not only taste our spices but to be led through the experience of learning about the spices, their origins, their distinct notes, how to use them and experiment with them,” said Celeste Southard, district manager at The Spice House.
The experience will also explore the origins and history of each spice, along with fun facts, recipe suggestions and pairings.
Southard compared the experience to visiting a vineyard and then participating in a wine tasting.
“We intentionally sample spices and blends that may not be well known or have multiple variants so that we can introduce customers to something new, different or help them compare similar spice categories to identify the differences,” she said.
Reservations are not required for The Scent Experience and Spice Bar programs.
The Spice House has been around since 1957 and now has four locations throughout Milwaukee, Chicago and Evanston, with a new store planned for Naperville.
The programs debuted at The Spice House’s flagship location, 1031 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.. The store is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Spice House also operates a location inside the Milwaukee Public Market, 400 N. Water St., though the new programs will not be offered there. Hours at the public market location are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
All locations will be closed Thursday, Nov. 24 for Thanksgiving Day.
More information is available on The Spice House website.
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Source: The Spice House Introduces Spice Bar and Scent Experience » Urban Milwaukee
