Welcome back to my spot, or if you’ve never been before, then welcome!
Today I’ll be reviewing a subscription service that I’ve written about before, Raw Spice Bar. You can read up on the monthly version of their subscription that we’ve received here and here. (In the second link, you can see the side-by-side difference in packet size and appearance) The difference between those reviews and today’s review is that today, I’ll be reviewing their quarterly subscription rather than monthly.
How this came about is that Raw Spice Bar sent me an email offer to try out their quarterly subscription for $12 (it’s typically $26) so I signed up for the first run-through of it and then changed my subscription back to monthly, because I’m just not ready to spend $30 on a spice subscription. I’m just not working with that big of a kitchen and so therefore, cannot be about that life yet!
So with the quarterly subscription, you’ll get 6 freshly ground, seasonal spices and blends every 3 months. Each packet contains around 1.1 oz of spice, vs the .3 oz that you have in every packet from the monthly subscription. Another thing about the packets themselves is that with the monthly subscription, you receive single-use, non-resealable packets, while the quarterly subscription gives you large, resealable, wax paper envelopes so that you don’t have to worry about moisture getting in after you’ve opened one and haven’t used all of it!
For example, we received a packet of hickory smoked sea salt that we used for three different purposes (seasoning steaks, adding to mashed potatoes and on avocado) before it was gone, and until we finished it, there was a poor, folded over little sky-blue paper packet in my kitchen that I was constantly nervous about spilling out everywhere or soaking up moisture from the air and turning into a chunk of hickory smoked salt. One last difference I noticed in the differently-sized envelopes is that whereas you could smell the spices pretty clearly through the small ones, you can hardly smell anything at all through the bigger ones (a good thing, in my opinion).
Here we go, on to the individual spice reviews!
First out of the package is a red-labeled envelope containing 1.1 oz of “Unpumpkin Pie Spice“. The ingredient list is as follows: “Ginger, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, black peppercorns, star anise“. Star anise sounds somewhat exotic, but it seems to be a favorite ingredient of theirs in many blends.
At this juncture, I’ll point out another difference between the subscriptions. Our monthly subscription came with cards (usually four) with recipe suggestions for the ingredients they sent. In the quarterly, I received some odd, pointless-seeming ones with self-promotion, a notice that with my quarterly subscription, I always get 25% off spices I order from their shop, and a list titled, “12 Things That Bring Us Joy”. Yeah, I’m not too sure about these.
Next, also in a red–labeled envelope, is “Kashmir Chiles Tandoori“. It has 1.1 oz of “Kashmiri chiles, Cayenne chiles, turmeric, paprika, coriander, cumin, black peppercorns, green cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, ginger (Yes, it says it twice, this is not a typo. I try to keep all my reviews as accurate as possible so that you have the best viewpoint), garlic, nutmeg, cloves”.
In a light blue label is their “Salt Free Greek Seasoning“. This one only has .75 oz inside and contains “Tellicherry black peppercorns, onion granules, garlic granules, Greek oregano, thyme, dill, rosemary, lemon peel, parsley, cinnamon, nutmeg”.
The “Punjabi Garam Masala” is also in a light blue label. I’m probably the most excited for this one, because although I have no idea what I’ll end up making with it, I’ve heard of garam masala before. This envelope has the usual 1.1 oz of content, including “Toasted coriander, toasted cumin, black peppercorns, cinnamon, fennel, fenugreek, green cardamom, bay leaves, black cardamom, black cumin, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, star anise“.
Second to last, wearing red, is the “Shichimi Togarashi“. Now, I don’t know what that means, so I looked it up. Wikipedia gave me the definition, “Shichimi tōgarashi, a condiment that is a mixture of seven different ingredients that varies by maker”. Specific and helpful! Anyway, here are the ingredients: “Black peppercorns, red chile flakes, garlic, ginger, kelp, white poppy seeds, black sesame seeds, orange zest“. It has 1.1 oz inside.
Last for today, but definitely not least, is the “Freshly Ground Chiles Taco“, also in red. This one has a solid 1.0 oz. I’m excited for this as well; it has ‘Taco’ in the name! The ingredients list for this mixture is, “Toasted New Mexican, Ancho, Guajillo & Arbol chiles, toasted cumin, oregano, toasted coriander, black peppercorns, hot Spanish smoked paprika, cayenne pepper“. Spicy!
I’m excited to try out these new additions to my spice rack and I can hardly believe that I have such a big amount! If you decide to try Raw Spice Bar for yourself, or if you already are, leave a comment below and chime in with your thoughts and experiences!
Before you go, check out what’s new in Hazel’s Shop.The holiday season is fast approaching and every purchase (most items are $5 or less!) helps fund a small business and gets us a little closer to our goal of a farm! Even sharing the page on social media helps ^_^
Thanks for Reading!
Heather & Hazel