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Admittedly, I also have a Thomas Kinkade-y fantasy of replenishing my larder at a brick and mortar spice shop (ideally, owned by a someone in a bonnet who weighs out my cardamom on a copper scale), but I do not always have the time or bandwidth to make that fantasy a reality (though, Vices & Spices in my hometown of Santa Barbara comes pretty close). Luckily, the internet exists for such moments, and it has not only made stocking spices easier, but kind of inventive. Penzys offers trial bags of its unique blends, including its Outrage of Love blend, which the brand says was a direct spice-response to the January 6 insurrection attempt (it’s great with hummus!); then there are brands such as Spicewalla, whose collaborations with celebrities like T-Pain legitimately feel fresh and intentional (his most recent drop benefits folks impacted by Hurricane Helene).
So whether you’re out of cardamom or just out of ideas, let’s browse the shelves of the best places to buy spices.
Amazon
Listen, you can buy everything and the kitchen sink on Amazon (you can, in fact, even buy a prefab house), so of course you can find spices galore at the retail behemoth. I head to Amazon when I’m stocking up on vinegar sea salt seasoning to piment d’espelette, the light, fresh Basque region chili pepper that will punch up my fish and stews without feeling overpowering.
Burlap & Barrel
Burlap & Barrel (yes, of Shark Tank fame) buys directly from small farms, which means that you are doing your part in supporting the far more planet- and community-friendly practice of single origin spice sourcing when you bring home its blend of smoked black cardamom, Caribbean bay leaves, and more. Explore its offerings by categories such as spice, collection, collaboration (including the new Dr. Jane Goodall co-created honey line), and diet, and build your own subscription package (or gift one to a friend, which also makes for an excellent last-minute holiday present).
Diaspora Co.
Looking for South Asian spices? Head to Diaspora Co., which is home to dozens of single origin, heirloom spices primarily from India and Sri Lanka. The company was founded in 2017 by Sana Javeri Kadri, who, as she explains on the site, was tired of seeing so much colonial-caused inequity in the spice trade — particularly as a woman from Mumbai. As Kadri states, “We’re proud to pay our farm partners an average of 6x above the commodity price. In a system where fair trade is a mere 15% premium, we pay what we believe to be a living wage.”
Omsom
Omsom has saved me from eating boring, and (literally) sauceless dinners so many times. The women-owned, Vietnamese American-founded brand has made a name for itself with its line of instant, air dried noodles (think, boxed chili sesame noodles) that come with the perfect dose of their own spicy little sauce packets — but you can also just take home the sauce packets, too.
Shop Palestine
Shop Palestine is a Berkeley, California-based digital storefront, and an initiative of the Middle East Children’s Alliance, which works to secure more rights for children in the Middle East. The shop is home to more than just family business-blended spices from Palestine and Lebanon (books, jewelry, and ceramics abound), and buying za’atar and sumac from Palestinian farms not only assists MECA’s mission during the ongoing bombardments, but helps to preserve the culinary and cultural heritage of the regions’ farmers as well.
Pearl River Mart
The New York-based Pearl River Mart is an Asian marketplace offering everything from home decor to pantry staples — well as many Eater staff-loved stocking stuffers — and it also boasts a smorgasbord of chili crisps from brands such as Fly By Jing, Xi’an Famous Foods, Homiah, and others. (Swing by the recipe section of the site before you shop for inspiration.)
Penzeys
Ah, Penzeys — the spice company that launched a thousand (well, many) supportive Reddit threads and customers. This Wauwatosa, Wisconsin-based spice company was founded in the 1990s and is like a spice commerce manifestation of your coolest tie dye-wearing aunt (you know, the one who grew up following The Grateful Dead, and now campaigns for democratic candidates in her free time?). The spice blends have unforgettable labels (think, 1990s global village coffee house aesthetics) and unique blends designed to make frozen pizza less boring and sandwiches more exciting.
Savory Spice
Savory Spice is kind of like the spice equivalent of the Library of Congress, because it is home to more than 400 spices. It has found particular success, according to the site, with its Spice & Easy recipe blends, which are designed to help beginner and time-strapped cooks prepare onion dip, carne asada, and more in a pinch.
The Spice House
The Spice House has been operating since 1957, and I love that its many spice offerings (peep the cheese board-themed gift set during the holiday season) are also available as flatpacks, which are essentially tiny 2-ounce baggies; I often get jar fatigue when I’m replenishing my spice rack, and it’s refreshing to feel heard.
Spicewalla
Spicewalla is the colorful, energetic brand that I would most like to get two dirty martinis with, because its offerings, from a mignonette blend to various chais — always feel interesting. You can shop by collection, blends, herbs, and more categories, but it’s the collaboration section that is always whipping up something extra fun; right now there’s a speculoos blend from pastry chef Caroline Schiff that also benefits Southern Smoke Foundation, which is working to help recovery efforts in Asheville from Hurricane Helene.
Williams Sonoma
While it’s not a dedicated spice shop, I can always count on Williams Sonoma to deliver slightly yassified, highly giftable spice blends and bundles, from the classic salt players (think, Maldon and Jacobsen Salt Co.) to a veritable “rub library” with some of its bestselling blends for beef, poultry, vegetables, and more. It also somehow makes perfect sense that the site should have a dedicated truffle section.
