Top o’ the Shop to You
We’ve been asked several times, why does Australia need a specialty spice shop? The idea probably began after we had lived in Singapore, and developed a taste for Asian and Indian spicy foods. Like lots of other keen cooks, we suffered the frustrations of not being able to find the ingredients we needed. We thought things like, if we substitute a green cardamom pod because we can’t find a brown one, it will change the flavour of the dish. And, what would this meal taste like if we had been able to find cassia bark instead of using ground cinnamon?
The solution seemed to be to open a spice shop where cooks of any cuisine could find the spices and herbs they were looking for, all in one place. Not only that, but it would have to be a shop where people from all over the country could phone or fax us and have their order sent by Express Post the next day – a shop where the integrity of its proprietor would be the guarantee of the best possible quality at the fairest possible price, with Herbie’s experience and advice thrown in free.
After five weeks of trading, we have found consumer interest very encouraging, and as well as being happy to fulfil the needs of lots of customers, we’ve been interested to note the particular requests being voiced.
For instance, everyone is talking about Ras el Hanout, which is a Middle Eastern phrase meaning “top of the shop”. It’s a blend of spices which can be made with as few as a dozen spices, or as many as a hundred, if our sources can be believed! The mixtures are as individual as the people who make them and, as the name suggests, they are the very best of what any spice dealer has to offer. Because there are so many different versions of Ras el Hanout, we at Herbie’s felt that we should create our own special “top of the shop” blend, using our experience and the high quality spices Herbie has on hand. Just as spice dealers in ancient times did, Herbie has given special thought to how the blend would best complement the ingredients available to his customers.
Herbie’s Ras el Hanout contains a blend of twenty-three spices (we consulted several recipes, but decided not to include the hashish or Spanish fly!) which come together in a non-combative blend with a touch of sweetness. The flavour is gentle enough for children, and sophisticated enough to excite the palate of the discerning cook and diner, with the temperaments of the spices finely balanced. Herbie decided to leave out the fragrant elements of rose buds and lavender, but you can add these yourself (in extreme moderation) if you wish to.