Herbie’s Newsletter – Winter 2022

May 19, 2022 posted in General

Happy birthday to us, happy birthday to us …..  on 7th July this year we celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the opening of Herbie’s Spices.  When we opened the doors of our little shop in the chilli-red terrace in Rozelle, little did we know that it would become a destination for local, interstate and international cooks and foodies.  Our business plan all those years ago rested on three ideals: quality, range and advice.  We are proud to say that we have stuck by those three pillars, bringing you the best spices we can find, and sharing our knowledge of the spice world through our classes, books, website, tours to India, and direct customer contact.

Looking back over the past twenty-five years, we checked our records and came up with the following data.  We purchased 414.2 tonnes of herbs and spices, and we cleaned and/or ground 13.45 tonnes of material. We mixed 181.4 tonnes of blends.  In total, goods in and out the doors added up to 609 tons.  Well done you, our customers!

How to mark this important occasion was a puzzle that finally found a solution in silver coated fennel seeds.  Edible silver is important in Indian cuisine, especially for festive occasions, and this glittering version of our ever-popular Lakhs and Crores is the perfect way to celebrate with you, our customers.  While stocks last, (or until 31st July),  a 10g pack of these mint-flavoured Silver Coated Fennel Seeds will go out with each mail order, so that we can spread the joy.

What’s new at Herbie’s?  Inspired by a grandson whose favourite after-school snack is Ramen, we have created a Ramen Spice Blend that makes it so very easy, using instant noodles.  Just throw away the seasoning pouch that comes with them, and follow the recipe on the back of the pack, using our delicious all-natural seasoning instead!  Also new, and only whilst stocks last, our glamorous silver coated fennel seeds, in a 100g jar or 50g pack.

In our previous newsletter, we launched our little calico bags for making your own bouquet garni and spice infusions.  Thinking further along this line of reasoning, we now have something for those of you whose summer gardens have yielded bunches of fresh herbs that need drying for the winter months. Enter Fruity Sacks, reusable mesh polyester bags now available on our website.  Yes, we know it’s not exactly a spice, but we all care about the environment, and a bundle of these in the bottom of your shopping bags will mean that you never again have to carry your fruit and vegetables home in flimsy plastic bags.  And to dry your home-grown bay leaves and other herbs, just pop them into a Fruity Sack, loop the drawstring over a hook or coathanger, and let it hang in a warm, dark, dry space until the leaves are crisp.  Save the environment one plastic bag at a time, and dry your own herbs as well.  That’s what we call a win-win situation!

The Winter Box of Ideas, in the snowy and frosty white box, has a somewhat Asian slant this time, with Jaggery, Chinese Five Spice, our new Ramen seasoning, and our delicious Rendang curry mix.  What a great way to warm up!  As always, it’s just $25 plus postage.

Spice up your life with Herbie and Christine Manfield at an exclusive online event to celebrate the release of Christine Manfield’s Indian Cooking Class (RRP $59.99).  We’ve bundled the cookbook with a bespoke spice kit (valued at $109.95) featuring the key spices Christine uses in her Indian cuisine, and available for a limited time only at the special price of just $98. Herbie and Chris can’t wait to share their love of all things spice with everyone who purchases the bundle between now and Friday 10th June.  Those eligible will be sent a Zoom invitation to this spicy online event on 10th June which will be held on June 15th between midday and 1.00pm AEST. These two experts have all the answers to your burning questions about how to make more flavourful food at home!

Sometimes it’s a drawback to have really excellent spices.  A customer recently asked if we could make a spice mix, Qalat Daqqa, also known as Tunisian Five Spice, for her.  It’s a blend of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, peppercorns and grains of paradise, and anyone who uses Herbie’s Spices will know that cloves, nutmeg, pepper and grains of paradise are all full, robust flavours. We tried to make the blend in its traditional proportions, but it was too pungent, and, in our opinion, un-useable.  Perhaps it works better when the ground spices are kept in open bags in a market, so that the bright edges have already been worn off by the time the spices are used.  Having done the exercise, we decided that our lovely Baharat would do the job of Qalat Daqqa in our kitchen!

Herbie & Liz will be in the Spicery Shop in Charmhaven on Saturday 11th June (9:30am to 2:00pm) and as it is a long weekend (Queen’s B’day) Residents and visitors to the Central Coast may be out and about enjoying so many experiences the Central Coast has to offer: https://coastmagazine.com.au/read-online/

Take this opportunity to come and meet Herbie and Liz and ask them all your spicy questions.

“Happy Spicing”

Herbie and Liz

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The Mystique of Baharat Spice Blend

Baharat, also known as Lebanese Seven Spice or Advieh, has become one of the many ‘go-to’ spice blends along with Ras el Hanout and Chermoula. Herbie, always up to date or ahead with spice trends, was asked to contribute this article to Australian Gourmet Traveller in 1999. Yes, 24 years ago! This is the article: Legendary spice merchant and blender, Ian (Herbie) Hemphill, has

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Herbie’s Spices Newsletter Winter 2023

When we started our operations on the Central Coast of NSW, it was a sleepy area in many ways.  How things have changed in 20 years!  We are pleased to announce that we have joined the vibrant Central Coast Maker’s Trail. Whether you have a few hours or an entire weekend to explore the Central Coast, the Makers Trail is the perfect adventure. This
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Herbie’s Spices Newsletter Summer 2022 – 2023

Isn’t it surprising how quickly the seasons revolve?  Our hearts go out to those who have suffered immensely from the floods and wild weather in so many states.  For those more fortunate, we continue to eat and enjoy each other’s company.  Whether we’re celebrating Christmas, or just being together with loved ones on any other day of summer, food is always an important part
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Meal Ideas for Isolation

We thought that in these unprecedented times, it would be appropriate to share some handy meal ideas to ease the stress of isolation and potentially limited food sources. Having to self-isolate creates an opportunity to brush up your cooking skills and have some fun experimenting with some flavours you may not have tried before. Let’s face it, everyone can cook. Have you ever grilled
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Spices and Spice Blends for Vegetarian and Vegan Cooking

In this short video, Ian "Herbie" Hemphill talks about how Herbie's Spices, herbs and spice blends are all suitable for vegetarian and vegan cooking. A great spice blend for vegan meals is Aloo Gobi Masala. All ingredients are listed on the labels, so you know exactly what you are getting. For a wealth of information on spices, herbs and making your own spice blends,
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Herbie’s Newsletter Summer 2019 – 2020

We’re all in accord about single-use plastics. Having seen huge drifts of plastic in the pristine seas off the Indonesian islands, we know just how important it is to get rid of those shopping bags, plastic wraps and sandwich bags. When one gets emotional about bad plastics, it’s easy to begin to demonize all plastics, and perhaps it’s timely to repeat this message from our Newsletter of some years ago.

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Spices & More in South India Jan-Feb 2020

We invite you to join us, Herbie and Liz, as we return to our beloved India to take you to some places where many tourists don’t go! And some amazing places that you just can’t miss. This is designed as a holiday, not an endurance test, and we have made the itinerary a little more leisurely than some earlier tours, so that you arrive home refreshed and well. Be a part of our small group and join the fun!

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Herbie’s Newsletter Spring 2019

What kind of meal do you think of when you hear the word “curry”?  The origin of our English word is Kari, meaning a spiced sauce.  The English took the idea back home from the colonies, and the classic Madras curry – well-balanced and flavoursome - became a staple in the English household.  The French, meanwhile, had colonized the Pondicherry area on the south-eastern
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Newsletter Winter 2019

What is Single Origin? We see it emblazoned on tea, coffee, spices and other foodstuffs.  It’s pretty simple really.  If all your potatoes have been grown in the Hunter Valley, they are single origin from that region – they don’t all have to come from the same farm. If, say, a coffee blender buys beans from Africa and South America, and mixes them all
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Easter Spice Essentials

With Easter just around the corner, it’s time to think about the spices you’ll need for your Easter recipes. For all those sweet recipes such as cakes, biscuits and hot cross buns, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and cardamom are traditional, along with Mixed Spice. For extra fragrance and flavour, try using our Fragrant Sweet Spice Blend as an aromatic substitute. Easter is a great time
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Herbie’s Spices Newsletter Summer 2023 – 2024

It’s about this time of year that we wonder where the year has gone.  It seems only last week that we packed away the Christmas decorations, and now – already!! – it’s time to be decking the halls, jingling the bells, and spicing all sorts of Christmas foods from pudding and cake to mulled wine and ham.  If you’ve not yet done your cake
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Herbie’s Kitchen Monthly Update November 2023

LATEST RECIPES FROM KATE AT HERBIE'S KITCHEN The countdown is on!  This month we're giving you some delicious recipes that you can make now to get ahead for entertaining or gifting. If you are starting to plan Christmas Day, our Christmas Feast Spice Kit has 8 packs of premium Herbie's Spices and 12 festive recipes.  From spiced cocktail biscuits, to ham, to mulled wine
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Herbie’s Kitchen Monthly Update October 2003

LATEST RECIPES FROM KATE AT HERBIE’S KITCHEN For people with intolerances or special diets, spices are an excellent way of adding flavour when avoiding a variety of other ingredients Our Recipe Page has a handy check box for vegetarian, vegan, nut free, dairy free, gluten free, keto, paleo, low-fodmap and healthy eating categories (please bear in mind we are not trained in nutrition, and

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Herbie’s Kitchen Monthly Update September 2003

LATEST RECIPES FROM KATE HEMPHILL AT HERBIE’S KITCHEN Longer evenings are just beginning, and depending on where you are, perhaps you’re eating dinner outside already.  It’s also a time that we look to lighter fare (although to us curry is definitely a year-round meal); with crunchy salads, fresh seasonal veg, and grills on the menu. Check out our Al Fresco Dining Spice Kit, which

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Herbie’s Spices Newsletter Spring 2023

Have you discovered our Black Garlic Powder?  In our house it adds a delicious umami to so many things … like sprinkled over buttered toast, topped with scrambled eggs.  If you already have this delicious product in your pantry, you will have noticed that it tends to go into a hard lump after a few months.  This is because it’s simply black garlic, ground,
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Herbie’s Kitchen Monthly Update August 2023

LATEST FROM HERBIE’S KITCHEN A lot of us are taking extra care with finances at the moment, and being able to make a delicious and economical meal for your family is something we all aspire to. We only source the very best ingredients in our spice blends for optimal results in your cooking, and sometimes an individual pack may seem expensive. However, on average,

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Back to India – Spices & More 2024

SPICES AND MORE 2024 16th February – 10th March 2024 Travel the length of India with Herbie and Liz from south to north, as they re-visit their favourite places, sniffing out all manner of spices as they go. Friday 16th February- Day 1:   Depart Sydney or your closest major city, destination Cochin via Singapore, arriving somewhere around midnight.  Our bus meets us at the
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Herbie’s Spices Newsletter Autumn 2023

Like all Australians, we have been shocked and deeply saddened by the news of the terrible earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.  We source some of our best and most popular products (sumac, Aleppo pepper) from these areas, and over the years we have formed a strong bond with the hospitable people in the Gaziantep region.  Our thoughts are with them at this terrible and
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Herbie’s Spices Joins The Central Coast Maker’s Trail

Herbie’s Spices is pleased to announce that we have joined The Central Coast Maker’s Trail. Whether you have a few hours or an entire weekend to explore, the Central Coast Makers Trail is the perfect adventure. This self-indulgent food and drink discovery trail will thrill you with new sensations and behind-the-scenes experiences. Meet skilled artisans and award-winning providores. Enjoy gourmet tastings, voyages of discovery

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Herbie’s Spices Inner Circle fills a need in the community of cooks and food lovers for early-access & upcoming events to all those hard-to-find herbs and spices.

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