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Spicewalla was founded by 5x James Beard-nominated Chef, Meherwan Irani, as a spice company with a focus on freshness and flavour.
The Asheville-based company sources their whole spices in smaller quantities, roasts and grinds them in house, then packs the final product in small batches, all to ensure freshness. You can see, smell, and taste the difference in potency and the flavor of their spices available 7am - 9pm every day at Buie's Market.
"Spicewalla is more than just a spice company. We are chefs, creators, and enthusiasts on a mission to inspire home chefs and consumers to find their passion for flavor and food."
Buie's Market: What do you want our customers here at Buie's to know about you?
Spicewalla is more than just a spice company. We are chefs, creators, and enthusiasts on a mission to inspire home chefs and consumers to find their passion for flavor and food.
When Meherwan opened his first restaurant in 2009, he didn't have any professional kitchen experience, he just did everything the way he knew from growing up in India and being in the kitchen with his mother. He didn't know any better than to not roast and grind his spices whole. Putting that kind of effort into your spices is just how it's done in India, but it was eye-opening for him to see the sad state of spices meant for professional and home kitchens alike. There was very little knowledge out there about how to use and care for spices, so he thought he might be able to make a difference.
Meherwan's hope (our hope) is that with Spicewalla he can not only provide spices at a much higher quality than most chefs enjoy now, but also change the culture around spices, giving them the care they deserve. Our hope is to change the narrative, from spices as commodities to recognizing them as the elevated ingredient that they are.
"Our hope is to change the narrative, from spices as commodities to recognizing them as the elevated ingredient that they are."
When asked about their favorite story from a customer Spicewalla said,
"We had someone write to us to let us know that our Chai Masala blend took them back to their childhood. That when they closed their eyes and took a deep inhale, they envisioned being in their mother's kitchen while she made chai on the stovetop."
Buie's: What has owning or operating a small business taught you about the impact of shopping local?
When you choose to shop local, you're choosing to support your community. As a small business where we are importing a lot of our products, we're at the will and mercy of the global supply chain in most cases. When we have the opportunity to work or partner with other local businesses for our needs, whether that be a local screen printer, the cardboard box manufacturer, or one of the many local restaurant vendors we support, those relationships ultimately create a stronger sense of community within Asheville, North Carolina, and the South.
Spicewalla is available every day in store and online for curbside pickup when you click here.