Update (2017): RawSpiceBar has since updated their spice subscription to be quarterly. Plus, they now deliver 6 spices and blends in larger qualities to last you longer! Find out more here!
If you love cooking and experimenting with spice, or are on the other side of the spectrum (like me!) and have little to no clue how to mix spices beyond garlic powder, salt, and pepper, then you may have some fun with the RawSpiceBar monthly subscription. Here’s a little bit about how it works.
What is RawSpiceBar?
RawSpiceBar it is a monthly subscription box (well, package would be most accurate) that sends you 3 packets of high quality, authentic spice blends straight to your door. Each month has it’s own ‘theme’ (either a type of food or location), and comes with 3-4 related spice blends that are freshly ground just days before shipping, along with 3 recipes ideas that each feature one of the spice blends.
Cost: $6 per month (also available: 6 months for $36; and 12 months for $66)
What You Get:
- 3 freshly ground spice blends totaling to 1-1.5 ounces, which provides enough to create 3 individual dishes serving 4-6 people
- Kitchen-tested recipes to cook 3 global dishes serving 4-6
- Spice stories & culinary history of each new region
- Surprises like bonus spices, toasting tips, discounts and other fun stuff
Ships to: US & Canada
Shipping Cost: FREE to US & $4 to Canada
My Box
My first RawSpiceBar box was the December Norwegian Spice Box. Here are the three spice blends that were included:
The three December Norwegian recipes featuring these spice blends included:
My RawSpiceBar Review
How I used the spices – As a somewhat lazy cook (I admit it!), I didn’t go as far as to make the recipes, though I did have a ton of fun integrating the spices into my everyday dishes. If you take a look at each of the spice blend descriptions, they all offer suggestions on other uses for the spices. I ended up using them as rubs on chicken and pork, and loved how they enhanced their flavor and added an exotic flair to my plates overall.
The flavors – All of the flavors were complex, perfectly blended, and very fresh. Although I enjoyed all the blends, the Gravlax blend was my absolute favorite – while only consisting of 3 spices, it created such an intense taste that really played up every meat I’d tried it on. (If only they sold full sized spice bottles for long-term use!)
The packet sizes – The one downside to these smaller-sized packets is that if you’re cooking the full recipes, they don’t leave room for further experimentation in your own dishes. Just to put the amount you get in perspective, I managed to use one .4oz packet twice – once as a rub on 2 large chicken breasts and a second time in a 2-serving pork dish.
Why I liked it – For me personally, this subscription box fit right into my love of exotic flavors, busy working-girl lifestyle, and overall lack of decent cooking skills. Generally speaking, if you cook for yourself mainly, and need a quick, easy, and foolproof way to enhance your meals, these packets really come in handy. You can easily spice up 4 meat/veggie dinners in total – that’s 12 boring-turned-exotic meals that create a real experience with every bite.
Final Thoughts – RawSpiceBar is a unique monthly subscription that’s perfect for cooks of all skill-levels. If you or someone you know loves exploring the flavors of the world, this box makes a fun monthly delivery, at only $6 a month. Between the recipes and the authentic, fresh spice blends, the box creates an experience that can’t be compared to any other subscription service on the market.
Do you enjoy experimenting with different spices and spice blends?