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Vanilla remains a misunderstood spice. Over the years, we’ve received numerous questions on how to use vanilla, how to make extracts, and what to do with vanilla beans. Still, the overwhelming vector of inquiry is, as always price: Why pay more for a single bean when I can buy a whole bottle of extract? Simply put, a small investment in a few vanilla beans will, properly handled, pay off for years to come.

Épices de cru has been, since its creation, a family enterprise. Ethné and Philippe gave their children the same passion for culinary discovery and travel, a passion which was then transformed according to the tastes and experiences of each. While his sister launched herself into the world of tea, Arik chose to work with his hands- not far from the world of gastronomy- in creating objects that allow us to appreciate the splendour found on a plate or in a cup of tea.

If you’re looking for some of the best food in Montreal, you need look no further than the Jean-Talon market. Montreal’s most famous restaurants are scattered throughout the city, but Jean-Talon is a culinary center like no other in North America. Meats, cheeses, locally grown fruits and vegetables, and of course classic Quebec food burst from every food stand in summer. The market is certainly bursting with lunch, dinner, and snack options, but its good to keep in mind that it is surrounded by plenty of other good choices where you can avoid the crowds (have you seen the crowded aisles during a Saturday in July?), and find a place to feast, market style.

The warm season is creeping slowly upon us, and with it the beautiful days that make you just wanna lounge about under the sun. Having a pitcher of iced tea in your fridge, ready to go, is a good plan of attack. It may just become your best friend. Of course the advantage of making it yourself is that you can adjust it to your taste, sweetened or otherwise, and even add some citrus, berries, or spices. The possibilities are endless and you can go on all sorts of adventures, each more ridiculous than the next.

We knew we had to go to Bangka ourselves. We knew as soon as our friend and apprentice spice hunter, Ihsan, told us how difficult it was becoming to get good white pepper in his hometown, Padang, in West Sumatra. Ihsan had gone to Bangka island on his own last year but was confronted with obstacles put up by stubborn traders who wanted nothing to do with a young man they didn't know and who they decided had no business in the pepper business.

Indian folk traditions are on display at the Surajkund Mela arts and crafts fair that is held every February in Delhi. It’s a welcome and festive break from spice hunting.

The small, liver-shaped island of Chios presents a unique challenge to travellers. Punctured by jagged, impossible mountains and dotted with an endless variety of villages, Chios can be circumnavigated in a day but only understood in a lifetime.

The Mediterranean basin is well known for the extensive variety of wild, edible herbs which grow there. The climate contributes immensely to the cultivation of the hardy, bitter plants which are characterized by their richly pungent volatile oils.

Celiflor’s answer was clear and direct. “We don’t like to eat dry food,” she declared when I asked why Mexicans had so many different kinds of salsas. Molés or sauces commonly known as salsas are mostly chilli based and are boastfully flavourful. Not always piquant - guacamole immediately comes to mind - they are welcome additions to most meals.

The Malabar Coast, in the Southwest of India, is, quite possibly, the most fabulous place in the history of the Spice Road. It’s not only where pepper originated, but it’s also there, deep in the jungle, that one finds one of the rarest spices in the world: cardamom, which lends its name to the very hills in which it grows.