Ethnic Markets: The Spice House

By Lisa Shames in Food on Jun 5, 2007 4:00PM

Any seasoned cook – pun intended – knows the value of a well-placed spice or two. And any Chicago seasoned cook, or professional chef for that matter, knows the value of The Spice House.

Even before you enter the Old Town shop, your nose knows what lies behind those wooden doors and in those glass jars. This family-owned business – Chicagoist can’t get enough of these – began in 1957 in Milwaukee by Tom and Patty Erd. But it was their daughter, Ruth, along with her husband Bill Penzey Sr., that eventually brought the store’s vast selection of spices, herbs and seasonings to Chicago in 2001 (there’s a third store in Evanston, as well as a smaller second one in Milwaukee; be on the lookout for a fifth store to open soon, we were told, in the suburbs).

Spices have played an important role throughout history, and the store’s collection of old maps, globes and vintage suitcases reflect that. They were used for embalming back in ancient Egypt and as perfume in the stinky days of the knights in not-so-shining armor. Throughout time, spices have been valued for their medicinal as well as mystical qualities (they don’t call it ‘herb’ for nothing). How can you forget the Spice Wars (well, you probably have, but so has Chicagoist for that matter)? And then there’s the more recent Spice Girls, which has nothing whatsoever to do with The Spice House but we couldn’t resist.

Don’t know your tien-tsin from a mahleb (the first one’s an Asian chile; the second, the pit of a sour cherry which is used in Middle Eastern cooking)? No worries since the well-thought-out signs posted on each jar list plenty of information or you can always ask one of the knowledgeable staff. Sampling and sniffing are encouraged, too. Chicagoist was quite proud that our schnozzle could actually tell a difference between the Tahitian pure vanilla and the double-strength vanilla.

We love that Spice House grinds and blends their spices by hand in small batches, keeping the intensity of the flavors. (How intense? The sign on the jars of whole and ground habenero peppers reads “Do Not Open” and we believe them.) We got a little misty eyed when we spied the Chicago spice blends – or maybe it was just the onion powder -- each created to reflect a Chicago neighborhood and its ethnic background. The Bridgeport seasoning is good on potatoes, says the sign, while the Back of the Yards garlic pepper is designed to flavor any meat. If you can’t decide opt for an Ethnic Chicago gift box, which prove that spices truly are the variety of life.

The Spice House is located at 1512 N. Well St., 312-274-0378.