Where to buy direct-trade spices

BURLAP & BARREL

Ethan Frisch and Ori Zohar’s company sells nearly 40 spices directly from its website, www. burlapandbarrel.com

DIASPORA CO.

Sana Javeri Kadri sells four spices — turmeric, black pepper, heirloom chiles and cardamom — from its website, www. diasporaco.com

NOBLE HOUSE SPICE

This wholesale companysells its pepper to Oaktown Spice Shop (see below) and pepper and saffron to Morton & Bassett Spices in Rohnert Park, which sells bottled spices in supermarkets. Look for bottles with a Roots of Peace logo; www. noblehousespice.com

OAKTOWN SPICE SHOP

The store sells more than 150 spices, including some single-origin vareties from Burlap & Barrel, Diaspora Co. and Noble House. There is also a location in Albany, with a third coming to Castro Valley. 546 Grand Ave., Oakland. 510-201-5400 or www. oaktownspiceshop.com.

What to do with your spices

If you’re going to pay a premium for single-origin spices, you might as well take care of them. Experts suggest using your spices within a year for maximum flavor, though they won’t go bad if you store them longer. Keep them in a cool place out of direct light — a cupboard works — and don’t put them in the fridge or freezer. While some stores sell you spices in plastic bags, you should transport them into an airtight container. Glass jars are great because glass doesn’t react with the oils in the spices. How you cook with them is up to you. Recipes will often have you toast spices in oil to release the aromas, but you could also try sprinkling a little Urfa chile on fried eggs or sumac on Greek yogurt as a finishing touch. “You could compare it to garlic,” said John Beaver of Oaktown Spice Shop. “Sometimes you want a hot raw garlic in a coleslaw and sometimes you want it cooked and mellow and sweet.” Ideas are easy to find: Oaktown Spice Shop, Diaspora Co. and Burlap & Barrel all post recipes on their websites, and Burlap & Barrel has a 1,200-person Facebook group where home cooks swap stories and photos.