EssieSpice: Redefining African Cuisine with Spices

EssieSpice is a spice and sauce line that caters to the international palate. Founded in 2011, the exquisite brand seeks to create a fusion between different culinary skills and tastes through the use of exotic spices.

Spices have throughout history served as a fundamental ingredient in cooking for varying cultures, whether it’s the Arabic use of a combination of various spices such as thyme, sesame, sumac and oregano to form a Za’atar or the Chinese use of varying spices such as ginger, star anise, cinnamon and cloves to dress fish, meat and vegetables accompanied with rice.

"It is my desire to create a union between such wide-ranging culinary skills and tastes through my use diverse and varied use of exotic spices," says founder, Essie Bartels.

EssieSpice aims to highlight how closely related most of the cuisines in the world are; the underlying thread that runs through all cuisines and especially how spices play an integral part in great cooking.

Spice is often thought of and used primarily as a flavor enhancing additive. Now while this can be a worthwhile use, it can also be very limiting. In an increasingly globalized world where one can easily find spices and cuisines from as far as the Far East, many people, particularly the African diaspora, struggle to find the right combination of spices to mimic authentic African flavors.

Having said that, Essiespice aims to cater to a much more wide range of people beyond those with an African palette and has already garnered acclaim and a following amongst a diverse customer base. The brand will also bring to the forefront recipes handed down from generations, catering for a variety of events and provide an extensive array of spices and guidelines on recipes.

"At Essiespice, we believe in reinvention and creativity and therefore always attempt to use spices in novel and creative ways as opposed to always following the prevailing conventions. In the end, even the most intricate cuisines, are mere ingredients gingerly put in a cohesive dish" – Essie Bartels.

Find out more about essiespice at www.essiespice.com or contact info@essiespice.com.

Photo Credit – Ellen Avigliano of Imaginarium Studios