Misstropolis

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Spice up your Summer

by Andrea Pyenson

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Memorial Day is just around the corner, and for winter-weary New Englanders that means just one thing… packing up the cars and heading to the highway to sit in traffic. If the highway you’re on leads to the Cape, there’s one non-beach activity you must put on your to-do list this summer – a visit to Truro’s Atlantic Spice Company.

It’s easy to miss Atlantic Spice Co., set back from the road where Route 6 meets Route 6A in North Truro. Incongruously located in this idyllic spot on the Outer Cape, known more for its majestic beaches than for its culinary bounty, Atlantic Spice Company has flourished by offering dried herbs and spices of exceptional quality, at wholesale prices, from its 8,000 square foot warehouse, fronted by a 2,500 square foot store. The business’ clientele ranges from vacationers passing through, to restaurants east of the Mississippi, to health food stores and food co-ops, and the thousands of people who have discovered its catalog and Web site.

A heady aroma, accentuated by pepper and exotic spices, engulfs visitors before they even enter the building. “All spice warehouses have a similar smell,“ notes the company’s co-founder, Mark Irving. “It’s a blend of everything that’s in the air.“ Inside, the cavernous warehouse is filled literally from floor to ceiling with an enticing mix of culinary herbs and spices, extracts, teas, dehydrated vegetables, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, botanicals and essential oils. Low lights and the ever-present herb-and-spice bouquet produce a calming environment that encourages visitors to drift through the store. And they do. In addition to culinary herbs and spices, the store sells essential oils, potpourri ingredients, books and literature about herbs and spices, cookbooks, kitchen items from spice and pepper grinders to handcrafted ceramics, and glass containers in all colors, shapes and sizes.

Visiting the Atlantic Spice Company is a wholly engaging experience, and the prices make it worth a detour if you’re anywhere near the area, but it’s the quality that keeps old customers coming back and new ones coming in — virtually, if not physically. Atlantic Spice Co. has a trusted network of growers throughout the U.S., as well as relationships with major U.S.-based importers and other suppliers around the world that keep the business stocked with the freshest herbs and spices.

The sweet basil, dill and cilantro come from California, peppermint and spearmint from Oregon, vanilla beans from Indonesia and Madagascar, saffron from Spain, and nutmeg from the West Indies. Freshness affects taste even of dried herbs and spices — especially green, leafy herbs like parsley, dill, cilantro and basil. “Nothing we sell is older than the crop year,“ Irving promises. “Because of the amount of product we move, we have a much fresher supply” than supermarkets.

Food is a trendy business, and while Atlantic Spice Co. has lots of staples in its catalog — pepper, garlic, parsley, and cloves are the most popular items — the company follows food trends and listens to customers’ requests. “One of the nicest parts of our retail business is that it enables us to keep in touch, on a face-to-face basis, with our customers,“ Irving says. “When Neil [Hanscomb] and I opened the business, we didn’t anticipate how well our retail store would do. Lots of times customers request certain items, and we try to find what they want.“

From currency to condiments, “each spice has its own history,“ he notes. “It’s a fun business.“

Atlantic Spice Company’s Vanilla Extract
Makes 2 ounces

1 vanilla bean
2 ounces vodka or brandy

Split vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds.
Place the seeds and the pod in a glass container.
Add vodka or brandy.
Cure the mixture for 3 weeks, shaking twice a week.

Note: As your supply gets low, you can add vodka or brandy to the original vanilla bean. It retains its strength for quite some time.