Sean visits the Spice and Tea Exchange in Ocean City, where they have 6 types of paprika, 3 kinds of cinnamon, a whole section full of salts, and so much more.
Owner of the Ocean City, Md., and Rehoboth Beach Del., locations, Joy Quinn-Whalen, says, “smell is the gateway to taste,” and once you step into the Spice and Tea Exchange you’re hit with smells from hundreds of spices, teas, and blends just waiting to be explored.
Dip made with Spice and Tea Exchange’s “Fiesta Taco Seasoning,” in the DelmarvaLife kitchen.
They have over 75 handmade blends, mixed right in store. Sean got to smell and learn about some of their more popular blends. “Vik’s Garlic Fix!” is an “all purpose seasoning,” Joy explains, “you can throw it on some chicken before you grill or bake it, it makes a great shrimp scampi, you can also throw this is some sour cream for a chip dip, or even put it in some olive oil for some pre-dinner bread dipping.”
It sounds intimidating, but their staff is always ready to share recipe suggestions and help you find the perfect spice, mineral or blend to boost your flavor. And their main target isn’t chefs.
“Our real target audience is the rushed mom, or somebody that likes to entertain, but isn’t necessarily a trained cook that just wants to amp-up their cooking. So our goal is to help them decide what things they can incorporate into what they’re buying on the shelf, or help them if they’re cooking from scratch.”
