Finally checked out the Spice Station, a very cool store in Silver Lake that opened this past December. This little oasis is tucked down an alley on Sunset Blvd. just east of sunset junction. A courtyard with its own vine-ladened pergola and fountained koi pond (goldfish, actually) sits between the Spice Station’s Tea House and Spice Shop.
The spice shop seems to contain every herb and spice I could think of as well as some I’ve never heard of. I picked up a couple standard pantry items:
• Bay Leaves – They had a couple different varieties and I went with the California grown.
• Murray River Sea Salt – A light pink salt from Australia with a delicate texture and pyramidal-shaped crystals.
For experiment’s sake, I picked up a spice concoction I was unfamiliar with:
• Vadavan – Known as a French Curry, Vadavan “combines onions, shallots and garlic with Indian spices such as cardamom, and sometimes with fresh curry leaves, although the specifics vary depending on who is making it.” For more info, go to: http://www.vadouvan.com/
And because I like to play with fire:
• 1 Chili Pasilla Pepper - This turned out to be the inspiration for Monday’s lunch at the Kadampa Meditation Center at which I made Ratatouille Enchiladas.
From the tea house:
• Chai tea – After smelling a few different chais, I opted for the one with vanilla accents for a Chai-spiced Caramel dessert I have in mind.
• Roasted Maté – My partner and I get loose leaf Yerba Maté from Nature Mart’s Bulk Bin all the time. We make about 8 cups, then sweeten and chill. Spice Station had a green maté and a roasted maté; the scent of the latter overwhelmingly won us over.
Helpful Tips:
• The Spice Station packages all of your goods in fine plastic bags that zip up airtight. But if you plan on being a regular and want to conserve resources, buy their reusable tins for $1 or plan ahead and bring your own jars.
• Don’t buy in bulk. Even though these are dried spices and herbs, they still have a shelf life and aromatic oils and flavors are lost over time. With such a lovely environment in one of Silver Lake’s best shopping districts, you will be delighted to visit the Spice Station on a regular basis.
