We started our store in 2005 and at the time we were Canada's only specialized herb and spice shop. We started because we loved food and could not find the spices we needed, or the quality of spices that matched the quality of food we were making. At that time your options for spices were either supermarket spices, bulk spices or little plastic baggies of spices that were sold in the back of a little local shop. We wanted to change that, so we started The Spice Trader. We wanted to offer quality spices and seasonings that were accessible to all, at a reasonable price. We wanted to focus solely on spices, and become a specialty store that knew every aspect of all the products that we were selling. We also wanted to educate our customers and introduce them to a whole new world of exotic flavours and culinary journeys along the Silk Road.  

Our herbs, spices, seasonings and pantry items will make a tremendous difference to your cooking. You will notice that the flavour of our spices and seasonings are more intense, as we buy and blend all our herbs and spices in small batches, so they are always fresh and at their peak. So, use less than you normally would when first using them. Due to their freshness, our spices offer up a complex taste profile and character unmatched by regular supermarket spices, not to mention bulk spices.

To bring you only the best herbs and spices, we spend a considerable amount of our time sourcing and trying all the spices before adding them to our inventory. We never add sugar or salt (unless clearly marked). We do not use any preservatives, fillers or MSG in our herbs, spices or seasonings and all of our spices are NON-GMO. We will always tell you our ingredients as we do not hide anything, so you will never see anything called "spices" in our ingredients. 

Our name and our logo are our brand. We do not sell any other brand of herbs, spices or seasoning blends. We mix and prepare all of our seasonings and blends by hand and in small batches, so they are always fresh and we know exactly what goes into them. All of our spice blends are SALT FREE unless clearly marked. We also buy our spices in small quantities so that the never sit in a warehouse or storage. 

All of our spices are packed in our own air tight tins. Our tins are made of aluminum and as such are 100% recyclable and are infinitely recyclable and will not rust. We decided to use tins for our spices, as they are both traditional and practical. They keep both the light and air out (both spice killers), which helps to keep them as fresh as possible. You will find a packed on date on all of our herbs and spices so that you know exactly when they were packed and so you know how old they are when checking your cupboard. Oh and don't worry about dropping them, they won't break!

OUR GUARANTEE:  We want you to like our spices as much as we do. If you are ever not pleased with your purchase for any reason, please call or email to arrange for a return; your options would then be to obtain a store credit, an exchange, or full refund.

 We acknowledge that we are on the traditional land of many nations that date back thousands of years. tkaronto is the traditional territory of the Mississauga of the credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples. It continues to be home to many, diverse Indigenous communities.