frequently asked questions

We source single origin spices directly from small farms around the world, building equitable, transparent supply chains that connect exceptional farmers with home cooks and professional chefs. By working directly at the source, we’re able to offer incredibly fresh, flavorful spices while ensuring our partner farmers earn more for their work.

Our spices are harvested by hand, grown using traditional and sustainable methods, and are never irradiated, treated with chemicals or blended with fillers. We’re reimagining the spice trade to prioritize quality, traceability and impact.

Co-founders, Ethan & Ori launched the company in 2016 to build better, equitable supply chains in the spice trade.

The initial idea for Burlap & Barrel came about when Ethan was living and working for a non-profit in Afghanistan, and started bringing Wild Mountain Cumin home to share with friends in the restaurant industry. They loved the cumin, and the people who harvest it in the mountains of Badakhshan loved the idea of having direct access to a new, high-value market in the US.

Together, Ori & Ethan started building a direct trade model that connected spice farmers in Zanzibar and Guatemala with home cooks and professional chefs in the US and Burlap & Barrel has grown from there. Today, we’re a small but mighty team of 20, working with hundreds of partner farmers around the world.

Single origin means every spice we sell can be traced back to a single farm or cooperative — not a vague region or supply chain. It also means each spice reflects the unique terroir of where it’s grown, shaped by the soil, climate, and local growing techniques. Just like wine grapes from France and Argentina taste different, so do cinnamon or cumin grown in different corners of the world.

Most conventional spices, on the other hand, are blended from dozens (or hundreds) of farms across multiple countries. High- and low-quality lots are mixed together for cost and consistency, and along the way, most of the flavor — and story — gets lost.

We're a remote company, meaning that our team is spread out across the country, in California, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kentucky, Virginia, Boston and New York.

All of our spices are packed in the United States and ship from our warehouses in Hagerstown, MD, and Las Vegas.

We work with hundreds of incredible farmers across more than 20 countries and this is truly our favorite part of what we do. Each partnership is built on mutual respect, shared curiosity, and a commitment to flavor and transparency.

Our partner farmers are passionate and knowledgeable about what they grow, often working with unique or heirloom varietals that go far beyond the commodity market’s narrow definitions of quality. They use traditional, sustainable practices and take great care in harvesting and post-harvest handling to preserve every bit of flavor.

We only work with farmers who are ready to become the direct exporters of their goods — meaning they can cut out layers of brokers and middlemen and earn more from every harvest. We’re always looking to grow our network and bring new single origin spices into the fold.

We ship throughout the US and Canada, including Hawaii, Alaska, US territories, and overseas military bases.

If you live outside of North America, we've partnered with Stackry for international shipments.

Interested in a large wholesale international order? Please contact us, we may be able to help.

Shipping in the US is free on $49+ orders, or a flat rate of $7.99 on orders under $49. Shipping to Canada is free on $100 orders, or a flat rate of $40 for orders under $100.

We typically ship all orders within 2-3 business days from our warehouse. Standard shipping normally takes 3-5 days. Next day shipping is available on all domestic orders (for an additional charge). Shipping times to Canada depend on the products and destination (estimated at checkout).

As a small food company, we’re unable to accept returns, but we want you to love your spices! If you’re not satisfied with your order, let us know! We’ll work with you to make it right, whether that’s store credit or helping you find a spice that you'll love. Just reach out to our team here and we’ll take care of you.

Yes! Check out our recipe page. It has over 200 recipes that use our spices, sugars and honeys. You can conveniently filter recipes by meal, dietary needs or spice type!

Spices don't get better with age: the faster you use them, the better they'll taste. Generally speaking, spices provide a good aroma and flavor for about 3 years from harvest, although it depends on the spice and the part of the plant it's harvested from.

Most supermarket spices have spent several years in transit, in warehouses and distribution centers, and on the store’s shelves, and any beautiful flavors and aromas they once had are largely a thing of the past. Commodity spices have traded hands 15+ times and most have taken years (yes, years) en route to your supermarket.

We source our spices directly from partner farms, bringing them to you at peak freshness, faster, and with a longer shelf life in your kitchen.

For spices that you already have in your cabinet, a good rule of thumb is to look at the spices (Has the color faded? Are there signs of insects or mold?), smell the spices (Has it lost its aroma?), then taste a small amount (Has it lost its flavor?).

You can also check any spice jar (ours or other brands') for a "Manufacturing Date" printed on the jar or label — that'll tell you when it was packed in the jar. If you're more than a year or two from the manufacturing date, you're better off replacing them with something fresher.

Store your spices in a dark, dry cabinet away from heat, sunlight, and humidity — not in the fridge, where condensation can build up.

That said, the best spice storage is one that supports using them. Keep your spices where you can see them and easily grab them while cooking — they’re meant to be used, not hidden away.

Great question. We take food safety incredibly seriously — our standards exceed FDA recommendations, and we test every lot of every spice through accredited third-party labs to check for pathogens like E. coli and Salmonella.

We know our partner farmers personally and manage the supply chain from farm to table, closely monitoring growing and processing practices. If any results fall short, we use steam sterilization (never ETO or irradiation), followed by additional testing to ensure safety without compromising flavor.

Long story short: we’d never sell anything we wouldn’t be confident eating ourselves.

Yes! Our spices are certified Kosher by the Orthodox Union with a few exceptions. Not all of our labels show the OU kosher symbol yet, but you can confirm their Kosher status here. All of our Kosher spices can be found here: Kosher Spices.

Most of our spices are naturally grown, harvested by hand, and dried using traditional techniques — without synthetic fertilizers or chemical treatments. While not all are certified organic, our spices are non-GMO, non-irradiated, and free of additives, colorings, anti-caking agents, and fillers.

As we grow, we are working closely with our partner farmers to help them access organic certifications and develop on-site processing to increase both quality and income.

Our spices are naturally gluten-free and don’t contain any additives or fillers. However, we don’t conduct third-party allergen testing or carry formal gluten-free certifications.

A few of our blends may contain gluten or sesame, and those ingredients are clearly listed on the jar and product page. If you have a severe sensitivity or allergy, please use caution and reach out to our team with any questions.

A Public Benefit Corporation is a kind of legal business entity that values public benefit alongside profits. Our social mission is written into our articles of incorporation and is legally binding, and we're also obligated to publish annual impact reports showing progress towards our stated public benefit.

Our public benefit is "to promote the reduction of inequality and exploitation in food systems by connecting farmers to high-value markets, helping them access a larger share of the product value chain, and establishing long-term, mutually-beneficial trade relationships."

You can read more about our impact here.

We believe that farmers should be recognized and compensated as the skilled agricultural experts they are. That’s why we work directly with smallholder farmers and cooperatives in over 20 countries, paying significantly more than commodity prices (often 2–10x more) and building long-term, equitable relationships.

Through these partnerships, we help farmers develop on-site processing capabilities, share knowledge across our global network, and gain direct access to high-value markets, all of which help them earn more from every harvest. The result is better livelihoods for farmers and fresher, more flavorful spices for you.

Want to see how it all adds up? Check out our latest Impact Report

As a Public Benefit Corporation, it's important to us that the spice supply chain works for everyone. We do our best to keep our prices reasonable while still paying our partner farmers a significant premium over the commodity price for their spices.

If you can't afford to purchase our spices, please get in touch and we'll do what we can to help out.

Absolutely! We believe in paying it forward and supporting fellow food entrepreneurs. If you’re navigating supply chains, sourcing ingredients, setting up e-commerce, or looking for tips on media and marketing, we’re happy to share what we’ve learned. Get in touch — we’d love to set up a time to chat.