Evaluating Burlap and Barrel Spices: A Taste Test of Excellence

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Burlap and Barrel is a public benefit corporation that aims to provide the best quality spices while supporting small farmers. They emphasize sustainable practices to reduce the environmental impact of our global food supply chain.

The company often partners with celebrity chefs and charitable foundations to raise awareness of various issues and generate donations for their causes.

Burlap and Barrel were featured on Shark Tank, where they turned down the deal they were offered. However, they have been able to utilize their exposure from the show to further their cause.

From their site:

Our mission is to end inequality and exploitation in food systems by connecting farmers to high-value markets, helping smallholders farmers generate larger share of the product’s value, and establishing long-term, mutually-beneficial partnerships.

In addition to their commitment to fair compensation and sustainable practices, Burlap & Barrel offers consumers exceptional quality spices sourced directly from transparent supply chains. 

Overall, I would 100% recommend using these spices, particularly for the spices you use most frequently. However, they are also great for the ones you love but have difficulty finding at your local grocery store.

The quality of the spices far outweighs the negatives in the usability of the jars.  I should note that as I used the spices more, this became less of an issue; I adapted to the pour and had better control over the amount used.

I would also encourage you to check out their recipe page, where you can filter their recipes by type of spice, diet (including vegetarian and vegan), and meal.

The delivery took 2-3 days, which is pretty good considering we aren’t dealing with Prime here.

It was packed pretty tightly in a cushioned envelope, with each spice further protected inside.

It also came with a fun surprise: 2 free kitchen towels!

As you can see, everything came in safe and sound.

I wanted to spend some time taste-testing the various spices before I put up my review. 

In the picture below, I set up a blind (to my husband and son) taste test using the Burlap & Barrel Spices versus a similar product I had in my spice cabinet already.

The three rows are for the 3 of us.  The columns are, in order, Burlap and Barrel Purple Stripe Garlic, garlic powder, Burlap and Barrel Toasted Onion, and onion powder.

The informational insert that came with my spices said to start with half the amount that I would usually use, so I tried my best to do that just by sprinkling from the container.

The results were unanimous across each spice.  The Purple Stripe Garlic was leaps and bounds better than the garlic powder I already had. 

We all agreed that we would definitely be able to taste a difference once this garlic powder was used in a full recipe rather than just on some toasted bread.

The onion was also deemed better but was more subtle. The flavor was deeper and sweeter but not as strong as the garlic.

My son ate the piece that was darker than the rest and reported a much bigger difference between the Burlap and Barrel spice and the one I had in my cabinet.

This is likely because it had quite a bit more seasoning on it than the other two (more on that later).

Next, I decided to use the Smoke ‘N’ Herb blend on some breakfast taco filling I was making to eat for the rest of the week.

The best way I have to describe this blend is that it is similar to an Italian blend but amped up and smoky.  This product comes with a grinder top, which has its pros and cons. 

The tofu with the seasoning blend was fantastic.  I could still taste it pretty well with the rest of the filling ingredients added in. 

However, the addition of the salsa and goat cheese (a plan I had before receiving the Burlap and Barrel delivery) drowned it out a bit. 

The next time I ate the tacos, I used shredded mozzarella instead, with no sauce, and I could taste the seasoning pretty well.

The last dish I made (that I remembered to photograph) was halloumi rolls.  

These are pretty simple to make: diced onions and halloumi, shredded mozzarella, and spices rolled up in puff pastry. Then, slice and bake the rolls. Serve with a big salad.

I used Za’atar seasoning for this instead of my usual generic Italian blend, and it was definitely better than usual!

The usability of the products is where I came across the only con of my spices.

The holes in the top of the powdered spices are too large, making it difficult to sprinkle the garlic and onion powders across the bread evenly.  This is why you see the blackened spot on that taste-test bread above.

I tried to get some of it off, but you can clearly see where a “chunk” of toasted onion powder was dropped instead of a sprinkle.

This isn’t a problem when using these in a regular recipe, but it definitely was a problem any time I tried to sprinkle the powders evenly on the food.

But the biggest problem lies with the grinder top.  When I tried to tear the perforated plastic off the top to open it, the entire lid popped off, causing me to spill a decent amount over my counter and a bit on the floor, which was understandably aggravating.

When I got the bottle put back together, I found that the grinding motion actually unscrewed the top of the jar, making me dump whole seasonings into the pan.

If you look super carefully, you can actually see the whole spices on the tofu above, even though I spooned a good bit of it out.

To use the grinder, you have to hold the base of the lid in place and then grind the spices into your food.   

Again, it’s not terrible, but it’s also not something I have to do with the pepper grinders I buy at the grocery store.

Burlap and Barrel provides a variety of products. I recommend their Spice Quiz to get started.

Especially if you’re overwhelmed by all of their options!

I took the quiz after I had already chosen my 6 products, and 2 out of the 6 recommendations matched up. From the remaining recommendations, I had just bought one at the store (crushed red pepper).

Two were ones that I considered buying, and the third was a set of 3 different blends.

Read on for some idea gathering!

Burlap and Barrel carries both basic and more exciting spice blends.

Their everyday basics page includes spices such as cinnamon, cumin, paprika, turmeric, chili powder, 5 spice, curry, and more. 

Each product specifies where they are sourced and gives interesting information about how their flavor profiles may vary from the products you are used to using.

The blends include flavor profiles from all over the world.

Examples include Adobo and Sazon from Puerto Rico, Berbere from Ethiopia, Chai from Zanzibar, and Five Spice from Vietnam.

But that alone doesn’t even do justice to the variety of blends they have.  You’ll also find things like Pickling Starter, Everything Brownie, Köfte Bahrat, and California Heat.

The Burlap and Barrel collaborations are such a cool idea.  

These are publications, celebrity chefs, other food companies, and non-profits that have created special blends or products just for Burlap and Barrel. Many of these are designed to generate funds for their special cause.

The Smoke’N’Herb from above is one example.  Mark Murphy, Bon Appetit, the LA Times, Jon Kung, Sohla and Ham El-Waylly, and Anjali Bhargava are some of the many other collaborators.  

The Spice Club is a quarterly subscription box that includes 4 full-sized seasonal products, 1 new collaboration, spice stories, recipes, and a special treat from another food company.

The cost is $45 per box, and it could potentially make a great gift!

Burlap and Barrel has offered my readers a special discount code!

If you spend $15 or more, they’ll give you a free grinder top bottle of whole black peppercorns.  Remember to add them to your cart, then enter code DietitianJenn to get your free product!

Just like anything else, there are a few drawbacks to Burlap and Barrel.  

First off, their pricing is quite a bit higher than what you’ll find in the grocery store. 

And while this makes sense, given the drastically higher quality and fair-trade sourcing of the products, it can be cost-prohibitive for many people who are feeling the grocery store squeeze right now.

I would recommend being selective with 1-2 products starting out rather than immediately replacing your entire pantry stock.  

The second drawback is the availability of their products.  To me, this is a fairly mild drawback, but you can only buy Burlap and Barrel spices online.

Considering the ease of buying online nowadays and how quickly I received the package, I’m totally fine with this mild inconvenience. Particularly for harder-to-find spices. 

Their packaging was high-quality enough to ensure no breakage of products.

Lastly, because of how they source their products and their dedication to the freshest spices possible, some products are only available seasonally.

Again, this is 100% understandable, but it may come as a surprise when we’re not used to thinking about the seasonality of our dried spices and herbs.

Burlap and Barrel spices offer a unique and high-quality option for those looking to elevate their cooking experience.

Their commitment to sourcing directly from smallholder farmers around the world results in exceptional flavors that truly stand out in the kitchen. From single-origin peppercorns to smoked pimentón, each spice tells a story of craftsmanship and dedication.

By choosing Burlap and Barrel spices, home cooks can not only enhance their dishes but also support sustainable farming practices and empower communities globally.

With an impressive range of products to choose from, Burlap and Barrel is sure to become a staple in any discerning cook’s pantry.