I was introduced to Curio in 2017 and have used their spices ever since! I also took a spice blending class which was a great way to learn about their sourcing. Favorite spice that is on repeat is Kampot and Salt which is great on pretty much everything. If you are local you should definitely visit the store. You can taste test the spices and get cool recipe ideas from the friendly staff. The spices are also great gifts! read more

I stumbled upon the stand at the holiday market and the person was so sweet and helpful. I was able to smell all the teas I was interested in and she informed me of the differences. read more

There was a chalkboard sign about a spice blending class outside the storefront, I was curious so I popped on in. I immediately recognized the brand because I've seen their saffron sugar sold at diesel cafe in Davis square. Browsing around, the guy working there was quick to help me navigate the store since I had nothing in mind except to wander around. Very helpful - he gave me a few complimentary recipes using ingredients I had mentioned that I liked. I was super curious about their Persian ingredients, especially to compare pricing from the Persian markets in Watertown. Yes, Curio is more expensive, but their quality is high. They had zereshk (barberries), limoo (whole dried lemons), adiveh (spice blend that I bought), and honestly so much more that I wish I had the time to list off. Overall beautiful selection of spices, I can see this being a go-to place for me to use in my own cooking and to buy as gifts for others. Other highlights - their chocolate selection! So many unique chocolates from around the world. I went home with a Vietnamese chocolate that was flavored with pho spices & a Hungarian chocolate of caramelized lavender & anise. So aromatic and lovely! They have pop-up events every so often and in-person & virtual classes. If you're a foodie & enjoy cooking, this place is definitely a place to check out. read more

Started off kind of shakey. I paid for priority delivery and expected it several days before Christmas but it was not even sent from Mass to San Diego for more than 7 days. I was leaving for San Francisco and was going to take as a gift for family there. Curio applogized and took off my priority delivery charge. Unexpectedly, it arrive just a day later the day before I was leaving. I was pleasantly surprized but when I opened it was the wrong item. I emailed and they immediaately sent the correct item to San Francisco priority delivery and said I could keep the wrong item. Everyone is enjoying the wonderful flavors and Curio turned this around wonderfully. read more

This is such a fun store. The staff are friendly and knowledgable about all forms of spices and recipes that use them. Spices are seasonal and sourced from small farms around the world. I was so impressed by the variety and thoughtfulness that went into presenting them. I later attended the Spice Blending class with Susan, who was passionate about spice pairings and layerings. In all, I've learned so much from my few experiences with this store and plan to return for all future cooking needs. Thank you to all the staff at Curio! read more

I never knew it was possible to have so much fun in a spice store!! This place is beautiful!! The decor, the ambience, the random minerals in strategic locations! I love it! Claudia (sp?) was so so so helpful and let us taste test spices when we were torn between cinnamons! She even gift wrapped my sister's purchase for her, taking extra care to make sure the wrapping was plane proof. She was so knowledgeable about all of the spices and gave excellent excellent recommendations! Also she was kind enough to give us recipe cards that corresponded with the spices we'd picked! This place is such a win, and I will definitely be back!! read more

Fresh, highest quality, fair-trade spices. Obviously you can get less expensive spices in bulk but if you're going to cook your own food you should have the freshest spices you can get your hands on. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, and their spice blends are creative and unique. I love the recipe cards they offer to go with the spices and blends as well. The couple of recipes I tried were excellent. read more

Curio has quickly become one of my favorite shops! Every time I go in, I end up with a unique addition to my pantry (or an improvement on a spice I already use). I love that the country of origin is in most the spices' names. I've bought the Sri Lankan Ginger and Ceylon Cinnamon which add nice kicks of warm flavor to baked goods, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, yogurt, and more. I also have the pepper pump grinder which is both stylish & functional and comes filled with Sri Lankan pepper corns. They do lovely spice mixes (including some that were developed for the acclaimed restaurant Juliet in Union Square) as well as teas, pickling spices, and haldi milk. I love smelling the aromatic curries and dreaming of what culinary creations I could make. There are also great host/housewarming/birthday/anytime gift ideas like spice sets, gift baskets, and even a secret spice society! read more

See all

I am leaving a critical review out of a spirit of love and a hope that this shop can thrive and be here for many decades. I came to the store today looking for three specialty ingredients, which I had not been able to find at other shops. For two of the three ingredients, I was initially told by employees that they were not in stock and not available at the store. This turned out to be wrong, they finally made two trips to the back to look, and I was able to buy all three at the store! That's great, but it took quite a bit of persistence and a bit of polite craftiness for me to enlist the employees in a full effort to determine whether the products were in stock or not. I think this is a culture thing: you need a culture where there is a strong aversion to quickly saying no, and a strong preference for saying I'm going to figure out how I can possibly get the answer to be yes. Of course, there are going to be some things that you just can't do no matter how hard you try, but the limit to your trying should be way, way above where the actual practical limit is for some employees here. This might be a distinction between clock-puncher mentality versus owner mentality; The question is, how do you make it so employees feel genuinely invested and enthusiastic about going the extra mile? Whoops read more

I haven't visited the store yet (which I'm sure is a magical experience) but I received the 8 tin chef's pack of spices + Turmeric latte mix as a gift and got HOOKED! Curio has such incredible spice blends, and even better, there are recommendations on how to use it right on the tins. I put the Da Lat spice on everything now - it adds so much flavor. I love that they're all made locally in Cambridge, and source from sustainable small farms. I mean, read their whole mission statement - it just makes buying these great products even better! Customer for life. read more

Curio Spice Co - Da Lat 4 life - Herbs & Spices Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

I called in an order for some ground annatto seeds. They were the only place I could find that had anatto seeds and they would grind them up for me. The store itself is not open to the public due to COVID, so I swung by, rang the bell, and was able to pick up my order in a jif. You can either order off their website or call them and place an order for what you want/need. Their website lists all of the wonderful spices, spice blends, herbs, etc, they carry. I definitely will shop with them again. Once COVID restrictions are over and they open the store to foot traffic again, I'd love to come in and look around. read more

If you're looking for Indian spices, go to your local Indian grocery or, better yet, the Indian grocery RIGHT across the street from Curio shop. Indian spices here are horrendously expensive by weight. Also, there don't seem to be any people of color (esp. Asian people of color) on their staff, as far as I could find in the shop bio, which is really bizarre for a place that purports to be a genuine spice shop. I'm not inclined, as a person of color, to support a place that seems to be a product of white chefs acting like tourists and then making money off of it. read more

This may be a nice spice shop. Or it may not be. I couldn't tell. The people there were so anxious to "help" me that I decided it would be best to leave. I agree with the comment below about the Indian grocery across the street from it. Also from what little I did see there wasn't anything there not at Penzey's in Arlington. read more

This review is for the website which is awesome. They have their own in-house blends and also a partnership with local artisans for different spice blends/one right now fundraiser for India. Excellent place to buy ginger/single spices responsibly sourced as well as blends. They also have some interesting gift choices, I bought a kit to preserve lemons for one of my aunts. All lovely packaging/glass came securely wrapped. Also they sent it flat rate USPS/lower cost than/UPS shipping quote they had online. Looking forward to visiting the shop in person some day...in the mean time will be ordering online from them again! read more

Cute spice shop in a row of local businesses. I like that they keep sample jars so that you can open it and smell them. They are very pungent (in a good way!) and can be very surprising at first. They run the gamut from single origin herbs to spice mixes. Service is friendly and the staff is very knowledgeable about the spices available. read more

Curio is one of those spots that makes us feel so lucky to live in North Cambridge. It's not uncommon for my partner to plan a whole weekend of meals based on what new spice blend or pickling kit he finds on the store shelves. When planning our wedding, we wanted to highlight local businesses and Curio was at the top of our list. We worked with Sam and Claire to secure the cutest little jars of the Herbs du Romance. Not only do our guests get to share in the Curio love, we get the extra little jars! Thank you Curio! read more

Curio Spice Co - Our wedding favor. - Herbs & Spices Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Have u been by yet? It's been too long if u haven't. Never been? Then ur missing out on one bright spot in this dystopia. Don't let covid obscure the sun! Brighten ur day by checking out the website.Go look in the windows to feel-Happy! Have little ones? the Golden Milk ( turmeric) will become their/ur go-to treat & most unique gift.(pre-covid I gave instead of flowers for housewarmings/parties) Take-out here and feel transported to foreign lands w/o fear of flying.Fleur Spice a fav.Pure hedonism & education for those dulling senses.( oh...& try their tasty salts -w a pinch over the shoulder for that needed luck .) read more

Even though Curio is closed due to covid you can still place your order online for pick up! Accidentally came before my order was fulfilled and they were accommodating! The quality and the prices can't be beat, especially if you don't need to buy in bulk. Happy to support this woman owned business read more

I ordered Black tea with turmeric and lime. It is the best tea I've been ever tried!! Please check this business out.

Terrible customer service. I tried to correct a mailing address the same day as the order and e-mailed twice about it. Never heard a thing! Not sure why they give out an e-mail?? read more

Wonderful spice shop in the Davis Square area. Having recently relocated from out of state I have started to slowly replace all the spices that did not make it with me to my new home. A quick Google search brought me to this local shop and I am so glad I found it. Not only do they have a wide selection of the more commonly used spices for cooking and baking, but they also have a nice selection of spice blends. In addition, the customer service here was amazing. The staff (owner?) who attended to me was great to chat with and she freshly packaged a spice I needed that had run out from the store shelves. I recommend this place to all those looking for a local alternative to the overpriced and mass produced spices at your nearest Whole Foods. read more

This place is simply delightful! From the moment you enter, the warm scents, the artistic displays, the varied and clearly labeled spices are all just so appealing to the senses. I picked up several delicious and unusual chili powders (urfa- a smokey dark treat, peach chili- local but fiery and sweet as well as a smoked paprika from Spain, and the hard to find Sichuan peppercorns). I also got some cupboard staples; lavender, black peppercorns and mustard seeds- though given their freshness and pretty packaging, I will absolutely be skipping the supermarket aisle for any spices in the future. They also sell several interesting salts blends-would make a very special and delicious gift. Very friendly and helpful staff as well as completely reasonable pricing- I can't wait to return and will recommend to anyone interested in making delicious food and drink. read more

Ok, so.... I love to cook and I love to eat. One of my favorite tricks is finishing salt. Curio has a salt and pepper mix that while technically isn't a finishing salt, I use it as one all the time. It's called Kampot & Salt and consists of pepper from Cambodia and Sea Salt from Maine. I mean seriously who thinks of Maine and Cambodia when coming up with a spice mix??? I'm really glad they did. Clever, versatile and delicious. read more

Curio has a small space but it's loaded with products. There's a great selection of spices and blends, all roasted on-site. Everything's organized with sample jars for your sniffing pleasure. The staff knows right where everything is located, and is knowledgeable about the merchandise. They can even custom grind/blend to your specs too! read more

What a gem! Located in a block of great shops. The staff was super helpful and knowledgeable. I picked out some great gifts for Valentine's Day. I made some spiced liquor that turned out amazing. I'll be back...with some friend next time! read more

The store isn't just stocked ... it's *cultivated*. Every spice has a story, and the owners seem to go to great lengths to find the hard-to-find. read more

The owner is phenomenal and the spice shop is adorable. I was able to get the missing ingredient for my lemonade here, along with the recipe :) She is always happy to chat about what you are looking for, which makes this place well worth a visit. read more