The Best Way to Spend $100 at the Spice and Tea Exchange

By Wini Moranville

For years, whenever I’ve been near St. Augustine Island, Florida, I’ve made a special trip to historic downtown Fernandina Beach because no one, I thought, mixed a better harissa seasoning than the little shop I’d found there.

Well, guess what? That shop — the Spice and Tea Exchange — is actually a chain of about 100 locally owned stores nationwide. In June 2023, Todd Kolbe and Kirk McVey opened one at 218 Fifth St. in Valley Junction. After talking with them, I found much more than harissa to love.

Part spice shop, part tea boutique, it offers a wide range of gourmet spices and teas. While you can buy individual spices, the real draw is the blends, most of which are mixed in-house for freshness and precision.

“Our spice mixes are great for cooks who don’t have the experience of a chef but want to make something flavorful without buying eight different spices and spending all day in the kitchen,” Kolbe said.

Kirk McVey, left, and Todd Kolbe at their shop in Valley Junction. (Photo: Wini Moranville)

When I asked how to best spend about $100 here, Kolbe and McVey offered these picks:

Black Truffle Sea Salt ($26/2.6 ounces) — Deep, rich and savory. McVey uses it on pizza, eggs, popcorn and fries.

Dill Pickle Grinder ($16/3.6 ounces) — Adds pickle flavor without the pickle. Try it on cottage cheese, egg salad, subs or burgers.

Florida Sunshine Grinder ($16/3.8 ounces) — A mix of sea salt, citrus peel, green peppercorn, ginger and rose petal that brightens fish, chicken, veggies and eggs. “It’s pretty much an all-purpose blend,” McVey said.

Lavender Crème Earl Grey Tea ($14/2 ounces) — Their top-selling specialty tea combines lavender, vanilla, cornflower and fruit peels dried in-house.

Red Hot Toddy Herbal Tea ($14/2 ounces) — Naturally sweet from rooibos, apple and cinnamon. “It’s like dessert without the calories from sugar,” McVey said.

Autumn Harvest Salad Baking Kit ($24) — One of several cooking and baking kits that include all the necessary spices plus two recipe cards — one to keep, one to share. Other kits include Broccoli Cheese Soup, Buffalo Chicken Dip and Cardamom Pearl Tea Cake.

Wini Moranvile has been writing about the local food and dining scene since 1997. Read what else she’s finding on Substack at winimoranville.substack.com.