Watkins Spices

Consumption of spices and seasonings in North America is at an all-time high. In fact, spice consumption in North America has increased by 50 percent in the past decade. We are not only using spices more frequently and in greater volume, but in a much wider variety; approximately 28 spices are used in the average North American home.

Watkins was a pioneer in spices and seasonings in the late 1800s, and by the turn of the century had acquired a national reputation for quality. Today, our spice line has grown and diversified to include over 50 to accommodate a growing appetite for spices, while retaining the same high quality.

Why Watkins Spices?

• Quality raw materials: We buy the pick of the world’s herb and spice crop—each selected from the best growing region.
• Skillful preparation: All spices contain volatile flavoring oils. If care is not exercised during grinding or granulation, it is possible for enough heat to be generated to evaporate these oils, and result in an inferior product.
• Strict quality control: We select our spices for taste, color, and appearance; then more thorough tests are made to further determine the quality. One of these tests involves oil content.
  This oil, known as the “essential oil,” is a good measure of flavor and quality. Our cinnamon, for example, has 3 to 3.5% essential oil; many others on the market have 1 to 2%, and inferior brands as low as .5%. Further quality control checks are made to insure that none of the raw material quality has been lost. After the spices are processed, they are bottled in glass or tins to preserve quality (many of the spices’ essential oils are not compatible with plastic).