When I was a kid, my older brother put curry powder on everything. It was from one of those plastic jars we’d buy at the grocery store, but back then curry just seemed so exotic. Besides that, our family collection of seasonings consisted mostly of dill weed, dried oregano and a few of those warm spices (cinnamon, cloves) that define Thanksgiving dessert. And all that stuff sat on the shelf forever. When I walked into a Penzeys store for the first time as an adult, my nose went on an intoxicating sensual trip. At that time in my life, I’d started cooking a lot and looking back on my sad spice upbringing with distrust.  

Visiting Penzeys – the family-owned Milwaukee company with roots in the late 1950s – felt like I was back in school, only theology was culinary seasonings. For instance, nutmeg. I was familiar only with the ground spice and its sharp, nutty flavor. Discovering the seed was a revelation! Grated fresh at home, the flavor was so much cleaner, sweeter and pungent. I became fascinated by vanilla bean pods, scraping out the teensy seeds and stirring them into crème anglaise, a French dessert sauce. I accumulated a stash of little plastic bags filled with powders over which I kept meticulous guard for freshness. I even bought a thimble-sized amount of saffron, the world’s most expensive spice. I used the gorgeous bright-orange threads in paella once, but they seemed almost too precious to use up. I just wanted to admire them.  

I was growing into a hoarder of, of all things, spices. That stirred in me some complicated, uncomfortable feelings about control. So I made myself stop, just keeping small amounts and discarding what was still there after six months. I still feel a rush of excitement when I visit Penzeys, which I did recently for a quarter-cup jar of very potent cardamom. My addiction now in check, I can marvel at the mysterious, transformative power of spices, and only buy on an as-needed basis.

3 Penzeys Must-Haves 

1. Kosher-Style Flake Salt

I love the texture, the feel of it in between my fingers, and it’s perfect as a finishing salt for literally anything. A little sprinkle on your chocolate chip cookies before you slide them into the oven is heaven. ($4.50, 1 lb. bag)  

2. Vanilla Extract, Double-Strength

The vines that sprout vanilla beans are challenging to grow, making extract a luxury item. But this Madagascar extract ($49, 4 fl. oz.) packs twice the potency as single-strength ($32.50, 4 fl. oz.), so you can use half of what’s called for in recipes.  

3. China Tung Hing Cinnamon

Bakers and sweets lovers, listen up. The formidable flavor is a force in oatmeal, apple crisp, pancake batter. You may even find yourself craving that childhood fave, cinnamon-sugar toast. ($7, half-cup jar)