Melange Tea & Spice

Me and my mom were walking down the street and happened upon this store.
Walking into this store was amazing luck! We are huge tea drinkers and regularly cook our meals with a wide variety of spices, so it was a perfect find! Everything is very neat, organized and quite cute. Spices are labeled as if they were elements from a periodic table and even have sample to smell in test tubes.
I highly recommend a visit to this awesome store.

I had passed by this place a hundred times, and finally decided to swing by on the way home from work one day. Instantly I did not regret it. The owner/​operator couple has this incredible aura of invitation that permeates the store.
I went directly to what I came for– the tea wall. I consider myself somewhat of a tea aficionado, having spent a good chunk of time working in the business myself. I was thoroughly impressed by how much Yumiko and Boris know about the history, impact, and science of tea. We spoke for upwards of an hour about everything from how tea pioneered food safety laws to what stores were on this block 15 years ago. I loved every second of it.
I probably would have left at least a four star review without even tasting what I bought. Then I brewed a pot of the lychee black tea and wow! That alone is worth five stars. Their matcha is also highly recommended.
In summary, it was a heartwarming experience that charmed the pants off of me. The first time you visit this store, you will only be sorry you didn’t find it sooner.

There is no better place to pick up tea, nor a salesperson more knowledgable about his product! A must go.

I’ve been walking by this place for a long time, but yesterday I decided to go in when the shop owner waived at me on the sidewalk. They have a variety of spices and things that look really wonderful. Each is available for sniffing, which is a great idea I think. I told the shop keeper that I was looking for tea. He gave me a list and I asked to smell a sample, it was great. He was extremely knowledgeable about their products and was able to answer all my questions in complete detail. No complaints.

My husband and I purchased some pretty delicious cooking salts while we were in Hawaii last year, but we are sadly running out. When I saw that Mélange has a nice little collection of smoked/​exotic salts, I was overjoyed! As someone who loves cooking, I felt like I was in heaven. They also have a fantastic loose leaf tea selection and their spices are no joke (they even have whole ancho chilis). The packaging is neat and the directions for steeping and/​or cooking are very concise. I ended up purchasing 3 things today and the grand total was only $ 8. I can’t wait to get back here to try more!

This could quite literally be ranked among the saddest days of my life… I ran out of Mélange tea. Though avid coffee drinkers, my husband and I have been dabbling in the world of tea. We were vacationing in Philly when we happened upon Mélange — this due to a quote from Dune displayed in the window. We opted to step in and check out what Mélange had to offer. Boris took the time to answer our (or rather, my husband’s) many questions about tea and the blends available. In short, we walked away with both their Masala Chai and Rooibos Chai and a sudden urge to buy an apartment nearby (though we found out they will ship tea to us (!!) helping to settle that urge). While we might be out of tea from Mélange for now, we won’t be for long.
For those of you anywhere near Mélange, I highly recommend the field trip.

Yumiko (if you were a regular at the Spice Corner you’ll recognize Yumiko) and her husband Boris have done an excellent job with Mélange Tea & Spice. Everyone can appreciate this clean, polished, and well organized shop. Don’t expect to lead with your nose in this sterile store — head for the test tubes in the center of the room if you want to sample sniff the goods. All spice mixes are free of MSG, salt, and preservatives. Plus everything is prepackaged into small airtight cellophane bags with the most adorable periodic table inspired labels.
Looking for a «from Philly» gift? Check out the Hoagie seasoning. My Philly loving Aunt and Uncle mix this tasty blend with some EVO for their Sarcone’s homemade creations. Looking for something more exotic? I’m loving the Berbere and Za’atar spices — kicking up my lentils and hummus. And the salt selection? Mélange offers a rainbow of options, what variety!
Next up? Revisiting Yumiko to check out the loose leaf teas.

Darn it you two! First, you get me hooked on your tea. I was never a tea drinker and now I can’t stop drinking it. Now I’m hooked on your spices. How am I ever going to go back to buying spices from a grocery store again? I can’t. It’s just not possible. I just used your pork seasoning and was cursing your name Boris. Friends tried my chili and instantly noticed the difference in the quality of the paprika and spices used. I am so screwed if you guys don’t stick around! I need to start working out before I gain 30lbs from all this well seasoned food. I totally blame you two for this wonderful problem to have. Excuse me while I go enjoy my rice pudding desert made with your delicious spices along with a mug full of Soma. Please don’t ever leave Philadelphia!

I love the charming store and the owners, they’re a great addition to my Pine Street neighborhood. They have a great selection and quality of both tea and spices and I’m a very adventurous cook. I would give them 5 stars, if it weren’t for the unwieldy packaging of both the teas and spices. The cellophane wrappers are brittle and skimpy. It’s nearly impossible to open them without spilling the contents all over and it’s totally impossible to re-​use them, so the contents must be put into another bag or jar. Fix that, Mélange and you’ll be pretty damn near perfect!

visiting Philadelphia we stumbled across this Oasis for tea! The Owner (Boris) runs the retail shop himself and also researches, orders, and blends his own teas. The tea is super fresh and delicious. He spent time telling us tea origin, history, flavor and preparation. The Mélange chai tea is amazing! Mélange also sells online, and I will be reordering online since I don’t live in Philly, because its just that good! Plus the owner is a sweetie!

Updating my previous review because this business seems to have worked out its personal issues and keeps regular business hours. It’s a lovely shop with a wonderful selection of teas. The staff is very knowledgable about the tea and spices; offering excellent suggestions on their use. I will return for more!

I am an admitted coffee addict, i will take coffee in any form available, if there was a toothpaste with coffee flavor and it has caffeine in it would be on my bathroom shelf. I am glad to say tea from Mélange has cured me of my coffee addiction, thanks to my lovely wife. We walked to Mélange when we first moved to Phila and never looked back. Boris is an encyclopedia of knowledge when it comes to tea, every single time we have been to Mélange we have come away with a new tea which quickly becomes a new favorite. Boris and his wife are remarkably meticulous when it comes to choosing the right tea from the right source, and it shows when the tea hits the palate.
As for the spices, I have tried the pepper, the Greek seasoning and he fish seasoning, as for the results lets just say it make a average food taste really good, especially the pepper.
So my advice, ditch the coffee, walk into Mélange, strike up a convo with Boris and enjoy a cuppa tea.

Raise your hand if you are looking to enjoy Morocco’s favorite national drink-​Moroccan Mint Tea, without flying to Marrakech and breaking the bank.
Raise your hand again if you always wanted to expand your cooking horizons by sprinkling that Middle Eastern Za’atar on your flatbread with olive oil, or rubbing it on your chicken, salmon or halibut before baking or grilling it. However, it seems like a hard-​to-​find treasure!
Well, watch out Philadelphia. Mélange Tea & Spice is in town.
I felt nostalgic over the aroma arising from spices, cardamom, sumac and fenugreek– I never would have thought that I would find fenugreek other than in egypt. The sky is the limit when it comes to Spice! I couldn’t resist and I bought a bag of cardamom and another of Assam red tea. Don’t get Me Wrong– for me cooking is still confusing, no matter what language it’s in: D
Now I Just want to share some facts or maybe some spicy gossip:
— Boris Ginsburg, the owner, is incredibly friendly, extremely knowledgeable and a very humble gentleman.
— Products: Variety of gourmet loose tea, different spices/​herbs, hot chilies, salts, and savory house-​blends including Hoagie Seasoning– Yup, you read that right. Whats more iconic than that in the Hoagie City. How awesome is that?
— Each product is neatly packaged and labeled with the exact measurements to begin you culinary adventure with confidence and the possibilities are endless, just live the dream.
— Pro fact from Boris: masala chai means «spiced tea», while chai masala means «tea spices».
Who knows, maybe one day I will upgrade my life from restaurant reservations to cooking adventures, If so I know where to get my spices from.
Four Unilocal and half

Lovely spice shop! They have tons of different spices and the spices are so cheap. A lot of household spices are just $ 1 – 3! Owner is knowledgeable and friendly. So happy I live nearby and can pick up spices whenever I need them!

Say tea and spice, and I’m in!
I live right around the corner from here and had been meaning to check it out. On a walk home from getting dog food, I went in to see what they had.
Now, I wasn’t really looking for anything special I just wanted to see what they had. Walking in the store is very open and inviting. The woman behind the counter was friendly and asked if we needed anything. She gave us space to look around.
They have TONS of spices. What I really think is the selling point of this place is the small size options they have. I’m not even a cook, but I kept thinking, oh I will be back when I make this or that.
This is a great place to know and have in the neighborhood. I will be back!

I had seen the coming soon sign in the window of this place for months, but somehow forgot to stop in once they officially opened. On my way home yesterday in the cold rain, I decided it was time.
Warm, bright, and inviting. The packaging is clean and simple (periodic table themed, which I was a huge fan of), and made me think the spices/​seasoning blends would be exorbitantly priced, but everything was extremely reasonable.
My favorite part was the guy working there, who my girlfriend and I now call The Spice Wizard. I thought I knew my Scoville scale pretty well, but he seriously knows his sh*t about that and every other spice and tea.
Also, there are smell samples for everything they offer there. Be careful with the Jerk seasoning. Go check it out!