The Spice Corner

Having this place in my neighborhood makes cooking flavorful foods fantastically easy. I am very concerned about the possibility that this colorful, fun and useful spot will be permanently closed. The Market will never be the same. I’m crossing my fingers that the closing is temporary (and over soon).

Great little place that has EVERYTHING Spice and Tea. Visited many times when I lived in the Philly area… however, I no longer live in the region. Trying to find a strong, robustly smoky Lapsang Souchong loose tea has become a real chore. I am unable to find a way to order from The Spice Corner on line and would love to do so on a regular basis. How do I do that, or what plans do you have to offer on line orders?

I loved the pork soy sauce noodles. We also had the boiled dumplings as an app, and we were licking our fingers! I imagine everything must be delicious here.

Shame on the landlord of the Spice Corner building for putting the owner and her employees out on the street during renovations. Yes, I very sadly have to report that Spice Corner is closed right now and unsure of their future.
When they were able to be open for business, one could buy any kind of spice at such an affordable price, including the $ 1 vanilla beans that I had intended on buying today. The employees were always friendly and helpful.
I really hope that Spice Corner is able to open once again. To me, they were one of the best treasures of the Italian Market.

I absolutely LOVE The Spice Corner. About a fifteen minute walk from my apartment, and right in the Italian Market, which I always enjoy walking through.
They have every spice I could ever need here, and at absolutely amazing prices. The man who is always working when I go in is very helpful, and very friendly once you get talking. I’ve purchased single spices and the quality of each has been very good. I can’t wait to explore some of their spice blends and teas!

I love the smell of this place! Any spice you need, they have it. The staff also makes great recommendations if you’re unsure of what you’re looking for. I have never gotten a «stale» spice here. I enjoy the smaller size portions– it keeps things fresh in your own kitchen.
Great for harder to find items, especially for Indian dishes.
Cash only.

It smells so good in there. That’s a good reason to go to the Spice Corner.
They have a huge variety of inexpensive, fresh spices. That’s an even better reason to go to Spice Corner.
There’s really not much more that I need to say. Their selection is fantastic and their products are great.
Pro tip– it’s cash only. Being a slave to our credit cards, my husband and I were a little short on our last visit. The kind lady working the register generously helped us with the rest of our purchase. There’s no doubt we’ll make it up to her and then some someday.
Fantastic establishment, products and customer service.

Amazing hidden gem. This store is too little but have full of valuable things. So much fun to check out all different kinds spices, teas and snacks.
And their coffee… Hazelnut coffee is amazing!!! I drink a lot of coffee but I like to drink decaf. It is really hard to find good decaf but I found one in Philly. Their hazelnut coffee is so aromatic, just brewing at home made you feel good. I got like more than 10 packages so far and loving them.
Also got bunch of spices. Cumin, wasabi powder, paprika, anise, rosemary, red and white pepper… Just make it. They have all.
The owner lady doesn’t speak much initially but once she recognize your face, she is the sweetest. So helpful and get chatty. I had So much fun talking to her and looking forward going back there once weather get warm!

–EDIT– 2.27.15
I actually reviewed the wrong place thinking it was the Spice Corner. I was in the Italian Market the other day on my way back to Center City and I was going to pop into what I thought was the Spice Corner for a bit. I was going to try find the tea that I somehow overlooked last time. I looked across the street and couldn’t find it though. No sign stuck out. I said eh, next time then and I was headed off… until. I saw the sign for the Spice Corner right in front me… on the corner.
I entered and found the tea no problem. And I asked if they had moved recently, but I was told they’ve been there like… 60 years? Well, then. Where was I before? They straightened it out for me. So I picked up a couple of bags of raw tea at what I consider to be a great price for the portion. There were many unmarked cannisters/​jars. As far as I know, they were waiting to be refilled. I got my usual almond and chai and they’re definitely up to par. I only needed the tea this time, but I’ll be back for some spices definitely on my next pass through and maybe I’ll see what the unmarked jars are.

I love The Spice Corner. Decent selection of good quality spices for dirt cheap. They also have a great selection of reasonably priced loose tea. And the quality is decent. Some of my favorites are Sakura, Strawberry and Rose Petals. They also carry some not-​so-​easy to find items like harissa in a tube, etc.
I’d never go anywhere else for spices or specialty teas. You just can’t beat the quality and price. I’ve even turned some friends onto this place.
I took one star off because of the not-​so-​friendly owner. I’ve never had problems with her personally, but I’ve seen her holding up a line while chatting up a storm with friends or yelling at customers when it’s not necessary. She doesn’t treat her employees very nicely, either. I wish she was a little more pleasant. But the staffs are friendly and very helpful. They save the overall customer service quality.

The Spice Corner is a Philadelphia gem. Friends visiting from NYC and SF commented on how they wish their cities had similar spots (or that they would learn where they were, if they exist). Everything is optimal quality
Top picks:
Herbs of Provence — bountiful lavender
Cayenne — it has the zing you want in cayenne
Turmeric — packed with cancer-​fighting antioxidants for a perfect curry
Dried fruit and nuts so you can make your own trail mix as you hike back to the city.

Five minutes were all it took to fall in love. Good quality spices, very decently priced, but the TEA WAS INSANE. I’m drinking this white Lady Grey that is stunning and cost $ 4.30 for ¼ lb which is about a thousand times cheaper than what I pay here in Montréal. The staff was helpful and informative. Totally a winner!

It’s stunning that I’ve never reviewed The Spice Corner after countless visits, but I’ve decided to write today in defense of the owner who gets bashed repeatedly in many reviews. She’s Eastern European, old school, expects employees to work, likes to chat with people who want to chat with her, and she has an affinity for Eastern European breeds of dogs, such as our miniature schnauzer.
This nameless woman, whom I’ve asked her name, and have not received it does not run her shop like Whole Foods. She wants to drink coffee in the morning and wine in the afternoon and ask you to have samples of her wonderful biscotti while she slowly rings you up.
I challenge you to find a better variety of spices at lower prices anywhere on the East coast. The variety of teas and coffees are excellent as well. I highly recommend the tandoori spice and taco seasoning.
A cautionary note to Spice Corner rookies: DO NOT open up the bulk jars to smell the spices, she will accost you.

Sometimes I wonder how some of the spices here can possibly be so cheap compared to what you pay at a supermarket. Big 2 oz bags of cumin for $ 2 or $ 3, most things under $ 5, it’s insane. Plus they have every herb and spice you could think of. Service can be a little slow because there is usually only one person filling bags and the shop tends to be very busy. Cash only. Even though things are affordable, you will find yourself grabbing an extra item here and there. Bring an extra $ 20 and you won’t regret it.

The smells are fabulous and the staff is helpful. They have a nice variety of spices and loose leaf tea. A variety of salts would have been welcome.

I’ve been giving places 4-​stars saying that the 5^th star is likely in there pending return visits, but I’m going to, this time, say it’s a 5-​star barring any mishap in the future. Truth is, I’m sick of reviews that are less than favorable, which begin «I have been to this place many times and have always had a good time, except for my most recent visit, which was crap». That doesn’t seem fair. Upon review, I’m thinking that perhaps giving places I really enjoyed 4 stars just because I haven’t been there enough, is unfair in its own right. I digress.
So, Spice Corner. I often need spices, but I tend to suffer the high prices and off-​the-​assembly-​line quality of generic grocery stores because I am intimidated by specialty shops. Whenever I’m in a niche shop, I am uncomfortable whether I’m looking for a common item or something virtually unheard of. I imagine the clerk thinking «really? You couldn’t just go to Wawa?» or «Okay. Let me just trek to the remote regions of the earth and procure that for you»… I digress, yet again.
I made the mistake of going to the Head Nut in Reading Market twice before (it Is significantly closer), and both visits were unpleasant. Okay, increase reluctance for trying this place. Anyway, I did go for the spice corner finally, and I’m so glad I did. This will be my default spice shop until forever, I hope. The prices are ridiculously low, first of all. I can’t emphasize that enough. Additionally, I was being helped by a lady already, but the recipe I had didn’t specify black or yellow mustard seed (probably because it wasn’t written for noobs like me), and as I was standing there muttering about blind pigeons (Lithuanian stuffed cabbage) to the confusion and perhaps horror of my helper, another lady came down the stairs and answered simply: «yellow». The recipe turned out terrifically, and I’m glad that was not so awkward and embarrassing!
Finally, buying loose spices has a great advantage I can’t praise enough: you can have EVERYTHING in IDENTICAL CONTAINERS. Granted you’ll have to purchase these elsewhere, but whoa, uniformity is pleasing to the soul! No more ethnic markets, Superfresh, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and various farmer’s market containers in all sizes and shapes leading to cabinet chaos and organization despair.

This is my go-​to for spices in Philadelphia. Everything I’ve ever purchased here has been at its peak of freshness and is so reasonably priced that sometimes I do a double-​take when looking at the price. Service is very friendly and helpful, and they always have everything I want or need, even the exotic stuff that is sometimes hard to find.
They also have a great selection of loose teas, so if you like to cook and drink tea, this is the place for you.
Cash only.

This place might be my favorite shop on the Italian Market drag. They have so many spices to choose from in all kinds of different quantities that it feels like the makings of many great meals are within reach. They also have lots of baking goods like fresh-​packed bags of brown sugar and cinnamon, tied with twist ties to give that real not mass-​produced feel. They also have a ton of great loose leaf teas (and I’m not just talking black tea, green tea or chai tea) that you can buy by weight.
The best part? The service is pretty great too. They’re more than willing to pack your goods for you, and I’m pretty sure they prefer it to having you touch their wares. At the checkout when my bf and I were eyeing the licorice sticks, which were actually a jar of real twigs straight from the licorice root, they explained that you gnaw on them for a real licorice taste. We got one to go. This is a very authentic, fresh and neat place to go when you’re browsing at the Italian Market.

Whether you’re looking for some fine herbs & spices to really tie your cooking together. Or you’re searching for a good assortment of loose leaf teas, baking supplies, dried beans, coffee beans, or other products; Spice Corner is one of of those places that are an absolute must!
While Eva was right on about things like the peppercorns being a tad overpriced, the better than average assortment of diverse spices and herbs that they have generally cost $ 2 – 3 for a 2 ounce bag. And if you’re looking for more most do come in larger sized bags; and barrels so you can scoop that seasoning salt, chili powder, fajita seasoning or other to your hearts content. and your welcome to sniff through as many bags as you like until you come across that perfect inspiration.
Aside from the perfectly arranged spices, most of heir other items can seem a bit non-​existent at first glance. But the people who work their are friendly on a good day and are able to show you around their little shop of wonders.

It’s no secret that this girl loves to cook. On my recent vacation to Philadephia, I looked for a place to buy spices in the Italian Market District. I made my way over and was excited about trying new things.
I loved the prices and the spices. They only take cash, so I loaded up as much as I could get for my cash on hand. These are my souvineers and I can’t wait to use them!
The girl that helped me was very nice, but her boss (I’m assuming the owner) was extremely rude to her while she was assisting me. It wasn’t going to deter me from, writing a good review, but it was unprofessional and uncomfortable. Come on Spice Corner, keep it sweet like sugar. ;)