values
what we do, how we do it, who we are
The concept of our THE SPICE BOX shop is all about boxes! First, it is on what’s inside the box or the special attention we place on the quality of our products and then, what’s outside the box or our story and how we see things.
Want to know more about what we do, how we do it, and who we are? First, thank you and here you are, this page is for you!
WHAT’S IN THE BOX
Have you ever felt it? That feeling that something is missing from your recipe to make it as unique as you! That little je ne sais quoi that makes a big dish? That little something that makes everyday life spicier! What if that tiny thing you are looking for and have on the tip of your tongue only came together in one word: spice!
But not a spice to be forgetten on your shelf, no! An extraordinary spice from elsewhere, from the gorgeous green mountains of Wakayama prefecture in Japan. This special selection of organic spices, with their unique brightness and spiciness, will surely give a unique taste to your life! But what makes these spices taste so different? It's simple! what makes our spices amazing is what we chose to put in our/your SPICE BOX.
Everyone knows that quality is about the product! We think that too and all our products are premium spice but, we also think that what made a real difference is not only the product, but the producer. Our V.I.P. (Very Important Producer) Nagaoka-san puts daily his heart and soul into his production every day and deals with everything from cultivation to processing. Thanks to him, we can deliver top-quality organic spices in top condition, from harvest to our spice box, then to you!
We are craftspeople, and proud of it! For us, this means to us that small batch is not only a process, it’s a mindset! We make all our products in small batches, by hand at our small farm in Wakayama and proceed to boxing and sending from our Kyoto micro-factory. This enables us to provide the freshest, highest quality products. We know that every single box of our spices goes to a single person, so we want to make sure that every box, every set, and every message matters.
We want to think small batch but big quality and since quality is also to be found in the details, all our spices are hand-mixed and hand-packed with special care, in order to ensure that our products have the highest quality. For example, when sansho is ground into powder, Nagaoka-san grinds it slowly, processing it manually with a stone mill to prevent the heat from affecting the aroma and color. Yes, we want the very best for you!
We constantly aim to maintain the quality of our products through high-quality raw materials, and the particular care we take in producing our spices. By specially selecting, carefully sorting, and delicately mixing our spices, we want you to discover the magic of high-quality spices powders. Do you know that a sansho pepper, for example, takes ten years before it starts to bear fruit? Yes, ten years to start producing! That's just one reason this spice is so premium. In fact, in our spice box, you will find all our know-how and our love for the spicy side of Japanese culture. Above all, we want to bring joy and 100% customer satisfaction to everyone with our spice box. Isn't that the basis of premium standards?
This level of freshness and quality is very unique these days, but we think that this constant attention to detail is completely worth it and we are sure you will agree with us at the first bite!
But quality is now more than making a good product, don’t you think?
We are sure you do not know all about the fantastic power of spices and their amazing health benefits. Spices are truly your body’s best buddy, so go ahead and give them a heavy shake in your next dish, your body will thank you!
We strongly believe in growing healthy, safe organic food. Although our farm is not certified organic, we follow Japan's regulations for organic crop producers and processors to the letter. All our spices are 100% natural, 100% pure, 100% delicious! We use preventative pest control methods such as row covers, crop rotation, crop biodiversity, and composting for whole-farm soil fertility. Of course, under absolutely no circumstances would we use chemical fertilizers, GMOs, or chemical pesticides. All our products and packaging have an eco-friendly approach to resource management and environmental protection aims to consider the complex interrelationships of an entire ecosystem. All-natural, pesticide-free, no colorings, no fillers, no additives, no msg, no preservatives, dried naturally, and prepared using traditional Japanese techniques, our products are 100% organic, gluten-free, vegan and delicious!
The use of spices has been known for their medicinal properties occurred long before their culinary use. Modern science has now shown that many spices indeed have remarkable health benefits. Spices not only add flavor to our dishes, but also pack a phytonutrient punch that can boost numerous health indices. Each spice has its own unique nutrient profile, but you can find some powerful health benefits in every spice, since most varieties produce anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer effects. One other huge benefit is that spices are consumed in quantities that are too small to contribute much in the way of calories, carbohydrates, or fat to our diets, though they can help boost our micronutrient absorption! Usually, the higher the quality of the spice, the greater the concentration of effective nutrients, so premium spices are definitely worth a try! Please look at the page for each of the spices to see the specific health benefits it contains.
If you’re interested, look at what we do and our aims.
All our spices are organic, but we also ensure a too sustainable and equitable use of resources without degrading the environment! To do so, we make it a priority to prevent and control the degradation of land, water, vegetation and air; to conserve and enhance natural and man-made heritage, including the biological diversity of unique ecosystems; to promote individual and community participation; to use eco-friendly resources.
We all learned in the sixties that « plastic is fantastic » but we now know that plastic waste has become a critical concern to anyone on the planet. To keep a signifiant amount of plastic from entering our life, environment and oceans, we have decided to use no plastic at all. You too, be drastic about plastic! For a good example, take our boxes! They are made with recycled paper in a Japanese traditional origami folding, a way to be both responsible and fun!
We are always trying to reduce the amount of waste we contribute to landfills, and we focus on the key idea of making packaging that breaks down naturally with a 100% zero waste concept. We absolutely want our products to create a surprising deliciousness, but not only that. We want to create a low waste value for you, and also lower the overall waste impact for all of us.
All of our spices are made with love by Nagaoka-san in Wakayama prefecture and all our boxes are designed and produced by us here in Kyoto. To give you the best and greenest product, we are supporting local craftsmen in every step of our production process, as well as minimizing the distance that our items must travels. In fact, we do everything here in the Kinki region!
Of course, international shipping from our warehouse to your house is not the best way to save our planet. But we hope our small production, shipped in a small package, will have a small environmental impact. We will do our best to reduce our deliveries and try to keep this impact as small as possible, by refraining from splitting orders into multiple deliveries and shipping items in the smallest package possible. We will fight to maintain a positive environmental impact and the best carbon balance shipping we can find.