Our Spice Desk
Learn about the history of our Spice Desk.
Learn about the history of our Spice Desk and how we use it to make your favourite Rafi’s Curry Packs and Spice Mixes.
What’s the Spice Desk?
The Spice Desk is where we handmake the Curry Packs and Spice Mixes in-store and for online orders.
The Spice Desk creates a unique aroma that you’ll be familiar with if you’ve visited us in-store. This aroma is not coming from just one ingredient, but from a mixture of all the different varieties of high-quality spices on the desk.
We make our Curry Packs and Spice Mixes by using a variety of the different spices on the desk which creates their own unique recipes and flavour profiles.
Having all of the spices that we have in-store readily available is not practical. Which is why our mixes work so well and are a convenient way of cooking fresh, delicious Indian food at home.
Rafi started by selling whole, ground and fresh spices to customers. Then customers would come back with those spices and want advice on what else to use them with. Rafi would then handwrite recipes for her customers and give additional spices for them to use in her recommended recipe.
This is how our Curry Packs were born! The tailored recipes and personal service are at the foundation of what we do, making Hand-made Curry Packs that are blended to your tastes.
The story of the Spicebox
Rafi had 3 Spice Tins (Masala Dabbas) that included similar spices to what we have today on our trays on the Spice Desk. Kevin and Lee (Rafi’s sons) would call these spice tins that Rafi used, mum’s Spicebox. So when it came to naming the business, Rafi’s Spicebox was very fitting.
Rafi would remove the lids of the Spice Dabbas and take what she needed, using her fingers to pinch the amount of spices she wanted.
She had 3 tins that varied in size with the smallest tin storing the more expensive, aromatic spices like green and black cardamom. The spices in this tin were used in small quantities and less frequently so were stored in smaller amounts to retain their quality.
The middle-sized tin stored the seeds which she used more frequently with her South Indian style of cooking. This tin stored cumin, mustard seeds and dry chillies which are key ingredients in South Indian recipes.
The third tin contained powders and some herbs which she would use the most (up to 3 times a day!). She would store popular ingredients like turmeric, coriander/cumin powder and fenugreek leaves in this bigger tin.
Rafi’s 3 Spiceboxes are what influenced the spices that are in the trays on the Spice Desk and are used every day by our teams. This way of storing spices is a great way to keep small quantities that retain their freshness for longer due to the tight-fitting lids.
The quality of spices vanishes over time which is why it’s always good to keep small quantities of spices or buy only what you need to make sure you’re getting the best quality. If you are storing your own spices, we recommend keeping them away from sunlight and air-tight.
This is why we have our own Spice Tins and Spice Dabbas which can easily be kept out of the sunlight.
Find your closest Rafi’s and come see the magic that our Spice Desks create.
