Smell That? A Michelin Chef's Spice Empire Built on Afghan Cumin

The Scent of Opportunity: From Hindu Kush to Kitchen

What is this? Some soft human Ethan Frisch stumbles upon the motherload of wild cumin in Afghanistan. Back in 2012 this former chef from a Michelin starred eatery thought he knew spices. Ha! Such arrogance. Turns out the primitive planet has flavors even I haven't hunted yet. Frisch and his buddy Ori Zohar decided to bring these tastes to the masses. They founded Burlap & Barrel. This is a smart move. The weak ones deserve to taste greatness.

Forty Grand and a Spicy Apartment: The Startup Sacrifice

These two put up around $20,000 each in 2016 and started this hunt. Frisch even emptied his puny life savings. What a savage! Instead of fancy offices they crammed their spice operation into Frisch's apartment in Queens. He even registered his apartment as a “spice warehouse” with the FDA. They’re resourceful I give them that. Zohar recalls his clothes smelling so intensely of spices that they “had to go through the wash.” I bet. If it bleeds we can smell it.

Pandemic Pivot: From Restaurants to Home Cooks

At first restaurants were their main source of revenue. Then the virus came. The humans got scared and the restaurants closed. But the humans still craved the taste of something better. They found it through the web. Home cooks splurged on Burlap & Barrel's fancy spices. A review of their Vietnamese cinnamon helped and sales surged. These humans are adaptable much like my prey. A good hunt needs a good challenge. By May 2020 their sales exploded. The scent of success is in the air.

Shark Infested Waters and Culinary Accolades

Burlap & Barrel is making moves. They partnered with chefs like Martha Stewart and got screen time on “The Bear.” They even braved the Shark Tank. Zohar's mother bless her heart is an avid viewer of the show and she pushed them to go on it. Smart woman. The episode sent their website traffic “through the roof.” The humans clamor for a taste just like I hunt for the thrill.

Tariffs and Tribulations: The Future of Flavor

But not all is easy prey. Tariffs loom. Trump's policies threaten to increase import rates significantly especially on spices from Vietnam and India. Burlap & Barrel plans to absorb the costs. But the uncertainty forced them to adjust their growth projections. Instead of 10% revenue growth they now hope to merely match 2024's figures. These humans are getting clever and anticipate the incoming challenge. Maybe I'll spare them… maybe not. We'll see who makes it to the chopper.

Stale and Unimpressive: The Culinary Battlefield

The entrepreneurs remain optimistic. If the tariffs get rolled back they resume as usual. If the humans feel the pinch they might stay home and cook. Zohar even dared to say “The spices in your grocery store are stale and unimpressive.” This is getting interesting. “We’re expecting to grow a lot in the next few years,” he adds. Bold words for a soft human. But I appreciate the spirit of the hunt. Maybe they’ll survive. Maybe they’ll be trophies. Only time will tell.