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RawSpiceBar Subscription Box Review + Coupon– September 2016

Lindsey Morse
ByLindsey MorseOct 10, 2016 | 8 comments

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RawSpiceBar Spice of the Month Club
4.1 overall rating
44 Ratings | 25 Reviews

RawSpiceBar is a monthly subscription that sends freshly ground, small batch spice blends and recipes that utilize them.

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My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

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The Subscription Box: RawSpiceBar

The Cost: $8 per month

COUPON: Use coupon code SPICEFLAVOR to save 50% off your first box!

The Products: 3 freshly ground spice blends from one country or region, enough to create 3 dishes serving 6-10 people.

Ships to: US (with free shipping) and Canada (for an additional fee).

Check out all of our RawSpiceBar reviews and visit the Food Subscription Box Directory for more food boxes!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

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Each month, RawSpiceBar sends spices from one region or geographical area. This is the “Argentine Spice Box.”

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Every shipment contains recipes that incorporate the month’s spices.

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Chipotle Smoked Salt - 0.3 oz.

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This Chipotle Smoked Salt is really pretty. I love the light pink color, and the salt is nicely fragrant. The suggested recipe is for Chipotle Salt Grilled Summer Vegetables, but I think I’m going to use this salt to top butter at my next dinner party. (Kind of like this.) I think that’ll be a nice way to show off the color of the salt. I bet this would also be tasty on popcorn.

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Dark Coffee & Chiles - 0.3 oz.

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This is such an interesting spice blend! It’s a mix of darkly roasted coffee beans, ancho chiles, smoked paprika, and cumin, and it smells incredible (just like spicy coffee). RawSpiceBar recommends using it as a rub for steak, which I think sounds delicious. I also think this would work well with chocolate, maybe in chocolate cake or even in hot chocolate.

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Sun Dried Tomato Pizza Spice - 0.3 oz.

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I don’t really associate pizza with Argentina, but after doing some research I learned that Buenos Aires is the self-proclaimed pizza capital of South America. (Attention cheese lovers: click that link and scroll down to the “fugazzeta” if you want your stomach to start growling.) This spice blend is a mix of sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, New Mexico chiles, California chiles, cayenne chiles, black peppercorns, onion, oregano, rosemary, and thyme, and it’s designed to be used in sun-dried tomato pizza sauce.

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To make the sauce, I sautéed minced onion and garlic with chopped sun-dried tomatoes and the provided spice blend. I then added white wine, followed by tomato paste, water, and salt & pepper. When everything was in the pot, I simmered the sauce for about 15 minutes, until it reduced and thickened.

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The recipe for the sauce was pretty straightforward, but the pizza instructions were less so. The ingredient list only called for mozzarella and parmesan, but the recipe itself mentioned adding bacon, red onion, and cooked sausage. The online version of the recipe, on the other hand, called for red onion in the sauce (vs. white onion in the printed recipe), and toppings of artichoke and black & green olives.

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Given this discrepancy, I decided to just go with my gut on the toppings. I topped my pizza with mozzarella, parmesan, slices of onion, green & black olives, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.

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I turned my oven all the way up, and I let the pizza bake until the crust browned and the cheese got nice and bubbly.

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I’m really pleased with how my pizza turned out! The sauce was definitely more flavorful than the sauce I typically use, and I enjoyed the mix of toppings. I’ve never used sun-dried tomato in my pizza sauce before, but I’m a fan of how it affected the taste. Also, I should mention that the above recipe made a lot more sauce than I needed for one pizza. I’m debating how to use the remaining sauce. Perhaps Pizza Paninis or maybe a Pizza Pasta Bake?

Verdict: I got a lot of inspiration from RawSpiceBar’s spices this month, and I’m really happy with all of the spices I received. I enjoyed making the Sun-dried Tomato Pizza, and I had fun learning a little bit about Argentine food culture. I’m disappointed that the pizza recipe was a little off, but, frankly, it’s a problem that I’ve come to expect from RawSpiceBar. (RawSpiceBar recipes often contain typos and flaws.) If you like cooking with new spices and exploring different cuisines, RawSpiceBar might be the subscription for you; however, I can only recommend it for experienced cooks who are confident enough to spot mistakes and go “off recipe” when required.

What do you think about RawSpiceBar’s Argentine Spice Box?

Starting at $10.00
Active Deal
First month free
Use Coupon Code RawSpice
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Choose from a 3, 6, or 12-month subscription of global spice blends to be delivered directly to your favorite cook's door. Each month, we pair our fresh, handcrafted spice blends with a mouthwatering recipe to inspire even the most experienced home cook and bring out their best in the kitchen.
Lindsey Morse
Lindsey Morse

Lindsey is a professional baker, cold brew coffee addict, and rosé aficionado who loves writing about food and wine. When she’s not sharing her love of subscription boxes with the world, you’ll find her in the podcasting studio, perfecting her cake decorating techniques, or cursing her way through the New York Times daily crossword puzzle. 


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8 comments

nursermk

Lindsey I love how you always make this work, no matter what kind of curve ball they throw you (which, honestly has been EVERY month)! I see their packaging has changed, and though I imagine the sealed packages will keep the spices nice and fresh they look smaller than before? I am always on the verge of wanting to subscribe but a co-worker told me she tried this and after missing and/or late shipments, messed up recipes and difficulty reaching them to complain, she bailed.

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Claudia Davis

I used to get this subscription and gifted one to my brother. However my brother initially did not receive it and I didnt know as I didnt want to ask him as I did not want to have him thinking I was fishing for a thank you. I finally asked if he received a certain month and he said no and then found out. This was 3 months after my initial purchase. Once he got it, he liked it but it was always late arriving for the month. Only one month did he even get an email stating it would be late. Knowing all this, I still ordered a sub for myself when I was really into cooking and had the same issues my bother did. I finally canceled my sub and let his run out. The company does not answer their emails quickly (sometimes not at all).

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Morgan Tuggle

I’d used it for mini breakfast pizzas! English muffins with sauce, cheese, and pepperonis! I love this in the am 😀 It’s actually a Hungry Girl recipe!

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Lindsey Morse

Pizza for breakfast? Sold. 🙂

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Pamela

Yes pizza is huge in Argentina, and very good! I am half Argentine and grew up eating it. I think it comes from the Italian immigrant population in Argentina who brought amazing food and love of wine with them!

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Rebekah

Excellent review! In order to use up your additional sauce, might I suggest googling “bacon-cheese pizza bombs” by Eddie Jackson?! It’s a super adaptable recipe, and it sounds like it would go perfectly with your sauce!

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Lindsey Morse

Oh my goodness, Rebekah, those look amazing! Thanks for sharing!! *sprints to kitchen*

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Rebekah

Haha, glad to share! The herbed olive oil drizzle over the “bombs” is insanely delicious… I may or may not be guilty of making the oil just so my house smells like an epicureans version of heaven 🙂 looking forward to more of your reviews!