A random gem that we stumbled upon while we walked around the street. The aromatics that filled the nose as you walked in was incredible. It was really nicely designed - giving an old school apothecary vibe, almost like a museum. Great selection of individual spices and spice mixes. Loved that they had coffee beans around to refresh and clear the nasal cavity and senses. I really liked the concept of being able to order in bulk. Also cool to see the different bitters and cocktail mix options too. Staff were really knowledgable and helpful. read more

Never received my order. Apparently shipped on August 12, 2025, ordered August 11, 2025. It was a rather expensive order since it contained saffron. Very disappointed. Fred read more

Ordered online, it arrived in a day, all of the spices are very good. They make our regular meals taste and smell like restaurant meals with just some spices. Love these spices and will be buying many more in the future! read more

The Silk Road Spice Merchant - Herbs & Spices Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

WOW! Fresh spices at grocery store prices. I'm ecstatic. The selection of this store includes Thai, Indian and Mexican spices, various spice blends, whole and ground spices, salts, truffles, citrus spices, bitters, cocktail accessories AND kitchen spice accessories. I have nothing else to say except that regardless of the level of your cooking skills, you should try this place for your spices. This store is busy so expect a bit of a wait at the measuring table and checkout; especially if you order something not already on the shelf. For the record, I got hot yellow curry, ground habanero, ground roasted garlic and thyme. The next chicken I roast is going to be so proud to be marinated in all this awesomeness read more

See all

Likely the best spice shop in Alberta, perhaps in western Canada and a good portion of the northwest/central USA south of here: with their knowledgable helpful staff, The Silk Road is just great. Some owners are very clear about quality of product and service, and like many of the exotic or unique shops on 9th Avenue in Inglewood, this place won't let you down. I can only use superlative terms for this spice merchant! Although on the pricey side, they cover most of the bases in whole, blended, seed and ground quality spices. Each type of spice is accompanied a small taster/smeller bottle in the store that will refreshingly help you determine what spices/flavours and outcomes you want. They also sell spice containers and attractive matching labels for those of us who despair of getting a good set of glass spice jars in the usual places. With them they provide free labels for quick set-up at home. You really do need to get over there? You really do if you are an aspiring chef or keen cook of great tasting food. Of course professional chefs have their own wholesale sources, but The Silk Road is done so well that I challenge anyone in the city and perhaps in western Canada to find better. While learning to cook more and more spice-laden food, I've been slowly stocking up in Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian and Greek spices for a couple years, and with their varieties of the same spices, I'd guarantee that supplementing them with The Silk Road will help ensure getting the result you seek... Get over there okay? Your cooking skills and taste buds won't regret it! read more

Since we have direct access to so very little in Whitefish MT walking into the Silk Road was a real treat. We ordered a little of a lot. The shop is small with an old world feel. All the walls are lined with spices, salts, and bitters. The staff is bustling about with jars in every direction filling client orders. If you're visiting Calgary and do not have your own local spice show, be sure to stop in. McCormick has nothing on these folks. Lots of great gift ideas for friends and family - special spice blends, botanicals, a variety of gift boxes, and a large assortment of bitters. Just be prepared to be quick on your feet as there are a few tight spots in the shop which makes paroozing difficult at time. We had no problems taking the spices back into the States. Just save your receipts. read more

See all

I think the Inglewood store may still be closed but you can order online. Best spices. You can trust them to deliver a perfect product no matter what you order. read more

We placed an order online, as we usually stop into the Inglewood shop when we visit the kids at Christmas, but this year COVID prevented us from making the trip. There are no stores in Nelson, BC that supply the amazing assortment of spices we normally get from Silk Road, and the online order was no different! The website was easy to navigate and provided plenty of hints for using the spices, and even though I missed the heady aromas you get in the store, I enjoyed selecting spices online. I will be visiting the store once things are back to normal, but it's great to know I can get quality spices online. Thanks Silk Road!! read more

Set up like an old fashioned apothecary shop, this store is guaranteed to put the spice back into your life! There are two main sections - for the mixologist, there is a massive selection of bitters and for the cook, a massive selection of spices. Not only do they have the freshest supply of standard whole spices, they have a multitude of spice blends and rubs for you to sniff and sample before you purchase. If you are cooking any type of ethnic food this is your one stop shopping destination for flavourings. If you need to buy a gift for a person who loves to cook, this is the place to come to. read more

I adore this place. They have such a wonderful variety and selection of fresh spices I quiver every time I enter the store...or perhaps it's my bank account that shakes knowing what is coming. Time and time again I come here to buy gifts for people. They do such a lovely job of packaging up the spices in a gift box that I want to buy a gift for everyone I know. With helpful and knowledge staff, this is the place to go to get your spices or even try a new combination. A definite must stop every time you are in Inglewood. read more

Stepping through the front doors of The Silk Road Spice Merchant is like a quadruple shot of espresso for the nostrils. All of your brain's energy goes entirely toward your olfactory sensory neurons as they try to make sense of the billions of scent molecules that came crashing past the flood gates. Your brain's diagnosis of the experience - I have no idea what the heck that is, but I know I like it! There so many smells in this store and you're going to sniff them all, and then you're going to want to put them in your mouth. I don't know why, but it's just how it works. It's incredible how a quick stop at the vanilla shelf can so quickly bring back memories of Grandma's baking, or how the smell of cinnamon can take you back to a cold Christmas Eve when you you were eight, drinking apple cider in front of the fire place. Be warned, this is one of those places that you don't know what you're missing out on until you go. Maybe you thought the spices in your life were keeping you interested and happy, but if you try Silk Road, you won't want to go back to what you had before. Plus, you already know what they say about variety, life, and spices - so go ahead and try something new. While you'll be unable to give up the quality and variety after your Silk Road experience, the good news is the price point really isn't all that different from what you could expect to pay in the grocery store. Let's face it, your nearby Safeway is by no means cheap when it comes to spices, so you might as well get something good. read more

The Silk Road Spice Merchant is a beautiful store in the heart of Inglewood. The owners started it about 4 years ago after finding it difficult to locate the quality and the variety of spices that recipes they were cooking called for. Not anymore! Silk Road is now a one-stop shop when you need to pick up spices. Everything they sell is fresh, and it makes an enormous difference in flavor. When it comes down to it, the reason you add spices is to add flavor. If you are adding old spices that have sat on the shelf of the supermarket for months (having been ground, packaged and shipped months before that), it is almost like adding dust to your recipe. Gross. Come here instead. The prices are similar to grocery store prices as well, but here you know that you are purchasing something that is much fresher and of higher quality. The owners and staff are really helpful and knowledgeable. No matter the question, they will have a plethora of advice and information for you. Keep up the good work Silk Road! Review #23 of Yelp's 30 Day Review Challenge 2012 read more

An amazing collection of smells greets you the second you walk in the door. The shop is a big bright open space that is easy to move around in even when it's busy, which is often. If you are a cook or a bartender even in your amateur dreams this place is heaven. The selection of bitters alone is inspiring. Some great cookbooks (Vij) and I guarantee some spices you never imagined (vanilla lavender sugar). I also really like that you are forced to slow down! One till it's slow but the clerks are friendly, have good cooking suggestions and what's the rush anyway? read more

Be prepared for an aroma onslaught... and not in a bad way. Like, when you walk into a flower store and all you can smell are fresh flowers, that's how Silk Road is, except replace the flowery scent with a most agreeable mixture of any spice you can think of. I poked around the shop for awhile, looking at the array of spices, the gift sets, the cocktail books and bitters. All the while, I could hear someone pounding away in the back, crushing and grinding more spices for sale. Whether you want curry spices, the best cinnamon, chai or even BBQ rubs, you'll find it here. I couldn't help but come home with a new drink mixing guide. Part of me wishes I cooked more. The other part of me is saying to just make more friends who can cook and buy them all presents from here... that way they'll HAVE to test it all out on me, right? I'll bring the liquid pairing. read more

This place is dangerous, I spent $18 on truffle salt because they had popcorn samples with a variety of seasonings to try. The store is laid out wonderfully by type of spice and lots of the spices rest on bookshelves. If you are in for a refill, you can save some moolah by getting a bag instead of a jar. They also sell shaker lids for your jars, don't want that truffle salt spilling out every where. I roamed around the store twice, tempted to purchase everything, though I can probably do without the freeze dried shallots, they do have them. I ended up leaving with my jar of truffle salt, a bag of mexican hot chocolate and a bottle of Porter's tonic syrup. This section of the store intrigued me most as they have a whole variety of different bitters in stock. I wish I had brought some gin with me. They also stock some le Creuset pieces and a variety of spice books. Need a wedding, birthday or mother's day gift? You can customize a gift box of spices! I definitely will be back. read more

The Silk Road Spice Merchant is so much fun to browse in; a great place to let your imagination run wild as you sniff, read about and imagine all the amazing culinary possibilities... The ambience is cool and the staff are knowledgeable. The spices are mostly affordable and because they are high quality, a little goes far.. If you are shopping for an indulgent gift for yourself or otherwise.. ;-) the truffle salt is amazing - a pricey $18.00. A little does go a long way.. It is yummy stuff! They will give a taste sample in the store on request. They have a location at The Calgary Farmers Market for convenience. But the original store is worth a visit to start for certain to really get the jist of what they are about. read more

Adorable little spice shop in the cutest little neighbourhood. Silk Road has a great collection of spices in beautiful little jars, and yummy pastries at the cash for a tasty treat on the way out. The best part, they're very reasonably priced. I'm making a collection out of these :) read more

I like to think I know my spices! This place has a lot of them! A ton! 5 stars just for the variety! It started out in a basement or garage I was told by a couple that could not find the spices they were looking for. In 2008 this business was born! I loved it, everything you could possibly want was in this place. The gals working were nice too and very helpful. Each corner of the roomy shop is labelled and MAN, you can smell when you are in the Indian section and sure feel it in the eyeballs when in the chili section! I asked for ghost pepper and yep, they had it but you have to ask for it as it is hidden away! (liability reasons as these peppers are that hot! And pricier too but hard to find so I jumped at the chance to get the flakes) The spices are fresh and blended weekly. The shop is lovely and has a nostalgic yet modern feel and I must have walked around the whole place 5 times getting my spice on. We also walked out with some rare Argentinian Chimichurri which I cannot wait to marinate my meats in! Next time I am going in for the vanilla sugar for my coffee. The spices all have a drum with their story on it which I love, and how to use each one. They also have a small tester so you can smell each. The drum serving will give you a smaller quantity (doled out by staff ) of many of the spices you are looking for so you can try them at home for less $. Not all of the spices have this option but the bottles are very nice too that are standard for each item and would make amazing gifts for anyone who likes to cook. The spices are not blended with the low sodium diet in mind - they are blended for flavour but I have no doubt that many of the spices have natural health benefits. I forgot to ask if they had any added MSG or preservatives. I would be hard pressed not to come back here to this Inglewood location! Loved it! Top marks! read more

Got a friend to send me a 45g bag of "Grains of Paradise" (I live on the west coast). They sold her a 90g bag, as they said they didn't have any 45g left. Weighed it (the original rolled, taped bag, no tare) with a very accurate scale..80.2 g. An accident or skim? read more

Love this store. I have to control myself every time I go as the selection and quality is outstanding. One of the best blends I have ever cooked with is the Winter Stewing Blend - amazing with crock pot stews. Also love the Tarragon Shallot Blend for seafood dishes. Staff are really knowledgeable and helpful - this is a must do in Inglewood. read more

I wondered into this fine establishment at the sun festival held every year in Inglewood. I have driven past it many times at this location and their old location and I am sorry that I had not gone in sooner. The place is full of amazing spices, dried herbs and spice lends from every part of the world. They are reasonably priced considering you will pay 6 bucks a the grocery store for something of lower quality. They don't skimp on filling the bottles either. I have purchased a variety of spices from there and all have been filled to the top. They only thing I could say is that I wish it had a sprinkle lid on top but there could be an option to purchase one and I didn't see it. Seriously... Go here... It's awesome! read more

My girlfriend and I stumbled upon Silk Road while roaming the streets of Inglewood this past summer. She's got an amazing knack for blending flavors, and knows her herbs and spices very well. So on her insistence, I followed her in. First thing I noticed was the smells...so many incredible smells! Next, the selection. I can honestly say I couldn't believe the amount of selection they had. While she was perusing the shop, I found my way to the rubs. I came home with their Barbecue Belt Chicken and Rib Rub. I tried it on pork chops that night, and couldn't believe the difference! I have since tried their other meat seasonings and have never been disappointed. What I like about Silk Road is the quality; none of this sugar and salt filled nonsense that you get from commercial brands at the supermarket. And the prices are on par with what you would pay at the grocery store. Do yourself a favor and visit this gem next time you're in Inglewood. read more

A friend recommended I check this place out for my specialty spice requirements and what a find it is. Located in Inglewood in an older building; the store has such character. Beautifully decorated with old wooden shelves and glass cases their selection of spices adorn these areas. All it needs is some relaxing Eastern sitar music and Persian rug features. I bought some Creole seasoning, jerk seasoning, some rubs and books. Just love to go to a local coffee shop nearby and take in the aromas of my newly acquired spices/ribs/oils and drool over my book purchases. The staff are amazingly helpful and knowledgeable. Usually go there with 1 or 2 specific things in mind and yet come out with a full bag. Tells you how much I like this place. Check it out; if nothing else it's fun and different. Who knows you may become hooked like I have become. Maybe it will be your doorway to new cooking experiences!! read more

The dill pickle popcorn seasoning is AMAZING. 1000 times better than the popcorn seasonings you can buy at the grocery stores. Ordered online and shipping was fast and all jars arrived safely. Will order again! read more

This is my favourite spicy place. And they have excellent prices, totally comparable to the average grocery store. Their selection is outstanding, they have vertically any spice you could ask for. And their blends are all lovely, I've enjoyed all I've tried so read more

My favourite shop in Inglewood. The bbq rubs are fantastic - elevates my chicken, ribs and steaks. Great blend of flavours and it keeps the juices inside the meat. Each container cost about $6.99, a dollar less if you don't need the glass container. I've also picked up some vanilla beans, 3 long stems for $11.00. Prices are reasonable once you realize Safeway is charging way more for way less quality. Staff have always been very helpful, though it gets very busy on the weekend. read more

Most amazing spices I have ever bought. Since moving here 7 years ago, I will not buy my spices anywhere else. The spices are fresh, blends change with the season, they always have what I need and prices are fair. Definitely recommended. read more

Oh my gosh, is this place AMAZING. No , I havent bought anything from this store yet, but am throughly impressed. It keeps with the antiquey style found in Inglewood...all dark cupboards and floors. They have all the spices and herbs nicely presented, with the price/product type/origin and tips on using properly displayed. The staff were helpful, without being pushy. They seriously have everything you could imagine, and some you didnt know even existed to purchase. The only downside, and its not a big suprise, that it is pricey. I wouldnt mind paying for the quality offered at the Silk Road though, you know you are getting some great product... read more

What terrible customer service! I made my first and last trip to the store today. Although beautiful and in a great location, I was certainly unimpressed by their apathetic sales associates. I had rushed down on my lunch break to purches some Christmas presents and had two expensive gift boxes ready to go - but when i got up to the till, the sales associate announced loudly to her coworker that debit and credit appeared to be down. She then disappeared to the back without explaining where she was going or what she was doing.... Just leaving the customer in front of me and myself standing there confused. when she finally returned minutes later, she said debit and credit weren't working. The customer in front of me had the cash to pay, so she did so then left. I, however, didn't have the money to pay for my pricey purchases. I asked if we could try using my debit, just in case. (The woman in front of me had tried to use visa, so i was curious if perhaps it was just her card that wasn't working, or credit cards in general, but that debit may still be functional.) The sales associated laughed at my query and said "there's no point it wont work!" I stood there in silence. No one was offering any solutions. No one offered me ANYTHING, not even an apology. I have sympathy for the staff, i worked in retail and customer service for 5 years... And i am aware that debit and credit can go down from time to time. BUT when they did, i always made an effort to put items on hold for customers not able to purchase them... And to get their phone number so i could even call when things were working again. No one offered to put my items on hold, so i asked if i could and they complied, still not offering any apologies or any sympathy at all. I explained that i wouldn't be in the area long, and that i was on my lunch break and already late to get back to work. I asked how long they thought it would be before things were up and running and the sales associate scoffed, "i have no idea." They didn't even make any effort to alert the other customers shopping in the store of the issues, or to make a sign to put on the till. They just left people to fend for themselves. I was blown away by the utter lack of care from any of the staff. It was like i was inconveniencing them by trying to purchase something and they just wanted me to leave so they could get back to chit chatting with each other. I did notice that i could hear catty conversations from the back room while i was shopping, as it is separated by the shop by only a thin curtain. Another charming feature of the shop. Lord only knows Whar they said about me back there. Remind me to never shop there again. I'm glad they didn't get my money. read more

I don't buy spices anywhere else. They have pretty much everything, quality is above anything available at chain markets, and it's less expensive that chain markets. Must visit!! read more

Love this little shop. It feels like you are entering a magic shop from a children's book. It's all dark wood & apothecary jars. Each spice is labeled beautifully & there is a little sign by most describing the flavor and use. My favorites? The extensive bitters collection and the candied ginger. Also, you can get any collection of spices gift boxed for a nominal additional fee (around $5 I believe). I bought my MIL some lovely baking spices as a thank you for watching my son over Stampede week. This would make a great hostess gift. read more

So pleased with my on-line order! Fast delivery and pricing was great. I live in a small town and cannot find many of the spices I wanted, and city prices are high and quality poor. Beautiful packaging, excellent selection, and best of all, Canadian!! You've earned a customer for life, and thanks for the free spice rub, smells yummy!!!!! read more

A friend recommended Silk Road Spice Merchant and I'm very pleased to have learned about it. They have a great selection of hard to find cocktail ingredients. They had the bitters I wanted in stock. I will absolutely be getting more cocktail ingredients from Silk Road Spice Merchant! read more

I'm not a passionate cook and therefore was not excited by this store, but certainly was impressed with the variety and presentation. Just the smells alone make you want to stay. I sampled some organic crystal ginger while visiting and it was very fresh. One or more products from here would make great gifts for people who truly appreciate spices. read more

Such a cute spice shop, with a great selection of spices that you can't find from the chain markets. I was looking for caraway seeds, so glad they carry it :) read more

This is one of my favourite places to go even when I'm not out of something. There is always a spice or blend you can experiment with. I really like the Red Hawaiian sea salt, for both its visual interest and the taste. My pepper mill is filled with their Mignonette Peppercorn blend - obviously I've got a large bag of kosher salt, which is pretty standard, and my favourite blend is a toss up between their Bow River Fish blend and the Juniper Berry spice rub. A+ for their originality, friendliness and packaging - the bags and jars - which you can't go wrong with for last minute gift ideas. read more

I cook. And I used to buy spices over the internet from a shop in Chicago...right up until this shop moved to its new home in Inglewood. I love shops like these. I visit regularly to buy a new jar of something I want to try. I am a tinkerer and that means that I buy a lot of single spices so I have something to mess with but lately i've been buying blends just to help me work on the flavours of a different regional style of cooking. It always smells great and if you want help everyone's very knowledgeable, and if you want to just look at everything and explore, they'll let you be, and I really appreciate that. Will shop again, will enable friends to shop there too. read more

I have to be so careful when I go into this place because I never leave without buying something. Their selection is amazing, their gift sets are wonderful (gave the Indian spice set as a shower gift and the bride was really excited, it's the kind of thing that "different" but definitely useful, you know?). They'll also help you if you want to put your own sets together, which I've also done. My favourites: Ground Vietnamese Cinnamon Ethiopian Berbere Deluxe Garlic Salt Hungarian Sweet Paprika I could go on. I really could. I'm slowly replacing all of my spices with Silk Road spices, as I run out. Amazing. read more

This place blows my mind everytime I visit. There's always new spices and the variety of salts/cinnamon is phenomenal. My sister was visiting from BC last week and wishes they had this on Vancouver Island. The Inca fire salt is my go to and I put it on everything. I picked up some hickory smoked sea salt last week and it may be taking the place of the Inca fire salt but both are amazing ! Staff are great and attention to detail and customer satisfaction is amazing. Keep it up guys ! read more

Calling all cocktail connoisseurs, calling all bakers, calling all master chefs and anyone else that dreams at night of making food sing! This is single handed the most amazing collection of spices, herbs, rubs, marinades, honeys and oils I have ever seen collected in once place. The selection of bitters is incredible; there were at least 3 different companies as well as a menagerie of flavours. This fragrant store little made my heart skip a beat then beat like I was in love. You must, must enter this store... But be warned, I thought I would just look around: $120 later, packing some serious culinary heat, I left with white truffle oil, truffle infused organic honey, teapot bitters, grapefruit bitters and rosewater. Oh, I left with one more thing - a smile that has continued for a week now since acquiring the lovely jars. And an instantly renewed passion for my kitchen and the friends that dine in it! Get ready gang, this summer's dinner parties are going to be kicked up a notch! read more