Our story
My family hails from the ancient port of Aden, one of the many shipping stops along the Spice Route that linked the East to the West. Since the time of the Chinese Han Dynasty, Western crusaders and sailors returning home from the Middle East and Asia brought all kinds of valuable spices and herbs with them, including, cassia, pepper, ginger and carcum. Ships arriving from India and China would dock at the port of Aden and unload these precious goods, and traders would sell their spices and herbs in the local market.
For generations, my ancestors used these aromatic spices to create natural remedies that healed existing ailments and defended the body.
Creating ancient health remedies was my ancestors’ stock and trade.
This was long before anyone understood the scientific impact of ginger on the digestive system, cinnamon as an antioxidant or the anti-inflammatory power of Carcum (Turmeric); they just knew it worked.
Our blends were linked and inspired by Ayurvedic medicine which originated in India and is considered the mother of all health and holistic care and dates back thousands of years. “Ayur” means life and “veda” means science in Sanskrit and literally translates to “the science of life.”
Hundreds of years later, these preparations are still the go-to in our family. One of my earliest memories growing up in Israel as a child was going to my grandmother Rachel’s house to attend shivah for the passing of a loved one. This Jewish custom requires families to sit together for seven days in mourning as neighbors and friends come by to share their condolences and pray. My grandmother instinctively turned to her old large samovar (electric urn) she had in the kitchen. She often made aromatic coffee for us adding a bit of our family’s secret elixir; but this time, she calibrated it with much more of the customized blend that contained ginger. The magical aroma filled the house. As everyone sipped, our mood lifted. I remember how good it made me feel, but I didn’t know why.
Later, as I explored the science behind it, I learned that the high quantity of the ginger blend was actively reducing our stress, anxiety and sadness. Our physical health and mental well-being were literally transformed and improved through my grandmother’s perfected alchemy of secret spices and seeds. Today, it is our family’s great honor to share this secret with you.