The aromatic legacy of K. Kalustyan’s founding vision in 1944 continues to permeate the lively spice-filled aisles of the beloved New York specialty food store that bears his name. An Albanian immigrant selling Middle Eastern spices and groceries, Kalustyan established an enchanting merchant’s trove filled with the scents, colors, and flavors of faraway lands. As the shop was passed down from founder K. Kalustyan to today’s owners, S. Alam and A. Osmani, its captivating and magical essence has only grown stronger, like a rich spice blend maturing with time.

Current owners S. Alam and A. Osmani, immigrants from Bangladesh, have artfully preserved the original character. Under their passionate stewardship, Kalustyan’s has blossomed into a world-class spice emporium and veritable Museum of Flavor; offering customers a sensory escape into the diverse seasons, cultures, and cuisines of over 60 countries across 6 continents.

More than just well-stocked shelves of food, Kalustyan’s offers an experience of exploration and discovery for seasoned chefs, adventurous home cooks, and anyone seeking to expand their culinary horizons. The shop exudes contagious enthusiasm for its staggering global inventory, which expands yearly as the owners source new spices, herbs, salts, teas, grains, flours, and other specialty ingredients of unsurpassed freshness and quality. Customers rave over rare finds like mahleb from the Middle East, dried Kashmiri chilies, Spanish saffron, and Opal basil from Thailand. For the culinarily curious, a visit to Kalustyan’s offers inspiration through flavors not found in ordinary groceries, from sweet Tahitian vanilla to earthy fenugreek from Bulgaria.

While its popularity now reaches far beyond New York City, Kalustyan’s remains an intimate neighborhood shop at heart, offering samples and guidance to customers with endless questions about its treasures. More than a specialty store, Kalustyan’s is a portal to community and connection through food. Its diverse offerings speaking to shared human experiences of culture, agriculture, tradition, nostalgia, and taste. Nearly a century after its founder carried in his first sack of spices, Kalustyan’s timeless allure persists in transporting visitors on sensory journeys across cuisines both familiar and unfamiliar.