It’s a phrase used now throughout the specialty food industry. For us, it means that we source a product from the same people who grow and produce it, and there are no intermediaries.

For context, most spices in the commodity industry have six intermediaries (local collectors, aggregators, exporters, warehouse managers, distributors, wholesalers), steeply reducing the value for farmers.

By sourcing directly, our producers and farmers get paid more, and we receive a fresher, higher-quality product. Additionally, fewer resources are consumed in the transportation and storage process, since a product that changes hands multiple times consumes resources at every stage. Fresher spices, happier farmers, cleaner planet.

Lead is a naturally occurring substance in the earth (just like other minerals), and present in the soil where plants are growing. Similar to other heavy metals, it gets into our food and water and can accumulate in our bodies and cause harm.

We believe that learning about where and how your food is grown in today’s complex world is important – it’s one of the many reasons why Curio was born! Sourcing from single origins means we can understand more about how a spice grows. Lab testing helps this, along with farm visits, and close-knit relationships with our producers.

Lots of factors can contribute to lead content. The most important thing is that our Vietnamese cinnamon is safe within consumption parameters.

Curio's Vietnamese cinnamon is average, if not lower, than other brands.In general, the important thing is to choose a brand that you can trust and shares transparent information, like sourcing information and lab reports.

We use third party lab testing for our products purchased over a certain volume threshold. Not all products meet this requirement as we often work with very small farms and the seasonal volume is low.