What’s you favorite part about traveling? Whether it be to a new neighborhood in your city or a new country to explore, what excites you about that experience? Hands down one of my favorite elements of new adventures would be the food! Let me be clear, it’ the LOCAL food for me. If it’s got more than ten locations, then I feel some type of way. I want to go where the working folks eat on a regular or as a hometown splurge. Yeah, yeah, chic decor and ambiance is nice, but sometimes I don’t want a photo op. I want the food to do all the talking. I want to taste the local flavors, try the signature dishes and eat the homegrown/raised ingredients.

Brittany Stewart and I on our last adventure to the beaches of Tulum.

My dear friend Brittany (not speaking in third-person), shares my sentiments for adventure through cuisine. She is the mastermind behind The Social Chef. An avid traveler and foodie herself, Brittany blogs about her experiences in different locations and most importantly captures the wonderful flavors you must try while you’re there. We both lamented that we had to lighten our travel load this year due to the pandemic—although, she has still found a way to safely escape a time or two. The other way that she’s adapted to this new normal is through her other passion for cooking. In September, she launched her first product line under the brand called Social Spices Collective. In her own words this line is:

Taking the pure essence of flavors found in various countries and making them available in your own kitchen. This six-seasoning spice line was curated using spices featured in dishes from all over the world. I had the pleasure to work with chef’s and locals from Peru, Cuba, Mexico, and Ghana to bring these flavors to life in each bottle. - Brittany S., The Social Chef

Now, if you’ve been following along you know that over the last year my boyfriend and I have been throwing down more in the kitchen as a wonderful way to bond and explore our own culinary talents. In support, I ordered the two debut spices of the line, the Jardin and Sea Imports. We did a simple meal prep of grilled salmon, broccoli and wild rice using both of these spices.

Overall, we really enjoyed the flavor from these blends. Now, something that I love is that these are not just salt with some herbs in it. I’m trying to be more conscious with what I’m putting in my body and that includes salt intake. I would suggest still using a little salt in your dishes you create with these spices, but I felt relief in knowing that I could combine these with other seasonings or add salt to taste without the concern of going overboard or overpowering these spice blends.

Jardin: This is the veggie seasoning, and boy does it pack in a flavor! We used this on the broccoli we steamed and it was quite zesty and delicious. It gave a bold taste that reminded me of summer. We added the seasonings to the butter and water before we put in the veggies and then sprinkled more on top before steaming.

Seafood Imports: This is a really nice blend, the grilling kind of took control so I know to use more the next time or make sure I extend my marinating, but you really don’t need to add anything else to this. My boyfriend prefers a more salty profile for meats so you may want to toss in a little more, but it was perfect for me. I used it again for shrimp alfredo and we were both pleased with how it came out.

Now you are in luck because this month she’s just announced the third spice blend of the collection, the Inca. It’s inspired by the flavors of Peru, and I can’t wait to get my hands on a bottle. I haven’t had too many Peruvian dishes so I’m excited to explore through the first dish I make with it. Grab your bottles today! Sign up for her email list to get 10 percent off your first order. She’ll also keep you updated on sales, pop-up events using her spices and neat travel tips!

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Follow The Social Chef on social media as well to stay up to date with Brittany’s blog, product releases and travel inspiration!