Mohammad & Heray, how it all began?

I am Mohammad Salehi, the founder and co-owner of Heray Spice. I grew up in a farming family in Herat Afghanistan. My family like most other Afghans has been farming for many generations. We have 6 acres of farmland in Pashtoon Zarghon district of Herat even now. Yes, we still cultivate saffron in that farm. 

My villlage is in the western region of Afghanistan.

Since 2007, we have been cultivating saffron in our farm. Before that we had cultivated barely, potato, and spinach.

Herat province is the main source of saffron, more than 90% of Afghanistan’s saffron are cultivated and imported out of this region. As a whole Afghanistan is an agricultural economy. It is the main source of income for 80% of Afghanistan population.

Right after high school, I got a job working for US Military as a cultural advisor and a linguist. After 4 years of working with US Army and US Marines, I applied for a visa to come to United States. I immigrated to Chicago from Kabul back in September 2014.

I have been living in Chicago since then. I went to school here, and I started Heray Spice back in 2017.

I have a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Illinois Institute fo Technology in Software and Cybersecurity Management.

After finishing high school, I worked as a cultural advisor and linguist for the U.S. military inAfghanistan, supporting both the U.S. Army and U.S. Marines. 

In 2014, after four years of service, I immigrated to the United States under a special visa program, settling in Chicago.

Since then, Chicago has been my home. I pursued higher education at the Illinois Institute of Technology, earning both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Software and Cybersecurity Management. Yet, despite my work in technology, my roots in farming and my passion for Afghanistan’s saffron never left me.

In 2017, I founded Heray Spice with the goal of connecting Afghan farmers directly with global markets, empowering local communities, and sharing the authentic flavors of Afghanistan with the world.

I grew up in a farming family in Afghanistan, where I witnessed firsthand the dedication and resilience of Afghan farmers. After immigrating to the U.S. and serving as a local military linguist for US Armed Forces abroad, I founded Heray Spice to bridge the gap between Afghan farmers and global markets. My goal is to ensure my customers receive fresh, and single origin spices while farmers receive fair wages and recognition for their work.

Our mission aligns with the goals of ethical sourcing, sustainability, and cultural preservation. Through our work, we aim to redefine the spice industry by emphasizing quality, authenticity, and social impact, fostering economic growth in our local community in Chicago, and supporting small farming communities abroad.

I am the first person in my family history that went to college and started a business. As I grew up, I noticed the struggles of my family and other farmers to make a basic living.

In a perfect world, I want Heray Spice to set the global standard for ethically sourcing of spices while paying farmers with better and fair wages. Many farmers in spice industry making the minimum money from the spice supply chain. Some of them can't even afford food and shelter by their crops. 

I want every farmer to make a good living while having money to send their children to schools. Heray Spice partners with Code To Inspire NGO, by paying 5% of our sales to impact the lives of 100s children go back to school in Afghanistan. Our goal is to help 1000s of more children have access to education and better nutrition.

Heray Spice wants to be a gateway for farmers to reach global markets. Our supply chain would be a model of sustainability, empowering farming communities with fair wages, education, and resources to grow their businesses independently.

We would inspire a global appreciation for global cuisine and culture, fostering deeper connections between consumers and the origins of their food. Ultimately, our success would contribute to ethical business practices which can drive both profit and positive social change

We did a survey in 2022 by interviewing 300 farmers in Afghanistan, India, and Sri Lanka. And we noticed that farmers are making less than 7% of the money from spice supply chain. For example, when you buy a spice jar for $10 in a grocery Stroe, less than $0.70 of that goes to a farmer.

I believe this is not fair, and I want to change that. Also, I always wanted to stay connected to my home country, and tell the stories of the farmers, and helping them with fair wages and better living. That is why I started Heray Spice.

While being in college back in 2017, I founded Heray. It is more than a spice brand for me, it is a platform and a cooperative of farmers. We are here to help them make better income while supplying the freshest spices to the world.

Our mission is rooted in rebuilding Afghanistan’s agricultural economy.

After decades of conflict, the region needed new opportunities for growth and recovery. By creating a spice company centered around Afghanistan’s world-renowned saffron and spices, we are not only showcases the finest saffron to the global market but also empowering the local farmers of Afghanistan.

We are a fair-trade company, and we are importing spices from sustainable farming methods of Afghanistan. I believe we can help the farmers and create better community development. I founded this company to honor the deep cultural heritage of Afghanistan and agriculture while offering the highest quality products.

Through saffron, Heray Spice offers a window into the Afghanistan that is often overlooked—a land of hope, resilience, and endless potential.

Afghan saffron has been recognized as the world’s highest quality saffron for the ninth time by the prestigious International Taste Institute in Belgium. Competing against saffron from Spain, Iran, and other major saffron producers, Afghanistan’s saffron consistently takes home the top honors.

This recognition is a testament to the hard work of the farmers, the meticulous attention to detail in the processing, and the quality of the soil and climate in Herat.

Our saffron is used at Michelin-starred chefs, food enthusiasts, and health-conscious consumers alike. In the last year alone, Afghanistan exported nearly thirty tons of saffron, with Heray Spice contributing significantly to this figure. Our saffron has made its way to the kitchens of homes and restaurants across the globe, from United States, to India, Saudi Arabia and beyond.