Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Where is Heray Spice located?
What does it mean to be a cooperative of farmers and what does a a single origin saffron company?
At Heray Spice, being a cooperative of farmers means that we work directly with Afghan farmers who cultivate our saffron. These farmers are part of a collective effort to grow and harvest saffron sustainably and ethically.
As a single origin saffron company, we pride ourselves on sourcing our saffron directly from these farmers, ensuring that each batch can be traced back to a specific area of production. This means that our saffron maintains its unique terroir, capturing the essence of the environment in which it was grown. Unlike other spices that come from various origins and are often blended for consistency, our single origin saffron preserves its distinct flavor and aroma, offering a truly authentic and high-quality product.
Who are you and how did you get into spices?
I am Mohammad Salehi, the founder and owner of Heray Spice. My journey into spices began with a deep-rooted connection to my own farm in Herat and my homeland of Afghanistan. I grew up as a farmer, and my family is still farming saffron in Herat, Afghanistan. As I grew older, I noticed and faced the struggles that my family and other family farmers face while cultivating saffron and other crops, often struggling to make a basic living.
After high school, I worked as a local military interpreter for the US Armed Forces in Afghanistan from 2010 to 2014. I immigrated to Chicago in 2015 and decided to start a farm-to-table and single-origin spice company. Our goal is to uplift Afghan farmers and share the exquisite flavors of Afghan spices with the world. Through my passion for sustainable sourcing and dedication to quality, we have cultivated partnerships with local farmers in Herat, ensuring that they receive fair compensation (often 1.5X to 2X more than the local market rate).
Heray Spice delivers authentic, single-origin saffron and spices of the highest caliber. We are committed to ethically sourcing our saffron and other spices, creating a brighter future for Afghanistan's farming communities.
What if I can't afford to purchase your spices?
Once your order ships from one of our warehouse, most items are delivered to the customer within 3 - 7 days after the item ships.
Where do you ship?
Once your order ships from one of our warehouse, most items are delivered to the customer within 3 - 7 days after the item ships.
How fresh are your spices and how long will they last?
We only sell the latest harvest saffron and spices. Meaning, we dont sell any stale and old spice. Every batch of our spices are fresh and aromatic. We source our spices directly from Herat and our partner farms, bringing them to you at peak freshness, faster, and with a longer shelf life in your kitchen.
Mostly dry spices provide a good aroma and flavor for about 2.5 years from harvest, although it depends on the spice and the part of the plant it's harvested from.
Are Heray spices non-GMO?
Good news: we don't sell any spice that is genetically modified! So you can rest assured that our spices are all non-GMO. We are also in the process of getting NON-GMO verified certifications. We will keep you posted.
Our shipping in the US is free on orders of $45+, or a flat rate of $6.99 on orders under $45. Shipping to other parts of the world is based on weight calculated at checkout. It starts from $16 and goes upto $35.
What is your return policy?
IF you are not happy with your order, please reach out to us and we will take care of you. We are a small business and we are not able to handle all of the returns, but we promise to keep our customers happy.
We ship all products the same business day or next day. If you selected free shipping in USA, your order will arrive in 2–5 days from the time it was shipped. If you selected express shipping it takes 1-3 days to arrive.
How should I store my saffron and spices?
We recommend a dark and cool cabinet should be great. However, our short answer is you shouldn't store them. Spices are cultivated for cooking, not for storing. Try to keep them in an area where you can see them while you're cooking, ideally within arm's reach.
Please contact care@herayspice.com. We typically respond within 12-24 hours. Most of the time in the first few hours.
Yes, all of them.
Why am I paying sales tax?
As an e-commerce company based in the USA, we are required to charge sales tax, which may vary over time and depend on the state to which items are being shipped.
Each jar of 1-gram contains roughly 150 - 250 threads.
Our saffron threads are Grade A high-quality certified and organically grown using traditional practices in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, we do not have certification, because it is not offered in Afghanistan. All of our spices are grown traditionaly and organically. And, some of them have organic certification. Please check the quick facts at the bottom of each spice, or reach out to care@herayspice.com for more information.
Yes, saffron has been traditionally used for eye health, and research suggests that it may have potential benefits for certain eye conditions. There are studies that have indicated that saffron may help improve visual function in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and protect retinal cells against damage caused by oxidative stress. This is not a medical advice though.
Yes, traditionally speaking saffron has been used to treat inflammation. And saffron contains compounds with anti-inflammatory effects. These compounds may help reduce inflammation in the body and alleviate symptoms of inflammatory conditions such as arthritis. This is not a medical advice though.