Just open: Gewurzhaus Herb & Spice Merchants, Strand Arcade

Sydney has a new destination for spice-lovers, with the arrival of Gewurzhaus Herb & Spice Merchants.

The purveyor of boutique spices opened last week in the city's historic Strand Arcade.

German-born sisters Eva and Maria Konecsny opened their first store in Melbourne four years ago and two more Victorian shops followed, with a fourth to open at Queen Victoria Market next week. The Strand store is the first in Sydney.

Modelled on traditional European spice houses, the business specialises in rare flavours, single-origin spices and unique blends, as well as teas, sugars and salts.

Spices are ground off-site in a special facility and blended by hand without using fillers or anti-caking agents.

"Everything is self scoop so people can smell everything before they buy," Eva says.

A comprehensive range of whole and ground herbs and spices includes a bratkartoffel blend for seasoning fried potatoes ($1.50 per 10 grams), a pungent Australian bush pepper blend with alpine pepper and desert bush tomato ($1.90 per 10g) and ras el hanout – a light Moroccan mixture for flavouring rice, tagines, couscous and lamb ($3 per 10g).

For Christmas cooks there's a gingerbread spice with cassia, coriander, star anise, ginger and nutmeg ($2.20 per 10g) or for something a little less traditional try the barbecue bloke spice ($1.60 per 10g).

"Things like Moroccan souk spice or Egyptian dukkah are all very popular at the moment and German spices are quite unique to us," Eva says.

Single-origin options include a wide variety of chillis and peppers, as well as organic basil leaf from Egypt ($4.45 jar), tonka bean from Colombia ($3 each) and raw cacao nibs ($11.95 jar).

The range of teas and sugars includes vanilla chai ($1.90 per 10g) and Coco's organic coconut sugar (70¢ per 10g).

Options for special diets include blends without salt, onion and garlic.

Gewurzhaus joins other food destinations in the Strand Arcade such as Italian restaurant Pendolino, The Nut Shop, Haigh's Chocolates and Gumption by Coffee Alchemy.

Gewurzhaus, Shop 22, The Strand Arcade, 412-414 George Street, Sydney, gewurzhaus.com.au