Violas The best spices in town!

There’s a store in Hamburg that ALWAYS makes me weak: Violas! It’s not about their selection of the best herbs, spices, oils, pasta, chocolate or nuts only, it’s the whole thing. An armada of spice mills containing mixtures like ‘Pepper for Lovers’, ‘By The River Alster’, ‘Green Devil’ or ‘Put Me On That Egg’ adorn the shelves of the little store in Eppendorf. Exquisite candies and nougat wrapped beautifully in tiny sachets reminisce of the past, but the signature Violas-sticker maintains the modern character of it all.

Viola Fuchs inherited a spice-gene. Her grandfather started a spice business that was handed down to her mother. However, the Hamburg resident decided to take a detour and study shoe design in London first. She spent few but very successful years designing for a big shoe label but decided quickly that she needed more space for her own ideas.

“I called my mum and asked her for advice. She basically presented me with two options: ‘You either open up your own shoe shop or you get into the spice business’, I went for the latter one.” Good choice, we say. The two stores have become focal points for loyal customers, city tourists, gift searchers and spice fans.

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Bestsellers, apart from the spice grinders of course, are Viola’s risotto mixes, all assembled by the storeowner herself and prepared in a tiny Hamburg kitchen. ‘Pepper is the current trend, all kinds of it. And my personal favorite these days is a special Hungarian white chocolate with green tea.’ I tried a piece and even though I’m not a chocolate person I loved it!

Viola Fuchs has impeccable taste and while I do not intend to boss around any of my beloved creme hamburg readers, I dare make an exception here: Viola’s is an absolute MUST!