San Diego in a Spice Jar: Flavors of America’s Finest City Now Ready to Take Home

Move over Mrs. Dash, Lawry’s, and Old Bay, there’s a bold new lineup of local flavors ready to shake up your kitchen.

Introducing Flavors of San Diego, a spice collection launched in October, inspired by the city’s vibrant culinary scene. From the zesty Baja Fish Taco Seasoning Blend to the aromatic Little Italy Herb Blend and the savory La Jolla Beach Breakfast Topper, these blends bring a true taste of San Diego straight to your table.

Created by SPICE + LEAF, a premium San Diego-based spice company founded in 2019, this new curated three-pack isn’t just about seasoning — it’s about storytelling.

SPICE + LEAF already offers an impressive range of flavors, from shawarma spice to BBQ blends, but with this latest collection, the company is spotlighting the city’s unique food culture.

“I wanted to highlight some of the best bites of America’s finest city so visitors can bring a piece of San Diego home with them,” said Debbie  Kornberg, founder of SPICE + LEAF. “The idea came to me through my travels and love of food. I thought this would be a fun keepsake for visitors or a great gift for locals to take when traveling to see other people.”

Though originally from Los Angeles, Kornberg has called San Diego home for the past 30 years, living in Carmel Valley. She has been teaching virtual and in-person cooking classes since 2018 and runs her spice business with a talented staff that helps with packaging and production at a facility in Miramar.

“We get everything ready for wholesale, the website, and Amazon,” she said. “I sell SPICE + LEAF products through all of these channels.”

With beautiful San Diego imagery on the packaging and recipes accessible through a QR code, tourists and locals alike can recreate these flavors and share them with friends and family across the country.

Bringing Regional Flavors to Life

But Kornberg isn’t stopping with San Diego. A former educator turned spice entrepreneur; she has big plans to capture the essence of cities across the U.S.

“Every city has its own unique culinary identity, and this is part of a new concept,” she said. “When you think about the quintessential flavors of the U.S., there really isn’t anything that stands out. If you go to India, you have masalas and curry blends. In France, there’s Herbs de Provence. But here? We have salt, pepper, pumpkin spice in the fall, and BBQ rubs. I want to explore the micro flavors that define different regions and bring those to life.

“There’s more than Old Bay, Mrs. Dash, and Lawry’s,” she said. “Those are just blends that became popular—but every city has its own flavor story to tell.”

For Kornberg, spices are more than just ingredients — they’re an experience. Through SPICE + LEAF, she blends her love of teaching with her passion for cooking, helping home chefs elevate their dishes with high-quality, additive-free spice blends. As a regular guest on Fox 5 San Diego Morning News for the past seven years and a featured chef at Rancho La Puerta Wellness Resort & Spa, she’s on a mission to make spice-infused cooking easy, accessible, and exciting.

“The right spices empower confidence in the kitchen,” she said. “Cooking is an art, a science, and a way of life. We’re here to help people explore flavors with clean, plant-based ingredients — no preservatives, just pure taste.”

She also hopes to inspire more home cooks to move beyond simply sprinkling spices on food.

“Most people don’t really know how to utilize spices in ways that can truly enhance flavors,” she said. “It’s more than just a pinch here and there.”

Where to Buy

Want to grab a taste of San Diego before you fly home or add some local flair to your kitchen? Flavors of San Diego is now available at Hudson–Avolta retail stores in San Diego International Airport (Terminal 1 & Terminal 2).

Isn’t it time to spice up your cooking—San Diego style?

Recipe

Here’s Kornberg’s recipe for Salmon with Mustard & Capers, featuring the Flavors of San Diego Little Italy Herb Seasoning Blend: Salmon with Mustard & Capers Recipe

Happy Spicing.