Anthony The Spice Maker in Chinatown Complex
Crafting authentic, Traditional Flavours of Singapore since 1986.
Once a design draftsman turned spice maker, Anthony remembers fondly the days when he used to help out in his family’s spice business at the wet market in the 1970s.
Anthony’s parents are the first-generational spice makers and having grown up in a spice family, he always has a heart for spice crafting and creating flavours. After leaving his job as a design draftsman in a shipbuilding company, he decided to start his own spice business to pursue his passion for mixing spices. He aspired to be different from the big players that were already in the market, by sticking to his strong beliefs in providing and crafting with ethically- sourced, quality and unadulterated spices to produce authentic traditional flavours of Singapore for all to enjoy. At the same time, he wanted to practice this age-old craft with a modern take in the hope to attract more young and cosmopolitan consumers to start cooking, eating healthier and encouraging bonding with their loved ones with home-cooked food.
Back in those days, spice premixes were rare or almost non-existent as it is a norm for every household to have their recipe to cook a curry. Grandmothers of the different races who patronize the spice store would customize their rempah (spice paste) to suit their liking. As a result of this, Anthony is equipped with the knowledge to differentiate good quality spices from mediocre ones, as well as crafting traditional spice blends to cook the many iconic dishes of Singapore the old-fashioned way.
Anthony started Liao Jia Xiang (LJX) in 1986, distributing various spice blends to several major supermarkets in Singapore. However, due to certain unforeseen circumstances, things were not always smooth sailing. Anthony then decided to take a break to refocus and made a comeback in 2009 and started a new brand – Anthony The Spice Maker 廖家香. Then it all started with a humble stall in the wet market at Chinatown Complex to where we are today.
Since then, Anthony has never looked back. What keeps him going is simply the recognition, validation and feature from the local home cooks, top chefs, various media as well as people from all over the world, all walks of life, race and religion who enjoy the traditional spice blends that he crafts.
Try it to know it and you will love it!
Anthony’s daughter, Min Ling officially joined her father in the spice trade in 2016 as a 3rd generation spice maker after finishing her university studies. She was exposed to the world of spices from a young age, and she remembers fondly tagging along to visit her father’s spice factory and visiting the supermarket spice counters that Anthony once had. She grew her love of cooking and appreciating traditional foods by watching her grandmother blending spices and cooking with them to make her signature dishes like Nonya Chicken Curry, Sambal Asam Fish and Sambal Prawns. Today, Min Ling is equipped with the knowledge of spices and spice mixing because of her natural interest to learn the nuts and bolts from her father. With that, she is determined to continue her father and grandmother’s legacy by practising the craft and preserving the heritage flavours of Singapore to share with the generations to come.
Our clientele:
Michelin starred Chefs
Local & international home cooks and bakers
Singaporeans living overseas
International visitors/expats looking for unique gifts/souvenirs from Singapore
Private & Corporate orders
Engaged couples planning for their wedding
People with dietary restrictions
Join our community on our Facebook Page and follow us on Instagram and get a chance to be featured by sharing with us your creations using these hashtags #anthonythespicemaker #ATSMspices #ATSMtraditionalflavoursofsg
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