The One Thing Our Editors Are Stocking Up Before the Next Wave of Tariffs

Nothing is more inviting than a kitchen in the fall. Whether it’s the smell of little smokies in the slow cooker or that instant hug you get from warming spices wafting from the oven, fall isn’t just delicious: It smells like home. What would the season be without those signature seasonings?

But all the heartwarming, nostalgic bakes and comforting bowls of hearty soups that we wait all year to make might taste a little bland this year if there’s a spice shortage or price hikes. Tariffs are already impacting several grocery staples, including black pepper. And now, more recent tariffs could affect the most quintessential fall spices.

Here’s what we know, how it could impact your next grocery trip, and the spices our editors are stocking up on now ahead of fall and holiday baking.

New Tariffs Aimed at Common Cooking Spices

On Aug. 27, the U.S. doubled tariffs on exports from India from 25 to 50 percent on select goods. A wave of panic rolled through the spice world because, as The Atlantic and New York Times reported, India is a major exporter of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and many other spices. This is on the heels of existing tariffs imposed on other countries, where the U.S. also gets a lot of its spices.

As Food & Wine reported after chatting with spice experts, the U.S. imports “black pepper from India, Vietnam, and Brazil; vanilla from Madagascar; cinnamon from Sri Lanka and Indonesia; nutmeg and cloves from Indonesia and Grenada; and cardamom from Guatemala.”

Food & Wine also reported that McCormick, one of our favorite spice brands come fall, estimated that “potential tariff changes could cost the company up to $90 million per year.” The story goes on to share that McCormick is looking to “offset much of these increased costs.”

That’s an important reminder for navigating tariff news and wondering how it will impact our grocery bills. 50 percent is a big number. But it doesn’t mean the price of your favorite cinnamon sticks is about to be 50 percent more expensive the next time you visit the spice aisle. However, there will be additional costs to absorb somewhere in the supply chain—whether that’s on the supplier, the buyer, or us at the register.

Like McDonald’s becoming very aware of the negative impressions customers get when prices go up, spice brands, retailers, and all the points of contact between a company packaging it and you buying it off the shelf, want to shield us from price changes. Because, like McDonald’s learned, when prices go up, customers leave. And we’re about to go into a busy time in the spice world: holiday baking. So, it’s in the best interest of these spice brands and grocery retailers to keep consumers happy.

But, there’s a big problem. No matter how much creative shielding is done to avoid prices going up, not all of these spices can be grown well in the U.S. Our favorite warming spices? Those come from tropical climates. And while some farms (such as Disney World’s infamous EPCOT garden) have figured out how to fake the weather, the U.S. relies on other countries in tropical climates for the mass production of several common spices: cinnamon, vanilla, black pepper, and nutmeg. According to the American Spice Trade Association, those big four can’t be grown in the U.S. on a large scale. And if the U.S. can’t produce our own spices and spices from other countries become more expensive, that could cause shortages as well as price hikes.

9 Spices Our Editors Are Buying Now Ahead of Tariffs

Black Pepper

“We already knew black pepper was getting more expensive, but I am stocking up on more black peppercorns,” said Allrecipes Senior Editor Courtney Kassel. “I can’t make my beloved Cacio e Pepe without it.”

Kassel also shared that she’s stocking up on turmeric for golden milk and her favorite sick day soup.

Cardamom

The “Queen of Spices” hasn’t specifically been mentioned in tariffs yet, but cardamom is already so expensive compared to other spices. And given that most cardamom comes from Guatemala and India (countries already impacted by tariffs) and it’s in the ginger family (a spice already impacted by tariffs), I’m not taking any chances before I go into Seattle’s Dark Days of winter, aka the time of year when I really, really need a cozy beverage. And that’s either the Spicy Chai Tea Latte Mix from Trader Joe’s or the Date Cardamom Latte at Whole Foods.

I’m nervous about prices going up—whether I’m ordering my beloved cardamom latte at the Whole Foods coffee bar or buying the ingredients to make it myself at home (which is so easy with oat milk and date syrup), so I’m stocking up now.

Nutmeg

Next on my list: nutmeg. I love eggnog (I will never forgive Starbucks for discontinuing the Eggnog Latte.) and its Puerto Rican cousin, coquito. It’s not the holiday season without spicy, milky booze. But so much of eggnog’s signature taste comes down to spices—mainly nutmeg. So for all the lattes and eggnog-inspired desserts in my future, I’m stocking up now.

Cinnamon

Both Kassel and Allrecipes Editor Andrea Lobas agree: Cinnamon is a high priority and an immediate bulk buy. Kassel said she uses cinnamon for her daily winter oatmeal and granola, and Lobas echoed the cinnamon need at breakfast. “My kids add it to everything, from pancakes to oatmeal,” she said. “And I love it in my chili.”

Senior Editorial Director Diana Moutsopoulos also mentioned that she’s buying ground cinnamon ASAP. “And, since it’s fall, I should really stock up on some cinnamon sticks for mulled wine and cozy fall drinks,” she added.

Ginger

Lobas also mentioned she’ll be buying ground ginger in bulk—sooner than later—as we head into soup season. And Kassel shared that she’s already dreaming of holiday baking and gingerbread houses to come, which requires a whole lot of ginger.

Vanilla

Vanilla extract is in just about every baked good year-round, so our editors already know a couple of tricks to save money. Senior Editor Corey Williams makes her own vanilla extract using just two ingredients. “I have 10 bottles infusing in the pantry!” she shared. And Editorial Director Devon O’Brien swears by Costco’s vanilla extract. (It’s one of the grocery staples that we’ve found to be way cheaper at Costco.)

Lobas has a pantry full of vanilla bean paste, including the alcohol-free Bourbon Vanilla Bean Paste from Trader Joe’s, which is less than $5 and beloved by our editors. “I love the vanilla bourbon paste from TJ’s,” added Williams. “I wish it were a candle. It smells so good.”

Cumin

Another spice Moutsopoulos is buying in bulk now? Cumin. I use it for chili, as well as most North Indian meals I make, and some Greek ones, too,” she said.

Cloves

Allrecipes Editor Mary-Linh Tran added another warming spice to the shopping list: cloves. She said it’s “a non-negotiable ingredient” in pho, spice cake, and her new favorite tea: pineapple skin with cloves.

This, of course, completely derailed our editorial conversation, and we all had to know how to make this drink. “Just throw all the parts of the pineapple we don’t eat (trimmings, core, etc.) into a pot and cover with water,” she explained. “Throw in some cloves, bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Strain and enjoy cold or warm.”

So, now we’re all stocking up on cloves immediately.