Spice Stories & Blends with Burlap & Barrel

Spice Stories & Blends with Burlap & Barrel

Date: Friday November 21st

Time: 6-9PM

Location: Institute of Culinary Education

Join Ethan Frisch, co-founder of Burlap & Barrel, for a flavorful, hands-on evening exploring the world of single origin spices. Discover the stories behind the world’s most exceptional ingredients—from the cinnamon forests of Zanzibar to the chili fields of Guatemala—and learn how sourcing directly from smallholder farmers transforms both flavor and sustainability.

You’ll start with a guided tasting that awakens your senses to the depth and nuance of Burlap & Barrel’s spices, followed by a live demo revealing how each spice performs best in your kitchen. Then, roll up your sleeves for a spice blending workshop, where you’ll create your own custom blend to take home—perfect for elevating your pantry and adding bold, aromatic flair to your holiday cooking.

Come curious and leave inspired—with new flavor knowledge, blending techniques, and a jar of your own handcrafted spice mix as a delicious reminder of the night.

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Ethan is a native New Yorker, entrepreneur and activist around food systems and social justice. He leads Burlap & Barrel's sourcing, culinary and advocacy work.

Ethan has worked in kitchens as a line cook and pastry chef in New York and London, and was the Co-founder and Executive Chef of Guerrilla Ice Cream. He left kitchens to become a humanitarian aid worker, got his Master's degree in International Development and worked with NGOs including the Aga Khan Foundation in Afghanistan, Maries Stopes in Sierra Leone, and Doctors Without Borders on the Syrian/Jordanian border.

He is honored to serve on the Boards of Directors of the Bond Street Theatre, which uses theater to teach conflict resolution and resilience in areas of instability around the world, Restaurant After Hours, addressing the mental health crisis in the restaurant industry, and the student-led racial literacy and justice organization CHOOSE, as well as on the Advisory Board of Fragments Theater, a youth theater company in Palestine. He is also on the Organizing Committee of the Queens International Night Market, and has been an adjunct Chef Instructor at the Institute for Culinary Education in New York City, and adjunct lecturer at the City College of New York and an instructor with the Experiment in International Living's Leadership Institute.

He holds a dual Bachelor’s Degree in Conflict Studies and Education and Social Change from the City University of New York, and a Master’s Degree in Violence, Conflict and Development from the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies.

The Institute of Culinary Education, established in 1975, is one of America’s leading centers for culinary learning, with campuses in New York City, Los Angeles, and robust online programs. The school is renowned for its career training programs in Culinary Arts, Pastry & Baking Arts, Plant-Based Culinary Arts, and Hospitality & Restaurant Management, which can be completed in as little as eight months. Beyond professional training, the school hosts an extensive menu of recreational cooking, baking, beverage, and mixology classes that invite food lovers of all levels to explore and expand their skills. The school is also a popular special event venue for anyone looking to host a unique and memorable hands-on cooking event. Learn more at or connect with us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook at @iceculinary.

Also check out other Arts events in New York, Theatre events in New York, Workshops in New York.