I have a weird job. Ironically enough, it is not the job dreamed about growing up. When people ask me what I do, I usually get a lot more interested response from them than, “That’s nice. How about them Broncos?” I’ve been in and out of this business in a tremendous variety of roles for over thirty years.
I’m Tim Ziegler, and I’m a spice trader, spice master, spice blender, spice broker, spice buyer, spice taster, spice tester, spice user, spice teacher, spice writer, spice guy, spice geek, spice guru, spice idiot, spice seller. My official Nom de guerre is Chef Zieg.
I grew up in a small deli-grocery store across the street from Denver University here in Denver, Colorado. I hated the food business so much I joined the United States Marine Corps (USMC) to get out of it. While in the Marines I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Southeast Asian History. I then spent three years cruising the Western Pacific, visiting many of the exotic islands, locales and markets where the land of spice made its impact on me. When I got out of the USMC, I went to Culinary Arts School and picked up my degree. I also learned that I had the manual dexterity of an elephant, so instead of carving or garde manger, I focused on flavor. What better niche could there be for me?