When I walk through the door at Goumanyat et son Royaume, I’m greeted by a cascade of bells and then the trickle of an indoor waterfall. It’s a brief moment of calm before the sensory overload begins. I’m in the best spice shop in Paris, and my eyes and nose are going to be working overtime.

I begin to scan the shelves and am soon approached by a friendly, soft-spoken man. This is Jean Marie Thiercelin, sixth generation owner, whose family has been trading in since 1809. He gives me a lengthy lesson about the history of saffron, complete with old More >