Nestled between the antique shops and boutiques of Antique Alley resides a shop that is sure to awaken the senses of anyone walking in. Located on 229 Trenton St., West Monroe, The Spice and Tea Exchange is sure to bring some variety to the area.

Inside you can see the variety of teas, spices and sugars they carry. According to Karen Laban, they pride themselves in “distinctive, high-quality products, a truly unique in-store ‘sensory utopia’ experience and excellent customer service.”

The fresh custom seasoning blends can add flavor to any meal. There are over 180 spices and herbs available which could be useful for international students wanting a little taste of home. Many of the spices they offer are not found in stores in this area which makes this store a great one stop shop for spices.

Though spices are a huge part of this store, their main focal point is tea.

There are many categories of teas to choose from such as white, green, oolong, black, pu’er, herbal, rooibos and matcha. Within these categories are many flavors that are always being added. If you want to smell a specific tea, there are jars of each one to sample the scent. If you want to sample the taste of the tea, there is a tea bar where for a small fee,  you can ask an employee to make a specific tea. There are many healthy and tasty options of tea to pick from that you will more than likely come back to try and buy more.

The Spice and Tea Exchange does not only carry tea and spices, however.

There are many tea accessories and classes available. There are tea pots, tea infusers, candles and more. Tea talks, tastings and infusion classes are also available on specific dates that can be found on their Facebook.

Many people in the area enjoy this store, like Ariel Lain, a communication major.

“There are not many places like this in the area,” Lain said.

Lain said she wanted to go back to when she had free time. This shop would be a wonderful place for students to visit to expand their taste and try something new.

The store is only 12 minutes away, so when you have some free time, give this place a try.

This franchise was founded in St. Augustine, Florida, in 2008 and soon grew nationwide. This location was established in Sept. 2010 by Karen and Richard Laban and is approaching its 10th anniversary.