The expression peperduur (Dutch for 'pepper expensive', meaning 'very expensive') dates back to the Middle Ages, when peppercorns were so valuable they sometimes served as a means of payment for rent or taxes. A handful of spices from the south was considered a small fortune.

Today, pepper is found in every kitchen cupboard, and spices seem like the most obvious things in the world. But anyone who has ever walked through a Tunisian or Moroccan souk knows that they are anything but. In these markets, a world unfolds that we barely know here: mountains of spices in soft ochre, deep carmine red, bright turmeric yellow, dry pink, smoked brown. A palette of colours reminiscent of a painting, and whose scent penetrates the nose meters before the stall.

Herbs are an essential part of Mediterranean cuisine – just as defining as the olive oil with which they are blended. They give a simple dish character, they connect generations at the table, and they carry the entire sunny south within them. But there are herbs, and then there are herbs. And the difference lies in their purity.

Therefore, after our search for the right olive oil and the right brine for our olives, we embarked on a new journey: a journey back to basics. We personally tasted herb after herb, mixture after mixture. We examined the entire production process – how the herbs are harvested, how they dry, how they are ground and processed – and compared one house with another. What convinced us was purity. No adulterations, no additives, no heavy fillers or color enhancers. Only pure products, honestly composed.

Because that is what Mediterranean food culture has taught us: that flavour is not created by adding more, but by taking care of what is already there. A good herb needs nothing to excel - except a generous hand and a warm dish.

It is with this conviction that we are launching our first series today: the Secrets of the House. Five carefully selected herbs and blends, each with its own character and place at the table - pure, honest, and composed with respect for what nature has already perfected.

Each Secret carries a piece of the Mediterranean world within it. A story in every jar, ready to spice up your own table.