The Spice DetectiveYaniv Cohen

Food is a huge passion of mine. My love of food began at an early age. As the oldest of 5 boys I was in charge of helping my mother cook and set the table. Growing up in a Sephardic Jewish family with North African and Middle Eastern roots, food was and still is an important part of our culture. It is a way of life. Every Shabbat and holiday had its unique set of incredible dishes. There was not a single dish that our family and friends served that was not beautifully seasoned. I was always fascinated with the colors, scents, origins, and properties of those spices.

My passion for food and hospitality propelled me to relocate to NYC and then Miami to open a branch of Shiraz Creative, an innovative Catering, Design and Production company. As the VP and culinary director, I head our Catering team. I am blessed to have this amazing outlet where I explore daily the possibilities of food and presentation to its fullest potential.

As I continued to delve further into the world of the culinary herbs and spices and develop my knowledge, I became fascinated with the health properties of food, herbs and spices. It is a known fact that throughout history many cultures around the world have used herbs, plants, and spices to treat different health conditions.

My goal as “The Spice Detective” is to introduce you to the incredible world of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes, spices and herbs: their flavors, aromas, properties and health benefits, and by doing so to help you incorporate those flavors into every day dishes that will delight all your senses.

In 2018, The Spice Detective collaborated with St. Roch Market, to open JAFFA, an outlet for his Mediterranean cuisine within the Miami Design District’s newest food hall. Bringing his native cuisine to a new home, spice centric cuisine will delight Miami locals as well as visitors. Some highlights include a hummus bar, turmeric roasted cauliflower, deconstructed baba ghanoush, and assorted grilled meats and vegetables

Yaniv won the Netflix cooking show “Best leftovers ever” and he is also the author of “ MY Spiced Kitchen” a cookbook and spice guide which become the number one new release in middle eastern cooking on Amazon.