High-quality spices from Tunisia, handcrafted along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Safa, our founder, is originally from Tunisia. In 2018, she moved to Iceland to continue her university studies at the University of Iceland. She founded Mabrúka with the help of her mother, who has always prepared her own spices and crafted her own unique blends.

My name is Safa. Born and raised in Tunisia, I decided to move to Iceland in 2018 to study at the University of Iceland. After two years on this beautiful island in the North Atlantic, I started to miss the Mediterranean Sea; when I reunited with my family during a trip to Tunisia later that year, the scents of my childhood filled me with warm memories. The moment I walked in the door, the rich aromas of my mom’s handmade spices filled my senses. I had missed them—harissa, cumin, tabil—all of it gave a depth and tanginess to meals unlike spices from anywhere else, and my mother had prepared them by hand. I missed her spices.

She purchased the best raw ingredients available, even traveling to the countryside where her sisters live to procure fresh chilis or seeds to dry in the sun for use in our favorite recipes. The tradition of preparing one’s own spices has become less and less common over time, but my mom continued to do so, like in the old days. She thinks it’s the best way!

I was very surprised by how big of an impact fresh spice can have on the taste of a meal. When I returned to Iceland, I brought small amounts of each back with me. It was super fun to experiment with them at my home here, to cook Icelandic food with Tunisian spices. For our home, it was a “game changer” to use these fine ingredients. Then, I had a lightbulb

moment! I wanted others to be able to try these spices and to experience their range of unique tastes. I wanted my friends and I to enjoy them together. Then it occurred to me: “Safa, why don’t you start importing your mom’s spices to Iceland?”

The next step was to find out how to do things right and how to found a company. I’d never founded one before! I didn’t know how to do it. My beloved people helped me to figure it all out, and I was soon on my way.

We founded a manufacturing company in Tunisia and an importer in Iceland. After that, we needed to find out how we could receive quality assurance and a customs card to import the spices from Tunisia to Iceland. We wanted to bring something truly special to the market, and it was especially important that we put deep consideration into every aspect of these spices, including the packaging. We didn’t want single-use plastics or glass that were harmful to the environment; we wanted something that was sustainable. Something that people were proud to have in their kitchen and would feel good putting on their table. Then it came to us: olive wood. Tunisia is known for its olive trees, and for cultivating some of the best olive oil in the world (alongside Italy and Spain). We wanted people to be able to use our lasting, environmentally healthy, sustainable wooden jars, and to have the option of purchasing refills in paper packages.

We found an artisan carpenter in Tunisia who carved kitchen goods like bowls and cutting boards and all of it—handmade! Perfect! He designed the jars especially for us, and we’re very proud of them. At that point, we began to work on the logo and branding for our company. After five attempts, we found the right image. We wanted to have a special shape to the design—something that felt unique to us—and the designer thoughtfully brought our vision to life. Though we experienced all sorts of obstacles along the way and we needed to ask for help from specialists, we realized our goals. Just like that: We were ready. The work had borne fruit. The project had sprouted like a tree, like love, straight from our hearts.

I could not have done this without my people and all of those who have joined along the way… I am very grateful for having taken this step and to finally see people use our spices in their kitchens. It’s what we set out to do!