Duals Natural Herbs & Teas

Have been going here for a few years now, the vibe has definitely change. The quality of customer service is dropping, which saddens me. Hopefully they can get KIND people working the front.

This place doesn't deserve even one star. I placed an order on August 19th. I was recovering from an injury so I could not get to the store in person. I received a message that the package had been delivered on August 27th, but as of September 11th it had not. I eventually received and opened it around September 17th - except, the contents were nothing I had ordered, and the packing slip had someone else's name on it and listed the items I had been sent, not the ones I had ordered. I immediately wrote to the company explaining this, and asking that they send me my original order. I asked that they overnight the package at their expense since I had been waiting so long. My email was never answered. No new package has been delivered as of September 23rd, either. I just cancelled the charge through my credit card company. Bottom Line: These people are scam artists, not merchants. Stay far away!

One of my favorite stores in NYC. They sell Lion’s mane, chaga, rare mushrooms, rare spices. They have Indian candy, Indian brands, Asian brands. They do have fresh produce which are exotic herbs, rare vegetables and fruits. After doing some research I do know their rare spices and medicinal items are sourced mostly in China which aren’t guaranteed organic nor free of heavy metals. With that, research what you buy and consume. I still love this store even after researching their products. Still my mushroom jackpot. I come here for most of my spices and incense. I love they’ve been low key and casually maintaining their business for years without selling out and keeping the respect of chefs and staying true to their cultural backgrounds by keeping the store filled with new exotic spices from Asia instead of exotic spices from Los Angeles.

We can’t say enough good things about this place — we absolutely love it. We cook a wide variety of cuisines at home and always find exactly what we need here. The prices are excellent, and the quality is consistently top-notch. The majority of our pantry and spice shelves are filled with supplies from here. Today I was especially excited to find all-natural, organic dried apricot with no sulfur added — something I’ve been searching for forever! This is definitely going to make my summer much more enjoyable. So glad to have this gem in the neighborhood.

Great location for spices, loose tea, and general groceries in Lower Manhattan. They offer a discount if you use cash and have a great reward program (5% off on your first purchase if you make an account with them!) Will definitely be returning for bulk spices!

This place is fantastic. I’ve been a customer for years, and have tried everything from their delicious house-made vegan mango lassi, fresh fruits, and incense/herbs/spices. The selection is top notch, high quality, and you won’t find fairer prices in this area. Extremely nice staff as well. Grateful for this local mainstay!

Excellent selection of spices and specialty items, at a very fair price. Happy to see they’ve expanded, always excited to stop in

ALERT ⚠️ they sell expired stuff. I have been visiting this store for over 2 years now. I am writing this review now because enough is enough. They sell expired food items and remove/hide expiration dates. This has happened with me couple of times. I bought roasted nuts ..so expensive.. and I had to throw all of them away. This was same case with many other food products. It is so expensive as well almost 4x the market price and it pains to throw food away. Be careful if you buying from this store

A gargantuan supply of a variety of different spices from A-Z at reasonable prices. All with a non-judgemental, everyone is welcome type, mom & pop small biz, atmosphere! Came in to find me some candles for wicca and was pleasantly surprised by the variety of colors they had at decent prices. I've noticed at the typical occult leaning stores charge up the yang for the most basic $hit, so seeing this was refreshing. The owner was nice; they didn't have black in-stock but he tried looking for me anyway and that effort mattered. He was warm and expressed a tone of gratitude which I found lovely! I will be returning back if I need an obscure ingredient for a recipe I've been dying to cook! They also have henna, etc. as well as more imported things that you are unlikely to find anywhere else. Def would recommend if you want to support a small business!

If I could give zero stars, I would. I placed an order on August 19th. I was recovering from an injury so I could not get to the store in person. I received a message that the package had been delivered on August 27th, but as of September 11th it had not been delivered. I eventually received and opened it around September 17th - except, the contents were nothing I had ordered, and the packing slip had someone else's name on it and listed the items I had been sent. I immediately wrote to the company explaining this, and asking that they send me my original order. I asked that they overnight the package at their expense since I had been waiting so long. My email was never answered. No new package has been delivered as of September 23rd, either. I just cancelled the charge through my credit card company. Bottom Line: These people are scam artists, not merchants. Stay far away!

I am enamored with this cute shop. Whenever I hit this area and need some Indian/Middle Eastern necessities, I head to Duals. It smells amazingdue to the spices and although the store is small/cramped, "seek and ye shall find" is the result. Keep in mind, this shop is bare bones in terms of layout or aesthetics. I was looking to buy low fat paneer and wasn't certain if they had it in stock or at all. Guess what? They did ---along with other varieties. Who doesn't love paneer? As I made my way around the store, I just had to pick up Mung beans (dal), extra long grain Basmati rice, Cardomon pods, Madras Curry Powder as well as some favorite chutneys (Tamarind Date and Mango). They carry the Swad brand which I like a lot. Know that they also carry teas, dates, countless spices, beans and all kind of rice. And so much more such as basic grocery items: vegetables, milk and juice. Also know you won't walk out empty handed. The gentleman at the register was courteous and kind enough to double bag my merchandise for the trek back to Brooklyn. Great shop.

I wanted to come and share that I continued to give my business to the store and have had pleasant and kind interactions since then.

A great cook needs a great spice collection, ground or whole. This is also one of the few places where I've seen so many whole spices and even though it's a hassle to roast and grind your own spices, it's worth the time when you can do it properly. But hey! They've got ground in ample quantities. Not only the selection and price is incredible, the freshness is unbeatable - I literally have to cut the amount of chili powder in half from the typical grocery store spice jar in order to not have my tongue burn off when I am eating. They even have fresh curry and kaffir lime leaf! (My mother kept requesting their togarashi blend every time I came home.) The owner and staff are so kind and friendly, I've been coming here for a decade and that means I've kept going through that least six apartments moves in NYC alone. In all of that time, there's only one item which I've never found (Swedish pearl sugar, but how niche is that!) but needing some elderflower cordial and Turkish sunflower oil? Yeah, they've got that. Don't miss: Family pack of paratha, lemon verbena, and the golden jumbo raisins

Store super friendly :) nonjudgmental vibes. natural store. It's great prices. open late 11am - 11pm Other customers could be bossy but just ignore it. there are small steps about 4...be careful when you leave the store there's a crock. You might trip! I also want to mention, by the entrance, shopping baskets are set up I hit my knee and it was painful.... I hope the owner changes the location!

GO TO ALIVE HERBALS INSTEAD! Horrible experience here: Not a safe space. The cashier was very discriminatory and accused my boyfriend of shoplifting. He kept interrogating him. We said he could check our pockets and the cameras, but they were too cowardly to do so. The customer behind us said "why do you keep stressing him out?" Ya'll should be ashamed. I regret buying anything from this store and will not be returning. So much for "good karma." I hope you're happy losing a customer.

Great find!!! If you are looking for spices that are not typically carried in a supermarket, this is your place! They seem to have everything you may want. Definitely a worthwhile stop for the chef in you. Up your game. Spice it up! :)

This is one of my absolute favorite shops to stop in when I find my self in the LES. It's a small space jam packed with items ranging from herbs, spices, teas and incenses. Spices are reasonably priced and ranges from powered to whole. This go around I picked up dried Carolina reaper peppers, red lentils and debated if I needed one of their many varieties of peppers

I love everything about this place !!! I get my incense , teas and herbs there. Best natural shop around and dirt cheap !!!

Great selection of rice/spices/nan/nuts and grains, people working there always nice and helpful Prices are reasonable for what getting

Dual is the greatest ever! They have every herb/tincture/tonic for wellness/dieting as well as everyday groceries/Indian specialties! Their products are well organized, and their staff is so helpful! Great ambiance - a true family owned/run business that you should support!

If you can think of it, Duals Natural has it. Smells wonderful, a real treat for a cook.

I was researching a health food store to find mullein near my workplace and came across Duals Natural and needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised! Duals Naturals has a great variety of herbs, spices that are reasonably priced!

Love shopping Dual Natural online and in store -- amazing selection of any indian spices you could possibly ever need! As I expand my indian cooking journey to more dishes, I keep coming back for new spices (amchoor, cumin, ajwain, etc.) to add to the collection & have been really happy with the quality and flavor.

If you are looking to build your herbal apocathery or use natural products for your skin and haircare, this should be your spot. I love coming here and finding new herbs and spices all the time.

Dual is the best place to find spices, teas, grains, and dried goods at competitive prices. Where else can you find sandalwood powder, buckwheat flour, and manuka honey in the same place? There is a little bit of a language barrier but the staff will do their best to find everything you need. It's a great place to pick up stuff but also to browse and try new things, especially given the great price point.

Smells so good here! I was super full when I found this shop but the great smell made me check it out. Variety: Fabulous! You can find all spices you want. They have great beer too. Hitachino, etc... Price: Not bad. Customer service: Chilled. Parking: Street.

When I need pickles, the Dual Specialty Store has them in spades: multiple brands from all over the globe, and cheap. Plus, if you can't find what you want, the staff are friendly enough to help. (Not that that's rare - thankfully - but that fact deserves to be highlighted.) Don't know what this market's specialty actually is - their huge spice rack may have something to do with it - but I know they have pickles. If you have a weird hankering for something late-night, their doors are open til 1 AM.

I expected to be able to find every herb and spice known to man here in their aromatic arsenal. And I did; all of them neatly packaged and affordably priced. I didn't expect that the entire long, north wall of the shop would be a cooler containing an enormous, wonderful selection of beer. Perhaps this welcome surprise is the second specialty? I also didn't expect to have to track down an employee in the back room, just so I could pay for my spices. They are lucky I'm such an honest, upstanding young gentleman. If I wasn't, then I would've taken what the kids call a "five-finger discount" on what seems like a lifetime supply of sage, rather than paying the full $3.50.

Spices, spices, spices. This is a goto place to grab your spices, many in three different quantities, small, medium and large. The spices come in heavy plastic bags which you will need to transfer to a container for ease in using. That's a bit inconvenient but the inconvenience comes with savings in your wallet if you already have existing jars. If you prefer organic spices, they have organic versions as well. If Dual doesn't have it ask and they might get it next week or get it for you. Lastly they provide a discount for cash purchases, so bring your cash.

Need spices? Come here! After recently discovering my go to spice store was dipping in quality I was in the market for a new one. There's a few reasons Dual stands out vs. some of the larger stores further uptown in Kips Bay. 1. Convenient - This lil' spot is tucked away on 2nd ave which means it's so easy to get to. 2. Hours - They're open till 1am which makes it even more convenient. Sometimes I get a sudden burst of energy to run errands at midnight, y'know? 3. Selection - Excellent selection that's in alphabetical order. I was in and out in under 5 minutes. 4. Price - Most spices are under $5, but I do wish they weighed by the pound. 5. Less overwhelming - Since this is a small store there's less products to sift through. Which is great if you're easily overwhelmed like I am. Not so great when you have to squeeze through the tiny aisles. But hey, it's the East Village.

This is one of the most helpful spice markets downtown. I've gone a few times looking for hard to find spices like Aji Amarillo, sumac, etc. - things you won't find at Trader Joe's or Key Foods. Their prices are fairly great, but the service here really stands out. Once I went in looking for poblano peppers. I can't remember what I was making, but I needed poblanos and nobody carried them nearby. I was scouring the store, and they noticed that I was looking so they asked what I couldn't find so that they can start ordering it. Y'all, that's what owning a good store in NYC looks like. You'll find great spices, herbs, veggies and such here, but most importantly you'll find a part of NYC that is sparse. If you love to cook, you'll love coming here.

I ordered some cinnamon on their website on May 13th as of June 20th I still don't have my item. Everytime I talk to them they say it will ship out the day I talked to them (3 times now). Then when I ask why it is shipping now and not earlier is they tell me it is out of stock but just came in stock but then the when I don't receive it after 2 weeks they say it is still out of stock. Make up your mind is it in or out of stock.

Everything you could hope to find in a spice store. You will wander in from the cold to find spices for your warm lentil dishes and reluctantly leave after happily giving away your last paycheck. Indian, Ethiopian, Thai...so many spices for different cooking styles, including hard to find spices like kaffir lime and curry leaves. They have your adaptogenic section covered- ashwagandha, reishi, cordyceps, maca, ginseng...etc. 1lb bags of pink Himalayan sea salt for $11(best price out there), $5 tahini, date molasses, raw honey...ah! They also have dried pulses, beans, grains, and flours (great chickpea and buckwheat flour for good prices). Plus a whole section of nuts and dried fruits- if you ever need a truckload of dried coconut, this is your spot. Finally, there is plenty of incense, essential oils, and homeopathic remedies. You will easily while an hour away despite the seemingly small size of the shop. It's a must visit for any New Yorker who cooks!

AMAZING collection of herbs for health, hair, and skin (such as amla, which is an energizing health drink when mixed with water, makes hair thicker, and skin glowy). I especially Love their parathas, collection of chocolates, and oil scents for your body or your altar (such as lavender ).

Love this place! They have some pretty great spices for a decent price. I enjoyed that it was a one stop shop for not only my bath tea herbal needs but also cooking herbs, spices and grains.

After reading all the glowing Yelp reviews,I finally ventured here today.The selection was just as amazing as everyone described.I got a great haul.Theres sole issue was the service.The counter person was very unfriendly...at least towards me.*side eye* Me:Hello! :) Cashier:.... -_- Me: Thank you!! Cashier :.... -_- Me: coming back to spend More money: * still polite * Cashier: *stoned face* I think I know why I in particular may have gotten this response buttttt,it's not wise to speculate.So,let's not go there.Maybe he had a bad day *shrug* Regardless,I'll still be back here and see if the reception is the same :)))Stellar merchandise either way,

Awesome store! Amazing and really nice people. I was looking for henna for hair dye and indigo powder and they had it. Also the baklava is sooooo goood! Will be coming back soon!

What. An. Experience. This is NYC in a nutshell. You walk down a flight of stairs and you go into a different world. Rare spices, sauces, and foods from around the world. I love everything about this place and it's hard not dropping $50 every time.

I discovered this store many years ago when I lived in NYC and absolutely loved it. Though I haven't been to the physical store in a very long time but I received some of their house blended loose leaf green tea with jasmine and it's a really gorgeous blend. Super potent - you don't need much - but also smooth and fragrant. Most of the green tea I've had would leave my stomach feeling nauseated and just seemed harsh and and astringent, but not this one. It left me feeling balanced and energized, Beautiful blend.

Pretty amazing!!! There are plenty of items to choose from and so well priced too! I'm sure you're wondering, what the heck do they sell here??? Well, let me tell you! They have tons of spices, flours, grains, oil essences and other items I wouldn't know how to use. The best part about coming here is, once you're inside and looking at the prices, you start to realize it wouldn't hurt your wallet that badly if you bought the tomato couscous, white pepper jar and lemon bitters to try out at home. Trust me...this is how it works. I go in thinking I'll just pick up a jar of black peppercorns and I end up walking out the all these exotic pantry additions. It's so fun! So now, my pepper mill has both black and white peppercorns. The tomato couscous is a delicious compliment to my week night chicken dinners. As for the lemon bitters, my bf says it tastes great with his rye whiskey. P.S. Their selection of beers is quite impressive as well. I love this place - go check it out!

Awesome variety of herbs, spices, nuts, grains, teas and other goodies. I'm not sure there isn't something they don't have. (If that makes any sense). I've bought tea as gifts for family from here, and tea for myself. They have a great selection of loose tea. Indian food is probably one of my favorite foods, and when I first went to Dual it was after eating upstairs at Sigiri (Sri Lankan restaurant upstairs). I don't remember when but at some point in my life I've had "bombay mix" or chiwda, an Indian snack mix. Dual has a bunch of different options of these mixes. I've tried most of them, one always gets me to go back the Panchrattan from Haldiram, it offers a little bit of every flavor from sweet to spicy all in one savory mix. When I visit I usually get lost in all that is offered. Many things I've never heard of or have seen in person before. It's like a food/spice museum, except you can touch and buy to enjoy for yourself. Some of the other items being offered are soaps, chocolates, incense, frozen Indian food, drinks, religious items, Ghost peppers (very HOT, I've heard) and many many other delights. Another plus is they are open late. Stop on in and check them out.

Dual Specialty is my go-to in the city for dry goods, incense, oils and spices at great prices. This gem is open until 1 am. They don't often have anything I don't need. The employees are super helpful. Bring cash for an extra discount. This is the only place I know of that I can get my favorite incense (3 for $5), Brazil nuts and grapeseed oil all in one trip. If you're into teas and spices, Dual offers an array of choices from all over the world.

LOVE the variety of products and could spend an hour just browsing. Originally came here looking for Ayurvedic ingredients and spices and always stock up on kitchari, turmeric, flaked salt, and loose tea.

Wonderful selection of spices and other foods. Great local place and very well priced.

Definitely one of the most special stores in New York City let alone the neighborhood. I could spend about 2 hours and $200 in here easily. The only annoying thing is that although there are helpful descriptions for some of the items in there, the cell phone reception is spotty so I can't google what to do with half of it. Can't really think of another place where I can get a ritual candle, mugwort, and a bottle of Trappist Beer?

One thing that squicks me out about Dual--and I live in the neighborhood but walk by far more than I go in--is that they have all sorts of produce, including turmeric and yucca, sitting out front in the exhaust fumes of 1st avenue. It's fair game for dogs to pee on--just sayin'. Other than that, I do love the interior, and the selection can't be beat; it would cost me way more in terms of time and effort to go out to Jackson Heights to look for the things Dual has right at my fingertips here. You can get a bag of paprika for insanely cheap; the garam masala I got here is still not even half-finished. Still, I'll definitely check out the new store on Delancey.

In Manhattan it is not so easy to find fenugreek leaves...this places stocks them and just about any other indian spices you could want. Great spot.

Came here for the first time on Tuesday, early afternoon. The store's steps go downstairs toward/ the entrance so it's slightly easy to miss. When you first walk in, there's a strong smell of spices that hits your nose (which is great). It was pretty empty and the employees were helpful if you have any questions. Prices were reasonable for spices and grains ranging from $3-9 for decent sizes too. There's different sized packets depending on your needs (8oz, 1/2+1+2 lbs). They have a lot of organic, non-GMO products, Indian snacks/desserts, and a huge variety of tea (rosebuds, lavender, chai masala, etc.). In other words, there's a lot available for great prices. If you are looking for paella rice (which was my original goal) they have a pack of Bomba Valencia rice (8oz) for $4.95. I can't remember the exact deal, but I believe it's if you pay with cash for totals over $25 you can get 5% off and $35+, 10% off, but you can still use credit card (no Discover though).

I stumbled into here to get out of the cold while waiting for a dinner reservation at Providence. This is the most perfect store. I ended up spending an hour and finding things that I used to cook with inToronto but could never find in LA. They also have a million spices I've never heard of/used -until now. Go here. Go to here. They have mini papadums even. And mushroom powders. And crazy ashwaga powders.

Frozen Paratha bought once and got a 2nd one for exchange. Moldy. I'm done. I'm not coming here for paratha..maybe spices but the old man who was working there on 1/1/2022 around 7 pm was not nice at all. The worker who was there working was EXTREMELY pleasant to chat and work with since he allowed to give me a fresh roti that I also want to exchange cause it was mold. Kudos to the guy who understands customer service and understands MOLD is not something to eat. I guess its fine for older people. Other than that Im worried about quality control here.

very good store with variety products from incense sticks to herbs, spices, and oils. Spiritual products are available also at affordable price.

Need 5 kinds of rice? Spices, whole or ground? Nuts, saffron, dried fruit, tea? Rose water, orange blossom water, kaffir lime leaves? The vast majority of your exotic cooking needs, from Middle Eastern to East Asian, can be met here, and affordably so. And now you can order from them online, a magnificent blessing for non-New-Yorkers, at dualspices.com. I live walking distance from Dual, but not everyone is so lucky.

I have visited the store numerous times and each time was pleasant. I made the error of using the website. I made an online order and was expecting my order to ship within the 1-3 days as stated and I am on day 10 and just got notification for shipping. I called and was redirected to another number where the gentleman stated that he would ship right away. He did ship 5 days after we spoke. I called store and no one could answer where my order was. AVOID headaches and if you can go into the store.

Some things sell out quick. I asked an employee about a product and he said they were out. But when I went to pay, the cashier told me when they would have more again. Super nice staff. Amazing selection. I have to tell myself to not spend the whole day in the store browsing. I do wish they had fresh or dried taro leaves though. Also they have really delicious sweet RIPE bananas, instead of the ones that are still green that you have to wait like a week to eat, super good price too.

I came into the grocery store the other night with a particularly difficult case of the hiccups, in search of licorice root to chew (I was desperate). I asked the gentleman behind the counter if he had any advice on how to get rid of the hiccups, and he showed me how he got rid of them using a water bottle and some gulping exercises. It worked, and I am grateful.

This is my favorite store in the East Village and maybe all of NYC. Most of the time I come in here to pick up spices, perfectly ripe mangoes, and Indian food. But every now and then I'm planning to make a recipe with some ingredient I've never even heard of, so I come to Dual to see if they have it. They have literally never failed me no matter how weird or obscure. The staff is also super helpful.

Dual is the only place in the city where I've found bulk assam tea. That doesn't mean it's the only place that has bulk assam black, but it's a little more hard to come by than loose leaf ceylon. It's also one of only a handful of places in the city to sell decent quality vanilla beans. I grabbed a couple when I was in for the tea. (Zabar's on the UWS and Buon Italia in Chelsea Market are others.) Dual's spice selection is unparalleled. If you need it, they probably have it. And if you have no earthly idea what you'd do with it, they might have that too. The goods run the gamut from mundane cassia cinnamon, to the bizarre and potentially heart short-circuiting guarana berries (which come with a warning label). You can also pick up dried sassafras root, galangal, chicory and anything you'd ever want to put in a pot of chai. Awesome. (For price, Manhattan Fruit Exchange in Chelsea Market beats them on most mundane spices and herbs and has better packaging. There's less scent transference in the thicker plastic boxes MFE uses, than DSP's zip baggies.)