Discover St.Gallen's spice paradise

As soon as we enter the store, countless smells hit our nostrils. In front of us is a seemingly never-ending selection of spices, rice and grain mixtures, as well as specialties from all over the world that are mixed and packaged in in-house production. Immersing yourself in the abundance of scents, colors and stories is all part of a visit to "Nanna bunte Küche". It is the treasure trove of Nanna Rittgardt.

Nanna Rittgardt's family has been in the spice business for decades. Her grandparents had opened a spice shop in Wiesbaden, Germany, in 1948 and it is now run by her parents and siblings. "I had started in 2008 with a stand selling rice & grain mixes at the St.Gallen weekly market. The demand was so great that shortly after I was able to sell my products in the coffee house. Ten years ago, I realized a dream and opened my own store," says Nanna.

Although she grew up with all the fine scents and spices, Nanna was attracted by the scent of the big wide world. At a young age she went to Paris to pursue a completely different path for the first time and decided to study acting. After graduation she returned to Wiesbaden and began further training as a theater sculptor at the Hessian State Theater, where she met her husband, who has been working as an actor at the Theater St.Gallen since 2000. After further training in Switzerland, among other places, she felt that she was drawn to her roots, to spices. Therefore, Nanna decided to combine her creativity and passion for spices and started with the rice and grain mixes at the weekly market.

Nanna is bubbling over with ideas. Be it for new blends, creative gift ideas, like her wonder bags or for the design of her products. Nanna paints the drawings on the packaging herself. She is currently working on a spice book, together with her daughter Masha. Masha is a trained graphic designer, actively supports her mother in the store and last year designed a new website for "Nanna bunte Küche" so that products can also be sold online. The store is a family business. In the meantime, the store has grown into a real manufactory and is actively supported by two other employees who diligently mix, pack and sell. They bring a clear structure to the variety of colorful cuisine. It is not unusual for Nanna's three sons, her husband, or friends and acquaintances to help out in the store.

For those who want to immerse themselves in the world of a thousand spices, the "Nanna bunte Küche" at Burggraben 27 is the perfect place.