Copyright The Oregonian
What makes one avocado toast recipe so much more delicious than others? Ask the loyal customers of Zi Spice in downtown Ashland. Here, chef Razia Hayden starts with her fresh baked, gluten-free and tangy sourdough bread. A thick, toasted slice of the bread is topped with organic avocado and blistered cherry tomatoes drizzled with rosemary fennel oil. If an egg is ordered, it’s from Hayden’s backyard, where pampered, free-range chickens are fed figs and fresh vegetables. Zi Spice bake shop and cafe opened on the Fourth of July across from Ashland’s 1912 Carnegie library, and was instantly noticed for its use of spices from India, Indonesia, North Africa and the Middle East. Since then, Hayden and her staff have been serving unique dishes, desserts and beverages based on Hayden’s knowledge of global seasonings and her dedication to making only healthy, nutritious and great tasting food. “The way Razia combines spices and flavors isn’t from a cookbook,” but her creativity, said Molly Gardenswartz, a Zi Spice regular with her husband, Woo. The two live nearby and often include a stop at Zi Spice while walking their Puli dog, Stella. On Sunday afternoon, the Gardenswartzs were settled into their regular spot on the corner patio near orange and yellow-leaf maple trees. Molly was enjoying organic chicken marinated in spiced yogurt, fried crisp in a house-made gluten-free rice flour blend and served with tamarind and honeyed yogurt hot sauce ($20). “I just love the balance of the spice, the creaminess, the crispiness, the tenderness,” she said. Woo ordered the popular avocado toast ($15), but he has also fallen for the French toast ($17), which has three slices of the house-made bread soaked in orange blossom custard, crowned with saffron whipped cream, and served with a seasonal compote, pistachios and fruit. Every cuisine has its “naughty ingredients,” said Molly, who has a dietary restriction. “But Razia has found healthy substitutes that add to the flavor.” Hayden said working to find tasty alternatives — like dairy-free cashew “cheese” and A2 beta-casein protein milk from grass-fed cows — is a part of “respecting who people are.” The breads, baked fresh each morning, use naturally gluten-free whole grain flours, organic olive oil and fresh eggs. Whipped ricotta rests on a slice of the sourdough bread along with honey, pistachios, lemon zest and chili sauce ($14). And an open-faced sandwich of roasted eggplant–tahini puree and cashew spread is layered with blistered tomatoes and pickled onions and basil ($17). Other popular menu items are the chaat waffle ($15) with a poached egg, tamarind and hot honey yogurt sauce on a spiced potato waffle as well as thin, savory dosas paired with house chutneys. Special beverages include chai, rose and green cardamom, cacao, Lion’s Mane Chaga and other spices. Gluten-free chocolate chip cookies are crisp at the edges, chewy in the middle and loaded with dark chocolate chunks. “People are really excited by the space and what we’re doing, and how much we genuinely care about every single thing that we do,” said Hayden, while making a batch of butter. “They know that the person who made their food cares about what they’re eating.” Through Zi Spice, Hayden hopes people enjoy being in the moment and relishing real food that nourishes them, mind, body and soul. Culinary self-care? A counter between the cafe and open kitchen has a line of Tibetan brass bells that customers softly play. Here, they can also see Hayden making specialty coffee or a hot or cold, house-brewed chai with a shot of espresso ($8 for 12 ounces). Hibiscus, matcha or mango saffron can be added for an extra $1-$1.50. Sascha Meier, an Ashland mindfulness meditation teacher, held “nourishing” meditation classes on Zi Spice’s covered deck in October. “Zi Spice Cafe is a great space to gather, an open and airy space with natural light and stellar flavors,” said Meier. Hayden said her dishes, like life, are a balancing act. The lamb pilaf ($22) needs to have enough fragrant saffron rice to contrast with the locally sourced meat, just enough pickled raisins and pickled onions to not overpower the flavor, and the right amount of fennel rosemary oil and tangy tamarind sauce on the fresh leafy greens. To make this happen, “you have to be present,” she said. The chef Hayden founded Zi Spice first as an artisanal food company that sells organic spices, specialty teas and unique confections. Her handcrafted chocolate bonbons filled with pistachio cream, saffron-infused ganache and coconut praline were a hit at the 2024 Oregon Chocolate Festival in Ashland. That year, she also offered immersive cooking classes where a handful of students at a time learned spice blending to customize curries and garam masala. Now, everything Hayden creates is available for take out or dine in at her one-stop shop. She posts recipes like Energizing Sesame Superfood Protein Balls that “nourishes body and soul” on ZiSpice.com. “I believe food is one of the most powerful ways we connect — to our heritage, to our communities and to ourselves,“ she said. ”Teaching is a way for me to pass on not just recipes, but joy, confidence and a deeper understanding of culture through spice." Hayden’s culinary approach is rooted in her multicultural family background. Her mother was born in Myanmar, but she grew up in England, Wales and Scotland, and her cooking leans more toward mashed potatoes, meatloaf and nachos, said Hayden. “But every so often, she’d make my favorite dish, Khowsway, a rich and fragrant Burmese coconut chicken noodle soup.” Hayden’s father is Iranian by heritage, born in India and moved to Canada as a child. “He’s a fantastic cook, too,” said Hayden. “His lasagna and French toast are legendary in our family, and he also makes beautiful dishes passed down from his family’s travels.” Her grandmother, who left Burma when she was 24, is an incredible cook who makes dishes like A-meh Si Chek, a beef curry dish from Burma that Hayden said is “full of regional flavor and history, even as her palate reflects a life of world travel.” Hayden started in the food industry at 14, “rolling burritos in Seattle” and she worked in restaurants until she started a company making cupcakes and cookies when she was 26. “I’ve lived and cooked all over: from Seattle to Saskatchewan, Sonoma to Texas, absorbing techniques, ingredients and traditions along the way,“ she said. Though she hasn’t yet visited India, she understands traditional methods through practice, study and conversations with food growers, chefs and others. “My education has been deeply experiential,” she said. “I learned about peaches in Kentucky, berries in Saskatchewan, citrus in Pakistan and even guerrilla growing in Toronto. ”I‘m still learning every day, and I think that’s one of the greatest gifts food gives us, a lifelong path of discovery and connection," she said. She understands the science of flavor balancing, fermentation and ingredient pairings. Her husband, Daniel Maida Hayden, has a doctorate in molecular biology and plant physiology. She follows biology and organic chemistry to a degree, she said. But her culinary talent came first, and her science knowledge hasn’t changed the way she cooks, but it helps explain her reasons. “If you grind cumin, it doesn’t release all the oil,” she said during the Spice & Sizzle: Indian Street Food class she offered in May. “If you toast it, using this method, it changes the composition and makes it more complex.” Hayden grows saffron, lavender, roses and blueberries to flavor her organic bonbons made with fair-trade cacao. “I’m deeply invested in heirloom cacao, not only for its complex flavor profiles but also for its role in biodiversity, cultural preservation and the connections between local and global communities,” she said. Buying from local farms and independent retailers strengthens food systems, she added. “For me, each confectionary, tea and spice blend represents a journey — a fusion of artisanal craft, heritage and innovation,“ stated Hayden on ZiSpice.com.
