our story

Hi! Our names are Abbas and Sara Naqvi, and the Punjab Spice Company is our take on reinventing traditional Pakistani recipes that our families have been creating in our home kitchens for generations.

Our story began in 2005 when Abbas moved from Pakistan to Ames, Iowa as an undergrad in Mechanical Engineering at Iowa State University. With his innate desire to create and interest in cooking, he worked alongside his mother in the kitchen to learn all his favorite recipes to be able to live on his own after moving to the United States. Sara had always enjoyed cooking and baking and learned recipes from her family growing up as well.

We met and eventually got married in 2014. Along the way, we discovered our shared passion for cooking and experimenting in the kitchen, creating a unique spin on some traditional recipes from our families. At dinner parties, our friends raved about our chutneys and spice-inspired concoctions, so much so that we decided to start sharing them as gifts and eventually selling them at local markets. As they say, this is just the beginning and we appreciate you following our journey and supporting us. Explore the website, and get in touch with us to see how you can enjoy our foods, too!