The Parsley Porch

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Ephrata, PA
The Parsley Porch

The Parsley Porch offers a large variety of spices, blends, and essential oils. You can order online or email us for information about specific products.

ABOUT US

Andy and Pat Benko purchased The Parsley Porch in 2007 from Brad Loercher. He had owned several such stores dating back to the 1970’s but only the one at The Green Dragon farmers market still remained. Like Brad, Andy and Pat were former teachers retiring in 2011. Pat taught 4th grade for 24 years, entering the workforce after spending 10+ years as a full-time mother of 3 chi

ldren. Andy, for 39 years, taught biology, biochemistry, and several other subjects and for 2 years after retirement was employed by IU13 as an “Instructional Coach” serving biology and chemistry teachers throughout Lancaster and Lebanon counties in PA. Andy coached 5 sports in 63 total seasons (56 winning) until in 2003 knee and back problems ended his coaching career. In 2004 he was inducted as a coach into a local “Athletic Hall of Honor”. Andy immediately assumed the cooking duties with Pat’s blessing. This necessitated trips to market for fresh meats and produce as well as herbs and spices. He was quickly impressed with products from The Parsley Porch. He was a weekly customer and became friends with Brad. It was well known that Black Friday is a banner day for farmers markets. Brad announced that he would be closed the day after Thanksgiving to visit his grandchildren in Mississippi. After a quick phone call to Pat, Andy offered to open The Parsley Porch. They were shocked to see the business done on that day. A few months later, Brad who wanted to retire, but wanted his business to continue in good hands, made Andy an offer and the rest they say is history. In 2007, the Benkos took over with very few changes. Andy and Brad are still friends. As our website states, “The BEST Spices at GREAT Prices”, this is OUR commitment to YOU. Shortly after assuming ownership we decided to share our wares with the rest of our country through our website. We spent our careers as teachers. We understand and have lived our lives providing service for a modest income. Being a “mom and pop” store without employees, thus far, and operating out of our home with no expensive store to rent, we stand by our commitment. If a competitor can match our quality, they cannot touch our prices. If a competitor can match our prices, they don’t come close to our quality. We MAKE our own pure vanilla extract that is almost a year old before we sell it and it crushes the quality and price of “name” brands. Our saffron is above ISO 3632 Category 1 saffron standards. We have 50+ custom blends, several of which are NO SALT, sold ONLY at The Parsley Porch. We have 30+ wholesale vendors where we pick and choose from the best each has to offer. All our essential oils (except cinnamon which is FOOD grade) are pharmaceutical grade, the highest level of purity and thus quality. Contact us if you have any questions about any of our products. Email works best. [email protected]. We may have only operated The Parsley Porch for 10 years but remember we have over 75 years of dealing with everyday people. Much of any biology course is botany, biochemistry and health. The Parsley Porch is nothing more than roots, stems, leaves, fruits and seeds used in culinary and medicinal applications. Bon appetit!

06/10/2026

Seasonings greetings to all of our loyal customers and friends of The Parsley Porch. Garlic salt and onion salt sell all year round but they are sold in greater quantities during the summertime when people grill outside. These two should be staples in anyone’s pantry. While salt is not considered a spice, it is a universal mineral seasoning. It is used on a worldwide basis to enhance the flavor of food. Granulated onion and garlic are popular Spices… while over half of our 50+ blends have either garlic, onion or both in their recipes. Many people are aware that your tongue has four different taste areas and can detect sweet, sour, bitter and salty. It is now generally recognized that there is a fifth taste… UMAMI… which is Japanese for pleasant, savory taste… like deep, rich meaty, brothy, flavor that lingers on the tongue and is satisfying. Garlic salt and onion salt both provide Umami taste to whatever you are seasoning. Of course, these are great on any meat, but also on vegetables, potatoes, rice, and sauces. They would also be good on snacks, such as popcorn, or in dips. See all of our 200+ products in as many as six different sizes at parsleyporch.com where you always get “The BEST Spices at GREAT Prices“. Bon appétit! 🙂

Tear tear

06/09/2026

Seasonings greetings to all of our loyal customers and friends of The Parsley Porch. Thanks to all of you for making 2026 our best year ever so far by a large margin. Pictured below is an online order that actually shocked me. Of course this qualifies for free shipping and who doesn’t love that?Every day I put something on Facebook and Instagram about the joys and health benefits of our 200+ products at The Parsley Porch. Saturday night late/Sunday morning early I posted an extensive article on Saffron from The Parsley Porch. Having taught biochemistry and and sold Saffron for over 19 years. The price per ounce was fair but the iso 3632 document was more than a home run… It was a grand slam in terms of Saffron quality. If you can find anything better, let me know because I can’t. Simply put this is the best Saffron ever that we have sold at The Parsley Porch. The picture below obviously sustains my claims as this customer is buying 12 g for $84. Ask yourself a simple question… Would this customer spend $84 if he was not sure that he was getting THE BEST saffron anywhere? We don’t spend any money on Advertising… We use Facebook and Instagram exclusively, which are free. When you post something one day and you get a huge order the next, as a science teacher for 39 years, that tells me something. There are over 1 billion followers of Instagram… and it is instantaneous. See all of our 200+ products it as many as six different sizes at parsleyporch.com where you always get “The BEST Spices at GREAT Prices“. Bon appétit! 🙂

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06/08/2026

Seasonings greetings to all of our loyal customers and friends of The Parsley Porch. We just had a lot of rain, followed by a brief heat wave. That means we are entering mosquito weather. Mosquitoes are the number one killer animals on the planet as they are vectors of many diseases. Every year more than 1 million people die of mosquito borne illnesses, mostly children under five and malaria has killed more humans than all of the wars in human history . While mosquito deaths are rare in the United States, we still need to cooperate in keeping their breeding populations down. Do not allow pools of water on your property as mosquitoes can easily breed in garbage cans, old tires, clogged gutters, etc….there are a number of ways to repel them, so you are less likely to get bitten, which can still leave an unpleasant welt, which gets very itchy. As you see in the illustration, not only patchouli oil, but also eucalyptus and citronella are effective mosquito repellents. You can get all three at The Parsley Porch. See all of our 200+ products in as many as six different sizes at parsleyporch.com where you always get “The BEST Spices at GREAT Prices“. Bon appétit! 🙂

06/07/2026

Seasonings greetings to all our loyal customers and friends of The Parsley Porch. Father’s Day is coming up and your dad deserves the best. Dads may assume many different roles in the kitchen. The last post we focused on the grilling, carnivore dad, of which I am one. My father was a butcher and the owner of Benko‘s market, which was a full service grocery store where I was proud to work for many years until the age of 27 on an at least part-time basis. Fast forward to 2026 where I have many friends that are much more oriented towards the vegetarian world. Being the owner of The Parsley Porch, it would be hypocritical if I didn’t recognize the value of the plant kingdom, as all 200+ of our products so classified. This past week we sold 18 vials of Saffron, the most expensive Spice in the world by far. Saffron Threads cost 20% of what Gold Threads are valued at. I have posted several times before about how our Saffron is as good as anything you can find anywhere. It is documented by spectrophotometry which is a precise procedure to determine Saffron quality. NOBODY sells better Saffron and I have the iso 3632 to prove it. Some vendors will sell more expensive, Saffron, but they will not sell BETTER Saffron. Get dad the best without breaking the bank. See all of our 200+ products in as many as six different sizes at parsleyporch.com where you always get “The BEST Spices at GREAT prices“. Bon appétit! 🙂

06/06/2026

Seasonings greetings to all of our loyal customers and friends of The Parsley Porch. As temperatures hit the 90s, cooking outside, not only keep your house cooler, but grilled meat and vegetables make your meals special. In many cases, dad‘s give mom a break by firing up the grill and add that special flavor profile that only grilling can provide. Whether it be a special salt or peppercorn, freshly ground, with the current price of meats, you want to get every bit of enjoyment you can. Personally, I can testify having used every blend listed below, to their quality. Several of these are custom blends meaning they are found nowhere else in the world except at The Parsley Porch. It’s up to you to decide your favorite but they are all great…AND they are freshly ground and blended on a weekly basis. Grocery stores sell spices and blends that may have been sitting in a warehouse or on the shelf for up to three years before they are sold. You were unlikely to find any of our grilling blends that are more than 3 WEEKS old at The Parsley Porch. Don’t buy our spices because they are cheaper which they are, buy them because they are BETTER. This Father’s Day get dad or grandpa some items that they will USE & ENJOY all summer long and also that will turn them into heroes when they bring freshly grilled meats inside that were seasoned by blends from The Parsley Porch. See all of our 200+ products and as many as six different sizes at parsleyporch.com where you always get “The BEST Spices at GREAT Prices“. Bon appétit! 🙂

06/05/2026

Seasonings greetings to all of our loyal customers, and friends of The Parsley Porch. We have seven different peppercorn options that we sell. They are all terrific options for the particular palate of any individual. We have four different ground pepper options as well. Most of my customers only know of ground pepper, which is what they grew up with and are familiar with. Ground pepper tastes great to some people. Black pepper is widely recognized as the "King of Spices". It earned this title due to its rich history, its position as the world's most traded spice, and its unique versatility in complementing almost any savory or sweet dish. In some countries, it was used as currency, could pay taxes and even ransom. Nobody sells better ground pepper than The Parsley Porch. Having said that on a scale of 1-10, ground black pepper is about a 4–5 in terms of flavor and piquancy. There is no question that Tellicherry peppercorns a 10 in terms of flavor when freshly ground. All of our other peppercorns are a 9+ in terms of flavor. Pictured below are our black peppercorns, which are officially called Lampong which are grown in Indonesia on the island of Sumatra. Depending on your particular taste, they may have a bit more bite and heat, but are nonetheless a superior peppercorn. If you are really into pepper, which has a lot of health benefits, think of the Lampong as a cooking peppercorn and the Tellicherry as a finishing peppercorn. Anytime you grind any peppercorn on your food your taste buds will thank you. See all of our 200+ products in as many as six different sizes at parsleyporch.com were you always get “The BEST Spices at GREAT Prices“. Bon appétit! 🙂

06/04/2026

Seasonings greetings to all of our loyal customers and friends of The Parsley Porch. Pictured below is a popular blend that we sell in quantity every week. Curry is a nutrient-dense powerhouse. Thanks to a blend of potent herbs and spices—like turmeric, ginger, garlic, and cumin—curry offers strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Regular consumption can support your immune system, improve digestive health, and help stabilize blood sugar. In India, there are almost as many curries as there are families as every group has their particular blend of spices that they use on a regular basis. Curry from The Parsley Porch is always the same. I know it is good because it sells a lot. We also sell a HOT curry, which is our regular curry with three different hot peppers in. Keep in mind that we pack this every week unlike Grocery Store Spices that are sitting in warehouses and on shelves for up to three years. See all of our 200+ products in as many as six different sizes at parsleyporch.com where you always get “The BEST Spices at GREAT Prices“. Bon appétit! 🙂

06/03/2026

Seasonings greetings…To all of our loyal customers and friends of The Parsley Porch. As I am gratified, with our record sales in April and May, I start to reflect on some things. Pictured below is one of our best selling blends and one of my personal favorites for steak and burgers… Montreal steak rub. We blend this and pack this almost every week. As soon as we enter grilling season, this blend flies off the shelf. What makes it special if you look at the ingredients… Blending them together ensures freshness, but what makes this special is that we grind together, green peppercorns and dill seed producing and unforgettable bouquet and a flavor profile that is off the charts. We have 50+ blends which we pack almost every week. The big Spice companies and grocery stores can’t touch us in terms of freshness and piquancy. Spices typically spend between 6 months to 2 years in a warehouse before reaching grocery store shelves. Once there they can sit on the shelves for a year or more. Yes, you can buy Spices that were packaged three years before you pay grocery store prices. The vast majority of our Spice blends are closer to three WEEKS old rather than three YEARS old. BTW, NOBODY matches our quality. If they come close, they are twice as expensive and if they are close in price, they are nowhere near our quality. See all of our 200+ products in as many as six different sizes at parsleyporch.com where you always get “The BEST Spices at GREAT Prices“. Bon appétit! 🙂

06/02/2026

Seasonings greetings to all of our loyal, customers and friends of The Parsley Porch. Rosemary essential oil has numerous health benefits. I know firsthand but it is also backed up by scientific studies showing that inhalation reduces stress/cortisol levels. I keep a 1 oz. bottle in my car, as traffic jams cause me stress… I take the cap off the bottle take several inhales with a bottle close to my nose and it is therapeutic to me. Rosemary oil is also bacteriostatic as well as bacteriocidal. Most people enjoy the fresh aroma of rosemary, and simply putting a drop or two on a lightbulb is better than an air freshener because it will kill bacteria in the air when so used. There is scientific evidence that it increases brain function/concentration as it decreases the breakdown of a neurotransmitter. Remember that I taught biochemistry and anatomy & physiology and I don’t post anything that I can’t document. These are not myths or wives tales, there are scientific studies to back up. all of the claims that I have posted. Essential Oils have been around for thousands of years and are even in the Bible but we’ve learned most of the science involved with them
in this century. See all of our 200+ products in as many as six different sizes at parsleyporch.com where you always get “The BEST Spices at GREAT Prices“. Bon appétit! 🙂

06/01/2026

Seasonings greetings to all of our loyal customers and friends of The Parsley Porch. Normally September, October and November are our best months for sales. You have made April & May our best two months ever in the 19 years we have owned The Parsley Porch. Pictured below is another of our top selling essential oils. Anise essential oil is a powerful, licorice-scented extract celebrated for its ability to soothe the digestive tract, relieve muscle and joint cramps, and ease respiratory congestion. Its active compound, anethole, provides natural anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, and antimicrobial properties. Many people find it very effective for aromatherapy and love the licorice scent and the relaxation it provides. I have many customers that buy it around the holidays and use it in their pizzell iron for making Italian cookies. Since Oils are 5–8 times stronger than Extracts, it can really intensify a flavor profile. See all of our 200+ products in as many as six different sizes at parsleyporch.com where you always get “The BEST Spices at GREAT Prices”. Bon appetit! 🙂

Address

Building #6, The Green Dragon Farmer'S Market, 955 N. State Street
Ephrata, PA
17522

Opening Hours

8am - 8:30pm

Telephone

+17173978045

Website

http://parsleyporch.com/

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