The founders
Épices du Guerrier est une marque québécoise de mélanges d’épices inspirés par le terroir boréal et les savoir-faire autochtones. Découvrez nos origines, notre mission et ce qui guide nos créations, de la sélection des ingrédients à la fabrication.
The co-founders
Originally from the Huron community of Wendake, in the Quebec City region, Daniel Picard has been traveling the province for over 30 years in search of First Nations local products. In 2017, with his partner Patrice Dion, he founded Les Épices du Guerrier to promote plants, herbs, and spices from Quebec's indigenous lands.
It began as a social project to support young people in need. Following the success of various events and festivals, the two partners decided to officially launch Les Épices du Guerrier .
Over the years, the company has been able to donate tens of thousands of dollars to social causes by participating in various fundraising activities. It has notably supported food banks, youth centers, and financed the purchase of equipment as well as the construction of soccer fields in Ouagadougou, Africa. In 2024, Daniel Picard also acted as honorary president of the "Together for the Community" event, allowing the donation of nearly $55,000 to local organizations.
A true public favorite since their launch, Les Épices du Guerrier quickly established themselves as a benchmark in terms of quality. Recognized as high-end condiments, our products have become essential for enhancing the flavor of all dishes, precisely thanks to the use of these treasures from our forests.
First Nations
Meals have always held a central place in First Nations traditions, symbolizing respect and sharing. Drawing on ancestral knowledge passed down from generation to generation, elders from several communities have contributed to the creation of several contemporary recipes for our spice blends. These showcase plants and herbs once used primarily for medicinal purposes, now transformed into combinations bursting with flavor.
Maple, the star ingredient in our boreal spices, is at the heart of several of our signature spice blends, such as the Traditional Blend or our famous Coffee Steak Rub. Always in the right doses, it acts as a backdrop that propels the flavors of your dishes to the highest gastronomic heights without ever stealing the show.
We also use sweet gale, a fickle plant that grows only in northern regions. Its taste and smell are surprising, and it was once used by First Nations as a medicinal remedy and insect repellent. Not to mention the delicious dune pepper, still harvested by hand, one catkin at a time during periods of extreme cold. Once brewed to relieve certain flu symptoms, it now adds a peppery and fragrant touch to several of our signature spice blends, including our Forest Pepper, our Bacon Pepper, and our Traditional and Tomahawk Blends.
Our 11 Nations Collection is another fine example, with each blend inspired by the Nations region of Quebec, incorporating at least one herb, and intended for use with game hunted by the people the blend is inspired by.
The Terroir
It is in the immense territory of the Canadian boreal forest—which represents nearly 28% of the planet's boreal forest—that we primarily source our food. This vast expanse is teeming with plants and herbs used since time immemorial by First Nations.
The region's unique climate is characterized by four distinct seasons. Winters are long, very cold, and dry, while summers are short, cool, and wet. These conditions result in significant periods of freezing and thawing, with temperature differences easily reaching sixty degrees between winter and summer.
As the seasons change, a slow transformation takes place, bringing significant changes to the entire territory. These natural cycles directly influence the local flora, giving the boreal forest's resources their unique character. It is thanks to this climate, in particular, that maple trees produce their precious sugar water, and that certain plants and herbs offer different flavors depending on the time of harvest.
Our wild herbs, plants, and mushrooms are hand-picked by professional foragers who practice responsible harvesting. This means they protect the harvesting environment and control the amount of resources harvested to ensure the sustainability of the harvesting environment.
