Rainbow Grocery Spice Shop in the Mission: Buy Just a Pinch

Rainbow Grocery, at 1745 Folsom Street on the edge of the Mission District, is the place in San Francisco to buy spices by the pinch rather than by the jar, and it is open every day from 9 am to 9 pm. The worker-owned co-op runs a bulk herbs, spices and teas department it describes as one of the most comprehensive in the Bay Area, with organically grown products whenever possible and specialty blends from around the world.

Rainbow has been in the Mission since 1975, and its founding principles are printed on its own site: affordable vegetarian food with minimal ecological and social harm, bought from local organic farmers, collectives, bakers and dairies whenever possible. That vegetarian rule still holds, so you won't find a meat counter here. What you will find is one of the largest bulk sections in the city, which the co-op treats as part of its zero-waste mission.

The store moved to its current home at 13th and Folsom in 1996, and the co-op says its workforce has more than doubled since then from about 85 people. Everyone you see stocking shelves or ringing up groceries is an owner and decision-maker in the business, and some have been part of the co-op for 20, 30 and even 40 years. Ask a question in the spice aisle and you're often talking to someone who helps choose what's on the shelf.

The point of shopping here is that you decide the quantity. The bulk foods department carries more than 800 products, and the co-op's own line is that you can buy a pinch or a pound. For spices, that means you can scoop a tablespoon of something you need for one recipe, such as fenugreek or annatto, instead of buying a full jar that goes stale in the cupboard. Prices are by weight, so a small scoop costs very little.

Each bulk item has its own number, so note it down for every bag you fill. Rainbow publishes a lookup of products by bulk number on its herbs, spices and teas page, which is useful when you're planning a big restock and want to know what the department carries before you arrive. Small paper or cloth bags work best for powders, and screw-top jars are better for anything you plan to keep for months.

Bring your own containers. The FAQ says the co-op is thrilled when customers bring small bags for bulk and produce, and it gives a 5-cent bag credit for each reusable bag or container you use. One rule surprises first-timers: you can't carry your own shopping bag around the store while you shop. Rainbow asks everyone to use its baskets or carts and bag up only after paying, because some people have used their own bags to leave without paying.

Sourcing is the department's selling point. The co-op says most of its organic herbs come from Washington, Oregon and the California coast, and it also carries ethically wildcrafted items, meaning plants gathered in the wild rather than farmed. That makes the dried culinary herbs, such as oregano, thyme, sage and bay, a better buy here than the imported spices, since they come from closer to home.

For the global blends, start small. A scoop of a curry powder, a za'atar or a chili blend costs very little in bulk, so you can try several before you commit. The tea section in the same department is worth a look too, with loose-leaf teas and herbal blends sold the same way, and the Vitamins & Supplements department across the store stocks Western and Chinese medicinal herbs if your shopping list runs beyond the kitchen. If you're cooking for a crowd, the department is just as happy to weigh out a pound of cumin seed or smoked paprika.

Rainbow is one of the busiest groceries in the city, and weekend afternoons are when the lines at the bulk scales and the registers get long. Go right at 9 am, or on a weekday evening after the after-work rush has passed. The store keeps the same 9 am to 9 pm hours every day of the week, so a late Sunday visit is easy. Biking or taking transit spares you a hunt for parking on a busy Saturday.

An honest note: Rainbow is not the place for rare single-origin saffron or the deepest selection of South Asian or Middle Eastern spices. For those, a specialist grocer serves you better. Rainbow wins on organic sourcing, flexible quantities and price for everyday spices and herbs, and on being able to pick up cheese, produce and bread in the same trip. The cheese counter alone is reason enough for many regulars to come.

Rainbow sits on the northern edge of the Mission where it meets SoMa, a mostly industrial stretch, so plan to walk south for the Mission's main streets. Head down Folsom and west on 16th Street to reach Valencia Street, lined with independent bookstores, cafés and shops, and keep going to Mission Dolores Park at 18th and Dolores for the city views from the upper slope.

Mission Dolores itself, the city's oldest building, is a few blocks north of the park on Dolores Street and open to visitors. If you would rather stay closer, the walk from Rainbow to the 16th Street Mission BART station takes about 15 minutes and passes through the taquerias and produce markets along Mission Street, a good place to pick up fresh chiles to go with your dried ones.

Rainbow Grocery Cooperative, 1745 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA 94103. Hours: every day 9 am to 9 pm. Bulk items are sold by weight, with a 5-cent credit for each reusable bag or container. The store sells vegetarian products only. The nearest BART station is 16th Street Mission, about a 15-minute walk.