Our Story

Where It All Started...

In 2019, while studying at Rowan University, Malicka received a phone call that changed everything. Her mother had suffered a stroke back home in Côte d'Ivoire, and was handed a list of dietary restrictions with no real solutions. Instead of accepting that healing meant flavorless food, Malicka went to work. She researched the science of food as medicine, studied which spices carried proven anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular benefits; and started building blends in her dorm kitchen that could nourish her mother without sacrificing the authentic flavors they had shared their whole lives.

That act of love became Konay Spice Shop.

What We Make

Every Konay blend is built around powerful champion ingredients like ginger. Anti-inflammatory. Antioxidant-rich. Proven to support digestion, and promote real wellness without stripping away flavor. Our blends are vegan, gluten-free, and completely free of artificial additives. No fillers. No shortcuts. Just clean, culturally rooted flavor that works as hard for your body as it does for your plate.

Behind The Brand

Malicka Barro is a private chef, urban gardener, food systems thinker, and the heart behind every jar at Konay. She holds a B.S. in Supply Chain and Logistics from Rowan University and a Master's in Sustainable Food Systems from the Culinary Institute of America, which shape every decision Konay Spice Shop makes from how ingredients are sourced to how products reach your door.

With over 15 years in the kitchen and a professional background in supply chain and logistics, Malicka brings a rare combination of culinary instinct and operational expertise to everything Konay does. From her college dorm, she started crafting health-first, multipurpose spice blends packed with ingredients known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, glucose and cholesterol lowering properties. Feeding others has always been Malicka’s love language, which she learned from her mother. Her peers and professors recognized her passion and her entrepreneurial spirit, and encouraged her to share that love with the world. This love has since then grown into a product line that has an established social media presence, and loyal early customer base.

What We Are Building...

With a vision to lead a sustainable spice trade that ensures every kitchen embraces authentic flavors and wellness, all while prioritizing ethical sourcing and environmental stewardship; Konay has always been bigger than just a spice boutique.

In partnership with the Opportunity League, we installed a hydroponic growing system in Burlington City, New Jersey (a recognized food desert) in order to bring fresh produce to a community that deserves access to real nutrition. Our blends are woven into the restaurant menu at Villages Community Marketplace where good food, and health-forward flavors will now be part of daily community life.

Our long term goal is to become a fully regenerative spice farm that is vertically integrated from soil to shelf, in order to ethically source the very ingredients we blend, and position Konay Spice Shop as a leader in the global sustainable spice market.