Meet Mariam

Life is journey …

At 17, Mariam left Afghanistan with her family and settled in San Diego, California. She began working in banking and finance, transitioned to health and nutrition, and then took a remarkable turn that led her back to Afghanistan as a cultural advisor for the U.S. Military.

It was the birth of her son Abraham, born with Down’s Syndrome that changed the course of her life and led her on another journey, this one more heartfelt and with a greater passion. Learning that Abraham was sensitive to gluten, she had to pay attention to the foods he ate and how they were prepared. Her research revealed that the gluten-free products were attractively packaged, but she was skeptical about how fresh and healthy they were after being processed and sitting on the shelf.

She began to experiment with spices and fresh, natural ingredients, developing dishes that would provide the necessary nutrition and flavor Abraham would enjoy. Friends and family supported her, loving her tasty dishes, and encouraging her to write down the recipes.

Preparing the recipes Mariam recognized that it wouldn’t be easy for even an accomplished cook to find the spices and blend them in the precise (and delicious) way she had achieved.  That’s when an idea took hold to “package her miracle”.  A new journey began for Mariam founding Aurora Gourmet Spices (AGS) …

“Life should be full of flavor no matter the journey or destination,”  says Mariam.  Her son, and biggest fan, agrees.