Lior Lev Sercarz is a chef, author, IDF veteran and royalty, of a sort. Well, at least he’s titled that way. With a globally acclaimed expertise in creating incredible flavors, Sercarz has become known as “The Spice King of New York,” no easy feat in one of the world’s top food cities.

At his store, La Boîte, Sercarz and his team create hundreds of spice blends used in kitchens ranging from Michelin-starred restaurants to that apartment down the hall that always smells amazing.

We caught up with Sercarz to discuss his new venture, the Galilee Culinary Institute by the Jewish National Fund; his new cookbook, “Mastering Spice: Recipes and Techniques to Transform Your Everyday Cooking”; and how he keeps the spice throne through mind-blowing flavor combinations.

Edited by Jesse Ulrich, with music by Ryan J. Sullivan.