In 1850, Eugene Durkee began grinding his own spices at his home in Buffalo, New York, personally selling his product from door-to-door. What made Durkee's spices unusual was the great emphasis he placed on the quality and purity of his products; an unusual claim in those days and one that was to create a strong appeal for his brand among the housewives of the area. Among Durkee's first products were ground black pepper, curry powder and celery salt. In 1857, he created a unique blend of eggs, mustard and spices called Durkee Famous Sauce which added famous flavor to meats and salads. It is rumored that Abraham Lincoln liked it so much that he took it with him to the White House when he became President.

Eugene Durkee, Jr. continued the Durkee tradition and quickly gained a reputation for creating very high quality products. He was asked by the U.S. government to define and draft the quality standards for the Pure Food & Drug Act of 1906 which became the industry standard for purity in spice. Durkee continued with his business and a year later, in 1907, helped establish the American Spice Trade Association (ASTA) for the purpose of monitoring and controlling the quality of spice sold in the USA. He also served as president of that organization from 1909-1911