In the earlier “Spice of Life” casserole dishes, you’ll find one of three inscriptions just below the veggies. These are French phrases – La Romarin, L’Echalote, and La Marjolaine. For this reason, these earlier “Spice of Life” patterns are often called “French Spice”.

Corning Ware was first introduced in 1958 by Corning Glass Works. The ovenware was made of a white glass-ceramic material called Pyroceram, resistant to shock from sudden temperature changes and breakage. Pyroceram was the invention of Stanley Donald Stookey, who accidentally discovered the new material in the Corning lab in 1953. The new product could also be used with a broiler, freezer, stovetop, and, later, a microwave. 

Also, while the Spice of Life design is the second most-produced Corning Ware pattern, it is one of the rarest today.