Does anyone know if there is a local market that sells fresh herbs and spices? I know in most countries you can find them on the street, in local markets, and at some restaurants. What I'm interested in is a herb shop. When you walk in the door this is all you smell. You see herbs hanging all around the shop. If you want to buy some fresh herbs you can ask the person to grind them up for you. This way you can take them home easily.
That would be excellent if they have herb shops in India. I would love to get some good Indian curry to take home. I would also be interested in seeing what other types of herbs and spices they use in India.
Where in India will you be headed to specifically? If we have that information I'm sure some of the Indian forum members or those that have already been to India will be able to steer you in the right direction!
I know of Ahana Organic which sells herbs, spices, and rice of the organic variety. All their items come from their farm. This store is located in Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi. Then there's NHC or National Herbs Company located in Ashish Market, Delhi. They sell medicinal and botanical herbs, as well as spices and essential oils. They are free from preservatives as well, or organic. I hope this helps!
I think @amelia88 is also right about it depends where you will be traveling when you go to India. @briannagodess has noted some pretty good established stores also. There are markets that you will be able to find all sorts of herbs and spices. If you have difficulty finding everything under one roof if you keep walking through the market you are bound to find what you are looking for, plus many other things not yet on your list.
This is fantastic. I love organic grown foods. I would rather eat foods grown naturally and not spayed with chemicals. I know people swear by BIO, but to me it is just a watered down chemical. Now organic food is grown naturally and the farmers use plants to control their bugs.
Well I consider myself to be very lucky because we happen to have a world market store here that specializes in spices from other parts of the world and they have a whole section of Indian spices that is amazing to browse through, and smell too of course. That was probably one of the best parts of my travel there was the spices that they used in the food. It seemed like every meal was its own experience of new flavors all mixed together.
India has been a source of herbs and spices since ancient times. The first Europeans who anchored in India came for herbs and spices. You can find herbs on spices everywhere from the farmer's market to the supermarkets. In the farmer's market you will find unprocessed/unrefined herbs and spices, whereas in supermarket, you will find processed/refined hers and spices.
I also agree that every meal in India has its own experience of flavors mixed together. I find interesting that India made hot and spicy into a cool thing. Curry comes to mind because it's very popular around the world, but when you get real Indian means incorporating other herbs and spices like nutmeg, cumin, bay leaf, coriander and tumeric. The meals have flavors that draw you in and keep you captivated the whole time. Yea, I know other countries have their own way, but India just puts in together extremely well.
I know my wife will go crazy in India. She loves to cook and test different herbs and spices in her food. Also, she will try to figure out what spices or herb they have used. She loves to try and match the combinations in her own cooking. I know we will be visiting one of the spice markets when we arrive.
I love herbs and try and collect a few from each country I visit. I think it would be fun to bring home a large variety of herbs from India. I do love Indian cuisine and maybe I could cook a few dishes at home.
If you can, I recommend people pick up a few seeds. Growing a small garden is a great way to keep memories alive and have the tastes of these exotic locations. Depending on variety and your home climate, you may need to grow indoors or a greenhouse, but it is still worth it in my opinion.
I am a big fan of herbs and spices and I was wondering since I have already opened this thread to read a bit about it, whether there are some favourites in India. Herbs and spices, that is. I noticed that all cuisines have some specific smell. Like they use several spices more often than the others. Is that a case in India too? If someone here knows about this please share your knowledge and if someone already shared it and I missed it. I apologize.
What I have always loved about Indian food is their use of turmeric. It is one of my favorites, especially if slightly roasted before putting in a dish. It has such an earthy flavor and a nice, rich yellow color. But it is not the only spice. There are so many, especially because there is not just one style of Indian food. Just about every city and even town will have different ideas about food, based heavily on the ingredients and culture of the area. Some peppers even only grow in certain valleys, and could range from being incredibly spicy to sweet. What sort of flavor are you looking for?
