Indian spices to carry when you travel abroad

The secret of Indian spices is older than history itself.

Indian spices have enchanted people from all over the world, from times immemorial. Speaking from the point of view of cooking and food aesthetics, Indian spices rank quite far up the charts. Naturally, the home cooked food we eat have a delicious mix of spices and that’s what makes barirkhabaar (home-cooked food) that unforgettable when we travel out. Without specific spices in our meals, food tastes weird and different. But travelling abroad must not mean we give up on our spicey food palate, right?

Here are the Indian spices to carry when you travel abroad.

1. Kalonji – Kalonji completely transforms the smell and flavour of a dish. If you’re planning on making dishes that kalonji rules, don’t forget to carry a lot with you.
2. Paanchphoron – Speciality Bengali condiment for many dishes, the lack of paanchphoron in a dish won’t be made up by any other spice.
3. Star Anise – Used in biryanis, star anise adds a lot to the smell of biryani. If you don’t want to go hunt for it abroad, carry it along with you.
4. Saffron – One of the most expensive spices, saffron, though is available everywhere, will burn a hole in your pocket if you purchase it abroad. Better plan? Carry them with you.
5. Anardana – Used widely in chutneys, anardana is dried pomegranate seeds. You can relish it as a healthy snack you can munch on, while binging on television series. The sour and sweet anardana is an Indian speciality but is also used widely in the Middle East.
6. Radhuni – Radhuni looks a lot like carrom seeds, but it tastes like celery and smells like parsley. As it is mostly indigenous to South Asia, it is better to carry a lot when you travel to international waters.
7. Bhut Jolokia –Nothing will add as much spice to your dish like bhut jolokia – a North-Eastern Indian chilly. Want super spicy food for your next meal when you’re abroad? Carry these chillies with you ‘cause nothing will match up to it.
8. Amchur – Amchur adds fruitiness to dishes without adding moisture. Amchur, largely produced in India, is made from dried mangoes and ground into a powder. It is the perfect spice to add tangy flavour to your curry. It also does wonders to sprinkle on fried items, something we, as Indians, are too good at doing.