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Indian Spices: Uncovered Dallas

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Drew Stull

 

Indian Spices: Uncovered Dallas

 

A recent field trip to India Bazaar in Richardson Texas gave me a new feel and understanding of Indian Culture. At India Bazaar, a customer can leave with anything they need to make a fantastic traditional Indian dish. An isle that really drew a lot of attention from me was the spice isle, it did not look like a traditional spice section like something Tom Thumb would have. The spices in India Bazaar come in large sealed bags like they are made for people who love to use spices for a lot of things. Some of the most popular spices that are indigenous to India are ginger, turmeric, tamarind, black pepper, curry leaves, and cardamom. Sesame seed was one of the first oilseed crops to be domesticated in India.

Spices have been used in India and all over the world for thousands of years. Poor people could use spices to make their meat taste better and maybe even a little healthier.   Turmeric has been used to help reduce inflammation and fight infection by Indians and the Chinese for thousands of years. “Recent research has shown that spices especially turmeric, are powerful antioxidants that can reduce inflammation, enhance the absorption of the protein in gains and chickpeas, lower cholesterol and even slow the progress of cancer.” Today most of these spices are still used by all people to add robust flavors to their dishes.

All of these spices have a very important part in history for India, but the most important spice that was traded out of the Indian Spice Route was cinnamon. Cinnamon was considered a very extravagant spice that was fit for monarchs and gods. Cinnamon also has many health benefits like being anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial. Back in 14th century the middle east had a monopoly over Europeans because they ran the spice trade. Spices were very much in demand because back in those days spices were very helpful because with no refrigeration, there had to be a better way to eat not so fresh meat.

Today, I am very happy to have refrigeration and spices! The India Bazaar definitely gave me a little taste of India, the panipuri and samosas were divine. Yes, India Bazaar also offers more than just spices they also have a large selection of authentic Indian fruits and vegetables, along with many other Indian essentials. They have a small restaurant part that sells the best fried dishes you can find in Richardson. My absolute favorite were the samosas, they are fried pockets filled with spiced potatoes and chickpeas. The breaded part was super crispy and the filling was savory and spicy. The panipuri came with masala water which was definitely a different experience, but a good one. The masala water had a very distinct savory taste that lingered in my mouth for a while. Overall, I would totally recommend India Bazaar to a friend and tell them to try both the samosas and the panipuri.

 

 

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