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1. Are Curry’s spice blends made and packed locally?
• Yes. Curry’s spice blends are locally handcrafted and packed in a FDA approved commercial kitchen in Chicago. All blends are carefully processed, packaged, and labeled with hand.
• We make the blends in batches and do not store them for more than a week in our storage shelves before they are shipped to our customers.
2. Why did you think of making these spice blends while there are many of these available in the stores?
• Being Indian in origin, I noticed my grandmother and mother always grinding their spices just before using them in their delightful recipes. When I tried my own cooking skills after marriage, I thought that grinding my spices every time before cooking will prove to be tiring and unproductive. I was sure that I could gain the same flavor by using store bought spice blends.
• Was I proved right? Now I don't mind saying that I was wrong. After using those ready bought spice packs I realized that I could never make something that is as flavorful as my mother or grandmother made.
• Ultimately I had to compromise with my patience for the sake of a good flavorful dish and started grinding my own spice blends. After trying various formulas and refinement of recipes, I am now settled with my own unique blends, which I find very flavorful and always creates flavorful dishes for me.
• I was always asked for the spices that I use in my cooking by my guests as well as my cooking class participants. Now I am very happy to be able to introduce these few spice blends to you so that you can start amazing yourself along with your friends and family by creating blissfully aromatic dishes in your kitchen.
3. Where do you get your spice supplies? Are they all natural? Are there any chemicals used in your blends?
• I use all natural whole spices for blending to make my products. I do not buy them at a wholesale rate and store them before processing. I always buy the best brand of spices available from the local vendors in batches and process them immediately and pack the spice blends in air-tight containers or sealed bags for the maximum retention of their flavor component.
• I do not use any preservative or artificial flavors to enhance my blends. There are no fillers used in making these spice blends. The blends you see in my jars are just the freshly ground whole spices blended to create each product. In the future, I am hoping to use organic sources of whole spices.
4. Does your tea spice dissolve in the tea?
• No. Although the spice blends are sieved through a fine sieve, there will still be some amount of dust of the spices that will show on the surface of your tea. We encourage you to drink it as it is since it will not spoil the taste of the tea.
• But if you prefer, you may use an empty tea bag and put the bag for steeping your tea spice along with your usual tea bag. Or you may also use a small piece of cheesecloth and make a parcel with the spice inside and put in the water while boiling.
• In fact this is the closest to our traditional Indian way of making “chai” in which we use whole spices directly in the boiling water or make a parcel of whole spices as mentioned above.
• Just try experimenting the best way that suits you. From a health point of view eating all the spice granules will provide beneficial antioxidant power.
5. Does your product contain any salt and sugar?
• No. Our products do not contain any salt or sugar (except the Flavored Sugar, of course!). So, it is suitable to anyone on a sugar or salt restricted diet. Anyone who loves their tea sweet, can add sugar or any sweetener along with the tea spice.
• But Curry’s Chai Latte spice will make a cup of tea or coffee so aromatic and full of taste that you will not feel the need for sweetness. This way you can cut off a few calories in your daily cup of tea.
6. You say your Tea Spice and Garam Masala blend can also be used in many recipes including dessert items?
• Yes, you can use these two spices in both savory and dessert recipes. It is because the spices that are used to make these blends include cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and the like, which go very well in savory dishes as well in desserts. Some chocolate companies have even launched their new truffles with the curry powder flavor.
• Similarly, the tea spice is also suitable for many different dishes including tea, coffee, smoothies, hot cereals like granola, oatmeal, ice cream, etc. to spice up the items. I am preparing a recipe book on all my tried recipes using my own blends, which will soon be available on our site for purchase.
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