Spice news
HarvestTurmeric Rallies As Karnataka Drought Hits Crop And Raises Fresh Supply Concerns By Kedia AdvisoryTradePatel Retail launches 23-product whole spices range under Indian ChaskaChilliChili Prices Hit Rp100,000 per Kg: What's Happening?ChilliChicago-Area Brand The Spice Drops Launches a Concentrated Chili Oil That Makes Food Spicy Without Changing the FlavorHarvestSaffron In The Cold Desert? Ladakh Is Putting 90,000 Iranian Corms To The TestMarketsUttar Pradesh Gears Up To Become Global Hub For Spice Processing & ExportsHarvestWhy 100 UP Farmers Are Growing Turmeric to Reduce Elephant Crop RaidsHarvestKashmir Squanders SaffronChilliChesapeake Chili Crisp? A DC-Area Chef Is Putting Unexpected Spins on the Condiment.HarvestRed Gold In Cold Desert: Iranian Corms Take Root As Ladakh Begins Saffron Farming Under 'Him Sarovar'HarvestTurmeric Rallies As Karnataka Drought Hits Crop And Raises Fresh Supply Concerns By Kedia AdvisoryTradePatel Retail launches 23-product whole spices range under Indian ChaskaChilliChili Prices Hit Rp100,000 per Kg: What's Happening?ChilliChicago-Area Brand The Spice Drops Launches a Concentrated Chili Oil That Makes Food Spicy Without Changing the FlavorHarvestSaffron In The Cold Desert? Ladakh Is Putting 90,000 Iranian Corms To The TestMarketsUttar Pradesh Gears Up To Become Global Hub For Spice Processing & ExportsHarvestWhy 100 UP Farmers Are Growing Turmeric to Reduce Elephant Crop RaidsHarvestKashmir Squanders SaffronChilliChesapeake Chili Crisp? A DC-Area Chef Is Putting Unexpected Spins on the Condiment.HarvestRed Gold In Cold Desert: Iranian Corms Take Root As Ladakh Begins Saffron Farming Under 'Him Sarovar'
EveryMasala

The spice calendar

128 harvests, festivals, feasts and fasts of the year, with the spices each one calls for. Dates are worked out afresh every day; those marked "about" follow the moon or local calendars and can shift by a day.

Kind of dayAllFestivalsHarvestReligious daysSeasonalTrade and marketsNational days

January 2027

12 Jan 2027Zanzibar Revolution DayThe anniversary of the 1964 revolution, a public holiday in the archipelago whose economy depended on cloves.

February 2027

7 Feb 2027Grenada Independence DayThe Spice Isle's national day, with the nutmeg on the flag and oil down, a one-pot dish of breadfruit, coconut milk and turmeric.

May 2027

5 May 2027Cinco de Mayo and mole poblanoPuebla's victory day, remembered with mole poblano, a sauce of more than twenty ingredients.

June 2027

26 Jun 2027Madagascar Independence DayThe national day, kept with parades and family meals of romazava, zebu and rice, with ginger, vanilla and clove.

August 2027

7 Aug 2027National Mustard DayThe first Saturday of August, an American day for the seed, with a museum in Wisconsin devoted to mustard. 17 Aug 2027Indonesian Independence DayThe national day of the former Spice Islands, with tumpeng, a rice cone coloured with turmeric, and kerupuk-eating contests.

September 2027

16 Sept 2027Independence Day and chiles en nogadaThe national day, with chiles en nogada in the colours of the flag: green poblano, white sauce and red pomegranate. 24 Sept 2027Heritage Day and braaiSouth Africa's heritage day, known as National Braai Day, with Cape Malay curries, boerewors with coriander and bobotie.

October 2027

4 Oct 2027Cinnamon Bun DaySweden's Kanelbullens dag on 4 October, when bakeries sell kanelbullar scented with cinnamon and cardamom.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

The weekly digest

Every Monday: seven spices you may not know, what is cooking this week, and one blend explained step by step.