Spice cities, markets and growing areas
69 places where spices are grown, traded, ground and sold, with a trail idea for each.
South Asia
City, India, 1 spiceJowaiCity, Nepal, 1 spiceKathmanduNepal's capital, where the old Asan market sells spices, and a home of timur, the Nepali Sichuan-type pepper.City, India, 1 spiceKhairCity, India, 1 spiceKohimaCity, India, 1 spiceMangaloreCity, India, 1 spiceTezpurCity, Sri LankaKandyThe hill capital of Sri Lanka's last kings and a base for the central highland spice country.City, IndiaKolkataA river port and former capital with old wholesale lanes in Burrabazar and a cuisine built on mustard, panch phoron and poppy seed.City, IndiaMysuruA palace city in Karnataka with a famous old market, Devaraja, where spices, flowers and sandalwood are sold.
Southeast Asia
City, Laos, 1 spiceLuang PrabangCity, Sri Lanka, 1 spiceMantaiCity, ThailandBangkokThailand's capital, where wet markets sell fresh curry pastes made from lemongrass, galangal and chilli.City, VietnamHanoiVietnam's capital, whose Old Quarter markets sell herbs and spices for pho, bun cha and northern Vietnamese food.City, IndonesiaJakartaIndonesia's capital, the old Dutch Batavia, a hub for spices and for the Indonesian bumbu and rempah pastes.City, ThailandNonthaburi
East Asia
City, China, 1 spiceChongqingCity, Japan, 1 spiceEdoCity, Japan, 1 spiceOkinawaCity, China, 1 spiceShuangfeng CountyCity, ChinaChengduThe capital of Sichuan, home of the numbing and hot flavour called mala, and of doubanjiang chilli bean paste.City, South KoreaSeoulKorea's capital, where gochugaru chilli flakes and gochujang paste season the national dishes.City, JapanTokyoJapan's capital, where shichimi togarashi, a seven-flavour chilli blend, has been sold since the Edo period.
Central Asia and the Caucasus
City, UzbekistanSamarkandA great Silk Road city whose Siab Bazaar sells cumin, barberry, dried herbs and spices for plov.City, UzbekistanTashkentUzbekistan's capital, where the domed Chorsu Bazaar sells spices, dried fruit and the mixes for the city's plov.City, GeorgiaTbilisiThe capital of Georgia, with markets selling khmeli suneli, adjika, blue fenugreek and walnuts.City, ArmeniaYerevanArmenia's capital, with the GUM Market and Vernissage selling dried herbs, spices and spice-rubbed basturma.
Middle East
City, Yemen, 1 spiceAdenCity, Syria, 1 spiceAleppoAn ancient Syrian trading city whose name is on Aleppo pepper and whose old covered souks were once among the longest in the world.City, Iraq, 1 spiceBasraCity, Italy, 1 spiceDiamanteCity, Iraq, 1 spiceTell HalalCity, JordanAmmanJordan's capital, whose downtown souks sell za'atar, sumac, cardamom coffee spice and baharat.City, SyriaDamascusOne of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, with a spice souk, Souq al-Bzouriyeh, inside its old walls.City, TurkeyDiyarbakırCity, TurkeyGaziantepA south-east Turkish city and UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, known for pistachio baklava, kebabs and red pepper pastes.City, IranIsfahanA Safavid capital with the Qeysarieh Bazaar and a cuisine of rice, saffron and rich stews.City, IsraelJerusalemA holy city whose Old City souks and Mahane Yehuda market sell za'atar, sumac, besamim and Levantine spices.City, IranMashhadThe great pilgrimage city of eastern Iran and the commercial centre of the Khorasan saffron region.City, United KingdomPontefractCity, YemenSanaaThe old capital of Yemen, whose Old City souq sells hawaij, cardamom and other spices.City, IranTehranIran's capital, where the Grand Bazaar sells saffron, dried limes, barberries, turmeric and advieh blends.
North Africa
City, MoroccoFesA medieval city of Morocco, with the largest car-free medina in the world and a refined cuisine built on spice and preserved lemon.City, MoroccoMarrakechA red city of southern Morocco whose medina souks sell ras el hanout, cumin, saffron and preserved lemons in pyramids and sacks.City, TunisiaTunisTunisia's capital, whose medina souks sell harissa, caraway, tabil and dried rose buds.
Sub-Saharan Africa
City, EthiopiaAddis AbabaEthiopia's capital, where Merkato, one of Africa's largest open markets, sells berbere, mitmita, korarima and many other spices.City, MadagascarAntananarivoMadagascar's highland capital and the commercial hub of the world's leading vanilla producer.City, NigeriaKanoA northern Nigerian trading city on the old Saharan routes, linked with yaji, the peppery spice blend for suya.
Europe
City, France, 2 spicesDijonCity, Italy, 1 spiceCremonaCity, France, 1 spiceMâconCity, Italy, 1 spiceMantovaCity, France, 1 spiceMeauxCity, United Kingdom, 1 spiceNorwichCity, United Kingdom, 1 spiceTewkesburyCity, Italy, 1 spiceVicenzaCity, GermanyNurembergA Bavarian trading city famous for Lebkuchen, a spiced Christmas gingerbread, and its medieval link to the spice routes.City, SpainSevilleThe Andalusian city with the Archive of the Indies, where records of Spain's trade with the Americas, and its pimenton and saffron cooking, tell the story.
Latin America and the Caribbean
City, Mexico, 2 spicesPueblaA colonial city and the home of mole poblano, a sauce of chiles, chocolate and spices.City, Mexico, 2 spicesXalapaCity, Peru, 1 spiceArequipaA white-stone city in southern Peru, known for rocoto relleno, a stuffed hot pepper, and for picanterias.City, Peru, 1 spiceLimaThe Peruvian capital, whose cuisine is built on aji amarillo, aji panca, huacatay and cumin.City, MexicoMeridaThe capital of Yucatan, whose Maya-descended cuisine uses annatto, sour orange and the habanero in recados.City, MexicoOaxacaThe southern Mexican city of seven moles, with markets of dried chiles, chocolate and herbs.