Spice news
ChilliFour Bucks County Sauce Makers Bring Smoke, Fruit, and Heat to Local ShelvesHarvestEssex town whose origins can be traced back to a very lucrative spice tradeMarketsUS traders bat for tariff exemptions on spicesMarketsUS traders bat for tariff exemptions on spicesMarketsUS spice traders seek tariff exemptions for Indian spices under potential trade dealMarketsUS Traders Seek Tariff Exemptions for Indian SpicesMarketsUS Traders Seek Tariff Exemptions for Indian SpicesFoodPizzafy your food with this new spice blendFoodMasala Chai Ice Cream, Nadur Kebab, Dharti Ke Phool: What PM Modi, President Murmu Served Swiss President PHarvestTurmeric Rallies As Karnataka Drought Hits Crop And Raises Fresh Supply Concerns By Kedia AdvisoryChilliFour Bucks County Sauce Makers Bring Smoke, Fruit, and Heat to Local ShelvesHarvestEssex town whose origins can be traced back to a very lucrative spice tradeMarketsUS traders bat for tariff exemptions on spicesMarketsUS traders bat for tariff exemptions on spicesMarketsUS spice traders seek tariff exemptions for Indian spices under potential trade dealMarketsUS Traders Seek Tariff Exemptions for Indian SpicesMarketsUS Traders Seek Tariff Exemptions for Indian SpicesFoodPizzafy your food with this new spice blendFoodMasala Chai Ice Cream, Nadur Kebab, Dharti Ke Phool: What PM Modi, President Murmu Served Swiss President PHarvestTurmeric Rallies As Karnataka Drought Hits Crop And Raises Fresh Supply Concerns By Kedia Advisory
EveryMasala

Spices of Kolkata

A river port and former capital with old wholesale lanes in Burrabazar and a cuisine built on mustard, panch phoron and poppy seed.

Kolkata

Traded and grown here

Panch phoronMustard seedPoppy seedTurmeric

Best time: October to February.

Kolkata sits on the Hooghly. Burrabazar, the old wholesale quarter, trades in dry goods including spices, and Bengali cooking is known for mustard oil, mustard paste, panch phoron and poppy seeds.

The Victoria Memorial, officially the Victoria Memorial Hall, is a memorial building dedicated to Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India, which is located in Kolkata, India – the capital of West Benga
Photo: Ketanmehta4u, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Spices and trade

Wholesale lanes around Burrabazar and Posta sell chilli, turmeric, cumin, coriander and other spices. Bengali kitchens use panch phoron, a five-seed mix, and kasundi, a mustard sauce.

The place and its people

The city has Bengali, Marwari, Chinese, Anglo-Indian and other communities, each with its own food. Street food such as jhalmuri uses mustard oil and spice.

Visiting

Burrabazar is busy and crowded, so go early. College Street and the old tea houses show another side of the city.

A trail idea for Kolkata

  1. Burrabazar See the wholesale lanes.
  2. A spice shop Ask for panch phoron.
  3. A sweet shop Try Bengali sweets, some flavoured with cardamom.
  4. Park Street Eat at old restaurants.
About this page

Written by the EveryMasala desk with AI assistance. Background: "Kolkata" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets and tours change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.

PartSeedBarkRootFlowerFruitChilliLeafResinBulbStigmaBlendPasteSeasoning
FlavourHot and fieryWarm and sweet-spicedSweet and mellowEarthy and deepCitrus and brightSharp and pungentSmokyFloral and perfumedBitterAnise and liquoriceSour and tartSavoury and umamiNumbing and tinglingHerbal and green
MealBreakfastLunchDinnerSupperSnacks and tea timeDrinksDesserts and sweetsStreet foodPickles and preservesFeasts and banquets

Nothing matches those filters yet. Take one off, or check back: new spices are written every day.

The weekly digest

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