Corona Daily 278: Life becomes Spicy

In 2020, it is difficult to find businesses that are truly booming. But the global market for spices has dramatically grown this year.

More meals are now prepared at home. People, even singles, are cooking and baking at home. Spices and herbs make food tastier and often healthier. Young or first-time cooks want to experiment with something more than salt and pepper. Like yoga and aerobics, cooking advice is now available on YouTube from any part of the world. Consumption of spices, seasonings, marinades and rubs has gone up by 50% in some western countries. In one of the world’s largest spice companies in Hunt Valley, Maryland, USA; dry recipe mixes, mustard, hot wing sauce, and barbecue sauces have reached record sales. Buyers are willing to pay a premium for new flavours and ethnic spices.

Much of the increase has been accounted for by breakfast and lunch, two meals eaten out by many working people. Instead of rushing into a standing café or an office canteen, households now have more time. More attention is given to preparing breakfast and lunch. North America and Europe have realized how their meals can be enriched by Indian, Mexican, Italian or Chinese cuisines. (It’s unbearable to eat sandwiches and chips every day in a lockdown). The English talk of Tandoori chicken and Curry as if they were English recipes. Many companies are now selling ready-to-cook spice mixes, offering exotic fusion flavours.

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The global spice market was $13.77 billion in 2019. India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter. Ginger, cinnamon, pepper, cumin, turmeric, cardamom, coriander, cloves, mint, parsley, oregano… who can read this list without salivating? Ayurveda, India’s alternative medicine, talks about the health benefits of spices. Spices are said to have anti-oxidant properties. Cumin is anti-septic and turmeric helps against Alzheimer’s and joint inflammation. These benefits may be real or imagined. But that has become an important issue in virus times. Indians, depending on their WhatsApp groups, consume garlic, hot peppers, boiled ginger, bitter gourd juice, turmeric, neem leaves to boost immunity against the coronavirus.

Asafetida (Hing in Indian languages) has an overwhelming aroma. It is India’s answer to Japanese Umami. Hing is considered good for health as well. India consumes 40% of the world’s hing, and all of it is imported from Afghanistan, Iran, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

It took a pandemic for Indians to realise they should start producing it locally. Last month, the first hing saplings were planted in Himachal Pradesh, in the region of the Himalayas.

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The spice market growth could have been higher, but for packaging materials. In America and Europe, consumers buy spices in small plastic bottles. The lead times for jugs, shakers, bags, plastic tubs, glass jars, plastic containers are stretched to two to three months. Corrugated packaging for gift sets is taking even longer. This logistical problem is faced by several industries. USA has too much beer and soda, but is short by 10 million cans.

Maybe this can teach the western shopper to go to a neighbourhood shop and buy spices from large gunny bags, the way it is done in Asia.

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I wondered why the sales of spices have grown so dramatically just because people have started eating in. The logical conclusion is that when we eat out, restaurants and other places don’t use as many spices as we use at home.

In this respect, we should be happy the pandemic will last a couple of years. That will allow Europe and America to cultivate a taste for good and healthy spices. This benefit will outlast the pandemic. Is life worth living without exotic spicy food?

Ravi