Bulk spice bins at my local Indian grocery saved my budget

I swung by Patel Brothers over on Oak Street last weekend and noticed they have these big plastic bins of turmeric, cumin, and garam masala for like $1.50 per scoop. No fancy jars or branding, just pure spice for pennies compared to the little bottles at the chain store. Has anyone else tried hitting up an ethnic market for staples like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

zara_hill466d ago

Well I started buying my cumin and coriander from the bulk bins at my local Middle Eastern market a few months back and honestly the quality is way better than the supermarket stuff too. It's funny how we pay so much more just for a pretty bottle.

wade_perez3d ago

The bit about paying more for a pretty bottle really got me thinking... @zara_hill46, do you find the spices taste noticeably fresher from the bulk bins compared to the sealed jars? I've always wondered if the turnover is better at the ethnic markets since more people actually cook with that stuff daily. Seems like the supermarket spices just sit there forever until someone buys them for a single recipe.