Why does nobody talk about buying bulk spices at the local Asian market?

I wasted about $30 on tiny jars of cumin and paprika at the grocery store last month before I finally walked into HMart over near the mall. The same amount of cumin I paid $4 for in a tiny shaker was $1.50 for a bag five times the size. I grabbed turmeric, coriander, and chili powder too and walked out with a full spice drawer for under $8. The only catch is you gotta bring your own small containers to store them at home, mine are just repurposed jam jars. My buddy warned me about freshness but honestly I go through spices fast enough that it's never been an issue. Has anyone else tried this or found another hidden spot for cheap pantry staples in SCV?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_cole1d agoRising Star

@drew690 totally nailed it, that's a real risk if you're not a heavy user. Same thing happened to me with a bag of garam masala from there, went straight to dust after a month. Still way cheaper than the grocery store though, just gotta commit to cooking more curry for a couple weeks straight.

drew6901d ago

The HMart spices are a gamble though. I bought a big bag of smoked paprika there once and it tasted like dust after like 2 weeks because I didn't use it fast enough. If you cook with a lot of variety your mileage might vary big time.