Some like it Hot
I knew the name Kalustyans long before I knew what it was. To this day my moms chicken curry is one of mine and my siblings favorite meals. The staple ingredient in this dish came out of a large glass jar with a white screw cap and a tattered yellow label clinging onto the side. It read: Kalustyans. Curry Powder. Mild. There was of course a jar of hot curry powder for my dad who liked to sweat through dinner, occasionally dabbing his forehead and letting out a long sigh.
Walking into this store is a delight for your senses. Several things happen when you step through the door way to this little spice shop. The first and most powerful sensation you will experience is the lush saturated scent of spices that permeates the air. The thing that I really love is the wonderfully dense and neat arrangement of products that is packed into every available inch of this store. You can easily breeze through in 10 minutes and see a few interesting things or you can really dig in and spend an hour on the tea’s alone. I would recommend starting out with a simple jar of curry powder and then proceed from there. Eventually you can work your way to some freshly ground Mahleb. That’s ground cherry pits for those not in the know, the helpful sales girl at the store told me that it was used for baking.
Happy eating!
Tags: Food, gourmet, indian, Kalustyans, lexington, market, spice market, spices
