# Why can I not consume this Indian curry paste raw? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 2, 2010, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-i-not-consume-this-indian-curry-paste-raw/530974 "2010-03-02T07:00:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-i-not-consume-this-indian-curry-paste-raw/530974/1 "2010-03-02T07:00:37Z")
I have here a jar of Patak’s Original Mild Curry Paste, which although yummy, alarms me with the notice (all-caps, boldface), “It is important that this product is not consumed uncooked.” Of course it should read “that this product _not be_ consumed uncooked,” but let that go. The ingredient list is vegetable oil, spices, salt, water, concentrated tomato puree, garlic powder, corn flour, tamarind, acetic acid, citric acid, lactic acid. Which of these ingredients could be so threatening uncooked, and what horrible consequences will accrue if I should eat it raw? ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-i-not-consume-this-indian-curry-paste-raw/530974/2 "2010-03-02T07:25:12Z")
> **[Why must I cook Patak's Curry Paste?](https://ask.metafilter.com/41544/Why-must-I-cook-Pataks-Curry-Paste)** > > Why must I cook Patak's Curry Paste? > [@](#): > > Thanks for your interest in Patak’s products. > > The major ingredients of Curry Pastes are raw spices and vegetable oil. The mixture in a jar is a “raw” product - it’s supposed to be cooked (=thermally processed) in order for spices to reach “full capacity” of taste and be really edible - from majority of consumers perspective. > > You can eat Curry Paste uncooked. But in this case your eating enjoyment is not guaranteed (though it’s a matter of personal preferences - some people use curry pastes as dips) and consequences depend on your stomach’s tolerance to concentrated vegetable oil and raw spices. Other than that the product is safe cooked or uncooked. > > The message on Patak’s Curry Paste jars is supposed to give majority of people a right direction and ensure positive experience with the product. > > I hope this answers your question. > > I wish you to continue enjoying Patak’s Pastes. ---
**Author:** ![fifty-six](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fifty-six](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fifty-six)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-i-not-consume-this-indian-curry-paste-raw/530974/3 "2010-03-02T07:25:36Z")
I guess I never read the label closely enough. I have eaten it raw before. Go ahead and give it a go and we can start collecting and formulating our data. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-i-not-consume-this-indian-curry-paste-raw/530974/4 "2010-03-02T16:03:17Z")
I’m wondering if one of the spices involved is [asafoetida](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asafoetida), which has a nasty sulfur smell and taste if uncooked (I speak from experience, as I used to have a jar of the pure powder), but is really good if cooked. If used in a small enough quantity in the mix, it may not be that noticeable to some, but will improve with cooking. Check the alternate names for the spice at that Wiki article - you can guess which namer had it cooked vs. raw. 😃 Their explanation is really valid, too - the spices really gain a lot in flavor by having had time to cook. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-can-i-not-consume-this-indian-curry-paste-raw/530974/5 "2010-03-02T16:47:17Z")
Some curry powders have starch in them, for thickening the sauce. Raw starch, while not toxic, can be hard to digest and can upset your stomach.