I’ve been buying from them for about 15 years now, and they’ve never let me down. The cinnamon alone is worth shopping there for. For saffron, however, you’re better off shopping around on the intertoobs to find a decent quantity for the money. Those three threads for $30 in the supermarket is just BS and probably not very fresh.
[nitpick]
“Turmeric” is the word you’re looking for. Yellowroot is an American plant from the genus Xanthorhiza.
[/nitpick]
Out of curiosity, fessie, have you asked your usual grocery store whether they can stock it?
A few years ago, my wife wanted some vegetable ghee, but couldn’t find it anywhere in town. She asked an assistant manager at the local supermarket, and within a week they had it on the shelves (they continued stocking it, too, so presumably we weren’t the only ones who bought it).
Garam marsala seems like something any store ought to be able to provide, if they have reason to think there’s a demand.
I got garam marsala at a wal mart in Arkansas. It was right there with the rest of the spices.
That’s a good point.
I did eventually find it somewhere, now I’ve forgotten where it was, might’ve been Wal*Mart.
But from what I’ve read about Penzey’s, I think I’ll buy it from them.
I bought some of that $15 saffron once, I couldn’t taste a thing, but the color it added was nice. One of our guests said she could smell it. I dunno.
Yay, a Penzey’s convert!
I buy my saffron from a local “Persian” (Iraqi?) market. They sell saffron packed in little plastic boxes for about $5 to $10, IIRC. The box contains about a tablespoon of very fragrant, fresh saffron threads. When I cook with it, it perfumes my entire house - that’s how I know it’s fresh and good!
You can buy one ounce of saffron in an attractive tin at various sites for about $90. One ounce will last you forever, if you are an occasional user. And if you keep it wrapped tightly and in its tin in a dark, cool place.
“Persian” would mean Iranian. Iranians over here mostly don’t care to be identified with their country’s latest policies. However–they still go home occasionally to visit & would prefer any change come without the help of US bombs.
Enough of politics–back to Penzey’s! Here’s their entry for Garam Masala. Online service is great, but only a store visit lets you sniff all the samples. Enough sniffing will induce Penzey’s Frenzy–leading to purchase of many, many spices.
A cautionary note about buying online: 8 ounces of a dried herb is a large amount. A VERY large amount. Two 8-ounce bags of oregano is enough for 7,000 pizzas, with enough left over to insulate your attic.
Thanks, but I can picture 8 ounces of a dried herb pretty well. And I learned that before visiting Penzey’s!
This link to their Garam Masala might work better: Garam Masala | Penzeys
Yeah, my note was a general cautionary, not just directed at you. I received a double order from Penzey’s the first time I ordered from them and finally threw away the second full bag after two years. I swear the stuff reproduces. Eight ounces didn’t sound like all that much when I placed the order :smack: . Sixteen ounces was…well…overwhelming.