Indian Spice Tour

Sarah & I spent a happy time meandering around parts of the spice district in New Delhi.  This is the largest spice market in Asia.

Outside the train station is a little market area with a temple.  Men queued to get food (possibly a free handout).  The man behind the counter wielded a big stick (which I believe is called a lathi) as a scuffle broke out in the queue.

Another man also hit out at the crowd with a lathi.

Wonderful reared horses  on top of a Hindu temple.

Carts laden with market goods line the streets in the market area.

 Carrying jeera (cumin) through the market.

 Sarah tried to work out all the different spices.

 This bag intrigued us.  It turned out to be the little pods from lotus plants.

The market area is full of shops like these selling spices, nuts, dried fruit etc.

 The displays are neatly set out in enamel or steel bowls.

Hanging along the walls are sweets (candies) strung into edible necklaces.  They are used as temple offerings.

 This man asked to have his photo taken and was very excited when I did.

 Soap is also available in this area.  This is household soap as opposed to body soap.

It is sold by weight.

The sugar sellers were also impressive, with all the various types of sugar on display.  The brown disc hanging by the wall is jaggery, which can be made from date palms, among other things.  It is used in both Indian cooking and Ayurveda (Indain medicine).

These discs of sugar are used for temple offerings.

My favourite was these long sticks of sugar that look like a chandelier.  Funny how sugar can be glamourous!

 The areca or betel nut seller, had a variety of different nuts on display.

 They look rather like nutmeg.

 As you can see, the market area is very busy.

We were almost trapped by this bicycle!

Surely one of the weirdest things for sale in the market is this dark crystal, which is black salt.  Let us just say that once the aroma is released from it, it is never to be forgotten.  Sarah bit into her piece in the car on the way home.  The smell of bad eggs filled the car.  The poor driver was the unwilling recipient of nasty looks from me, as I thought he had a gas problem.  No it wasn't him, but the black salt.  Apparently it tasted eggy too.

 The man selling the flowers, presented me with a flower.

 One of the many milky concoctions on sale for those with a sweet tooth.

 I just could not resist this doorway.  Isn't it perfect?