Buying Spices.

Also I found this last week, if you have The Range near you (check website www.therange.co.uk). I bought 550g of turmeric last week for £2.99 which I thought was a bargain. They had many other spices there too.

Another place abroad to buy spices is Turkey I noticed Morrisons sell large packs too.

Also look in Iceland they have a huge range of rajah spices in packets for under about 50p, the big 400g ones are about a pound. On a par with the indian shops on price, they may under cut on some.

If you have one, your local 'Scoop' shop (where you weigh stuff out yourself) sells inexpensive packets.

Remember that if you don't use spices that often, they go off. Madjur Jaffrey used to despair of the English making curries with "stale, stale, useless herbs!"

Some more than others, this is due to the volatile oils evaporating. Chilli gets it's heat from capsaicin, this is an alkaloid that chilli plant produce to deter mammals from eating them. (Birds are not effected, this is the preferred vector of dispersal.)

Haldi (Turmeric) 2-4 years
Chilli 2-4 years but some flavours fade
Chilli power (roasted: lots of the oils are lost in the process anyway) 4-6 years
Oregano 1 year (herb)
Cloves 2-3 years, (1-2 to if you care!)
Cardamom 2-3 years, (1-2 to if you care!)
Cinnamon 2-3 years, (1-2 to if you care!)
Bay leaves (indian) 3-5 years
Bay leaves (arabic) 2-3 years
Bay leaves (thai) 1-2 years
Toasted blended sesame 1-3 years (cover the tops to prevent flavour loss) not for Cooking!!
Salt indefinitely (the caking is simply the anti-caking agent being used up) no impact on taste.

If you want to buy the fresh coriander ask for Methi leaves at your local Asian store, also Chinese supermarkets do a great 2Kg pack of thinly sliced dried garlic around £1.50 if you want fresh a 1KG bag of fresh garlic (will keep for a month of 3) is about £1. Oh while you are the bag some buk choi, tofu (the £10 bags are great value) or long life tofu in carton (the Japanese ones are the best) and Soya source in 1.5 or 2 litre bottles , about 70p to £2.30 for Kikkoman. Also rice vinegar (I like the Thai brands) is around 80p to £1.20 a big bottle. For sesame oil remember to buy toasted blended sesame for Chinese cooking (as add as a flavour after serving) this is not the same as sesame oil in Asian stores for cooking! Also there is usually a great range of vegetarian canned produce about £1 a can mock abalone, and vegetarian “oyster source” is not called “stir fry sauce” in the EU as it has no oysters, around £1.80 a bottle.

Green/Red chillies are about 60p a pound to £1.20 depending on quality
Scotch bonnet also available from West Indian food stores cost more but no one can use lots of these as they are officially the hottest in the world!! Yum
Remember chillies freeze well, no need to thaw just take them out and finely slice.

Thai kaffir lime leave Thia supermakets. The dried ones are worth considering if you cook Thai <2 a month.

If you are serious about cooking with spices consider investing in the specil stainless steel case and containers for there use a complete set is about £1.50 to £3 depending on quality and will last forever. Again an Asian provision store will have these. And don't go to the first store, look around and look at price and quality if you have a choice.

I periodically review the spices with the Mrs and we replenish stocks as a managed portfolio, with periodic reviews:

1) Fresh: Garlic, Ginger, Chillies (freeze excess) (monthly)
2) Dried (annually) dump old stuff
3) Grains / Flours Annually

Rice should cost around £12 to £19 per 20-40Kg sack for basmati.
Par boiled and other types (Thai) et al are cheaper, except for Japanese rice that is in its own world! I use stick Jasmine cheaper and with rice vinegar I cannot tell.

Finally spend some money on decent storage for these items. Glass (old jam jars and coffee bottles is best for spices) and (WARNING COSTLY ITEM) the huge plastic AIRTIGHT drums are best for flour / Rice. I get mine from a catalogue return store in Hounslow called wheelhouse, you must have something similar locally. DO NOT KEEP THESE ITEMS OUTSIDE THE HOUSE FROST IS NOT GOOD FOR FLAVOUR!!

Nerd alert:
http://www.fiery-foods.com/dave/capsaicin.asp
http://www.batnet.com/rwc-seed/Habanero.scotch.bonnet.html