Meet Thomas, Spice Farmer
My Memory Jar - 3rd edition
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! This week, I am thankful for so much including the often overlooked people who allow us to have incredible flavors on our table every day.
Welcome to the 3rd edition of my new series, MY MEMORY JAR, where I give the stage to flavor lovers around the world to share about a condiment dear to them.
This article was written by Rupert Derham, founder of one of my favorite spice companies, Spice Dept. I simply adoooore their cinnamon and today he focuses on one of my other favorites of the bunch, the ever so special cardamom. If you choose to test out their spices today, he’s also kindly offered you a discount code - CONDIMENT10 !
Cardamom
Spices, arguably more than any ingredient, have shaped the world we live in. For those of us who live in the UK, they allow us to be transported somewhere faraway every time we cook with them. Their aromas evoke memories of distant places.
Like many of us, my first introduction to spice was in my local curry house when I was growing up. Specifically, it was biting into a cardamom pod hidden in mango chutney and being hit by an extraordinary burst of flavour I’d never experienced before.
Now, my life is consumed by spices. But my route there is slightly more random. In 2015, I decided life would be more interesting if I moved to New Delhi and imported British cheese into India. My naivety back then was my greatest strength, and we made great inroads into understanding how to make business work in India’s uniquely structured and fast-evolving market. Negotiating deals with large hotel groups and diving headfirst into the Indian food scene. One thing that was very clear when living in Delhi was that my own cooking had never tasted better. I became bolder with my use of spices, and they quickly became the magic that elevated my meals. When I moved back to the UK, I struggled to make my food taste as good.
After some investigation, I realised that the spices I was using, usually purchased in a supermarket, were not the same as those I had been using in India. They lacked potency and flavour, and were dull, stale and lifeless. Fast forward 8 years (with an intermission for a ‘proper’ job), I could no longer bear to cook with such poor spices. I had to do something about it.
Spice Department was born out of a relentless obsession with finding spices that taste incredible. When you start to peel back the layers of the spice industry you quickly come up against a trade that has hardly changed in decades, if not centuries. Spices change hands many times and take up to 5 years to reach the shelf. Losing all their flavour along the way.
The farmer is often overlooked and underpaid despite their dedication. We knew there had to be a better way. Spice Department works with farmers across India and Sri Lanka to find the best spices possible and make them available in the UK. Buying directly from farmers and farm partners, our spices are on the shelf within months not years. We can ensure farmers are paid fairly for their commitment and the demanding work they do.
For me, Kerala is the cradle of spices in India. Famous for its pepper (which in many ways was the catalyst that began our spice obsession), Cardamom, specifically green cardamom, is native to the hot steamy hills of Kerala. Growing it is a labour of love, which often means failure outstripping success for farmers. The easy option is to usepesticides to increase yields. When sprayed with pesticides, cardamom loses its subtlety. Its ethereal quality is lost. It becomes astringent and lifeless.
The first spice farmer I ever met was Thomas. He lives outside Pulpally, Wayanad, Kerala. As most farmers do, he grows more than just cardamom. The style of farming is by default regenerative. His cardamom grows amongst pepper vines, jack fruit trees, and an abundance of flora and fauna. When you first start to walk around Thomas’ farm it’s hard to see one plant from another. But as your eye becomes accustomed to the shades of green, you see a world of wonder, where years of care and knowledge are poured into growing spices. His two cows produce manure to fertilise the crops and he creates a natural pesticide with a mixture of seven different herbs.
One of the many pleasures of visiting Thomas is that you are often treated to delicious food and drink. Many farmers also grow coffee and roast the beans at home. Cardamom is gently crushed and added to their coffee, adding an additional floral complexity. We also eat Rava Laddu, bite size balls made with semolina, ghee, milk, lots of sugar, raisins, cashews, coconut and green cardamom. They’re heavy on the sugar, but they’re such a treat.
Spice Department exists because farmers like Thomas grow spices that are incredible. We see it as a privilege to partner with him, and many other farmers like him, to sell their spices. We’re on a mission to change the way we see and use spices in the UK. To start to get people to value them for what they are and the magic they impart into the food we eat.
Check out www.spicedept.com if you want to find out more and buy some of our spices! CONDIMENT10 for a special newsletter discount x
farmers like Thomas are so special! thanks for sharing this🤍