going to India - what food related items to buy?

13 years ago

How lucky am I? What a travel year I am having!

My mom is taking me with her on a trip to India in October. We will be on a train, from Mumbai to Delhi, with a day or two in those cities on each end.

I know!!!!

So anyway, you all were so helpful and informative when I asked this question about southeast Asia, I am going to impose on you again.

I always buy a cookbook from a country I've never visited, so for sure I will get that.

But what else? What cooking items should I bring home for our own kitchen and for gifts for friends who cook?

Thanks in advance!

Comments (17)

teresa_nc7
13 years ago
If it were me, I'd get one of those spice containers made of metal that have the little containers in a tray with a lid that fits over all, a traditional Indian spice box. And maybe a spice grinder? What about whole spices like cardamon? Of course, I'd have to get fabric too! Maybe madras cotton or a paisley wrap/shawl?

Spice Box
Ideefixe
13 years ago
Bring back spices. My mother brought back a whole bunch of pepper, tumeric, powdered ginger, and more and they were the freshest I've ever found (even fresher than at Indian markets here in LA.)

Glass bangles are a fun gift, and the fabric embroidered with mirrors.
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Hoi An looks fascinating; I wish we had gone there. I bought mine in Saigon (oops, HCMC). You should have seen me pantomiming what I wanted to the hawkers. I'm sure I was amusing. But once I found people selling kitchenwares, a woman understood exactly what I meant (even though I sort of had it sideways) and went rummaging through a mountain of stuff -- I was afraid of an avalanche -- and pulled out a bundle of them tied together. I knew that was it; your description of a leaf-shape was perfect. It seems to be called a "dao bao." Here is a link that might be useful: article with a picture of dao baos
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Ok... after reading more I realize we have a few more splurges that had not occurred to me at the time. Tomatoes on the vine or any good garden type tomato. I cannot abide a thick skinned mealy supermarket kind. Any San Marzano tomatoes for sauce work fine. It must be the soil or that water.... Sangria jelly, whenever I can find it. It is ridiculously good. The smoked whitefish spread at Costco. We have that in our house at all times. If cheese were less fattening, I'd have a whole fridge dedicated to it. As it is, I splurge on "eating cheese" (as opposed to cheese for cooking or grated cheeses) when we have guests. I love the horseradish cheddar kind or the champagne cheddar and any good asiago variety is my fave. I nibble it to try to make it last. I think I lived on a half cheese diet when pregnant as it was one of the few things that did not turn my stomach. Virginia ham is also a little splurge as it is usually more expensive than other kinds. It tastes like deli ham is supposed to taste to me. The other kinds are ok,and I'll buy them when they are much lower, but Virginia style is superior. German sausages from the German butcher are also a splurge. They carry the good European bread to go with their amazing cold cuts. I count what I buy there as eating out prices, and consider it lucky that we are not tipping for it, lol. I guess it is a way to justify those prices for eating at home and having it cost so much, lol....I don't even know what the price per lb is and prefer not to know. It is the one time I don't know prices out of everything else I do in life and hope to never know as it would ruin it for me. I get a large bag of stuff and it is spread out over several meals, but is probably our largest splurge, only done once in a while..... We do only drink imported beer and since most domestic is so awful, don't even consider that a splurge. It is a necessity to drink the better quality. After becoming used to German/Austrian beer over there, it is impossible to accept less. It sounds snobby, but if anyone did a side by side comparison, they'd forgive us ;) Luckily, we don't drink quantity. Often, dh and I will split a beer with dinner just to accompany certain foods. Our fave wine is a German reisling by Schmitte Sonne, which has a screw top, so is not crazy expensive, but it does cost more than many other whites we could buy instead. Since we buy by the case, we cut the costs some. It is always a hit when we bring some as a hostess gift.
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Chase the dish you refer to is called a "cazuela de barro" which means a clay casserole dish. They are unbelievably cheap to buy and come in all shapes and sizes but must be packed well in bubble paper as they are fragile. You can also ask for a "cazuela" but that doesn't necessarily mean one of those brown clay pots. If near Mallorca, the same dish is called a "greixonera". Other things to look for: the smoked paprika powder from La Vera, called "Pimenton De La Vera". Definitely a Manchego cheese if you're allowed to bring one back. We like the semi-cured "semi curado". Some olive wood items could be nice. Be careful which saffron you might choose. It should be a dark red and not orange. Last photo in the link above shows the traditional yellow porcelain mortal and pestle ("mortero"). Very heavy in weight but you will find one of those in most Spanish households, including mine. SharonCb in BC
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Jim, the money supply can go up but if velocity is down, it doesn't drive inflation. I've linked below to an article on this. And how much is the money supply going up, really? The Fed is trying to drive up money supply, but the private sector is pulling it down. You can find charts of money supply, here is one: http://www.shadowstats.com/alternate_data/money-supply-charts Money supply has declined quite significantly in the past couple years. dcarch, no question the rapid growth of China and India is adding to demand. However, that growth is coming from a very low level. The consumption of goods and services by the average person in China or India is far, far less than the consumption of the average person in the US, Europe and Japan. Use GDP per capita as a rough proxy for consumption. India is about $3,500, China about $7,000 vs US about $46,000, Western Europe and Japan about $35,000. China's population is 1.3bn, India's 1.2bn, US 311mm, Western Europe 500mm (use the EU), Japan 127mm. So we can get the GDP of each region. Suppose China and India's GDP grows 60% in the next 5 years, which is 10% per year (about the current rate) while the US, Western Europe and Japan's GDP only grows 10% over the period or 2% per year (unfortunately, also about the current rate if not better). The result would be the combined GDP grows 24% over the period or 4% per year. (approximate, I don't have a spreadsheet here, just an iPhone and a pencil). (We could use other proxies for consumption, like energy consumption per capita. Which is why I did the above as a per capita calculation, instead of simply starting with country GDP.) Can the world supply 4% more ''stuff'' per year without driving inflation to very high levels? Overall, sure. There is plenty of production capacity in electronics and plastic molding and LCD screens to supply (far more than) 4% growth in iPhones and similar. There is plenty of assembly and component manufacturing capacity to supply (more than) 4% growth in automobiles. Similar for concrete to make housing, fiberboard to make furniture, etc. 4% will not stress global capacity, especially after a deep recession as we've just had. We'll see periods of volatility in some prices, as supply and demand adjust. Pork, rice, cotton, etc. This volatility will be upwards and downwards, but the price rises will get more media attention. Remember a couple of years ago, when rice was skyrocketing in price, countries were hoarding, everyone was talking about rice shortages? Rice soared to $22. Then it fell to $12, that didn't get much news. Rose to $16. Fell to $10. Rose to $14. Yet during the period 2008 to present, as rice price were cut in half, China and India have continued to grow and consume more of everything - and they eat a lot of rice. The commodities that are soaring today will collapse the same way. Commodities are more volatile today, their prices moving more than fundamental demand-supply would suggest, because more investors are playing those markets, and financial money flows are huge compared to the relatively small commodities markets. In the end, fundamentals still control. Here is a link that might be useful: Article
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jimster
13 years ago
A spice box is the first thing which came to mind. It's on my want list. I have made do with a case of jelly jars, but a spice box would be so much more convenient and pleasing. If I had one, I might take another good fling at cooking Indian food.

Jim
Teresa_MN
13 years ago
I don't care what you bring back. Just get lots of photos and share them on the cooking forum when you come back!
dcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
13 years ago
I don't know if there is anything you cannot buy here in the USA.

I would focus in eating and not buying while you are over there.

Look into youtube "India street food". very interesting.

Good luck with the trip. I am sure it will be spectacular.

dcarch
lowspark
13 years ago
I dunno what you should buy - spices seems like the best advice. But I did want to say, have a great trip! You are lucky!! What fun!
jessyf
13 years ago
A cow
jazmynsmom
13 years ago
I spent a week in New Delhi this spring and my best two days there were spent with Jyoti. I had two days of one-on-one cooking classes in her home, a tour of the markets, and a tasting tour that started in a number of restaurants, and ended at a market having a street food competition. I must have sampled over a hundred dishes, while my husband only ate the food provided by his conference. Guess which one of us got Delhi belly? (Hint: Not me.)

I bought the spice box pictured above, idli makers, a ton of spices, and an obscene amount of textiles. If you have time in New Delhi, I can't recommend contacting Jyoti enough to have her set up a culinary tour or cooking class for you.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gourmet Desire
gellchom
Original Author
13 years ago
Jessyf, I laughed so loud I startled Chom.
BeverlyAL
13 years ago
I would definitely buy lots of the silks. Also, it's difficult if not impossible to find some of their spices here so I would buy those that are difficult to find.

And don't buy the sacred cows!

Have a wonderful trip!
gellchom
Original Author
13 years ago
jazmynsmom, did you really make the idli?

I wish we'd have time for a cooking class, but we won't. Barely 2 days in Delhi.

What spices do you all recommend bringing?

I know I can get most things here. But it is so much fun to use things I got on a trip. Also, I need to bring a few gifts.
colleenoz
13 years ago
Maybe a thali set? It's a kind of metal tray with little dishes, each diner gets a lot of little dishes of different curries and condiments, and some kind of bread and rice to have with the various goodies in the little dishes. I've attached a URL for a website that has a photo- scroll down, it's the seventh photo :-)

Here is a link that might be useful: Thali
arabellamiller
13 years ago
Get a tiffin! It's a cool metal stackable lunch box. They are super cheap in India, I've had friends bring them back for me since they're pricy here.

Have a wonderful trip.

AM
Virginia7074
13 years ago
I don't know if you'll have a chance to try idli (steamed lentil flour dumplings with delicious coconut chutney), but bring back an idli maker anyway. You can buy idli mix & chutney here, or make your own.

Here is a link that might be useful: Idli maker
gellchom
Original Author
13 years ago
These are super ideas! I hope I'll have room in my suitcase.

I doubt I'll ever make idli myself -- not more than once, anyway -- so it's the perfect gift for a foodie friend (and then she can make them for me)!
Lars
13 years ago
Check out Another Subcontinent Forum and possibly join to ask questions. The people there are really nice and helpful, although I have not posted there for a while.

Lars

Here is a link that might be useful: General forum
jessyf
13 years ago
Grin back at you, Gellchom. Have a great trip, take pictures for us, and report back.

(and thanks for inspiration for my kid who is about to have his wisdom teeth pulled - lots of Indian foods I can feed him!)

going to India - what food related items to buy?

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