Masalas, or spices, play an important part in determining the flavour of cuisine. It is not an exaggeration to state that Indian food is incomplete without masalas. They are more than simply spices; they provide aroma and liveliness to a dish. However, it is always advisable to make your own masalas for all of the recipes and to avoid using store-bought ones at all costs. According to a Consumer Reports analysis of 126 spices, almost one-third of the total goods examined contained high amounts of lead, arsenic, and cadmium, which can represent major harm to a human being. These store-bought masalas can cause a slew of disorders, ranging from behavioural concerns to reproductive issues and harm to renal and immunological function. Not only that, but even if a person spends a fortune on organic spices, the nutritional content of these spices is concerning. Not only for these reasons but there are also other factors to consider while avoiding store-bought masalas.
1. Easily Attract Moisture
Store-bought spices tend to attract a lot of moisture, which causes them to lose their flavour and value. The process of producing powdered spices is laborious, as they lose their oils and are packaged. When the packages are opened and the spices are placed in a container, they absorb a lot of moisture and lose their flavour. Spices can also become spoiled as a result of this.
2. Adulteration
Most store-bought spices are contaminated with who knows how many metals, chemicals, and preservatives, which when consumed can create major problems in the human body. And the irony is that most of the time we have no idea what we are consuming in the form of spices. Even the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) provided some basic tips on how to test for adulteration in spices at home some time ago.
3. Flavour And Taste
Remember the taste of food when you went to your grandmother's house and she used freshly ground spices that she ground after drying them in the sun? This is why the old practice of grinding one's own spices was practised. Store-bought masalas lack the taste and flavour of homemade spices, which is one of the reasons why homemade food tastes so much better than food prepared elsewhere. When spices are processed in large plants, they lose their flavour, and when you acquire them, they are presumably aged, and the flavour is lost in a few days once opened.
4. Less Environment-Friendly
The majority of store-bought spices are packaged in plastic, which is not environmentally friendly. As a result, it is always preferable to prepare your own powdered spices at home by sun-drying them first and then powdering them in a mortar-pestle or a grinding jar.
5. Less Aromatic
Most store-bought spices have less aroma than homemade spices, which might affect the quality of meals consumed on a daily basis. When whole spices are ground at home, they retain their inherent oil and aroma, which enhances the flavour of a meal.