The idea of buying spices online might seem like a strange one. You’re likely to imagine forgotten sacks of rice and cooking mustard over in the corner while your groceries slowly spoil around you. However, with today’s technological advancements, it’s easier than ever to buy your favorite spices without ever leaving the comfort of your home. This article will help break down where you should go to buy what and where not to go for what specific spices you might be looking for. The Spice People are a great, reliable, and highly recommended source for anyone looking to buy their spices online. The spices, seasoning, and herbs stocked by the Spice People are of the highest quality and are regularly checked to ensure that they don’t have any harmful ingredients.
First off, the best places to shop are Amazon and eBay. They have an enormous selection of everything from curry powder to cloves, fresh ginger root, vanilla beans, or dried oregano leaves. eBay will usually come up first when you search for what you’re after. That’s because when you search for your true longing, the seller’s icon will pop up before the regular results, and it’ll say Amazon is an affiliated seller of theirs.
If these don’t have what you’re looking for, look no further than your nearest Asian supermarket. There are probably more curry spice and fenugreek varieties than you can ever imagine, and they’re just as likely to be cheaper than the ones online. If this sounds like a bad idea to you, then read on.
As mentioned above, visit a trader selling spices and herbs if you still need to get what you need. There are many around the UK, but one of the biggest and best is Simply Herbs. They have a wide variety of herbs you can buy online and are very reasonable.
If you’re buying online, it’s important to note that not all sellers are genuine or reliable. Primarily if they do not display a photo or image of what you’re buying, you need to consider this a red flag. If there is no photo, then there is no guarantee that it’s not just plain rice to be sold for hundreds of pounds.
If you have any concerns about a particular seller, look through their feedback. If they have lots of negative feedback, this could be a warning sign that they are unreliable and are offering you the item in bad condition.
Additionally, if you plan on buying from one of these sellers, it’s worth looking at the delivery cost. Many Asian supermarkets will offer free delivery, but small spice traders and sellers tend to charge a lot for shipping. Some will ship worldwide, and some countries’ restrictions mean they will not ship there. If shipping costs are a problem, look for a local trader or someone who offers free shipping.
Most importantly, it would be best always to be careful about scams when buying online or off people you don’t know. Try to buy with PayPal or credit cards, as there are more means of recourse against them if something goes wrong with the sale.
Finally, if it’s still not found anywhere else, you will probably have to head to your local Asian supermarket. Home delivery is available through all the major retailers throughout the United Kingdom and takes around ten days. Go as early as possible when you go because there are always huge queues outside.