563064 Tue Oct 07 13:33:29 -0700 2008 20 12 Boston Area 0 4088624 Anyone know of a cheap place to stock up on spices preferably around brookline or west roxbury/roslindale? The supermarket prices seem a little high. Tue Oct 07 13:33:29 -0700 2008 212016 ace52387 1 4088810 I'm afraid the issue of expensive spices is a millennium-old problem. To some degree, you'll always have to pay a fair amount for even mid-grade quality. I've found some good value at Trader Joe's, especially for very expensive spices like saffron. Not in Rox/Ros, but Christina's in Inman Square has pretty competitive prices. A few of the Middle Eastern grocery stores in Watertown are supposed to be good too. One trick: if you buy whole spices instead of ground, they'll last longer and taste fresher when used. I keep a second coffee grinder on hand just for this purpose. Tue Oct 07 14:28:13 -0700 2008 4088624 11344 finlero 2 4088947 Second the TJ's option for decent quality at reasonable prices. One very cheap option is Ocean State Job Lot, but the closest one to you could be Randolph or Norwood. They carry a brand called Spice Supreme ( http://www.gel-spice.com/spice_supreme.htm ) and usually have quite a variety, but you get what you pay for. I happen to like their pickling spice mix, and also use their sesame seeds, poppy seeds, bay leaves etc. but I mostly keep them as a backup for when I cant get or run out of the good stuff. (edit) And oh yeah, the Penzey brand spices mentioned by rlh below are WAY better, I have not gone to any local stores but get their stuff online regularly. Tue Oct 07 15:18:05 -0700 2008 4088810 124072 tbiscaia 1 4088829 I THINK the quality to price value ratio is really high at Penzey's in Arlington Heights (or online) - they seem to be the freshest with a wide range of mainstream spices (whole and ground) always available. Tue Oct 07 14:33:53 -0700 2008 4088624 10399 rlh 1 4089218 Frontier bulk spices at Harvest Co-Op in Central Square have the best prices we've found for reliable quality. Tue Oct 07 17:10:38 -0700 2008 4088624 169792 lgss 1 4089252 TJ Maxx and Homegoods has some good ones. Tue Oct 07 17:25:45 -0700 2008 4088624 66655 catsmeow 1 4089260 Your best bet are Indian grocery stores; there are a few in Brookline. You'll get four or five times the amount for a fraction of the price. Tue Oct 07 17:28:18 -0700 2008 4088624 99744 bookgirl 2 4090520 cool, I don't know any of the grocery stores, mind recommending a few? By the way thanks for all the suggestions. Arax sounds great, as does harvest co-op and I will have to hit those up. Wed Oct 08 09:06:59 -0700 2008 4089260 212016 ace52387 2 4091359 Farmer's Bounty on Elm St in Davis Square has a bunch of indian spices- haven't bought them myself, but the prices are good. I go there for the packaged Indian meals- my go-to non-cooking dinner. Wed Oct 08 13:49:37 -0700 2008 4089260 219666 Parsnipity 1 4089467 There is a Harvest Co-op in Jamaica Plain. It's self service, so you can get as small amount of spice as you wish. Very reasonable. Also, Bay Sweets in W. Roxbury sells spices by the ounce. I just purchased some shawarma spice last week from them last week. Haven't tried it yet but I can tell you it is very aromatic. Think it was only 50 cents. They told me that restaurants purchase it from them so it made fresh on a regular basis. I'm hoping to duplicate the wonderful shawarama chicken I got at Falefal King in Quincy Center. Either place, you can't go wrong. And if you go to Bay Sweet, they make a nice hummus, too. Tue Oct 07 18:55:43 -0700 2008 4088624 11140 bearzie 2 4090579 I second this. I find it's better to buy in small amounts fresh unless its an spice that you use a lot. Last night I bought a little dill weed for 50 cents that was fresh and much cheaper than I could get even at Penzy's. I also use the Indian and Middle eastern Stores. For Brookline, West Roxbury, Roslindale, I would suggest Bob's Pita Bakery and Bay Sweets and the Indian place at Cypress and Harvard and the one on Harvard South of Beacon. Wed Oct 08 09:28:36 -0700 2008 4089467 13803 gourmaniac 1 4089605 Christmas Tree shop. Tue Oct 07 20:11:59 -0700 2008 4088624 188116 SaraASR 2 4089706 Araks and Severns in Watertown on Mt. Auburn - Indian stores in Brookline used to have more but still have some - try Bazaar in Brookline for some spices Tue Oct 07 21:02:09 -0700 2008 4089605 14809 teezeetoo 3 4090226 It's Arax and Sevan, btw. They have tons of spices - they all look fine to me and an incredible value when you think about how little you get in those little packs at the supermarket. I bought a medium sized baggie of "saffron" for $1.99 last weekend at Arax - huh? How can that be, right? It must be some sort of substandard saffron, although it appears to taste like the real thing. Similarly, I have bought a big bag of star anise at one of the Indian stores on Moody Street for like $3. Wed Oct 08 07:21:07 -0700 2008 4089706 11172 Bob Dobalina 4 4090376 Hey Bob, Just curious -- was it saffron powder? Or actual saffron threads? Wed Oct 08 08:17:15 -0700 2008 4090226 11344 finlero 5 4090852 Finlero - It was definitely not powder. But it also was not threads like you typically get. It was like flowery shards. Wed Oct 08 11:05:20 -0700 2008 4090376 11172 Bob Dobalina 4 4090410 I agree with your Arax recommendation. They seem to have a good rate of turnover on the spices I buy (typically cinnamon, cumin, coriander, dried oregano, bay leaves, whole black and white peppercorns, etc.) so they're fresh and flavorful. Plus the prices and the variety are great. It's also my go-to place for ingredients for my home-made hummus. No more supermarket spices for me. Joanne Wed Oct 08 08:32:11 -0700 2008 4090226 109328 JoJo5 4 4090751 thanks bob, i do mangle the names but love the places! Wed Oct 08 10:34:28 -0700 2008 4090226 14809 teezeetoo 5 4090854 No prob, tz2 - just helps for board search purposes, etc. Wed Oct 08 11:06:14 -0700 2008 4090751 11172 Bob Dobalina 1 4090194 The Harvest Co-Op is my go to place for spices. I also dry my own fresh herbs I buy. Normally I only need a little for a recipe and then the rest ends up sitting in the fridge. Since starting to do this, I don't end up wasting. Wed Oct 08 07:03:55 -0700 2008 4088624 15632 BackBayGirl 1 4090359 One cheap option is the little packets of spices sold in the Spanish foods aisle of places like Star Market. For a buck or less you can pick up enough oregano or thyme to refill a $4 McCormick's jar. Wed Oct 08 08:12:17 -0700 2008 4088624 14386 BobB