DTW: Spices?

[rainonthisparade]

I'm a chowhound n00b and a grocery n00b, so excuse my ignorance.

I'm learning the variation on price in spices depending on where you go, and was wondering the best priced places for spices in the area.

I liked the small "you scoop" bulk spice selection at Golam Produce at Packard and Platt in A2.
I was hoping for something like that with a bigger selection elsewhere? I'd prefer something in the A2/Canton/Westland area, but I'll venture out farther if its worth it. It's just difficult to scour every ethnic grocery store for the best deal with gas at these prices.

[Sonny_Funzio]

Patel grocery on Orchard Lake Rd in Farmington Hills is another good place for spices ... as is Polish Market such as the one on Maple in Troy.

[BoSchimers]

Check out the huge Chinese market on Washtenaw Ave just east of US 23. Large selection of spices dirt cheap. (don't even get me started on the HIGHLY unusual selections of everything available there - should be on everyone's list to visit.)

[rainonthisparade]

I forgot about that place! I went there once about a year ago and it was crazy. Huge, dark, and all kinds of strange stuff. Great idea.

[tokyo]

Oh! Hua Xing Asia Market, next to Asia City restaurant. Good call.

[BoSchimers]

You are very astute my friend!

[tokyo]

Lol. I just reminded myself of my father, who uses the full name of everything and then some. Our local cinema is the "motion picture theatre" and the gas station is the "(Insert brand) gasoline filling station".

[Sonny_Funzio]

After Rafal Spice closed ... Rocky Peanut at eastern market took over much of the spice business. Pretty good selection last time I was there.
Eastern Market is absolutely worth the trip.

I'm not sure if they've re-opened from their remodeling yet but ... if you go to Eastern Market, go during the business hours for J.R. Hirt and visit their 3 floor warehouse/store. The also have the biggest cheese selection in the city with a few hundred cheeses. I'd call first tho.

[Jim M]

Aladdin grocery in that same Packard/Platt strip has some good bulk spices at rock-bottom prices. Between that and the other ethnic groceries in the area you might get quite a repertoire for very little money.

[rainonthisparade]

Thanks, I'll check that out.

[jjspw]

You mentioned that the red pepper at Penzey's is twice the price of that at Golam. You'll run into even higher prices at Whole Foods and Plum, and the spice sellers at the farmers markets aren't easy on the wallet either.

Jim M hits the nail on the head by suggesting ethnic groceries. They always have the lowest prices, and typically have very fresh products, since their turnover is quite high. I can't say I'm terribly familiar with ethnic markets in Ann Arbor, Ypsi, Canton, Westland areas. But, just about any Middle Eastern and/or Indian grocery will do. Once you find a pound of cardamom for a buck, you'll never be able to buy spices elsewhere!

If you venture as far as Dearborn, there are a ton of Middle Eastern markets there, flush with spices. Super Greenland is one that comes to mind.

[rainonthisparade]

Dearborn...duh! Why did I not think of that? Don't they call Dearborn the area with the most Arabs outside of the Middle East? Next time I'm in that direction I'll definitely try some mid-eastern groceries out that way, thanks.

[momskitchen]

In Warren, I just stopped into a place on Hoover between 12 and Common called "Shepherd" and it has buckets of Middle Eastern spices. I don't think they carry red pepper, though. They did have Iranian bread that was fantastic, however. It was made in a pizza oven and cost 25 cents each.

[momskitchen]

Yikes - a lb of cardamon is more than I'd use in a lifetime....LOL.

[Jack Freeman]

There are several spice vendors at local farmers markets that are not nearly as expensive as Penzey's. Royal Oak Farmers Market has Dirty Girl Farms, Eastern Market has Sue's Spices and The Old Winery in Farmington has Earth's Legacy (which is all organic spices). I can't say for sure about Dirty Girl but I know both Sue's Spices and Earth's Legacy are really fresh. I have special ordered large amounts from Sue's and they were SUPER fresh.

[momskitchen]

@Jack - I'll have to check out the R.O. Farmer's Market or the Old Winery one of these days. Spice sellers aren't a possibility at the Ann Arbor Farmer's Market because it's a producer market - i.e. everything sold has to be made by the vendor and most spices are imported to Michigan. When do they run?

[Jack Freeman]

Happy New Year!

Royal Oak is 7am to 1pm every Saturday. I know they have a Friday market as well but we have never been on Friday so I'm not sure which, if any, of the vendors are the same as the Saturday market.

The Old Winery is every Saturday until the beginning of the regular Farmington Farmers Market season, don't quote me on this but I think their last market day is April 28th, they are open from 9am to 2pm.

[Goneril]

I second the recommendation for Penzeys. My family's been getting spices from them for close to 20 years. We've never had a problem.
http://www.penzeys.com/

[vdoucette]

I'm a loyal Penzey's customer. They have a great selection of spices and the in-store customer service is excellent. (I've never done online business with them.) Make sure you sign up for the catalog, It always has many interesting recipes -- and usually has coupons for a free or deeply discounted product.

[Rheta]

Plum Market also has bulk spices. Not sure how the prices compare.

[rainonthisparade]

Thanks, I plan on checking out Plum and Whole Foods bulk spices to compare.

[momskitchen]

Welcome n00b! Ask any question you want.....in Ann Arbor, the best places to buy spices in bulk are By the Pound on Main, People's Food Co-op near Kerrytown, and Spice Merchants in Kerrytown. A bit further abroad is Penzey's Spices in Birmingham, but I tend to buy most of my spices by mail order from their original store in Wisconsin because you can get virtually anything there and I am rarely in Birmingham. I find them excellent and very well priced. If I need something in a hurry, I'd try one of the local places I just mentioned. Happy cooking!

[rainonthisparade]

Thanks for the recommendations. I'll definitely use Penzey's in a pinch, however, I just priced their crushed red pepper out to be twice the price per pound of Golam. I'll also definitely check out People's next time I'm at Sparrow.