Spice Islands Curry Powder

[cinghiale]

I posted this in the India and Indian Cuisine forum, but I thought I might get more feedback from a general audience.

I'm staying in central Vermont at a friend's guest house, and I decide to make us all some curry.  Back in Philly, I get fresh, store-made curry powder at the Spice Corner in the Italian Market, and I know I'm gonna have to go w/supermarket bottled powder.  No big deal, I thought.  At the store, I reach for the venerable Spice Islands curry powder, check out the ingredients, and find the following: "Red Pepper, Turmeric (for coloring)".  I check out the lesser brands and find the same contents.  Screw it: I'm not paying $6 for a bottle of colored pepper, and I decide to make do with any ancient spices back at the house.

Upon my return to the house, I locate the spices and -- voila -- there's an age-old bottle of Spice Islands Curry Powder.  I check the ingredients: "Cumin, Coriander, Fenugreek, Ginger, Turmeric, Dill Seed, Black Pepper, Red Pepper, Mace, Cardamom, Cloves".

So, when did Spice Islands dumb down their curry powder?  And why?  Is a mix of the old formula that much more expensive?  Is it ethical, fair, whatever to market colored pepper as "curry"?  At a minimum, Spice Islands has lost me as a customer forever, since I apparently can no longer trust any of their spices to be authentic.  Thoughts?

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[merstar]

Hi,

I never realized they had changed the labeling. I just checked the ingredients on my current Spice Islands curry powder, and it says, "SPICES, Turmeric, and Red Pepper." Apparently, they don't want to reveal which spices are included, as they did in the past. However, I've been buying this curry powder for years, and have not noticed a significant difference in taste. Regardless, I think the consumer should know exactly which spices are in there, but I do see this sometimes on various labelings, and wonder why? Maybe they don't want another company "stealing" their formula? But that's ridiculous, because only the ingredients are listed, not the ratios.

[mamster]

It sounds like your jar must have been mislabeled. Here's the link to the product page at the Spice Islands web site.

It wouldn't make any sense for the company to leave cumin and coriander, in particular, out of their curry powder. It wouldn't taste like curry powder anymore, and it wouldn't save any money.

[Peter B Wolf]

I posted this in the India and Indian Cuisine forum, but I thought I might get more feedback from a general audience.

I'm staying in central Vermont at a friend's guest house, and I decide to make us all some curry.  Back in Philly, I get fresh, store-made curry powder at the Spice Corner in the Italian Market, and I know I'm gonna have to go w/supermarket bottled powder.  No big deal, I thought.  At the store, I reach for the venerable Spice Islands curry powder, check out the ingredients, and find the following: "Red Pepper, Turmeric (for coloring)".  I check out the lesser brands and find the same contents.  Screw it: I'm not paying $6 for a bottle of colored pepper, and I decide to make do with any ancient spices back at the house.

Upon my return to the house, I locate the spices and -- voila -- there's an age-old bottle of Spice Islands Curry Powder.  I check the ingredients: "Cumin, Coriander, Fenugreek, Ginger, Turmeric, Dill Seed, Black Pepper, Red Pepper, Mace, Cardamom, Cloves".

So, when did Spice Islands dumb down their curry powder?  And why?  Is a mix of the old formula that much more expensive?  Is it ethical, fair, whatever to market colored pepper as "curry"?  At a minimum, Spice Islands has lost me as a customer forever, since I apparently can no longer trust any of their spices to be authentic.  Thoughts?

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Quote : " So, when did Spice Islands dumb down their curry powder? "

It fits the constant Dumbing down of America' food syndrom

[BarbaraY]

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Edited July 2, 2007 by BarbaraY (log)