Top 7 Most Exported Spices in India
The spice trade history is as old as human civilization. Spices are an important culinary component. We all love to devour flavorful food, which is impossible without spices. However, spices and herbs have been used not only to zing up our food but also in traditional medicinal practices for their healing properties.
When it comes to spice trading, India stands atop thousands of Indian spices exporters in the country. India has always been a leading spice supplier for centuries. So, we think it would be interesting to know what top 7 spices India exports widely.
Cumin Seed
This nutty, lemony flavoured spice is mostly used dried, whole or in powder form. Cumin is a staple spice in many cuisines, particularly Indian, Mexican, African, and Southeast Asian. The seeds are harvested by hand from the annual plant called Cuminum Cumonyum. Cumin is small, oblong, boat-shaped seeds with embossed stripes over them. Commonly, cumins have brownish-yellow colours, but they also have other varieties in black, white, or green.
The seeds are believed to have originated in the Middle East or Egypt. As this crop suits tropical and subtropical environments, it is widely grown in India. Today, India is the largest cultivator and exporter of cumin seeds. Also, the seeds are in high demand across the globe for not just their flavour but also for their medicinal properties.
Fennel Seeds
Fennel is known for its sweet, pleasant smell. This herb resembles cumin seeds in shape and texture. Their colour is pale green with sometimes a hint of brown. Fennel seeds come from a Mediterranean annual plant named Foeniculum Vulgare. The whole plant is edible and makes a great source of Vitamin C, Iron, Manganese, Calcium, and many other nutrients essential to keep our body healthy.
Fennel has a pleasant aroma and spicy taste. It has a hot nature, which makes fennel seeds a great herbal medicine as well. Mostly people use it to cure cardiovascular issues and digestive problems. Moreover, in many regions like India, fennel seeds are used as a mouth freshener. India, being the major cultivator of spices, majors in growing and exporting fennel seeds too.
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Coriander Seed
Coriander seeds are tan, round-shaped seeds deriving from a coriander plant. Like fennel, coriander plants are also wholly edible. The leaves are commonly called cilantro and are added to various spicy and savoury dishes as a garnish. Its citrusy flavour makes our dishes more flavourful and lively. Its nutty flavour retreats your tastebuds, and its lemony aroma delights your smelling sense.
We use Coriander seeds generally as a ground form. Some people add cumin seeds to make a blended spice. well, almost many people use Cumin-coriander powder in Indian and South Asian dishes. Coriander is also a beneficial herb for health. This spice is full of antioxidants and many nutritional benefits. It is known to cure various ailments like diabetes, indigestion and gut problems, and many skin problems.
Fenugreek Seeds
Widely grown in the mountain regions of the Himalayas and in China, fenugreek is one of the staple foods in India. We often use it to make spicy porridges and dahls. However, we use it as a spice in various regions of the world. Fenugreek seeds grow in a pod, like pulses, and hence some people consider it as a pulse as well. The seeds have a golden-brown colour and bitter taste. We use Fenugreek leaves also for culinary purposes.
Apart from cooking, fenugreek used in traditional Indian and Chinese treatment practices. Also, we utilize Fenugreek extract as an ingredient in many common products, including soap, cosmetics, teas, imitation maple syrup products, etc. All these use cases of fenugreek make it one of the most exported and imported spices.
Bay Leaves
Bay leaves are aromatic herbs of the Laurus nobilis tree. We use bay leaves in Indian, Chinese, Southeast Asian, and African cooking as a condiment. Bay leaves or laurel leaves, we often use it as dried in slow-cooked foods. The leaves are used whole and removed before serving the dish. It imparts a fragrant, floral, herbal scent reminiscent of thyme and oregano.
There are two wide varieties of Bay leaves Turkish bay leaves and California bay leaves. The Turkish variety is more popular in India and other Asian dishes. Apart from these, there are Indian bay leaves, west Indian bay leaves, Indonesian bay leaves, and Mexican bay leaf varieties. Each variety differs slightly in flavour and appearance. Although less popular, fresh bay leaves, we often use it in cooking.
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Mustard Seeds
Mustards are part of the Brassicaceae family. Like fenugreek, mustard plants are also edible. This was one of the initial plants that humans domesticated and cultivated when they started practising agriculture. Mustards have three different varieties: Black, Brown, and Yellow. Black or brown mustard is indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. And the yellow variety originated in the Mediterranean region, near north Africa and southern Europe.
Mustard seeds are hot and spicy and hence go in savoury dishes. We use Yellow mustard as a powder or puree. On the other hand, we often fry or roast whole brown and black mustard seeds to bring out their aromatic flavour. Moreover, mustard oil is also common in culinary uses in India or regions around it.
Red Chilli Powder
Although Chilli is originally a South American crop, they are widely grown in India, probably more than in its original regions. This makes India one of the prominent red chilli producers. Red chillies powdere is one of the most sought-after bulk ground spices in the world. Moreover, thanks to the internet and eCommerce, nowadays, people prefer to buy wholesale spices online.
We mostly use it with cooked dishes like savoury porridge, soups, sauces, and curries. However, one can sprinkle red chilli powder often on vegetable or sprout salads to add a zing to bland raw food. In India alone, there are over 10 varieties of chillies, each ranging widely in hotness and colour. Hence, there are so many options many people export chilli powders from India.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Who is the biggest exporter of spices?
- Who is the biggest importer of spices?
- Who is the largest producer of spices in India?
According to Estimated production volume of spices across India in FY2021, the state of Madhya Pradesh was the largest producer of spices across India in 2021 with an estimated production volume of over 30 lac metric tons. Rajasthan and Gujarat were the other major producers that year. Total spice production was 10.4 million metric tons (approx.) in that year.
- Which spice dominates the land of spices?
According to the research report of Statista Research Department, We know India as land of spices because of it’s rich spice heritage and production dominance. Being the leading producer and exporter of spices across overseas, India has the most prominent domestic spice market in the world. In rural India, dry chilies accounted for 19% of the market share and ginger, garlic also occupied the highest positions in the estimated production volume of spices in India.
