Are your kitchen spices pure? Here are some genius hacks to check adulteration at home

Have you ever wondered that sometimes even after adding spices there’s not much flavour or taste in a dish? Well, this is because spices are either very old or are laced with chemicals and additives. While this may be a bit tricky to find the fault as it isn’t easy to say whether a spice is adulterated or pure just by looking at it. But experts believe that some simple steps can help you determine the purity and freshness of spices. Here are some brilliant hacks to check the adulteration of spices at home.

Since ages India has been a treasure trove of spices so much so that it is still one of the major exporters of spices all over the world. With its increased demand the chances for adulteration are also high and this is the reason it becomes essential to check, whether the most inseparable part of our day-to-day cooking is laced with harmful chemicals, additives and what not! Every spice has a distinct taste and flavour and the quality of spices can make a lot of difference as spices are also used in treating several ailments. Here are some common spices that are often adulterated and how can you check their quality?

Peppercorns or Black peppercorns are not only used to accentuate the taste and flavour of foods, but it is also used as a common ingredient in several home remedies. However, it gets very confusing to find whether the black colour spice is mixed with adulterants like papaya or banana seeds as both these seeds are around the same size and when crushed together and mixed with black pepper it is difficult to differentiate just by looking at it.

The key to buying the best quality black pepper is by taking this simple test. Crush a peppercorn, if it is pure it will break into big pieces with a small amount of oil. On the other hand old or mixed peppercorns will not leave an aroma after breaking or crushing, also the pieces will be very small if the peppercorn is not real.

According to FSSAI, take a glass of water and add in 1 teaspoon black pepper powder. If the black pepper is pure it will settle down at the bottom, but if it is adulterated with papaya seeds or banana seeds it will float on the surface.

Turmeric powder is often mixed with synthetic dyes, colours, chalk powder and harmful chemicals, which is difficult to understand by the appearance of it. However, to check the quality, take a glass filled with lukewarm water and add 1 teaspoon haldi, if it dissolves and turns dark yellow it is adulterated, but if it has a pale yellowish tint and settles down at the bottom it is real turmeric.

Red Chili powder is a quintessential element of Indian cuisine so much so that it can instantly zest up the taste, colour and flavour of any delicacy. In some cases red chili powder is often mixed with artificial colourants, synthetic dyes, and chemicals to give the powder a perfect red colour. To add texture to the red chili powder manufacturers often mix it with brick powder, talc or soapstone.

To check the purity, take a glass of water and add 1 teaspoon red chili powder, water does not easily dissolve chili powder, if the chili powder is adulterated the colour of the water will change instantly.

Cinnamon has a subtle sweet taste and an enchanting aroma, which can amp up the taste experience of any delicacy. But you will be amazed to know many traders sell Cassia in the name of cinnamon. While cinnamon has a strong flavour, this Chinese Cassia has a very mild flavour and subtle aroma, which is a lot different from real cinnamon.

The major difference between the two is in context to flavour and texture. While cinnamon has a thin texture, Cassia has a thick and coarse texture. Cassia usually curls up at one side and a single drop of iodine is enough to test the two. If the cinnamon powder is adulterated with Cassia a drop of iodine turns it blue whereas in case of real cinnamon it remains intact.