Svengelskan

I am often put off by the sight of uncovered piles of spices or whatever in Arabic street souqs, but have not considered that there is a distinct difference in quality and freshness when you buy this way.

What are those yellow chunks?  Turmeric.  Hard as a rock and freshly ground.  

 This shop owner knew and was trusted by my mom and her friend Pat, and he even showed them a photo of them on his cell phone that he had taken years ago.  If you can trust the spice man, then you can probably get really good spices.

There were plenty of things in that store that we have no idea what to do with, but I came away with quite a stash...including:
Turmeric, star anise, cardamom, bay leaves, cloves, mustard seeds, flax, chili pepper, ground cumin, sumac, garam masala, raw cashews, dried limes, indian cinnamon, and so on.

*It always helps to bring a baby along in this part of the world*

 Some dried limes...

 A whole heaping bundle of bark cinnamon...

 Which turns into amazing indian dishes like these (more on this to come later)

 I can almost taste the spices jumping off this plate!

Yes, the spice souq was a highlight of our trip.  In fact, the Batha market in general is a fun place to wander through.