There is a will learn saying, if you are a millionaire you should drive German, spend Arab, drink Russian, and eat Indian. India is a land of different cultures and religions. We have a deep heritage connected to our roots. With different cultures and tradition comes different cuisine. If we travel from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh, we can get a variety of cuisines. The quality and the taste vary from state to state. People love biryani, but the authentic taste of Hyderabadi biryani differs from Kolkata biryani. Similarly, aalu parathas from Punjab differ from those of South Indians. The cooking oil of South India is coconut oil, whereas the rest of India uses refined oil or mustard oil. Spices are the key ingredients that differentiate the taste of a cuisine. Most of the spices wholesaler are in South India.
In the contemporary world, every food product can be bought, online. In India, people have the habit of checking these spices from local groceries, before purchasing. But if you purchase spices online, there are a few parameters you need to follow.
- Quality: There is a saying, quality over quantity. The first thing to check before purchasing spices online is their quality. Say for instance you went to a local grocery shop. Now, you have the option to buy spices in loose. Or you can buy packaged spices from the grocery shop. In both cases, you will check the quality of the spices before buying them. On the other hand, if you purchase spices from the supermarket, you will check the branding and its rating. People crosscheck the quality of a product before purchasing it, that is even more in the case of a food product. But, if you are purchasing spices online, you should check their quality. To be more precise you can identify the brand you prefer and check the quality control measures.
- Place of origin: Apart from quality, you should also check the place of its origin. Well, we know that certain areas a popular for food products. Tea is consumed worldwide. It can be produced in different countries, having suitable climatic conditions for tea cultivation. There is a GI tag given to the products based on their origin. It is a way of branding and identifying the quality of the product. Similarly, Darjeeling tea has great popularity among consumers, it has also received the first GI tag for its quality and branding.
- Way of selling: Sometimes, when we purchase spices from local shops and supermarkets, we buy them in small quantities instead of buying them, as a whole. In many scenarios, we observe additives and fillers with spices. But if you purchase them as a whole, such a problem will not arise. Many brands are operating in the market. Some of them are new and the rest of them are popular brands. So if you prefer certain brands, you should stick to them as they maintain a standard in quality.
- Packaging: Packaging is an important factor, that determines to buy and selling of products. As far as packaging is conducted, it acts as a way to present a product and its safe. The main difference between packaging and non-packaging products is the quality. Non-packaging products are tested before purchasing, but the same cannot be said, in the case of packaged products. We believe that the packaged products are quality products. In addition, they are packaged in such a way that it will protect the product from external injury. After the COVID-19 pandemic, people are conscious of health and sanitization. As a result, people are more curious about packaging and the tested certificate involved with it
- The reputation of a seller: In some cases, the reputation of a seller determines the demand for spices. There are many groceries in the market, but we select the shop based on its repetition. Day in and Day out, we hear news of fraudulent merchants. The practice and ethical methods of earning profit. They add fillers and additives to their products to earn extra profit. Since the product, spices are used for detecting consumption, we should be causes while purchasing. Generally, we purchase spices from reputed sellers, it’s because we believe in their honesty and professionalism. Similarly, while purchasing spices online we should be careful about the seller. After confirmation, we should purchase the products.
- Customer rating & review: apart from the reputation of the seller, we should also check the customer ratings and reviews. It is a two-way process that, not only helps the customer, but also the seller. Through these parameters, we can identify and judge the seller. On the other hand, customer rating shows satisfaction, and reviews help the seller to identify the needs and expectations of the consumers, which will help the seller to provide better customer service. Sometimes we find a reputed seller who sells quality food products. Or some office products are below standards. In such cases, we should avoid buying products from such shops.
- Price checking: pricing is another important factor, that determines the demand for the product. Being a developing country, Indians have the habit of checking the price, before brands and qualities. At present, most of the household shopping is bought by housewives. The first thing that comes to mind is the tag price. It is the genetic psychology of Indians to check the tech price before looking into the details of the product. If the price tag is high, people switch to other products. On the other hand, if the price is within the range will look into the details of the product before purchasing it. Few people are willing to pay a higher price for premium products.
- Manufacturing and expiry date: apart from detecting price the customer should also check the manufacturing as well as the expiry date of the product. In developed nations, the consumer checks the manufacturing and the expiration date before buying a product. But in India, most people skip them. Taking advantage of the situation, many sellers still their products at a low price if products have crossed their expiry date. It is paramount to check the expiry date before purchasing a food product.
CONCLUSION
In the above pointers, we have highlighted the tips to follow before purchasing spices. Apart from checking the quality origin pricing of the product, we should also check the manufacturing & expiry date before purchasing spices. In short, you can check the wholesale spices before purchasing them.
