The spice trade- exploring Jaipur, A Rajasthani affair
- Saanvi Ghatak
- Apr 7
- 4 min read
Local markets are one of my favorite hunts during city tours. Every time I plan an itinerary for a city, the local markets always top the first place on my list. I have always considered this a very crucial part of any expedition. It is also because a market in its local sense is what helps understand the city in its most raw form. It helps in understanding the major art forms, major industries, and food culture of the place you are visiting.
In India, local markets have a lot to offer. Indian markets are a combination of excitement, rage, fun, knowledge, and of course, last but not least, salesmanship.
But the only key to surviving in any Indian market without ripping apart your pockets is to learn how to bargain. In recent years, with a little experience, I have finally acquired expertise in this trait. But yet, this is one place on this planet where you will witness what actual salesmanship is and how you ultimately spend recklessly even without a pinch of guilt in your innocent little heart, only because- you got swayed by the sweet talk of the shopkeeper about how ravishing you look in every color of the saree. But only when you go back to you accommodation, you realize what just happened an hour ago?! There have been instances when I did not even realize how I ended up in a particular shop until I actually sat on a chair. This is how convincing they can be.
Nevertheless, Indian markets have endless options to look from. From home decor to jewelry, or maybe groceries, you will find everything here. You may also find some hidden culinary brilliance in the form of street foods as well.
I spent three years of my life in Jaipur, the capital of the state of Rajasthan. Although I have nostalgic memories of this city, without sobbing I will share my expedition and experience from the local markets of Jaipur.
As I walk down the memory lane, it was in the mid of May, 25, me and a bunch of my craziest friends went to explore the spice market and ended up having one of the best walks of our existence. I had already planned to visit the local market by myself, until my bunch of five baboons tagged along. I specifically wanted to buy spices for my father since he enjoys cooking meats a lot.
We booked an Uber to reach the entrance of the old city, the Ajmeri gate, and as we were walking through, we searched for the specific area that sells spices. The good thing about local markets in Jaipur's old city is that most of the shops are in clusters that sell the same thing. For example, if you are looking to buy handicrafts or maybe textiles, Babu bazaar would be the right place for you. However, that day we were looking for spices. To complete this mission, we made several mistakes till we ended up at the spot. We had to hop from one shop to another until we were directed to the exact place we were looking for. We ended up at the Johri bazaar on our walk towards Hawa Mahal. The radiance in that area was much to remember in the evening around 8:00 pm.
Usually, spices are a part of a plant, like the leaves, or a bark of a tree, or seeds, or maybe flowers. I got to buy a number of spices that day including Pathar ka Phool, which is also known as stone flower. This spice is unlike any other spice because we do not consider it as a part of a plant; rather it is lichen and has a very strong aroma. I also bought 'Khas ki Jarh,' which is also known as the roots of couscous. Other spices were pipli or long pepper, and kebab chinni (cubeb pepper), mathania chilies. Mathania chilies are also quite interesting, since they are only grown in Mathania village, in Rajasthan's Jodhpur district. They are moderately hot and around 25,000-50,000 SHU. For those who are not aware, spices can be very expensive. Although saffron or Zafran is the most expensive spice in the world, 1.5 lakhs for a kg. These spices were not quite cheap as well. For a kg of kebab chinni, it costs 5000 rupees.
WAIT! Did I tell you about how the bustling road and the beautiful lights and how charming the entire market looked in the evening? The best time to visit local markets would be in the evenings, but also note that they close early. Post 9:30 PM, the market is almost closed. But in Jaipur, it is quite easy to travel; you will find apps like Uber and Rapido quite helpful, but there are always autos and tuk-tuks around at a bargained price, or you may rent out a two-wheeler at a fair price, but this will require a license and an ID proof as well.
The markets in the old city of Jaipur do have a lot, from beautiful textiles, the traditional leheriya and block print to the traditional Rajasthani juttis and, of course, the amazing jewelry, also the best place to buy souvenirs. There will be spots to try some local street foods, like kachoris, pani poori, chole tikki chat, cut fruits, especially pineapple with some tangy chaat masala.
You will actually need an entire day to explore the market if it is your first visit. This will be one of those experiences that you will never forget, not only because of the charm but also the people you get to meet and all those crazy things that happen in incredible India!
"I would leave the map of my life here, in Jaipur." — Alka Joshi, The Henna Artist
All the best for exploring the ultimate shopper's paradise!
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