Pakistani spices, a must buy at trade fair

India
Pakistani spices, a must buy at trade fair
By Nayanima Basu, Indo-Asian News Service, Nov 22, 2006 - 3:24:25 PM

New Delhi, Nov 22 (IANS) For a taste of authentic kebabs or the famed korma right in your kitchen, head straight to the Pakistan pavilion at the India International Trade Fair (IITF) that is pulling in thousands of gourmands.

Visiting the trade fair at the Pragati Maidan fairground, it seems, has almost become synonymous with buying packets of mouth-watering spice powder available at throwaway prices.

Doesn't matter if you are vegetarian, eggetarian or non-vegetarian, there are many takers for the dozens of different kinds of Shan Masala or Laziza Masala spices available at the corner of Hall Number 12A.

'Our spices are doing great business like every year. This is all the more because our cuisines are world famous and internationally recognised,' Mazhar-ul-Haq Mufti, assistant secretary of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), told IANS.

Crowds are thronging these stalls and buying packets of spices, often spending up to Rs.500-1,000. Some said they were buying stocks to last a year. Added with exciting offers like buy-one-get-one-free, visitors here are having the time of their lives.

One packet of butter chicken masala cost Rs.30 and it comes with another pack for free. The offer is also available with the pack of authentic Pakistani garam masala.

'I just love the aroma and colour of Shan Masala. I don't like coming to crowded fairs like these but I come here every year only once to buy these spices and I buy enough for a year,' said Prateek Kumar, a resident of Karol Bagh, who bought spices worth Rs.900.

Said Zulfiqar Ali Shaikh, senior vice chairman, FPCCI: 'These spices are now also available in India, mostly in Delhi, through retail outlets.'

Members of FPCCI this year are upset over the space allotted to them against what was promised to them by the Indian Trade Promotion Organisation, the main organisers of the fair.

However, they seemed to be very content about the rising profit margin of Pakistani traders selling the spices.

'The main purpose of our participating every year is the huge amount of business we do. Almost every year, traders run out of stocks as they sell everything that they bring here,' said Mufti.

Besides spices, the Pakistani stalls are also a hit among buyers for their exquisite collection of saris and lehengas, which cost anywhere between Rs.200-10,000. However, there aren't too many takers for the pricey onyx.

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