RawSpiceBar April 2016 Parsi Spice Blend Shipment Review and Coupon

RawSpiceBar sends freshly toasted and ground spices along with recipes to your door every month. You'll also receive recipes incorporating them into tasty meals. I've had a lot of fun experimenting in the kitchen with the blends I've received. We've eaten all sorts of interesting things that we never would have had otherwise.

This month features spices used in Parsi cuisine. Parsis settled on India's western coast from Iran centuries ago and brought with them cooking traditions involving rich stews and sweet-sour flavors. My husband is a huge fan on Indian cuisine of all kinds whereas I'm a lot more tentative.

The Cost: $6/month

What You Get: Three spice pouches, which are enough to create 3 individual dishes serving 4-6 people. The total amount of spices will typically weigh between 1-1.5 ounces each month.

Parsi Garam Masala- This blend combines green cardamom, coriander, bay leaves, black cardamom, cumin, nutmeg, cinnamon, peppercorns, star anise, fennel, fenugreek and... spices (?!). That's a lot of flavors! I'm not really a fan of cinnamon in savory food, I have to admit. Also, I think it's funny that they listed "spices" in the ingredients for a spice blend. Hm.
Anyway, this blend can be used for curry, vegetable stews, sprinkled on veggies or eggs and meats. The recipes included is for Parsi Chicken Curry.

Kala Namak, Cumin and Chile- Just like it says it's Kala Namak, cumin and red chilies. Kala Namak is a is a type of rock salt, a salty and pungent-smelling condiment (according to the internets). I don't think I've ever had it. It's good for sprinkling on cucumber salads, street food, fresh mango and whatever else strikes your fancy.

Rose and Cardamom Blend- I feel like we had this blend before in the India box but the main similarity is rose petals. This one has rose petals, green cardamom and ginger. The recipe is for Rose and Cardamom Kulfi. It's very similar to ice cream. 

VERDICT: Well, my husband was thrilled with this month's spices and asked for a grocery list so that he could go buy everything. He wants chicken curry for dinner! I'll likely make it next week since he's been asking for more Indian cooking lately. I can do it, it can just be time consuming sometimes. 

If you like trying new recipes and food from around the world, you'll really enjoy this subscription. It's fairly low cost and having the blends already prepared is pretty nice. The recipes tend to be pretty easy and use ingredients you are likely to have around the house or are easy to get. Half the time, recipes like this get expensive just because you have to find one specific, elusive spice but RawSpiceBar eliminates that issue.

If you'd like to sign up for RawSpiceBar, you can do that here. Use code FRESHSPICES for 50% off your first month!