When I told my friends that I was going to India, I was fortunate enough to receive many farewell gifts that would be useful there, such as various kinds of dashi, snacks, and even a showerhead with a built-in water purifier. When I return to Japan temporarily, I’d like to bring back some souvenirs from India for them. Since I want to give them something that’s not available in Japan, I decided to research the Indian products sold at my local Kaldi store. (I’m sure other stores also sell Indian items, but Kaldi was the first place that came to mind as a shop that offers imported goods.)
Today, I’d like to introduce you to the Indian products that are available at Kaldi.
Curry Powder & Paste
There were curry powders from brands like GABAN, Sharwood’s, INDIAN, INDIRA, and SUN. For curry paste, they had products from PATAK’S.
I was surprised by the variety of spices included in GABAN’s “Handmade Curry Powder Set”! Although I was a bit worried about whether I could master these spices after learning how to cook curry in India, it’s definitely something I’d like to try someday.
Ready-to-Eat Curry
Although the packaging had Japanese labels, so it didn’t seem to be directly imported from India, they did have ready-to-eat curries such as chickpea curry, spinach curry, and butter chicken curry.
Spices
Kaldi’s original garam masala, as well as turmeric powder and cayenne pepper powder from the brand Mascot, were available. However, the selection seemed a bit limited.
Himalayan Rock Salt
They also had Himalayan rock salt. The store I visited had about three types, including one for use in a salt mill.
Chai
I found chai as well, but there was only one type, which was Kaldi’s original brand.
Conclusion
The Indian products available at Kaldi included spices, curry, chai, and Himalayan rock salt. Since the variety is limited, it seems unlikely that whatever souvenirs I bring back from India would overlap with what’s available at Kaldi.
This also suggests that recreating Indian recipes I learn in India might be a bit challenging in Japan, as it might be difficult to find all the necessary ingredients.
So that was my introduction to the Indian products available at Kaldi today! Kaldi stores can be found all across Japan, so please check their website to find a location near you.
