Delhi is one of those cities that I think is quite hard to like as a tourist. As an arrival point in India, it throws you right in the deep end and leaves you wanting to escape the madness until you settle into the travelling lifestyle a bit more. This also had to do with arriving at a time of year when the hot summer sun and 90% humidity meant walking more than a few metres left you in dire need of a shower and lime soda.
Lucky enough to have a base outside of the city accessible by metro we managed to see most of the main sites in a few brief city trips. The one place that really took my breath away and was the the Spice Market situated on Khari Baoli.
The fact that it is the largest wholesale spice market in India should evoke some sense of scale, but it is only when you are there with every sense being invaded from every angle that you can fully appreciate the organised chaos of this famous bazaar. Vivid colours and scents of anonymous spices spill onto the street from hollow shop-fronts, then a sack of floral tea provides a brief relief before a rickshaw or cart laden with too many sacks of rice almost knocks you from your feet. It is intense but once embraced, a great experience.
Every town or city throughout India has a bazaar of sorts running along a main road or hidden down winding back streets. They were the best place to immerse oneself in the vibrancy of day-to-day life and get a feel for how this common ground was shared by all warps of life.
mw kitchen 
Now thats what I call INCREDIBLE INDIA 🙂
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haha indeed it is!
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I can smell it now! I wish I could go now. 🙂
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save save save 🙂
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such vivid colors…these spices remind me of going to this market, which I have been planning since long. Nice photographs.
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Thanks, I feel the photos don’t do all the colours there enough justice but then again it’s impossible to catch everything I guess. I mainly wish I could have gone round with a local who could have explained what things were/their uses etc.. buy hey, you have to get yourself back there!
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Great photos! The Delhi Spice markets was one of the highlights of my trip to India. Incredible, indeed.
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Thank you and glad someone agrees it is a highlight, the whole area despite its intensity is so captivating you really can’t imagine it until you’ve been there
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I agree! It’s something that just has to be experienced.
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Such stunning photography as always. No doubt you’re channeling your inner alchemist and thinking of ways to utilise those beautiful spices. I particularly love the shot of the cassia/cinnamon too.
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Thank you very much. Yes, have a few ideas up my sleeve and attempting to recreate a recipe I learnt whilst there today so watch this space!
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fabulous photos! I feel like I can almost smell it!
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Thank you!
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Ich liebe es in Food – Märkten einzutauchen, neues zu entdecken, zu riechen und zu schmecken . . .
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Really lovely selection of photos. India has a loud booming pulse and you have captured it well in these photos and write up.
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Wow!!….your pictures are mind-blowing!! 🙂 I’m from India and I have begun to see the marketplace at Delhi in a new light throught your pictures!!…love it! 🙂
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Truly flattered to receive comments like that so thanks a lot. Loving the recipes so far on your blog. Need to try the pork with clams – right up my street!
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You’re most welcome….so glad you loved our blog. The pork and clams were amazing!!…we had such a blast exploring Portugese and Azorean cuisine! Looking forward to more of your posts which are awesome by the way! 🙂
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Reblogged this on CARMEN.
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