Dhaataa Spices

Dhaataa Spices is a small setup located at 78/1 on Dhaniavi Banian Road. The road isn't always paved perfectly, so it can be a bit bumpy getting here. We work out of a modest building where we process various whole spices. It’s mostly about drying things out and then getting them ready for sale. We have these large trays we put out when the sun is strong to help with the drying. Inside, the air is thick with the smell of cumin and black pepper. It’s just a few of us working here. We don't have a big assembly line; we do a lot of the sorting by hand to pick out the stones or bits of stem. Our hands often get stained from the turmeric, and the smell sticks to your skin even after you wash. We sell to some of the local shops and also to individuals who drop by the gate. The building itself is old and the paint is peeling in some spots, but it stays cool inside. We don’t use any fancy labels, just simple stickers on the bags. Sometimes we run out of a certain spice if the harvest wasn't good that year. We just take it day by day and see what needs to be done. It’s quiet work, away from the main city buzz. We just focus on the bags and the scales and making sure the weights are right.