Want to spice things up? Visit a market!

If variety is the spice of life, then spice is what gives our everyday existence meaning and purpose.

As a chef or a home cook, there a few things more powerful or versatile in our arsenal as a good spice cupboard. Take cumin for example. Its pungent flavour will add depth to a chili, or a familiar earthy tone to a curry. The seeds can be whole, toasted, or ground, and are a staple in every cuisine from Mexico to the Middle East, to India and even Portugal.

Or how about another familiar spice: cinnamon. It’s the smell that reminds of sticky buns hot out of the oven, or a sprinkle on your latte. But it’s also a great addition to game meat or a pot of slow-braised beef short ribs.

Reading about my fellow blogger Lindan’s trip to the Istanbul Spice Market has me a little envious, since it’s one of the oldest known spice markets in the world. After all, my own collection of spice-filled mason jars, probably far exceeds the traditional spice rack one would expect, filled with such treats as star anise, ajwain seeds for Indian cooking, and cardamom seeds for my family’s Pulla recipe.

But what other vacation spots have noteworthy markets? How about Marrakech Bazaar, in Marrakech, Morocco, where you’ll find carts overflowing with spices and dried fruit, among vendors of kebabs and kafta.

Or if you’re in Mexico head to Oaxaca’s market where you’ll not only find fine Mexican chocolate (the bitter kind, not the candy), but an interesting variety of munchies. Dried grasshoppers anyone?

It seems like no matter where you go, markets seem to be a place that reflect local culture better than anywhere else. They’re a way of life for the locals, but for tourists they open the doors to wonders. Even here in Canada, the Granville Market in Vancouver which has a heavy Asian influence (I actually found whole turmeric root there) and where you can get your Dungeness crab steamed and ready to eat, or Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market, a mainstay since the days of seaway imports via Lake Ontario, show who we are, the cultures we share and where we came from.

Markets may lead you to spices, but they are the roots of any culture.