Wild Ajwain from Diaspora Co.

Single-Origin Whole Ajwain Grown in India

Ajwain is a seed-like fruit bold in flavor with similarities to thyme, the pungent bite of cumin, plus hints of peppermint and anise. Diaspora Co. sources this ajwain from the Bisirotti family, who grows the plant wild across their farm in Hiregunjal, Karnataka.

How to use

Potent and concentrated, a little Wild Ajwain goes a long way—less than a teaspoon will flavor a pot of curry or simmered beans. Use this ajwain to make tadka, a spice-infused oil, by blooming gently crushed seeds with additional aromatics in hot fat, like Ghee from Ancient Organics or Mustard Seed Oil from Yandilla. Spoon tadka over lentils, stews or sautéed vegetables before serving to add richness, flavor and texture to the dish. Wild Ajwain can also be used to add an herbaceous kick to breads and sweets, including paratha, focaccia or cookies.

Looking for more from Diaspora? Try their Aranya Black Pepper and Kandyan Cloves. 

About the producer

Sana Javeri Kadri, founder of Diaspora Co., is changing the way the supply chain works in the spice industry. Her goal is to put money, equity and power back into the hands of the farmers by cutting out the middle man and decolonizing the commodity spice trading system.

Sana grew up in Mumbai, India and moved to America to attend college. After graduating, she began working as the marketing manager for a grocery store in the San Francisco Bay Area. During her time there she realized that the sourcing of particular products, like chocolate and coffee, was becoming more and more transparent to retailers and customers, but that was still not the case with spices. This fueled Sana's desire to bring the spices she grew up with to the American market and create a better, more equitable spice trade model focused on flavor, sustainability, heirloom seeds and empowering farmers.

Sana started her journey with a five-month trip to India, where she learned about the spice industry and begin working with the Indian Institute of Spice Research (a non-profit agricultural research facility that works with farmers to promote sustainable and profitable spice production). Through this institute, she began learning about turmeric cultivation and was also introduced to farmers growing heirloom varietals of the spice. She returned to Oakland and after much hard work launched her first spice stateside: Pragati Single-Origin Heirloom Turmeric.