Shock horror, your local Riga supermarket isn’t guaranteed to have an ethnic food section! And there’s no Asian supermarket as of yet. So what do you do when you crave a kickass korma or desire a decent dhal?
Well, you could just visit the one-and-only Stockpot bistro that rates its food on a scale of 1 to 10 from mild to numbingly spicy. Or, you could pay a visit to Indian Raja, Wok n’ kurry, Singh’s, Banana Leaf or fellow Indian food restaurants in Riga. But if you’re looking to cook a beast of an ethnic feast at home, then you may have to shop around for spices.
Here’s a few addresses to get you going:
Avokado
Tērbatas iela 49/51, Rīga
Spice shop
Gastronome
Krasta iela 68A, Rīga
High-end gourmet food shop
Rudra yoga store
31 Skolas iela 31, Rīga and online
Hanumans
Kr.Barona iela 56, Rīga
Vegetarian shop located in the Hare Krishna temple building. Lots of Indian flavours here
Tiger
Various locations in Rīga
No spice pastes at this Danish chain store, but they do have a surprisingly good selection of dried spices
Spice stalls at the Centrāltirgus (Central Market)
Spices by the kg
Gourmet Studio
Lienes iela 9, Rīga
4 Decorasian
Kr.Valdemāra iela 24, Rīga
Curry mixes, bags of spices, tea and other imports from India
Sky supermarkets
Various locations in Rīga
Stockmann
13.janvāra iela 8, Rīga
India Mini Mart
In the Upīša Pasāža arcade
Musk Trading
Aleksandra Čaka iela 39
Rimi supermarkets
Numerous locations in Rīga. The bigger the store, the more spices and pastes you’re likely to be able to pick up.
If you know of anywhere else that stocks a good range of exotic spices, be sure to add it to the list via the comments section!
Photo: Adam Baker
