There are very few ingredients that can change the character of a dish as quickly as a spice. A pinch of turmeric can add colour and warmth, chilli can bring heat, coriander can add a fresh and earthy note, while garlic and blended masalas can completely transform the flavour of a recipe.

For a food distribution company based outside India, it sounded like a straightforward requirement. They already knew what they wanted: good-quality chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and a few other commonly used spices.

When a business decides to source spices from India, the first step often appears quite simple. A buyer may already have a product in mind - perhaps chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder, garlic powder or a particular masala, and begins looking for a suitable supplier.