Founded in 2022 by Aswin Prasannakumar and Yathi Kumar, Bengaluru-based Nilgiri Marten Spices (NMS) aims to sell spices entirely traceable to the regions they are cultivated in. Their single-origin spices are sourced equitably by providing fair rates to farmers and small-scale cultivators across India.
The brand is named after the now endangered Nilgiri Marten, a mammal endemic to the Western Ghats. So elusive is the Nilgiri Marten, that the longest sighting has lasted for only around three minutes. “The brand name is an ode to natural pollinators that have kept these plantations [in the Western Ghats] alive over the course of time,” shares Aswin, a mechanical engineer from Thiruvalla in Kerala.
Interestingly, Aswin and Yathi’s entrepreneurial journey began two years ago with sourcing spices from their fathers’ respective farms in Kerala. While Yathi sourced Tellicherry peppercorns from his father, who cultivated it in small quantities in Wayanad, Aswin sourced nutmeg, mace, and Kanthari chillies from his father’s farm in Thiruvalla. Finding the quality of these spices to be superior, they soon began sourcing from other cultivators within Kerala. With quality and traceability at the core, the founders spend a considerable amount of time and effort on primary and secondary research—whether it’s visiting farms and forests where spices are cultivated to test quality, or reading research papers.
Through this rigour, Aswin discovered that the best quality vanilla beans (with high percentages of vanillin and moisture) are from Kerala’s Idukki district, while the most flavourful cloves are cultivated in the Nagercoil Hills in Kanyakumari. Another reliable tool that has led them to high quality spices is the Geographical Indication (GI) tag—a recognition accredited to products that have a specific origin and quality because of their origin.
Nilgiri Marten Spices also sources and retails the best quality of 11 of the 52 spices as recognised by the Spice Board of India, such as the Lakadong turmeric (containing the highest curcumin content) and Ing Makhir ginger (highest gingerol content) from the Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya, and green cardamom from Idukki.
The Locavore Bite
TL Bite offers a glimpse into how a partner producer runs their operations, and reflects their core principles and values. The idea is to provide insights into their practices and highlight their positive efforts descriptively. We have identified seven key areas of assessment – origin and source of ingredients, composition and integrity of the products, workforce policies, production practices, community-related initiatives, approach towards preserving or celebrating traditional knowledge and the materials used in packaging. While this assessment may not be entirely comprehensive, we hope it helps you make an informed decision about why you might want to support them, and the ways in which to.
The information below offers you a snapshot of where Nilgiri Marten Spices stands on these parameters. We have put this together based on several rounds of conversation with Aswin Prasannakumar, co-founder of Nilgiri Marten Spices. Click on a piece of the pie below to find out more.
Why We Love Nilgiri Marten Spices
- Single-Origin – Each spice sold is cultivated, harvested, and processed in the same region. These regions offer a conducive environment for the spice in terms of climate, soil, and altitude. By sourcing each spice from a single region, NMS promotes local produce.
- Equitable sourcing – The spices are procured from small-scale farmers and cultivators. Farmers are compensated fairly, and are paid more than the average market rate. By ensuring equitable sourcing, NMS not only supports farmers’ businesses and livelihoods but also promotes non-chemical farming practices.
- Quality of produce – The spices are fresh, flavourful, and aromatic. There is transparency in their procurement; consumers can directly converse with farmers on the quality of produce over a phone call should they wish to. By prioritising quality, NMS sets high standards for the production of spices.
Why are single-origin spices important to you?
“Procuring spices from their main source is very important to us as the spice reflects not just flavour but also the culture, cuisine, and other aspects of the region where it is cultivated. Moreover, our commitment to single-origin spices is a testament to the people who live in those regions, as well as their tenacity, commitment, and hard work in keeping the produce alive for the last several centuries, and for many centuries to come.”
— Aswin Prasannakumar, co-founder of Nilgiri Marten Spices
Products We Recommend
Idukki Green
Cardamom
Malabar
Vanilla Beans
How to Buy
If you would like to learn more about Nilgiri Marten Spices or try their products, check out their website. If you’re interested in supporting them in other ways, please contact us at connect@staginglatest.thelocavore.in.
This is a paid partnership with Nilgiri Marten Spices. We strive to keep the practices of a producer transparent and honest across all forms of partnerships.
