Unpacked by AFAR · Friday, September 4, 2026
Most spices found in grocery stores are aged for five to seven years before reaching consumers, a fact that surprised host Aceleen Green. This extended shelf life is a consequence of the traditional spice trade, which Sana Javeri Kadri of Diaspora Spice Co. aims to transform.
“Because the answer might shock you. If you guess that they've been in those jars for about five to seven years before they ever made it into your home, you're probably right.”
“So, you know, the spice trade had not changed in 500 years. So, you know, the British left India in 1947, but traders and kind of capitalism just took over where colonialism left off. And so the spice trade that I found in 2017 was the spices in your grocery store shelf are five to seven years old.”