Can soil impact our spice cupboard?

As we mark Earth Day, I wanted to dive deeper into a set of ingredients I think the majority of us take for granted. Something used every day, often thrown into dishes without much thought, but constantly driving the flavour in our meals.

Spices carry stories of land, ecology, culture and care, yet how often do we think about this when we throw that turmeric in our pot? I spoke with Prerna, founder of Food of Gods, a boutique spice brand working directly with farmers to put the freshest, nature friendly spices on our shelves, about her journey into the spice world, what quality really means, and the challenges of working with nature rather than against it.

At the heart of our conversation is a beautiful story: a cardamom harvest that nature took control of, helping us re-think what beauty and flavour in our produce means.

What inspired you to start Food of Gods?

I began my career as a TV journalist in India, where curiosity and storytelling were at the heart of everything I did. In 2017, I moved to Ghana and found myself immersed in places and cultures I had never imagined experiencing. That same instinct to explore and understand naturally extended to food.

During my travels, I became fascinated by ingredients and their histories; how they were grown, used and valued. From the remote hinterlands of West Africa, where baobab and shea grow wild, to the saffron fields of Iran, I began to see food as a story of place, culture and healing.

At the same time, I couldn’t ignore the stark contrast across markets globally. Spices were often mass-produced and stripped of their identity. As a consumer, I struggled to find even the most basic ingredients that hadn’t been commoditised.

That disconnect led me to dig deeper. Visiting farms across Ghana, India, Sri Lanka and Madagascar gave me a firsthand understanding of the gap between how spices are grown and how they are sold. What started as curiosity became a clear purpose: to de-commoditise spices and bring back quality, transparency and truth to everyday ingredients.

Food of Gods was born out of that journey, first in Accra in 2021, and later in the UK in 2023, with a focus on honouring origin, supporting farmers, and offering spices as close to their natural state as possible.

What has surprised you most about working in the spice industry?

How much has been lost; hidden from consumers and, in many ways, taken away from farmers. The global spice trade is built for volume and uniformity, often at the expense of flavour, livelihoods and the health of the land.

It’s been eye-opening to see how little transparency exists in the supply chain. Spices are often traded and stored for years (sometimes four to five) before reaching consumers. In contrast, we source within months of harvest, so they retain their freshness and volatile oils.

What’s also surprising is just how different spices can taste when grown in their natural habitat, within biodiverse ecosystems. The depth, aroma and character are on another level yet most people have never had the chance to experience it.

Tell us about the producers you work with. What makes a farm the right fit?

I work with smallholder farmers who are deeply connected to their land and committed to natural farming practices. What matters most isn’t certification, but intention and integrity; how they care for their soil, biodiversity and ecosystems.

I look for farms that grow in diverse, forest-like systems rather than monocultures, and that prioritise long-term soil health over short-term yield. Many of our partners are multi-generational farmers nurturing rare, nutrient-dense heirloom varieties instead of commercial hybrids.

Post-harvest practices are just as important. How spices are dried, cured and handled can significantly impact quality. In fact, I don’t start by choosing a spice - I start by finding the right farm, and then work with what they grow.

All your farmers grow in natural systems, which can create challenges. Can you tell us about your Chola Cardamom?

Our Chola Cardamom farmer is something of an outlier. Cardamom is an especially delicate crop, highly prone to pests (particularly thrips) which feed on the outer pod and leave visible marks.

In conventional systems, farmers rely on heavy chemical pesticides to prevent this kind of cosmetic damage. In a natural system, without those interventions, the crop becomes far more vulnerable.

The challenge is not just agricultural, but economic. Even when the spice is perfectly aromatic and high quality, visible marks can lead to lower prices or even rejection at auction, where appearance is often prioritised over flavour.

So our farmer takes on significant risk by choosing to grow in a way that protects the ecosystem, while navigating a market that doesn’t always reward those choices.

This year’s harvest came with visible thrip marks. We chose to go ahead with it regardless, and to use it as an opportunity to educate our community on why it looks different. Ultimately, what matters isn’t cosmetic perfection, but integrity, flavour, and the way the spice is grown - and the cardamom still tastes phenomenal.

What should consumers look out for when buying spices?

Freshness is key. While spices don’t necessarily go bad, they lose potency over time as their volatile oils fade. Look for spices that are vibrant in aroma and colour, never dull or dusty.

Whenever possible, buy whole spices and grind them yourself. Even small amounts ground weekly can make a noticeable difference and allow you to tailor blends to your cooking.

Equally important is understanding where your spices come from. If a brand can tell you about origin, farmer and harvest year, it’s usually a strong indicator of care and quality.

And finally, bargain spices often come with compromise. True quality (grown with care and sourced responsibly) rarely comes cheap.

What does “quality” really mean when it comes to spices?

Quality goes far beyond potency, it’s about expression of origin. A high-quality spice has layers of aroma and flavour, not just a single dominant note. It feels vibrant and evolving, rather than flat.

At home, the best way to recognise this is to engage your senses. Smell the spice before and after crushing it, and notice how the aroma develops. Taste it in simple alone where it isn’t masked by too many ingredients.

Over time, you begin to recognise the difference between a spice that feels alive with complexity and character, and one that is dull and forgettable.

Spices are often treated as a finishing touch. How should we be thinking about them instead?

Spices have never just been about flavour, they’ve historically been used for healing, preserving food and expressing cultural identity.

When spices are grown and processed with care, they stop being background notes and become central to a dish. Their complexity can completely transform how you cook.

There’s a world of difference between a generic spice grown for yield, and a rare heirloom variety nurtured over generations. The former might add heat or colour; the latter brings layered aroma, nutritional value and a deeper connection to place.

When you understand the effort and ecology behind a spice, you naturally begin to use it more thoughtfully; with intention, respect and a sense of its true role.