India's Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, said on 7 October 2026 that Indian spices are doing far more than driving trade — they are carrying a 'part of Indianness' into American homes, reflecting a cultural connection that spans millennia. Kwatra made the remarks at a special reception at India House in Washington DC, organised to celebrate Indian spices, with members of the American Spice Trade Association, food industry representatives, and other guests in attendance.

More Than a Trade Commodity

'But I think spices are much more than trade,' Kwatra told guests at the reception. 'What is more crucial, in my personal view, is that through these spices, we bring a very important part of Indianness to the American homes.'

The Ambassador described spices as one of the most enduring constants in Indian civilisation — an unbroken thread linking contemporary households to generations stretching back thousands of years. 'I always tell people, and I firmly believe in it, that if there is one thing which through the generations stretching back to millennia has not changed in the Indian society, it is the spices,' he said.

Turmeric as a Cultural Case Study

Kwatra used turmeric to illustrate how deeply embedded Indian ingredients have found new audiences in the United States. Referring to his earlier posting in Washington from 2010 to 2013, he noted that turmeric latte was virtually absent from American cafe menus at the time. 'I don't recall going to the cafes in the US and coming across turmeric latte. I don't think it was there on the menu of the cafe,' he said.

He contrasted that relatively recent popularity with turmeric's centuries-old role in Ayurveda and traditional Indian households, calling it a 'very, very central and very, very important' ingredient in the classical Indian system. The shift, he argued, reflects a broader American appetite for ingredients rooted in holistic health traditions.

Health, Wellness and the Organic Food Link

Speaking separately, Kwatra said the spread of Indian spices in the United States was no longer simply a matter of culinary flavour. 'It is actually a flavor in the life because of how well it is for your own body and for your own holistic health,' he said. He added that the goal was for Indian spices to become genuinely integrated into American food habits — not merely marketed as exotic additions.

The Ambassador also drew a connection between the growing popularity of Indian spices and the wider organic food trend in the US, arguing that what passes for modern healthy eating often traces back to far older food practices. 'Organic food is actually the old food, and old healthy food,' he said. 'So in a way, modern trend is to go back to your roots, at least in so far as this part is concerned.'

A Civilisational Footprint Expanding Globally

Ingredients such as turmeric, cumin, chillies, fennel, and black pepper have been central to Indian cooking across regions for centuries, and Indian spices have historically played a significant role in the country's commercial and cultural contacts with the wider world. Their profile in the United States has grown alongside greater familiarity with Indian cuisine and food traditions, with products derived from Indian spices increasingly moving beyond specialised Indian grocery outlets into the mainstream American food and wellness market.

Kwatra said the network of Indian spices' global expansion now 'stretches the world over,' and stressed that consumer understanding of their history and health value was as important as their commercial promotion. As India's diplomatic and trade profile in the US deepens, spices appear to be one of the more quietly effective ambassadors of the bilateral relationship.