Masalas are an integral part of Indian cooking. But did you know that volatile oils are what gives spices, their, well, spice? In simple terms, volatile oils are the chemical compounds found in whole spices that give them their unique flavors and aroma. Since smell and flavor make up a large part of what makes eating so enjoyable, it stands to reason that it’s important to retain these oils as much as possible. 

If seasoning your food with masalas is something that you do on the regular, here are some tips on how you can keep your dishes packed full of flavor, thanks to volatile oils!

Buy Whole Spices

Volatile oils are present in the whole spice including the leaf, seed, stem, root, or bark. Once these spices are harvested, in time, these oils will break down, causing a loss of flavor and aroma, but this occurs more slowly with whole spices. Grinding your own spices releases the volatile oils which make your food even more flavorful, but don’t grind it all in one go. Ground spices lose the ability to retain volatile oils, so only grind as much as you need at a time. 

Use Masalas Ground with Cyrogenic Grinding Technology

The traditional way spices are ground leads to a lot of heat generation. This causes the volatile oils in the masala to evaporate, a big no-no. Spices ground with cryogenic grinding technology use liquid nitrogen and carbon dioxide to keep the spices at sub-zero temperatures, causing them to preserve the signature flavor and aroma of spices. 

Store Carefully

It can be tempting to put up your spice rack close to where your stove is, for easy access. However, that might not be the best option, as the heat from your stove can build up humidity in the spice jars which can evaporate those precious volatile oils, so keep them in a cool, dark place. 

Moisture is also an enemy of volatile oils. Make sure you use an airtight container when storing your masalas, and use a clean and dry spoon whenever you’re cooking. Any bit of moisture in your ground masalas can cause a loss of flavor and aroma, thanks to the loss of those essential volatile oils.