‘Amar has run a successful wholesale organic spice business for over a decade now, working directly with farmers and co-operatives to source spices from places like Indonesia, Tanzania, Madagascar and India. He’s such an expert he can tell you where turmeric comes from just by looking at the colour!’

Many low-quality blends contain fillers such as branches, sticks and olive leaves to bulk out the actual spice content of a jar, something which Sizl avoids entirely. Mallika and Amar also don't go down the route of ‘single-origin’ spices (‘the great marketing myth of the spice world,’ says Mallika) – instead, they use a number of factors to identify the highest quality ingredients they can find.

‘Our turmeric, for instance, is a blend of two different sources, which results in both a high level of curcumin and a robust natural colour. Our chilli powder contains a blend of three different chillies so it offers both a red glow and intense heat. Then there’s our garam masala, which includes high amounts of black cardamom and real cinnamon. Many cheaper garam masalas are bulked out with cheaper spices like coriander and cumin instead.’

If you really want to give your dishes an intense, deep boost of flavour, then try swapping the dusty, stale packets and jars of spices for some of Sizl’s instead – you’ll be able to taste the difference immediately.

Sizl Spices are available online at sizlspices.com.