Shipping spices to Australia

[SAman4Aus]

Can one ship spices in ones container to Sydney? i.e. things like Origanum, Cumin, Coriander, Parsley etc

[MariaV]

When we were packing we were told not to bring spices at all.

Check with your removal agent.

[Dereko]

You can send spices, but they have to be in glass bottles and the have to be sealed. We were told that there went many spices in Aus, but there are plenty available in the local supermarkets.

[Koen]

The great curry debate? Ok you can get all this stuff your mention in Australia far as I know. But bless this question its so dear to my heart, food glorious food. But leave em cause you will find them again and cause you aren't really allowed anyway.

Now if it's Durban special King Curry Madras same applies. But I have news for you even in Melbourne queen of the Northern temps you can find the same spices herbs you ever wanted, so no need in a nutshell. I had terrific Sri Lankan curries and what not straight off the street!

Ok this doesn't apply to SEA products like perhaps always always lemon grass and galangal, yes these just might be a problem to find in your area and when you need em, but eventually you will find pandanus and sweet Thai basil and most of the stuff, but for the rest of your common or garden herbs it's truly no problem.

How much of the freaking stuff do you want to bring over? Honestly you can find most of what your mention here almost in any decent grocery store and fresh , yea fresh.

Bless, I think you cook up the best of storms, just remember to invite me you hear?

[VeeMiles]

Baileys recommended we do some shopping to be packed in the container. We bought loads of washing powder, stay soft, dish washing liquid, toothpaste (here you pay $4 a tube), handy andy, heavy duty aluminum foil (not available in Aus), toilet paper, Orange dust cloths, dish towels, sugar (here you pay $3 for 1kg), coffee, rooibos tea, Mr. Bolls chutney, steak and chop spice, crowns biltong spice. Most of the items are available over here, but if you convert back to rand, you pay a arm and a leg for things here. We bought bulk from Makro and opened the packaging. I filled every Tupperware container, every drawer, every pot with some stuff.

I am sad I didn't bought eat some mores cookies, oumas rusks(Aussies don't know what rusks are) and pronutro. Just be aware of egg products, so we didn't bring Cross and Blackwell Mayonnaise. We ordered SA products on line from Satooz.com, but you pay R36 for 1kg of braaipap!

I am sure Australia has got nice products, but it's nice to use something familiar every now and then, when everything else is so unfamiliar.

Good luck!

[rozellem]

For anybody the have ever searched in vain for a specific spice, food freaks and spice nerds.

http://www.herbies.com.au/

This is the most amazing spice shop, ever. It is in Sydney and they have everything, and if they dont, they will get it for you in a few days. My mom in law is the koeksister queen and when she visits us (in the UK and Aus) she always remarks that you can not find pieces of dried ginger, an ingredient without which you can not make koeksister syrup. When visiting us in the UK someone from RSA had to post it out to her. In Sydney, we went straight to old Herbie! They even run spice appreciation classes for those wanting to broaden their spice knowledge. They will definitely be able to post a specific spice to you.

[Riekie]

Sealed spices in glass jars are allowed (most of them), but you have to declare it (if you don't, they'll be discarded or you may end up with a hefty fine - more than you've paid for them...) We brought a couple of favourites in our hand lugguage and declared it in customs - they were all let through.

Just a few things to consider:

If you have any foodstuff your container will take longer to clear customs.

It is always possible that some of the spices may not be allowed in which case you'll have to pay for it to be destroyed. (Whereas if you bring it your hand lugguage and declare it, but it is not allowed, they simply confiscate it - no fee to be paid).

Even spices havean expiry date. You may think you're gonna use it all up before then, but from experience I can tell you that I had to dump quite a few bottles of expired spices...

The average bottle of spices cost around $2 to $3 here in Aus. If there's really something you can simply not live without, then bring it, but most of the spices you get in South Africa, you get here too - if not in the shops, then online.

After a while in Aus, you get so used to the tastes here, that your little bottles of South African spices are shoved to the back of the rack to make way for all the new ones you fall in love with. (Talking from experience here... ). I've just recently discovered Chinese food (I'm VERY picky when it comes to food, so it took me a while.... ) and I LOVE it - who would have thought? Then there's Thai food (GLORIOUS!), Lebanese, Persian, Turkish, (all of them DOUBLE YUM!), not to mention, Italian, French, Mexican, Indian, Japanese (another recent discovery....). You will be absolutely spoilt for choice with flavours!