Website Review: Local Sparrow

Aromas that bring back memories of forgotten days and forgotten foods. The rich flavors that amazes and enlivens your soul, the freshness that reminds you of the warm sunshine and open fields, that is how people describe Local Sparrow as, a Bangalore based woman owned brand that houses authentic, flavorful and all-natural spices, cold-pressed oils and also multiple varieties of millets. Cherry on the top, they are committed to work with small scale farmers across the county and promote organic and sustainable farming, thus along with the gifts of restoring the ecological balance, they are empowering the farmers to receive a fair share of the fruits of their labor as well.

I am always on the lookout for organic and clean products, especially for my little one. I try to pay attention to the ingredients as much as possible and make sure my baby has the best of everything. So as I came across Local Sparrow, I was quite intrigued and quickly placed my first order.

WHAT I ORDERED FROM LOCAL SPARROW:-

Cold Pressed Mustard Oil - 500ml                 ₹325.00

Sankeshwari Red Chili Powder                      ₹130.00

Sugarcane Jaggery Powder - 500grams          ₹139.00

Sorghum Millet Flakes - 500grams                ₹299.00

Pearl Millet Flakes - 500 grams                     ₹299.00

Finger Millet Flakes - 500 grams                   ₹299.00

 

OUR EXPERIENCE:-

Local Sparrow Cold Pressed Mustard Oil:
We will start with the Cold Pressed Mustard Oil. We Bengalis and Mustard Oil are emotionally twisted, tangled and weaved together. Our identity has become entwined with the pungent and sharp flavor of mustard oil and I feel it makes Bengali dishes taste so much more delicious.
The moment I opened the Local Sparrow Cold Pressed Mustard Oil, the strong smell totally enlivened my senses, and yes, that’s the first sign of a good quality mustard oil. I first had it raw with my favorite mashed boiled potato and eggs, the reason being that I wanted to know exactly how intense and a nostril-flaring the pungency is. Absolutely loved it! Seems like I can still feel the warmth while I write this. In cooking too, we just love how it added a unique warmth and stingy spiciness to the dishes. I even did a purity check by placing some of the mustard oil in a bowl and placing it in the fridge for a few hours, there was no crystallization or white spots, indicating that it is pure, uncontaminated and unadulterated.
Murky amber yellow, a delightful strong fragrance with a flavor that is so pungent and seems so untamed, that’s exactly how I want the mustard oil in my kitchen to be and that’s exactly how Local Sparrow Cold Pressed Mustard Oil is.

 

Sankeshwari Red Chili Powder:
Now it is time to bring in the richest flavors of chilies. Local Sparrow houses two variants of Red Chili Powder, Sankeshwari Red Chili Powder and Byadagi Red Chilli Powder, the former is fiery hot with a rich flavor and superior aroma, while the latter is a less spicy one, slightly sweet and imparts a brilliant red color.
I chose the first one, given my love for hot shots. And I am not disappointed, this just blew my mind off.  It feels just like freshly grounded chilies and is as spicy as it possibly gets, reeking of high quality. The heat, the flavor and aroma just won our hearts. This is definitely for those who love their food spicy.

Sugarcane Jaggery Powder:
Well, I got this mainly for my toddler who has a sweet tooth. Sugarcane Jaggery powder is a natural sweetener that is considered healthy and boosts the immune system. Hence, I always prefer swapping white sugar with natural powdered jaggery. This is devoid of any chemical, bleach or sulphur or any binders. There is no added artificial colors, synthetic flavors or taste enhancers, this is just pure natural jaggery powder made from raw sugarcane with no additives, but rich in all the goodies like iron, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium. How to you: You can use sugarcane jiggery powder instead of white sugar in all your recipes, be it halwa, ladoos, payassam or any drink. I have tried making our famous Bengali recipe “Nolen Gurrer Payesh” with this Sugarcane Jaggery powder, and it turned out to be so yummy!

                                                           

Sorghum Millet Flakes, Pearl Millet Flakes and Finger Millet Flakes -

Jowar, Bajra and Ragi, are together known as millets and have myriad health benefits. From a toddler to a senior citizen, anyone can have millets and reap the benefits, hence they are staples at my home. The sprouted millet flakes are Local Sparrow best sellers and I had to try at least a few of them. They are all gluten free, and are jam-packed with protein, iron, fiber, magnesium, calcium, zinc, potassium, phosphorus and many other vital minerals. Cooking these are super simple as well. I prefer having them as mix poha. Sprinkle some water on the millet flakes and let them sit for around 7-10 minutes. They become fluffier, softer, easier to cook and the quantity doubles too. Nosw, the softness depends from In the meantime, fry the veggies of your choice, add salt and masala (optional), and then toss the pre-soaked millet flakes into them, give a good mix and you are done. It tastes heavenly. You can make porridge as well adding milk, nuts and Local Sparrow Sugarcane Jaggery powder to the flakes. The Local Sparrow millet flakes are easy to cook, utterly yummy and healthy.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
Local Sparrow is a brand that chooses quality over quantity. Right now they might not have thousands and thousands of products under their umbrella, but the ones that are being sold, hold to the highest standards of quality. All of their products are 100% clean. They go through everything thoroughly and carefully, complying with the most rigorous sampling and food safety norms to ensure that only high quality products are reaching us. Some of their products might feel a little on the costlier side, but trust me, organic products are expensive for a good reason. The fact that you pay more, makes it possible to avoid cheap fertilizers and pesticides, and choose only high-quality crops with round-the-clock manual care, thus aiding to the planet and people better.
Overall, I am extremely happy with the products I got from Local Sparrow and would love to try things from the brand as well.

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PR Sample. Opinions are honest, as always.
Thank you Local Sparrow and Digiacai for collaborating with us.