Yesterday I bought a bag of brown basmati rice from the International food shop and thought it was a good buy... I cooked some up earlier and when I took the lid off of the pan I noticed black scum stuck to the sides of the pan and on top of the rice. Closer inspection has shown that some of the cooked rice grains are partly black inside (mould I assume) and that must be what has done it...

Which led me to look through my pepper corns I bought yesterday, and guess what? a load of them have a white(ish) mould growing on them. Are the spices you buy in the small jars at the supermarket a better quality that the ones you buy in bulk at International food stores? If I can't find any suitable supplier of pepper then I will just stop using it.

Sid

I have had similar experiences with spices, but not rice. Please take the rice back and complain, as the fungus might be life threatening. If the shop/store don't react, take it to trading standards.

I have had mould growth on a variety of peppers, not only whole black, but long pepper and tail pepper (cubeb). In each case it was from a dubious source (Chinese and African, never Indian). If the spices were not dried well enough, then sealed in a bag, this is a perfect environment for nasties to develop.

India have very strict controls to ensure fungus (especially aspergillus) is not present in exported spices, and have to have certificates to prove testing. Even so, some get through, and British Customs & Excise often print lists of rejected spices, nuts etc.

Sid,

I assume you are alluding to 'Stormy Monday' by T-Bone Walker? One of my favourite songs, and one which I have had the pleasure of playing with a blues band called Rumours, when I lived in the Lake District. I played flute (in a jazz style, like a Hammond organ might).

Sid,

I assume you are alluding to 'Stormy Monday' by T-Bone Walker? One of my favourite songs, and one which I have had the pleasure of playing with a blues band called Rumours, when I lived in the Lake District. I played flute (in a jazz style, like a Hammond organ might).

Nope, it is just something that popped into my head because I couldn't think of a subject at the time. I have just looked that song up on YT and it's pretty cool!

It's pointless me taking the rice back because the people who work in the shop speak very very little English. I will write them another letter (same shop that I bought the mouldy chillies from a while ago, which you probably remember). It was a brand name rice (mentioning no names for obvious reasons), so I know that it's not the fault of the shop workers, but they need to be made aware of it and I will try my best, because folk are eating this unaware of what the dangers could be. There was one girl that worked there who spoke really good English, but sadly I haven't seen her in there for a long time now. In the past the shop has been raided and it turned out that some of the workers were illegals and they were deported.

Sid

I should take the rice and black peppers back. I am sure someone there will know enough English to understand 'bad' or 'dangerous'. It may not be suppliers fault, if shop sells out dated or food with faulty packaging.

Flute like a Hammond organ! Sounds fascinating!

Only recently heard Van Morrison playing 'Gloria' with John Lee Hooker. Amazing: black man sings the white man's music, which is, in turn, black American in origin.

Phil