Dubai Attraction | Spice Up Your Senses at Dubai Spice Souk: A Journey into a Kaleidoscope of Colours, Flavours, and Culture
Dubai Spice Souk, located in the old Deira district of Dubai, is a spice market where you can see and explore a wide variety of unique spices commonly used by Arabian people. Each spice has its distinct colour, aroma and function. Some are used for cooking, tea brewing, or blending with coffee, while others are utilised for dyeing clothes, perfume-making, as incense, or headache remedies. This article will provide tips for visiting the Dubai Spice Souk and introduce you to some special Dubai spices, and their uses.
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The entire street of the Dubai Spice Souk is filled with spice shops, you will see bags of spices are displayed at each shop, looking like a vibrant colour palette with shades ranging from red, orange, yellow, to blue and crystal clear colour and more, offering an abundance of choices. Although the spices sold at each shop may be similar, some shops have particularly attractive displays, and some even sell Iranian carpets and colourful home decorations.
The experience at Dubai Spice Souk was interesting. I enjoyed the vibrant colours of the spices, which, combined with the old and historical atmosphere, created a perfect setting for cultural photography. It also provided an opportunity to witness the contrasting views of modern Dubai.
I highly recommend visiting Dubai Spice Souk, especially if you haven’t had the opportunity to explore an Arab country before or you are eager to witness perspectives of Dubai that are less commonly portrayed on the media.
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Things to know about shopping at Dubai Spice Souk
As you pass by each shop in the spice market, the salesmen will try various ways to grab your attention. Most commonly, they will approach you with questions like, “How are you?” or “Where are you from?” They might also compliment you, saying, “You are beautiful,” in an attempt to draw you into their shops. If you face this situation, you can simply walk away without answering, as you will hear the same questions repeatedly throughout the entire street. This experience was quite funny for me as I had never been asked “where are you from” so many times in just 2 hours.
Some salesmen may be smarter, and try to approach you in different ways, like the one that did to me. While I was walking, a salesman showed me some unique spice and asked, “Have you seen these before?” to grab my attention. And then he started to explain the uses and names of the spices.
Through this interaction, I learned about some special spices and their usages. In the end, I bought incense and an incense set as some of my Dubai Souvenirs, and I still love it as it allowed me to reminisce about the culture and memories of Arabian vibe through its unique aroma.
The most important thing to note about shopping in Dubai Spice Souk is that- bargaining is a must! I learned this lesson after making my purchases and having a local resident friend tell me, “How much did you pay? Oh wow! didn’t you bargain? You could have gotten a better deal!” So, I want to remind you to negotiate when shopping at this market!
The names of the special spices in Dubai Spice Souk
At the end of the Spice Souk, there is a shop that labels the spices for visitors to easily identify them. However, there are some spices without labels, and it was the salesperson who introduced them to me. So, here I am sharing their names with you:
- The blue balls are called Indigo balls, and they are commonly used for dyeing purposes, particularly for clothes.
- The transparent crystals are known as Alum Crystals or Menthol Crystals. They have a minty aroma and provide a cooling sensation. They are often used for inhalation or massaging the head during headaches.
- The one that looks like dried coral is called The Flower of Maryam. This unique ingredient is found in Saudi Arabia, North Africa, Pakistan, and Iran. It is commonly used during childbirth.
- The dry black circular spice is Dried Lime (Limoo Amani), frequently used as a seasoning in Middle Eastern cuisine.
- The yellow strip-shaped spice is Sulphur.
- The caramel colour crystal is Gum Arabic.
- The one that looks like dried walnut is known as Noz-moscada.
Other places to visit near Dubai Spice Souk
Since you are already in the Deira area and Dubai Spice Souk is located very close to the Perfume Souk, Textile Souk, and the Dubai Gold Souk, you can easily walk from one to the other. As you walk along Dubai Gold Souk, you will see 2 rows of shops selling various dazzling gold items. It’s quite a sight to behold, with many exquisitely gold crafted being displayed.
You can also visit Deira Clocktower and the traditional wooden boat Abra or Dubai water taxi to Dubai Old Town and see the traditional Arabian architecture and 2 of my favourite cultural, artistic places in Dubai- Al Seef and Al Fahidi Historical District.
Before heading back to the city centre, you can also visit the famous, Dubai iconic landmark- Dubai Frame (secure your entrance ticket in advance here).
How to go to Dubai Spice Souk
For the exact location of Dubai Spice Souk you can click here.
It is actually very convenient to visit Dubai Spice Souk by yourself. You can take the Dubai metro to Al Ras Metro Station, then walk about 6 minutes and you will be there.
Or you can take a taxi, and tell the taxi driver you want to visit “ Dubai Spice Souk in Deira”.
Convenient areas to stay and find hotels in Dubai
When visiting Dubai for a few days, staying in areas that are convenient for transportation and close to main attractions is crucial to avoid missing out on experiences.
So, if you are looking for hotels with good views and convenient locations while travelling in Dubai, I recommend the following four awesome areas to stay in. Click the links below to find available hotels in your preferred area.
- Palm Jumeirah: a palm shaped artificial island on the Persian Gulf with many luxury, international 5-stars hotels, aesthetic beach bars, restaurants and is an awesome and high end place for the beach holiday.
- Jumeirah Beach Residence: situated right on the beach area, offering a stunning view of Ain Dubai (the biggest ferris wheel in the world) and the magical Bluewaters Island. There are a great number of restaurants, cafes, shops, and bars for you to enjoy!
- Dubai Marina: is a nice canal city where you can find many restaurants along the canal and with a stunning skyline view. It is close to the popular JBR beach, Bluewaters Island, Ain Dubai (biggest ferris wheel in the world), as well as Dubai Mall, Pier 7 (where you get to find 7 decent restaurants that provide alcohol). So yes, it is certainly an energetic, convenient place to live or stay when you travel to Dubai. I stayed in InterContinental Dubai Marina when I lived in this area, and enjoyed it. You can check my review about it.
- Downtown Dubai: a vivid trendy area where Burj Khalifa (the world’s tallest building) and the Dubai Mall are located. If you love the vivid city life and seeing amazing skyscrapers from your hotels, you will love this area.
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