Whole first
We prefer whole spices you grind at home. Powders are milled in small runs so turmeric stays loud and chili stays red without chemical shortcuts.
Our story
A Pleasanton pantry with a South Indian farm list.
Manam Foods is registered in Pleasanton, California. We exist so families here can cook with the same spices and millets farmers in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka grow for their own homes.
The name
Manam — heart, mind, ours.
In Tamil, manam is the seat of feeling. It is also a way of saying something belongs to us. If a farmer would not cook with a lot, we will not pack it.
Tamil Nadu for turmeric belts, curry leaf, kambu, and everyday tempering spices. Karnataka for ragi, Byadgi chili, cardamom hills, and siridhanya millets.
Millets as food
Ragi mudde, kambu koozh, thinai pongal, jowar roti — ordinary meals in our source regions, not a wellness slogan.
California, clearly
Orders leave from Pleasanton. Write in English, Tamil, or Kannada: velavan@manamfoods.us.
Fair buying
We pay for quality lots, not the cheapest dump. When a farmer holds back a better grade, we would rather buy less than blend it down.