Sharwoods Mild Curry Powder - 102g

Curry powder has a place in British home cooking all of its own. It is the Friday night curry made from whatever was in the fridge, the leftover Sunday roast given a second life, the sandwich filling at every buffet since about 1953.

In Canada, people tend to come looking for it because of a recipe. A card in a parent's handwriting, a splodge of gravy on the corner, and the words "Sharwood's mild" underlined. Swap it and the dish is fine. Keep it and the dish is the one you grew up eating.

This is a 102g pot of dry powder, and a spoonful goes a long way, so it lasts for months of Friday nights. Keep the lid on and it sits happily in a cool, dry cupboard until the next craving. Fry it off in a little oil first if you want the kitchen to smell like home.

Sharwood's is the name most British cupboards know for mango chutney, poppadoms and curry sauces too. The powder usually ends up in the basket next to a jar of chutney, because a curry night without one feels unfinished.