And these simple hacks will help your ingredients – and money – go a lot further...

There’s no doubt about it – cooking can be an expensive process.

Sometimes you look at the list of ingredients in a recipe, sigh, and decide it’s probably going to be cheaper to get a takeaway or ready meal.

We’re often told we need to get good ingredients too – free-range this, organic that – which can really make the costs add up.

Different people come to Dubai for different reasons; some for the tallest building, some for the gold and some for its unabashed opulence. What most of us conveniently ignore and underestimate is Dubai’s spice market — the ultimate paradise for a food connoisseur.

Dubai Spice Souk is a true calling for those who are blessed with the knack to identify deliciousness before its cooked. Located in Deira, just a few blocks away from the famous Gold Souk, the narrow alleys of the Dubai Spice Souk brim with vibrant mounds of herbs, spices and dried flowers.