“I’ve always been interested in how things grow and how they impact your body,” says Monisha Sharma, who spent her childhood in India learning to use medicinal ingredients to create wholesome, healthy and great-tasting food.

Upon moving to Rotorua 11 years ago, she initially shared her lifelong love of home cooking through her blog and by hosting popular Indian fusion cooking classes. “I really wanted to change the perception around Indian food, and show the unique flavours that can be created using spices from all over the world. I wanted to share that knowledge
with others and hoped it would help them create their own Indian fusion-inspired meals at home.”

This led to Monisha launching her Mon’s Flavors spice blends (including tea blends, such as turmeric latte), which have gone on to take out national awards, and Monisha herself is now a much-loved face of the Bay of Plenty food scene. Her business enjoys a dedicated, ever-growing customer base around the Bay and her husband Vishal is also now full time with the business.

Arguably, the most misunderstood aspect of spices is thinking of them as mere flavour enhancers, when the benefits are much broader. With a background in naturopathy, Monisha brings a unique ability to create blends that not only explode with flavour, but are also intentionally chosen to serve specific functions in the body. She cites an Ayurveda proverb as one of her core guiding principles: ‘When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need.’

The blends are made in Rotorua, with no artificial colouring, refined sugar, MSG or salt. This dedication to using only the purest ingredients and remaining close to the process, allows them to produce the highest quality blends. Monisha believes this is key to their success: “We focus on putting effort and love into the spice blends with a long, careful process that locks in the flavour and makes all the difference!”

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