Ground spices and cross-contamination with wheat

Cleaning out grinders with bread is a common practice here in Asia. Whether it be meat grinders or spice grinders. In another post I've warned against store-bought ground beef that is not safe on a gluten-free diet. When is comes to spices, I give the same caution.

I have also seen Uyghers in Central Asian markets feed naan (flat-bread) through their spice grinders whenever they grind a different spice. The bread absorbs the previous spice's odor prior to grinding a new spice, so as not to get chili tasting cinnamon, etc. However, this also introduces gluten into your ground spice.

Therefore, buy your spices already ground from a manufacturer you trust, or buy them whole and grind them yourself. Freshly ground spices are not only gluten-free but bursting with flavor that will enhance whatever dish you are making. For grinding at home, use a spice grinder, blender, magic bullet, or coffee grinder. Or, if you don't need them ground super well, a good old fashioned mortar and pestle should do the trick.