Kalustyan's

Kalustyan’s is a shop located at 123 Lexington Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, that originally sold primarily Indian and Middle Eastern spices and foods and, increasingly, an extensive selection of culinary products from around the world.[1] Established in 1944[2] by Kerope Kalustyan, an Armenian from Turkey, it sold Turkish and Middle Eastern spices, dried fruits, nuts, oils and grains, when the neighborhood was largely Armenian.[2][3] In late 1960s and 1970s, when New York become home to a significant number of Indians, Kalustyan’s expanded itself to cater to the Indian market, while bringing out its own brand of chutney and mango pickles.[3] The "Curry Hill" neighborhood of New York City is partially a result of the presence of Kalustyan's.

Kalustyan's in 1976
Kalustyan's
TypePrivate
IndustryGrocery
FateActive
Founded1944 (1944) in New York City, United States
FounderKerope Kalustyan
OwnerSayedul Alam and Aziz Osmani
Websitekalustyans.com
Kalustyan's in June 2018

History

Presidential town house

The building was originally built for Chester A. Arthur, in the 1860s. He was inaugurated President of the United States on an upper floor, and he signed the Civil Service act there. After his death, it was sold to a young William Randolph Hearst, who ran the New York Journal from there. During the 1910s, the inhabitants of the neighborhood became less wealthy and white.

Little Armenia

Kerope Kalustyan came to the US in the 1940s from Istanbul to export steel to Turkey, but the business was unsuccessful. He turned to import food products from the Middle East and India. The location was at the time known as Little Armenia.[4] In the 1920s, about eight thousand Armenians lived in New York City and the center of their community was Lexington Avenue and 23rd Street.[5] With rising prosperity, the Armenian community gradually moved elsewhere, with Kalustyan's the most visible relic. Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral (East 27th Street between Second and Third Avenues) and gold-domed St. Vartan Cathedral (Second Avenue and 34th Street) still stand in the neighborhood [6]

Emergence of "Curry Hill"

Migration of Indians increased in the late 1960s and 1970s, and Kalustyan's came to be well-regarded as a store for Indian spices.[7] The store became a popular place for Indians to meet. As many Indian immigrants opened their own spice and sweets stores in the neighborhood, followed by Indian restaurants, clothing, art and appliance stores,[8] the neighborhood, known primarily as Murray Hill, was nicknamed "Curry Hill" aka "Little India".[9]

Current business
Many of the shelves are packed with spices and ingredients from around the world

Kalustyan eventually sold the shop to John Bas, a relative and employee. In 1988 the Kalustyan’s store was purchased by Bangladeshi businessmen Sayedul Alam and Aziz Osmani, who transformed the shop from an Indian/Armenian/Turkish store to one with over 10,000 food products from over 80 countries, and added an eat-in café/deli on the second floor. Bas later founded the Kalustyan Corporation, a New Jersey–based importer.[10]

Kalustyan’s is frequently mentioned by food writers in The New York Times[11] and by celebrity authors such as Martha Stewart,[12] Padma Lakshmi,[13] and Madhur Jaffrey. [14]

See also

References
  1. Besonen, Julie (11 December 2015). "Holographic Studios and Kalustyan's Cafe in Kips Bay". New York Times.
  2. Schrambling, Regina (10 July 2009). "In Curry Hill, Variety- And Bargains- Abound". Edible Manhattan (6).
  3. Howe, Marvine (25 August 1985). "Rising rents threatening 'Little India'". New York Times.
  4. Little Armenia, New York, BHAVNA PATEL, The Armenite, MAR 17, 2014
  5. Foreign-born: A Bulletin of International Service, Young Women's Christian Association of the U.S.A. National Board. Division on work for foreign-born women, EditorErla Rodakiewicz, 1920, p. 15
  6. Growing up as an Armenian American in New York City Between the Two World Wars by Paul Sagsoorian, Ararat, March 8th, 2012
  7. Kalustyan's, a not-so-Indian shop creates niche clientele among Indians in New York City, Vikram Doctor, ET Bureau Jan 13, 2012
  8. RISING RENTS THREATENING 'LITTLE INDIA', MARVINE HOWE, New York Times, August 25, 1985
  9. https://macaulay.cuny.edu/seminars/gardner-indian/articles/m/u/r/Murray_Hill_b037.html
  10. Schrambling, Regina. "Expanding the Borders of a 'Disney World of Food'". Voices of NY. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  11. Food: Unusual Grocery; Reminiscent of a Middle East Bazaar, Store Has a Variety of Whole Grains, August 07, 1963 - By NAN ICKERINGILL
  12. APRIL 27, 2011, I Love Shopping at Kalustyan's!, Martha Stewart
  13. CURRYING FLAVOR AT KALUSTYAN’S, Cynthia Killian September 17, 200
  14. Vegetarian India: A Journey Through the Best of Indian Home Cooking, Madhur Jaffrey, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, Oct 27,2015
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