Meet Hosnara Begum: Founder and CEO of Jar Masala

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hosnara Begum and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hosnara, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I grew up eating South Asian (Indian, Bangladeshi, and Pakistani) food and I always loved eating and cooking with all different types of spices. As a mother of a ten and a six-year-old I cook more now than ever before and what helped me kick start my business was the love and the enjoyment my kids showed eating the same food that I grew up eating and loving. I had this idea for a while now but always had doubts and concerns about how people will receive my products but my husband and kids gave me the push I needed during the pandemic in 2020 while we cooked and ate more than ever before and I thought “why not”. My daughter Zaara said I will be your business partner and help with whatever needed so I happily agreed and that’s how Jar Masala started in July 2020 during the pandemic.

What should our readers know about your business?
My goal is to make curry simplified with Jar Masala Spice Kits and promote home cooking. I believe bringing different types of flavors to your dinner table is a conversation starter and brings people together. OUR STORY From our family to yours… Mom and Daughter: My love for cooking with different spices and the beauty of colorful dishes motivated me to start this adventure and my daughter Zaara is the perfect partner to take on this journey. We’re proud to offer the highest quality, most unique merchandise on the market today. From our family to yours, we put lots of love and careful attention into each spice kit. We hope you enjoy our work as much as we enjoy bringing it to you.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I have been living here in Atlanta for over 23+ years and I love my city. I love how we have such a diverse culture here in Atlanta and there is something for everyone. I would start with eating at some of the amazing South Asian restaurants in Atlanta and the surrounding cities. Some of the must-see popular attractions such as Stone Mountain, Georgia Aquarium, and Helen GA. One of our favorite things to do as a family is visiting many beautiful state parks in Georgia.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Being a wife, mom, and working full time, there is no way I would have started this venture into being a small business owner without support from my wonderful husband and my loving kids. This is a family business, my daughter helps me with labeling, tagging the spice jars, my son is the family food taster and my husband helps me with anything I need from going to weekend events to shipments. I would like to thank Newlah Hinds for recommending Jar Masala to be featured on Shoutout Atlanta. Shoutout to all the people that manage these local markets and support small business growth, and I’m very thankful to them for accepting Jar Masala in their markets. The Candler Black Market, Avondale Estates Farmers Markets, The Bizarre Bazaar, Tucker Farmers Market, Dunwoody Farmers Market, Norcross Community Market, and Lilburn Farmers Market. Finally, a huge shoutout to all my customers who have supported my small business. I hope to continue bringing the flavor of South Asian cooking to your dinner table and make cooking simple and easy with my spice kits.

Website: www.jarmasala.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jarmasala/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jarmasala1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jarmasalacurryspices
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3_WBw_wdch0aPFlfZdOrkw
Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/JarMasala Email: jarmasala@gmail.com