I hate big box grocery shopping. I prefer to spend most of my food $$ at a combo of the local produce/meat market, farmers market, Costco.
The last year or so I’ve added two local ethnic markets to my list of favorites.
One is a middle eastern market. A new place in town with a fantastic casual Lebanese restaurant next door. I’m buying produce, olives, fresh hummus, tabbouleh, garlic sauce, green almonds, dried fruit, pita etc. at very good prices.
This morning we stopped at a local Mexican market. I need someone to give me a lesson on the meats they have - and how to cook with them! Thinly sliced meats, fajita blends seasoned in house, etc. We buy unique peppers, mexican cheeses, fresh salsa and corn tortillas that ROCK.
Such a valuable gem to have and frequent!
What type of ethnic/international markets do you frequent and what do you purchase on a regular basis???
There is a fabulous Asian market in Hartford. I don’t go there often…but it has excellent things I can’t get elsewhere…and prices were terrific.
When my kid went to Boston University, he lived right near the Asian Market on Commonwealth sort of near the Shaws. He regularly went to the Asian market for his veggies…excellent selection, and great prices.
I shop at Korean, Cambodian, Middle Eastern (fabulous Bulgarian feta!), and Indian markets in the Portland area. May favorite Indian market, though, is Patel’s in Norwalk, CT. It’s practically a supermarket.
My daughters like Indian food, and I buy them microwavable entrees and snacks and packaged snack foods at a tiny Indian market next door to the warehouse-style grocery store where I do much of the rest of my shopping.
Oh yes. If one call a Euro deli an “ethnic market,” then Arbat is where I get rye bread, herring, Latvian cheese, Polish candy (Ptasie Mleczko), kraut, and many other delicious things.
I LIVE for Super H Mart and its amazing produce, fish, and Asian products. If there’s one in your area, give it a try. Mine’s almost an hour away, but worth it.
When my daughter was attending the math & science high school in our State’s capital, we would go to an Asian supermarket there. I was always so excited to buy a huge bunch of mint for 50 cents. Our local supermarket will sell me about 3 sprigs in a box for $3!!
I go to the indian stores or to this store called, “Lotte” which sells international groceries. (sort of like an Hmart)
I love getting fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs all which are very reasonably priced. Lots of cilantro, coriander, and mint over the summer. Naan breads, dates, mangos
The selection can’t be beat. I love going to middle eastern bakeries because they have the most amazing desserts on display especially bakhlava. (which I have been having a craving for lately)
We are blessed to have a couple Mexican markets and some less traveled Asian markets that are on my monthly hit list. Nothing Indian but we just got our first Indian restaurant a week go and we will go sample in A week or so. I love the Mexican grocery store because they roll out paper at noon at the cash register and make food. Reminds me of the north end in Boston in the 70s when I was there and the Italian grocery stores.
We have a large asian market - maybe monthly trips to stock up on the good vinegar, soy…get noodles, dofu, real veggies, frozen dumplings, some prepared dishes, lots of stuff like lychee gummies and ramen for care pkgs.
My son-in-law, who is a Russian-American, introduced me to two Russian stores/markets in the Boston area (Brighton). I like pelmeni (dumplings), Olivier salad (Russian potato salad), and Russian beet salad,
I shop at a small middle eastern market for red lentils and small green lentils. The same items are available at upscale markets for twice the price (or more.) Occasionally I go to a market with a large Asian foods department for fresh rice noodles.
Married to an Indian I have long shopped at Indian grocery stores. “Asian” markets tend to have different items- the eastern half of the continent, not the southern. Patel Brothers, both stores in Chicago (made the long, infrequent trips) and Tampa are my favorite. Great fresh produce and the Indian food stores (groceries and sweets) are only a few miles from our home here. It helps to have around 35,000 Indians, mainly in this part of the Tampa area. Some also carry middle eastern items. Also good for low spice prices. I have seen Indian grocery stores move from the major cities to medium sized (smaller selection stores) over the past 30 years.
Igloo, you will probably find some Mediterranean-like specialty foods at that market: fruit preserves, pickled veggies, lavosh, spicy ajika and other sauces, eggplant spreads; cold cuts, baked goodies… Kind of like this stuff:
It may depend if the owners have roots in Armenia or in some other country like Lebanon. In the first case it may have a lot of European food and in the second case it will be more Middle-Eastern. I do not think a store can survive on purely Armenian food.
