Interesting foods in ethnic groceries?

March 23, 2009 1:42 PM

What interesting foods can only be found in ethnic grocery stores?

The city I live in has a large number of ethnic grocery stores; mexican, japanese, polish, swedish, italian, chinese, ... the list goes on. I like to explore these stores - it's a poor man's adventure travel! But often I don't know what to try. What are some interesting foods that I can find there that I can't find in the supermarket?

I realize that your definition of "ethnic" depends on where you live, but I'll take any and all attempts at a reasonable answer!

posted by twoleftfeet to food & drink (50 comments total)

Pocky!

It's not so exotic, but it's damned tasty.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 1:51 PM on March 23

I really like West Indian groceries - do you live near Brooklyn? There are a lot of fun breads and sweets and sauces.
posted by RajahKing at 1:54 PM on March 23

Completely dependent on where you live. But some favorites of mine are galangal, tempeh, lemongrass, thai holy basil, urad dal, teff, various cultured milks from umm...different cultures, miso pastes, dried mushrooms, really spicy dried peppers, Indonesian black pepper sauce, magda cousa (Lebanese squash), etc. But some of these things are being mainstreamed now depending on where you live. Often ethnic stores are family owned and the most awesome things are thing like pastries made by their grandmother. THe little Mexican store I frequented in Chicago had their grandma's tamales every weekend and wow....

Polish stores have awesome sausages of course...another fav of mine in Chicago.

I live in Sweden now, but unfortunately the best Swedish food, the fresh berries and dairy products, isn't exportable. But I can recommend various fruit preserves like cloudberry and some of the stuff in tubes like the bacon cheese is kind of fun. Try the salty liquorice, but don't come crying to me.
posted by melissam at 1:56 PM on March 23

Salmiakki! Essentially, salted black licorice. That Swedish store should have some. (Then ship me about 2 pounds of the stuff, as my stash is getting low :))

More Adventures with Swedish Groceries: Abba fish paste! (Not nearly as yummy as the licorice IMHO, but still - can be good.) And yes, the band is related to the fish company.
posted by spinifex23 at 1:58 PM on March 23

I have only found epazote in a Mexican food store. Adds flavor to bean dishes.
posted by canoehead at 2:02 PM on March 23

Balut! [warning: duck fetus]
posted by dersins at 2:03 PM on March 23

MOCHI omnomnomnomnom
Also available in the best japanese restaurants.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 2:05 PM on March 23

I'm crazy about za'atar, a herb/spice blend you can find in Middle Eastern markets. Brush chicken or salmon pieces with olive oil and coat them heavily with the za'atar, then throw 'em into the oven until they're cooked through. Heavenly.

It's also commonly used as a seasoning for hummus or lebneh (a type of yogurt cheese you should also be able to find at a Middle Eastern market) or baked into bread, among other ways to use it.
posted by padraigin at 2:13 PM on March 23 [3 favorites has favorites]

Ethnic spices, fruits and vegetables are generally fairly decent bets. I have a pretty decent grocery store with spices in bulk but a lot of the spices typically used in ethnic cuisine are either hard to find or excessively pricey in the little glass bottles. Indian grocery stores are generally great for picking up the core ingredient for curries, chutneys, etc.

You can get some interesting fruits like jackfruit and starfruits at some of the better ethnic markets. Hell you can even find Durian at some (although I'm told that the fresh varieties found in Southeast Asia are much nicer).

If you like fresh fish, some Asian markets often have live tanks filled with fresh fish that they will prepare for you. I've never been particularly impressed with how clean the tanks look so I've been reluctant to go down that road.
posted by vuron at 2:14 PM on March 23

The Bosnian in me must mention ajvar, which is a paste made of red peppers and other things, which is wonderful on bread or rolls. You can find it in some form in most eastern European groceries.
posted by Dee Xtrovert at 2:20 PM on March 23

Jamaican stores sell canned ackees which go into ackee and saltfish. I like doing them up with any kind of fish. Youtube has some good recipes demonstrated or go order some ackee and saltfish for takeout on a Saturday morning. Best breakfast in the world..
posted by bonobothegreat at 2:31 PM on March 23

Fresh kimchi. Sushi fixings. Pistachio candy. Curry pastes. Coriander chutney. Orange flower water. Any herbs and spices Durkee doesn't carry.


Frozen foods especially - always look for bags of frozen dumplings and spring rolls and samosas and pierogies and what have you.
posted by CunningLinguist at 2:38 PM on March 23

You can find Kewpie Mayonnaise in Japanese (and a lot of other East-Asian) markets.
mmmm, artery clogging MSG-ladden manna from heaven.

Seconding Vuron's rec of Indian grocery stores for curries. Some stores will even sell in-house pre-mixed curries, so you can easily try smaller amounts of different types without having to store larger amounts of the core ingredients.
posted by twoporedomain at 2:39 PM on March 23

I came in here to recommend ajvar, but Dee beat me to it! The American in me must tell you that it's pronounced "eye-var" and often appears shockingly neon orange. Also, "hot" is not nearly hot. It's so delicious. I eat it with bread or crackers and I spread it on sandwiches.
posted by classa at 2:40 PM on March 23

Natto, in Chinese or Japanese markets. It often comes frozen in individual packages. Prepare to be surprised. Apparently it's great on toast, but I personally can't get over the smell nor the stringy web that exists when you pull the beans apart.
posted by Meagan at 2:43 PM on March 23

Rose preserves (I think these are Turkish?)

Furikake (Japanese rice seasoning)

Desserts using ingredients we normally think of as savory - black sesame cookies, sweet red bean pastries

the Chinese market I go to has durian-flavored cakes, they're small, v dense, probably quite fattening, but delicious.

Bitter melon, winter melon, daikon (Japanese radish)

All kinds of dumplings and potstickers in the frozen food section.. my favorite kind has chicken, lotus root, and wild mushroom. very convenient.

also, SRIRACHA
posted by citron at 2:49 PM on March 23 [1 favorite has favorites]

Nipa Vinegar, which makes a great base for gyoza dipping, Botan Rice Candy and Hello Boss Iced Coffee (such a sexy can) are always my must haves when I go to the Asian market.
posted by Bernt Pancreas at 2:50 PM on March 23

Italian torrone candy, particularly around Christmas.
posted by sageleaf at 2:51 PM on March 23

At the Mercado (Mexican Market):

super thin steaks at the carniceria counter (perfect for carne asada and, believe it or not, chicken fried steak)

Mexican chorizo (scramble with eggs)

piloncillo/panela (This an unrefined brown sugar that is basically boiled down sugarcane juice, as opposed to American brown sugar which is just white sugar spray painted with molasses. Try it in apple pie and oatmeal.)

te de canela (cinnamon tea)

horchata (cinnamon-laced rice milk sweet beverage)
posted by Juliet Banana at 2:53 PM on March 23

There's an Eastern/Indian market on the north side of Indy that sells Halal goat.
posted by Thorzdad at 2:58 PM on March 23

Indian grocer:
Pista Kulfi (pistachio ice cream-like stuff on a stick)
Infinite varieties of tasty flat bread - nan, roti, paratha, etc
Pappadam - Cracker like bread product sometimes with lots of black pepper which is traditionally heated over fire or deep fried - I find that with care I can microwave them into happy goodness.
Tamarind soda - can be found in Mexican grocery stores too. And I'll second the tamales suggestion - I might just have to get one from the woman who sells them next to the subway on the way home.
Kheer - cardamom laced rice pudding. You can also get your own cardamom to make your own rice pudding.

General asian grocer: try anything and everything in the cracker and sweets aisle. Try dumplings of various morphologies and fillings. Try exciting forms of ramen. Get some toasted sesame oil to make all your ramen infinitely more awesome.
Sticky rice with sweet beans in Thai places.
Chinese places - those pastry like cream buns or the ones filled with pork. Lychees, longans, oyster mushrooms, bokchoi tips, ...
Korean places: kimchee, the small plastic containers of prepared food are visually exciting and mainly very tasty, savory pancakes, more kimchee, those rice crackers that some places make on the premises, and asian pears (YMMV, I've had great ones and I've had awful mealy ones).
posted by sciencegeek at 3:16 PM on March 23

Your Mexican grocery should have a wider selection of dried, smoked and fresh chilies than your normal grocery store. Mixing and matching chilies can add depth and complexity of flavors.
posted by mmascolino at 3:17 PM on March 23

Chinese-- cloud ears and dried black mushrooms! Things that you can't identify but that the shopkeeper will swear are edible. Also weird candy. You can make a yummy soup in chicken broth from the first two ingredients.
posted by nax at 3:21 PM on March 23

Asian:
Komoboko (like imitation crab but sliceable)
Furikake (rice seasoning-delicious on white rice)
seaweed (various types.. put in soup)
Nori (for snacking, or you can use it to make sushi)
mochigashi (japanese confection made from beans)
Candy
posted by jockc at 3:31 PM on March 23

Some of these are noted above, and you may be able to find some in "your local mega mart" (though often with quite a markup).

Eastern Mediterranean (e.g. Lebanese) stores: Za'atar (sesame seed + herb mix), rose water, halvah (tahini candy, often with pistachios), olive oils, tahini, good flatbread, bulghur, baklava.

Asian: kimchi (Korean hot pickles!), sriracha (awesome hot sauce), rice furikake (various seasonings to shake on rice), fish sauce, tamarind, natto, tofu, persimmons, mochi, fresh herbs. Vietnamese stores usually have cans of roasted coffee with chicory, sweetened condensed milk (longevity brand is good), and little cup-top coffeemakers. (They look like metal top hats.) Also: banh mi and Vietnamese baguettes.

Indian: Rooh afza, spices, lentils, lots of tasty chutneys and pickles, paneer, tamarind, mangos, onions.

Mexican: Flor de jamaica (hibiscus flowers for tea), herbs and spices, lots of dried peppers, cheeses, citrus fruit.

All of the above: Pretty good, inexpensive teas. (May be stale, though.) Often, handy cookware, such as mortar-and-pestles, wok spatulas, cooking chopsticks, cleavers, etc.
posted by silentbicycle at 3:46 PM on March 23

Go to the polish deli and get some Bigos.
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 4:02 PM on March 23

To stick up for Africa: berbere is the spice blend that's responsible for a lot of Ethiopian and Eritrean food tasting like Ethiopian and Eritrean food. I've never seen it for sale except in Ethiopian grocery stores. Beyond trying to make various wots with it, it's a really interesting addition to chili.

Also, seconding the recommendation to seek out za'atar. Often it won't be in the form of the spice blend alone, but rather the spice blend already on the the bread. (If you ever go to Montreal, get one of the za'atar wraps at Al Taib. If anyone knows where to get something like that in Toronto, MeFi mail me...please.)
posted by Beardman at 4:06 PM on March 23

Chinese:
Lop chong, a sausage that you can steam with your rice, it is sweet and meaty (and greasy - not health food). Ever so good! I buy it in a shrink-wrapped package that is not refrigerated.

Moon cakes, a pastry filled with various goodness. I like the one with yellowish filling best (and I think it might be a very sweet pineapple?). Also try the red bean filling. They are in the bakery area. We get them year-round, but maybe it's a holiday-only thing in other areas.

Middle Eastern:
Turkish coffee with cardamom. It's ground extra-fine, and you boil it with sugar and water in a pot with a long handle, called an ibrik. The grounds are not strained from the water, so it is served in small cups. Serve with a date or two, and you have heaven. (Here's a step-by-step guide with photos.)
posted by Houstonian at 4:10 PM on March 23

The Chinese market near me has live frogs. They also have a great selection of fresh (uncured) pork belly, pork shoulder, pig feet (and other offal--pig uterus, anyone?), beef feet, bags of chicken bones (great for stock), duck, duck parts, and fun little birds like squab, plus canned Thai curry pastes, interesting noodles, hot sauce, and cooking oil (peanut) in quantity inexpensively, also rice. (I find the pork products at the Chinese market to be of better quality than those at the grocery store.)

Indian stores: If you're into black tea, Lipton Yellow Label is very good, as is their Darjeeling. Small pressure cookers.

Italian stores: Depends on the type of store, but they usually carry house-pulled mozzarella (get there early, while it's still warm), lard bread (bread with chunks of sausage and black pepper in it, which might be a Brooklyn thing), excellent canned tuna, sardines and anchovies, and house-made lard, which is infinitely better than any you could find at an ordinary grocery, ideal for biscuits and pie crusts. Also sausage, prosciutto, and the usual suspects one would find on an antipasto platter.

Turkish: Olives, feta, Turkish bread.

Russian: dairy products like butter, interesting cuts of veal, inexpensive fish roe, pickles

Japanese: Inexpenisve sushi rice in quantity, exquisite fish, wagyu beef, fresh wasabi, yuzu, good soy sauce, beer, sake, perilla/shiso, green tea.
posted by Lycaste at 4:27 PM on March 23

At a Turkish market, get some hazelnut spread. It's like Nutella without the chocolate - light, sweet and smooth and so yummy. We used to find Sarelle brand, which came in a reusable glass. Now all we can find is Powernut (yes, Powernut) in a large plastic tub. Still good, but no glass.
posted by ersatzkat at 4:43 PM on March 23

Jello-type things that're orange or mango or strawberry flavoured with pieces of nata de coco inside -- so good. Primarily Asian/Filipino markets.

Yak jerky, beef jerky, bean curd jerky (so good!). Primarily Chinese markets.

Japanese-style cheese cake is unlike any other cheesecake you've ever had. And it's wonderful.

Harissa paste and apple tea at Turkish/North African markets.

Cassava, fried chicken seasoning, coconut oil (useful as a moisturiser as well as a cooking oil!), and corn meal at Caribbean markets.

There are also these Chinese peanut candies that come in a big bag and are slightly different flavours (black sesame peanut, chocolate peanut, almond peanut, etc.). They're like the inside of a Butterfinger, but so much better.

And although I doubt it'll be a problem for you, but if you're an expat US geek living in the UK, you can always find respectable sarsaparilla or root beer at a Chinese supermarket. Malaysian Sarsi has gotten me through cravings I didn't even realise I had.
posted by Katemonkey at 5:26 PM on March 23

Not in response to the question, but I wanted to thank you guys for the ajvar recommendation. I saw it in my local grocery store this evening and bought some. Haven't tried it yet, but it looks delicious.
posted by sciencegeek at 5:46 PM on March 23

Durians.
You'll never find something that tastes like a durian.
posted by QueenHawkeye at 6:19 PM on March 23

Let us now celebrate Japanese pickled things. Takuan, umeboshi, mustard greens, gobo, mini eggplants, all the colors of the rainbow.
posted by ikahime at 6:54 PM on March 23

I forgot a few Asian foods that really should not be forgotten. These might be in your "standard" grocery store, but that really depends, I guess, on where you are.

Mr. Brown iced coffee. Better and cheaper than the Starbucks equivalent, available in Asian markets.

Gold Kili Instant Ginger Drink. Empty one packet into hot water, stir and drink. It's about half ginger and half honey (but they are small granules, so I guess it's dried?). This is a wonderful hot drink, especially in cold weather or if you are feeling sick. Or if you just want a spicy hot drink instead of your usual suspects. You can also add it to hot milk instead of water, and it's rich, sweet, and spicy.

Fujian Tea Import's Jasmine Tea. In my opinion, the best of jasmine teas. Green tea, that's spent some time with jasmine, then divided from the jasmine before being packed up. The jasmine imparts a little different flavor and delicate scent.

And, I like but my friends are not too keen on, Calbee Shrimp Flavored Chips. They are shaped like french fries. They are crunchy like Cheetos. And they taste a bit like shrimp.

And of course, you've tried the wasabi peas I hope? I think they've made it into all grocery stores by now. Hot! So very tasty!
posted by Houstonian at 6:56 PM on March 23

Med / Middle Eastern: pomegranate molasses. Rose water, orange blossom water. Better tahini than the supermarket. Harissa. Olives. Vimto.

Eastern European: Paprika paste, jaffa cakes (in non-orange flavours), sweet or dark breads and cookies.

In all: better tea than the supermarket, at lower prices than the speciality tea places.
posted by holgate at 7:30 PM on March 23

Others have suggested durian, but you should also snatch up any during chips you can find in Thai markets. There has never been a fruit better suited to deep frying.
posted by twoporedomain at 7:39 PM on March 23

Punjabi Mix, found at your local Indian grocery store. Spicy crunchy deliciousness, so good with beer.
posted by The corpse in the library at 7:53 PM on March 23

Yes, ajvar is awfully delicious. The brands I run into don't have preservatives--on one hand, you're not eating preservatives, which is nice, on the other hand, be sure not to buy the big monster jar unless you have a plan to get it all eaten before it goes moldy.

Likewise, I've noticed that many products that in the U.S. are made with high fructose corn syrup in the U.S. are made with normal sugar elsewhere. So if you're looking to avoid HFCS, start reading labels at the Mideast/Mexican/Asian etc. market.

Beyond what's been mentioned above (I may repeat a couple of things):

MIDEAST MARKET:

Jams and jellies: especially unusual ones like hibiscus fruit or bergamot. Turkish and Lebanese are the best.

Fava beans, cooked and seasoned in the can for your convenience.

Halvah, especially with pistachios. Pastries and bakery sweets in general from the baklava family.

Labnah and other thick yogurty products.

Fresh figs in season, and quinces.

Tobacco in many fruity flavors for your waterpipe. (You do smoke tobacco in your waterpipe, don't you?)

MEXICAN/HISPANIC MARKET

Cinnamon is often real cinnamon rather than cassia bark, and may be cheaper.

Guarana sodas from Brazil, sweet and invigorating for 1/2 or less the price of popular "energy drinks". Also: Inca Cola, the national carbonated drink of Peru (although this is made in New Jersey now, too).

Aji pepper sauces from Peru or Ecuador--several varieties with many new subtle warm flavors to explore.

Marias cookies -- not that special, but incredibly cheap, like 50 cents a package.

INDIAN/SOUTH ASIAN MARKET

Some unusual spices, notably asafoetida. Many familiar spices are available in large bulk packs for very low prices. Nuts like almonds and cashews, too.

Big cans of sweetened mango pulp for making shakes, sorbets, etc.

Basmati rice in great big burlap bags.

Enterprising Indian businesses have created extensive product lines of prepared foods. Chutneys, pickles and sauces are great, lots of products for grilling, some can be used like bottled steak sauce. I have a bottle of "date tamarind sauce" that's great on all sorts of meats, I use it like A-1.

There are also lots of shelf-stable side dishes available, too: vegetable curries, greens, dals and such. I think the target market for these in the U.S. is mostly homesick college students. They're better than you might expect, some of them are very good for microwavable pouch food. Add them to some grilled chicken and basmati rice, and you've got an impressive dinner.

CHINESE/GENERAL EAST ASIAN MARKET

Thai curry-in-a-can, especially the "soup can" size that needs no mixing or anything, is very easy to work with--just cook meat and veggies of your choice and pour the curry over it.

Indonesian "krupuk" (rice, shrimp, or fish crackers) are tons of fun. You deep-fry them in hot oil, they puff up dramatically. Delicious when hot.

Indonesian/Malay/Singapore hot chili sauces are very good. Several varieties to explore.

Indonesian sweet soy sauce "kecap manis" is very good. Use as a condiment by itself or in recipes.

Two words: barbecued duck.

If you can find it, soursop is a delicious tropical fruit. I've also seen it as a flavor in candies, sodas, etc. I'm not that hot on longan, rambutans, lychees, and such, but you might be.

The Japanese aisle will have a bunch of good grilling and marinating sauces.

Less adventurous cooks can find instant mixes--usually flavor packets and mixes--to help you make all sorts of things from Japan, Indonesia, Philippines, etc.

The big Asian market in my area has quail eggs on a regular basis.

Chinese markets with a freezer section often have frozen packs of lots of those treats you get with dim sum: steamed pork buns, etc.

EAST EUROPEAN MARKETS

Bulk Russian or Polish candies. Curry ketchup.

A co-worker tells me he bought bear sausage (!!) at a local Russian market. I don't have direct experience with this, yet.
posted by gimonca at 8:26 PM on March 23 [1 favorite has favorites]

Oh, and look for the Kasugai fruit gummi candies from Japan. They're nice and flavorful, but also have the slightly goofy Japlish product packaging many people enjoy.
posted by gimonca at 8:32 PM on March 23

Look for bagged Indian snack mixes (chaat), like masala peanuts, bhujia, bhel puri, panjabi mix, bombay mix. They're sort of an Indian version of chex mix, spicier and enormously addictive. Served on the beach, at rail stations, and at bars, where they are the perfect compliment to salty sea air, long journeys, and cold beer.

Also, look for fresh Indian sweets (mithai), like barfi (milk fudge, so much better than its name would imply), round fried ladoos, sticky-sweet orange jalebis.
posted by bookish at 8:37 PM on March 23

Was gonna come in here and be all "I live in Japan! Here are ideas!" but I neglected to remember that on the internet, "foreign" means "Japanese." Pocky is overrated, though. So there (neener neener).

So I'll just recommend getting some Abuelita or Ibarra hot chocolate tablets at your local Hispanic grocer. They come in little yellow hexagonal boxes (the former with an adorable old lady on it) and you just dissolve a big chocolatey-and-cinnamony tablet with a whisk in about a quart of milk while you heat it in a saucepan.

Also, hell, go to an Asian market and get some mirin. It goes well in a surprisingly large number of dishes when you're cooking. Also my grandmother loves using gyoza dipping sauce for stir-fries, as she finds that the combination of soy sauce, mirin, and vinegar (with just a little sesame oil, usually) is lovely in such contexts.

Also shiso/perilla is pretty great. The fresh leaves have such a ridiculously different flavor from the dried bits you'll find as furikake, which is in no way necessarily a bad thing in either case.
posted by DoctorFedora at 9:42 PM on March 23

Tom Yum paste - to make fantastic soup, and divine fried rice.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 11:12 PM on March 23

Everything is pretty much covered, God damn what an excellent thread, but here's a couple things.

- Harðfiskur. I am loathe to present it, as it is Icelandic, and hocking your own ethnic goods isn't cool. But it is excellent. It is dried fish, put butter on it and eat it. It's like jerky sort of, except it's superior. "Jerky" should really be called "meat harðfiskur".

- North European liquorice. Finnish is sweet and good, Icelandic is weird and good.
posted by krilli at 2:23 AM on March 24

Both coffee and cardamom have been mentioned, but here is something else you can do with your cardamom: Thai Iced Coffee. When I make this, I buy whole cardamom pods from the Greek Grocer (they'll sell them at Indian & SE Asian markets as well), then whizz them into powder in a coffee grinder.

I use this brand of Mapo Tofu/Mapo Doufu. Surprisingly good for being in a sauce packet and incredibly easy to prepare.

Here are some incredibly helpful articles from the brill blog Tigers and Strawberries that will help you stock your cabinet with common Chinese ingredients and teach you how to cook with them:

Staple Ingredients of The Chinese Pantry

The Intermediate Chinese Pantry

Recipes that use the Staple Ingredients of The Chinese Pantry (there's 28 if you keep clicking, once your pantry is stocked they only require simple meat and veg from your white-bread grocery store)
posted by Juliet Banana at 8:16 AM on March 24

Juliet Banana's links are amazing, just FYI. I love to buy exotic ingredients and thought I knew a lot and find I did not. (I have and am familiar with most of that intermediate list but not some of the things on the staple list. It's an excellent resource. Thanks.)
posted by CunningLinguist at 12:33 PM on March 24

Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions!

I'm so hungry now...
posted by twoleftfeet at 2:48 PM on March 24

whole milk powder. I've only ever seen it in Indian Food stores. Interestingly though, while travelling in India, the most popular brand was made in Canada.

It is so much better then the Skim crap we see here. Sometimes I will put a spoonful in my mouth and let it stick to the top while I just suck on it. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm
posted by plaidhatter at 4:39 PM on March 24

Indian: soan papdi is a melt-in-your-mouth sweet.
Also, Lakshmi brand spices come in inexpensive bags, way better than supermarket prices.

Chinese: cheap frozen "steamed" pork buns, just like you get at dim sum, but in cheap 4-6 packs!

Many: rice in huge quantities for cheap. shop around.
posted by knile at 8:32 PM on March 24

Find the packets of mixes - fried rice mix, curry mixes, whatever. Great way to make interesting meals and try out different cultures at a time.

MILO!!! And so seconding the furikake, it is AWESOME.

Find some rose syrup (rose cordial). That + Condensed milk + soda/ice water = air bandung, also known as "yum".
posted by divabat at 3:32 PM on March 25