Ethnic Cooking and Groceries

ETHNIC INGREDIENTS AND SPICES IN THE US

Ever since I started experimenting with ethnic recipes, I have been on the look out for good sources of spices, spice mixes, and other ingredients – both online, as well as in brick-and-mortar stores. I live in Phoenix, and I’ve always felt that there was a lack of ethnic grocery stores in the Valley. So I combed the web and came up with a few good sources. But after much research, I have also identified a few really good ethnic grocery stores in the Phoenix area. So here’s what I know thus far:

ONLINE SOURCES

www.ZamouriSpices.com: Excellent source for primarily Middle Eastern spices. Some common curry powders are also available. The quality of the spices here is very good. The hot harrissa paste is one of my favorites!

www.WorldSpice.com: This is actually a brick-and-mortar store in Seattle, WA, but they also have a presence on the web for people like me who live hundreds of miles away. They grind their spices fresh when you order them (or you can order them whole and grind them yourself!). I know when my package has been delivered in the mail – I can smell the spices as I walk to the mailbox! The berbere, harrissa, Cape Town Masala, Chai Masala are my favorites. Interesting Note – they do business the old-fashioned way: No credit cards! You order, they send you the spices along with the invoice, and you mail them a check!

www.eFoodDepot.com: This is perhaps the largest online ethnic grocery store that I have come across. The store carries a large variety of groceries from a whole bunch of groceries.

As I noted above, there are also several good ethnic grocery stores in the Phoenix area. Here are some of my favorites:

Central Phoenix

Middle Eastern Bakery & Deli (west side of 16th St, between Osborne and Thomas): Small grocery store with a decent amount of supplies. Has a great little restaurant attached. I eat there all the time, but have not shopped for groceries there yet.

Tan Phat (Northwest corner of 17th Ave and Camelback): Vietnamese grocery store that also carries stuff from other Asian countries. Has a full aisle of Indian groceries, and about one aisle of Thai items. Good selection of fresh ethnic produce. They get fresh stock each Wed morning.

Biaz (Eastside of 20th St, between Roosevelt and Van Buren): One of the largest Middle Eastern grocery stores that I have seen! Aisles and aisles of things I’ve never heard of….and some that I’ve heard of! If you are a fan of the Middle Eastern yogurt drink (doogh, dugh, depending on the part of the world!), you can buy it in one-gallon jugs! They bake their own bread on site, and it's great. Has a little restaurant attached. The food is ok and the prices are low. I shop here often.

North Phoenix

Indo Euro Foods (Southeast corner of Bell Road and 16th St): Pretty decent Indian grocery store. You can find all the Indian staples here, along with some British groceries. Small selection of fresh produce, restocked each Wed. I come here about once a month.

West Valley

Manila Supermarket (Southwest corner of 35th Ave and Dunlap): Very good store for Asian groceries. Good supply of items from countries in South, South East, and East Asia. Fresh produce stocked each Wed or Thurs. I shop there often. Small attached restaurant. I eat there sometimes, but not the best good in the world.

East Valley

Lee Lee’s Supermarket (Northeast corner of Warner and Dobson): By far, THE best ethnic grocery store in the Phoenix area. Groceries from all over Asia and the Middle East. Large selection of fresh produce. I’d like to shop here often, but it is a long drive from me, and so I end up going here only a few times a year.

These are some of sources that I’ve been able to dig up, and like. I’m sure that there are others. Please post and add to the list!

www.azjewelrystore.com
www.gizmocentral.com