A visit to an oriental grocery store is a little like hopping a plane to the Far East.  The smell of imported Chinese rose petal soap mixed with exotic teas and spices are guaranteed to lift the heart of even the most stoic person.  You will find an atmosphere where a green "jade" fountain filled with pink lotus tinkles on the counter and a dish of fruit filled with delicate looking French/Vietnamese pastries tempts passer-bys while the owner discusses in detail the finer points of sushi making.

Cost saving.  Ethnic grocery stores typically carry gourmet foods at a considerable cost-savings compared to gourmet food stores.  Because they cater to local cultural groups and not specifically to gourmets, prices are comparably lower than specialized gourmet stores or gourmet/international sections of chain grocery stores.

Fresh Ingredients.   Ethnic stores provide the freshest ingredients for its customers.  For instance, rice in grocery stores can be up to 2 years old; however, rice in an oriental food store is shipped in weekly.  One stop shopping is available not only for the amateur gastronome, but for the professional chef since many ethnic stores carry fresh produce such as lemongrass, bok Choy, pomegranates, and leeches besides dried ingredients and spices.  

Gourmet cooking resource.  Ethnic grocery stores are an invaluable source for cooking tips and recipes for the bargain gastronome.  Owners are happy to locate that "special" recipe and to advise the fledgling to the experienced cook the best method of preparation with helpful tips and suggestions. Many ethnic stores are multi-national offering fare for  East Indian, Japanese, Thai, Korean, Vietnamese, and Chinese cooking.  Still others add specialties in Mexican and Italian cooking.

Fast food dining.   For those who cannot boil water, or time constraints mean "Let’s eat now!"  there are instant package mixes of Szchwan dinners, Cantonese dishes, curries of all types, dumplings, steamed buns, and such that do not require more than a quick reading of the package instructions. 

Catering Services.  A few proprietors, for a modest fee, will come to your home and prepare a meal for you and any number of your friends and neighbors.  This allows an opportunity to familiarize clients with exotic ingredients and spices and provide an onsite lesson on ethnic cooking methods and utensils.

Decorative items and Gifts  In addition to the necessary cooking utensils to prepare a gourmet meal, specialized dishes and pottery can be purchased along with ethnic table decorations and holiday ornaments to complete the sensory experience of an ethnic meal.  Further, what could be a better gift for the gourmet in your life than to receive a gift basket of Chinese tools and ingredients!

Researched and written by Lynn for Markdown Mom in conjunction with the Oriental Grocery, 1103 East 4th Street, Duluth, Minnesota

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