Thread: Bargains at ethnic grocery stores?

On Wed, 7 Dec 2011 10:54:43 -0800 (PST), Lenona <[email protected]>
wrote:

>
> Generally, I don't tend to find ANY bargains, since they tend to be
> small stores. One occasional exception is spices at Indian stores.
>
> However, I may have found another one - tapioca pearls at a Portuguese
> grocery. They came to $1.36 per pound, which I'm pretty sure is better
> than any other deal on tapioca around here.

I guess that's where to find them now. After seeing many posts here
in rfc about the unavailability of tapioca pearls at regular grocery
stores, I looked for them at a huge and newly remodeled store and:
ditto. Not even a shelf tag. I didn't pursue it any further.
>
> Does anyone know what other good deals you can find at which ethnic
> stores? Thanks.
>
You can find dried mushrooms at a good price, especially if they're
broken, in Asian/Chinese shops.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On 12/7/11 1:54 PM, Lenona wrote:
>
> Generally, I don't tend to find ANY bargains, since they tend to be
> small stores. One occasional exception is spices at Indian stores.
>
> However, I may have found another one - tapioca pearls at a Portuguese
> grocery. They came to $1.36 per pound, which I'm pretty sure is better
> than any other deal on tapioca around here.
>
> Does anyone know what other good deals you can find at which ethnic
> stores? Thanks.
>
> Lenona.

I found a mess of good buys at the Asian store near me. Dried mushrooms
are dirt cheap. Fresh produce, while not always pristine pretty are
often good deals.
I can also get things there that aren't commonly found in other stores
so whatever the price, it's right for me if I want the item.

On 7-Dec-2011, Lenona <[email protected]> wrote:

> Generally, I don't tend to find ANY bargains, since they tend to be
> small stores. One occasional exception is spices at Indian stores.
>
> However, I may have found another one - tapioca pearls at a Portuguese
> grocery. They came to $1.36 per pound, which I'm pretty sure is better
> than any other deal on tapioca around here.
>
> Does anyone know what other good deals you can find at which ethnic
> stores? Thanks.
>
> Lenona.

I suppose I'm fortunate in having an international grocer nearby that isn't
small. The building is a former supermarket, for a chain that was driven
out of our region.

Anything Mexican is a bargain; corn shucks for wrapping tamales, dried
peppers, tortillas, etc. Most asian items, especially sauces and condiments
are much less expensive. Nearly all spices and produce are a bargain, though
the produce may not be as pretty as other stores, the quality is otherwise
equal.

Anything that local supermarkets consider "specialty" or slow-moving is much
less expensive at the international grocer; less common pasta shapes, pearl
barley, all manner of rice (except Uncle Ben's), semolina, polenta, pretty
much all grains except rolled oats.
--

Change Cujo to Juno in email address.

On Wed, 7 Dec 2011 10:54:43 -0800 (PST), Lenona <[email protected]> wrote:


>Generally, I don't tend to find ANY bargains, since they tend to be
>small stores. One occasional exception is spices at Indian stores.

Yes, particularly saffron, as we've discussed before.

-- Larry

"Lenona" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Generally, I don't tend to find ANY bargains, since they tend to be
> small stores. One occasional exception is spices at Indian stores.
>
> However, I may have found another one - tapioca pearls at a Portuguese
> grocery. They came to $1.36 per pound, which I'm pretty sure is better
> than any other deal on tapioca around here.
>
> Does anyone know what other good deals you can find at which ethnic
> stores? Thanks.

The ones around here have good produce prices but whenever I've been in, the
produce wasn't fresh.

Lenona wrote:
>
> Generally, I don't tend to find ANY bargains, since they tend to be
> small stores. One occasional exception is spices at Indian stores.

> Does anyone know what other good deals you can find at which ethnic
> stores? Thanks.
>

I have a large heathfood store near me. Pretty expensive on most things as
you can imagine. However, it's the best place to buy bulk grains and
spices. And you only have to buy as much as you want.

Gary

On 2011-12-07, Gary <[email protected]> wrote:

> I have a large heathfood store near me. Pretty expensive on most things as
> you can imagine. However, it's the best place to buy bulk grains and
> spices. And you only have to buy as much as you want.

Trouble is, most health food stores subscribe to similar or the same
bulk food vendors. We have 5 health food stores in our small valley
of about 10K ppl in 2 small towns. Four of them buy from the same
bulk vendor, which sells only #2 med bulgar instead of #1 fine bulgar.
This, no doubt, due to the fact this bulk vendor also sells a pre-fab
tabouli "mix" with dried herbs and god knows what else in it, which
the four stores carry. It's way too powdery to make good tabouli. If
I want #1 bulgar, I gotta buy Far East boxed mix, which still has
similar dried herbs, but inludes real #1 fine bulgar. Naturally, it's
cheaper at Walmart.

The only thing I buy at health food stores is bulk spices, which are
one quarter to one fifth the price of sprmkt spices. Better, too.

nb

On Dec 7, 10:54*am, Lenona <lenona...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Generally, I don't tend to find ANY bargains, since they tend to be
> small stores. One occasional exception is spices at Indian stores.
>
> However, I may have found another one - tapioca pearls at a Portuguese
> grocery. They came to $1.36 per pound, which I'm pretty sure is better
> than any other deal on tapioca around here.
>
> Does anyone know what other good deals you can find at which ethnic
> stores? Thanks.
>

Bell peppers, yellow onions, and of course, Asian vegetables at
"Chinese" supermarkets.

Olive oil at Middle Eastern markets.

On Dec 7, 12:54*pm, Lenona <lenona...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Generally, I don't tend to find ANY bargains, since they tend to be
> small stores. One occasional exception is spices at Indian stores.
>
> However, I may have found another one - tapioca pearls at a Portuguese
> grocery. They came to $1.36 per pound, which I'm pretty sure is better
> than any other deal on tapioca around here.
>
> Does anyone know what other good deals you can find at which ethnic
> stores? Thanks.

Chilies. At Global Foods the jalapenos and serranos are much cheaper
than at the supermarket. The downside is that they pre-package them,
so you have to buy more, which is fine with the chilies since I eat
those
things quickly. I prefer to buy bean sprouts at the supermarket so I
can
buy them in smaller quantities. The multi-ethnic store has had limes
cheaper than anyone else right now, but not always.
>
> Lenona.

--Bryan

On 07/12/2011 1:54 PM, Lenona wrote:
>
> Generally, I don't tend to find ANY bargains, since they tend to be
> small stores. One occasional exception is spices at Indian stores.
>
> However, I may have found another one - tapioca pearls at a Portuguese
> grocery. They came to $1.36 per pound, which I'm pretty sure is better
> than any other deal on tapioca around here.
>
> Does anyone know what other good deals you can find at which ethnic
> stores? Thanks.
>

I occasionally go to an oriental supermarket in a nearby city. That's
what they call it, but it's about the size of a small corner store.
Almost everything he sells there is cheaper than I can find it anywhere
else. I go there for curry paste, rice, coconut milk, hot sauces and
fish. The best deal I ever got there was on mangoes. They were only 49
cents each, and perfectly ripe.

In article
<[email protected]>,
Lenona <[email protected]> wrote:

> Generally, I don't tend to find ANY bargains, since they tend to be
> small stores. One occasional exception is spices at Indian stores.
>
> However, I may have found another one - tapioca pearls at a Portuguese
> grocery. They came to $1.36 per pound, which I'm pretty sure is better
> than any other deal on tapioca around here.
>
> Does anyone know what other good deals you can find at which ethnic
> stores? Thanks.
>
> Lenona.

Shallots at Asian grocery stores. Regular supermarkets will charge you
about $3 per pound. Asian stores will charge much less.

Cindy

--
C.J. Fuller

Delete the obvious to email me

On Wed, 7 Dec 2011 15:52:49 -0800 (PST), spamtrap1888
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Olive oil at Middle Eastern markets.

And grapeseed oil. And in some markets, like the Crossroads
International Market here in the bay area, a good olive section at
very low prices. About 7 kinds of feta too..at lower prices per pound
than in other markets.

Christine

On Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:41:43 -0800, Cindy Fuller
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Shallots at Asian grocery stores. Regular supermarkets will charge you
>about $3 per pound. Asian stores will charge much less.
>
>Cindy

Same for ginger and garlic.

Christine

On Dec 7, 1:54*pm, Lenona <lenona...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Generally, I don't tend to find ANY bargains, since they tend to be
> small stores. One occasional exception is spices at Indian stores.
>
> However, I may have found another one - tapioca pearls at a Portuguese
> grocery. They came to $1.36 per pound, which I'm pretty sure is better
> than any other deal on tapioca around here.
>
> Does anyone know what other good deals you can find at which ethnic
> stores? Thanks.
>
> Lenona.

Wasabe powder, noodles.

On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 06:06:35 -0800 (PST), Kalmia
<[email protected]> wrote:

> On Dec 7, 1:54*pm, Lenona <lenona...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> > Generally, I don't tend to find ANY bargains, since they tend to be
> > small stores. One occasional exception is spices at Indian stores.
> >
> > However, I may have found another one - tapioca pearls at a Portuguese
> > grocery. They came to $1.36 per pound, which I'm pretty sure is better
> > than any other deal on tapioca around here.
> >
> > Does anyone know what other good deals you can find at which ethnic
> > stores? Thanks.
> >
> > Lenona.
>
> Wasabe powder, noodles.

Real wasabe or horseradish in disguise?

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On 12/8/2011 9:06 AM, Kalmia wrote:
> On Dec 7, 1:54 pm, Lenona<lenona...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> Generally, I don't tend to find ANY bargains, since they tend to be
>> small stores. One occasional exception is spices at Indian stores.
>>
>> However, I may have found another one - tapioca pearls at a Portuguese
>> grocery. They came to $1.36 per pound, which I'm pretty sure is better
>> than any other deal on tapioca around here.
>>
>> Does anyone know what other good deals you can find at which ethnic
>> stores? Thanks.
>>
>> Lenona.
>
> Wasabe powder, noodles.

A local Chinese grocery (Great Wall in Rockville, MD) has frozen, peeled
chestnuts which are rather a bargain compared with imports.

--


James Silverton, Potomac

I'm *not* [email protected]

On 12/8/2011 9:34 AM, sf wrote:
> On Thu, 8 Dec 2011 06:06:35 -0800 (PST), Kalmia
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> On Dec 7, 1:54 pm, Lenona<lenona...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>> Generally, I don't tend to find ANY bargains, since they tend to be
>>> small stores. One occasional exception is spices at Indian stores.
>>>
>>> However, I may have found another one - tapioca pearls at a Portuguese
>>> grocery. They came to $1.36 per pound, which I'm pretty sure is better
>>> than any other deal on tapioca around here.
>>>
>>> Does anyone know what other good deals you can find at which ethnic
>>> stores? Thanks.
>>>
>>> Lenona.
>>
>> Wasabe powder, noodles.
>
> Real wasabe or horseradish in disguise?
>
One of these days for interest' sake, I'd like to try "real" Wasabi.
Where would you suggest I buy it?

--


James Silverton, Potomac

I'm *not* [email protected]

On Thu, 08 Dec 2011 09:55:27 -0500, James Silverton
<[email protected]> wrote:

> One of these days for interest' sake, I'd like to try "real" Wasabi.
> Where would you suggest I buy it?

I would too and was just reading up about wasabi -
http://www.chefseattle.com/blog/food/real-wasabi/
http://www.gardeningtipsnideas.com/2...wn_wasabi.html

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On Thu, 08 Dec 2011 09:53:50 -0500, James Silverton
<[email protected]> wrote:

> A local Chinese grocery (Great Wall in Rockville, MD) has frozen, peeled
> chestnuts which are rather a bargain compared with imports.

Are they raw or cooked?

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.