Save Money on Produce, Meats, Fish and Pantry Staples

Ethnic grocery stores or supermarkets can look intimidating because they have a lot of products you might be unfamiliar with, but don’t be afraid to explore. There are bargains galore on plenty of familiar products: coffee, fruit, ribs for a barbecue, even live lobsters. Asian stores offer a huge variety of bargain-priced yet tasty noodles and rice, often bulk sized, while Mexican and Indian stores stock every imaginable type of dried bean and split pea. Some of the best deals are in the spice aisle; sold in plastic bags rather than jars, they’re considerably cheaper. Even if your cooking style is purely American, you can still find plenty of pantry staples that you and your family eat every day.

Discover New Flavors

These stores are also a great place to discover something that you haven’t tried before. With lower prices, it’s easier to experiment with a new sauce or vegetable. For example, many Asian stores sell pea greens. They look like spinach, and can be cooked just like spinach, but have the sweet taste of peas. You could use them in any recipe that includes spinach, or you could try a new recipe specifically for pea greens. Sometimes buying a new ingredient may inspire you to try a new recipe that becomes a family favorite.

Here are a few of great finds from a Vietnamese grocery store:

Left to Right :

Café du Monde Coffee: The Vietnamese love this delicious coffee from New Orleans, and sell it for a third of price that it’s sold for at Whole Foods.

Hoisin Sauce: This is great added to barbecue sauce, as a marinade, or added to a stir fry.

Hot Chili Sauce: Super hot chili sauce with a touch of sesame flavor.

Soy Sauce: Much less expensive at Asian grocery stores.

Sriracha: This popular hot sauce is available in most mainstream stores now, but costs much less at an Asian supermarket.

Fish Sauce: Smells yucky, but is an essential ingredient in surprisingly easy to make Thai curries and soups.

Rice Vinegar: Great in salad dressings and marinades.

And from the Indian Store:

Ghee: Bought at an Indian store, this huge 56 ounce tub of clarified butter cost only $17.99 and lasts a year in the refrigerator. Clarified butter is great because it has the flavor of butter but the high burning point of oil. Great for sautéing and frying, or, if you’re more adventurous, try making biryani, the tasty Indian rice dish.

Spices: Keep bagged spices tidy and fresh: make your own spice jars using inexpensive jars (these are from Ikea)and office supply store labels.

Shan Brand Garam Masala Powder: Much better (and less expensive) than the generic curry powders sold in mainstream stores, this tasty spice mix is a great way to incorporate Indian flavors into your cooking.

A Great Housewares Section Too:

Chinois: This handy strainer was sold at the Vietnamese grocery store for $12; an identical one at the kitchen store cost $36.

These are just of a few of the great bargains you can find at ethnic grocery stores. Try exploring one near you-they’re a great way to save on groceries, and you may even discover some new favorites.

Today’s Topic: Breakfast!

Since this is part one, it makes the most sense to begin with breakfast. Across the globe different countries and cultures bring unique sensibilities to the table, when it comes to the staples of morning nutrition. While in Minneapolis we might be saddling up bleary-eyed to bacon strips, hash browns, a bowl of cereal & a tall glass of orange juice, our brothers and sisters halfway across the world are dreaming of a steaming bowl of “congee” and a tasty cruller.

Let’s expand our perspectives regarding this “most important meal of the day,” to open up exciting new tastes to our palette.

Breakfast In Egypt

Ful (pronounced ‘fool’) is a hearty yet very inexpensive breakfast eaten with plenty of flatbread. This traditional Egyptian breakfast is made into a soup primarily from fava beans and various spices. For many it is the largest meal until supper & is often referred to as “a rock in the stomach” for its ability to have you stuffed after consumption!

Fast Food Breakfast In China

Similar to a crepe, Jian Bing is made on a hot round ceramic surface. It’s intense just to watch somebody prepare it in front of you. Jian Bing starts with a thin batter and is filled with egg, cilantro, a light fried flour crisp, chili & hoisin sauce & all in under 2 minutes. If you’re on the run in downtown Beijing, be reassured that you can still make the 8:15 even if you stop by to pick up a Jian Bing.

Breakfast in South India

Idly is a round cake usually made from black lentils and rice. Its served with a vegetable based stew called Sambar for dipping. This would be a great way to start off the day before taking the train in to bustling Mumbai.

Masala Dosas are another common South Indian breakfast. Similar to the Jian Bing, a Dosa is a crepe-like wrap stuffed with spicy potatoes & served with a few different curry sauces.

The next time you’re looking for more variety in your breakfast or any meal for that matter, why not see what other parts of the world have to offer. Take a meal or two to appreciate the diversity across cultural bounds and discover the various influences behind their recipes.