Sorry to all for not making a post yesterday. Rick and I spent our entire morning downtown at an international grocery store!! OF COURSE I took TONS of pictures for you!!! (all the pictures are below) Our international grocery is called Phoenicia. It’s linked there, however you cannot shop from that site, which is most certainly a bummer. If you are in or around the Houston area, you’ve GOT to go!!
I really reccomend that EVERYONE check their area for an international grocer. You’re right in thinking that you cannot do ALL of your everyday shopping there, but I think you’d be surprised at the kinds of deals you can find!! Some of the food is exotic, and some is not. Mostly, international groceries are good for selection. For instance, this particular one has (by Rick’s estimate) at LEAST 30 yards of OLIVES. I’m not even counting their entire aisle devoted to nothing but olive oil (pictures to follow). I bought a bottle of high end Italian olive oil there yesterday for under $7. This is the type of oil that you’d be LUCKY to find in your regular grocery store, and if you did, it’d cost you $15-$23 easy. Another AMAZING find was the price of spices. I found (and you can see it below) a HUGE bottle of saffron for… wait for it… $2.94!! I AM NOT EVEN KIDDING!!!
So how to they manage all these deals? Bulk. You don’t have to buy in bulk- THEY buy in bulk. This is easily one of the largest grocery stores I’ve ever seen. They buy food by the palate, which is how they are able to pass the savings on to you. The amazing prices are why I am really reccomending you try to find an international grocery location near you. They sell flour and rice at prices that would make you melt. Loose leaf tea at a price you’d think was a lie! This is a GREAT place to stock up your pantry, and you can AFFORD to have the “special” things if you find them at a good price. I know that I often look at a recipe and balk at the price of the ingredients, but I don’t have to anymore!
Most international groceries have amazing freshely prepared foods. This one is totally out of this world. They have prepared foods available from all around the world, ready to eat in their little cafe. They also have this AMAZING system to cook and package pita bread that consists of a conveyor belt that travels above the shoppers. Fresh cheeses, fruits and fish. They have an entire section devoted to JUST feta cheese… and an olive bar… It’s really amazing. You will find EVERYTHING there, from the completely bizarre to the totally mundane. If you want to try a foreign beer or pair a meal with a wine from a certain region, you HAVE to stop by! Oh, and if you are jonesing for that candy bar you only could find while on that school trip to Spain, it’s probably there!
PLEASE try to find an international grocery near you! You’ll be completely amazed at the awesome products inside, and the prices will keep you coming back!!
Now, I’m going to try to put these pictures up, but my caption feature doesn’t work. It never seems to work. hahah I REALLY need it today!
HUGE aisles!
HUGE, BEAUTIFUL fresh fish. All with glassy clear eyes. You’d never know there were fish in here unless you saw them, there’s no fishy smell at all, and that’s a good thing.
This is the pita bread conveyor belt system. The bread comes out freshly baked and all puffed up. As it cools, the bread de-flates naturally for packaging.
Feta bar. There were at least 10 different kinds. I had NO IDEA that “different kinds” of feta even existed!
There are 4 sides to this kiosk, all full of mozerella and other soft cheeses. There are two of these in the store, the other is full of hard cheeses.
There are also two kiosks full of preserved meats like this salami from my families home town of Calabria. There are also all kinds of peperoni, proscuitto, and bacon. Another section is devoted to all kinds of smoked fish.
weird gourds
Rick holds fresh clams, frozen in the shell
That’s some BIG kaak!! No seriously though, where else can you find 4 kaaks for only $2.99! (sorry for the infantile humor, I’m 12)
A three egg seperator! Who knew?!
The olive bar had 32 different types of olives on it. 32! Can you believe it?!
This entire aisle- on both sides- nothing but dried fruits.
This entire aisle (also both sides) was nothing but nuts.
Olives as far as the eye can see. I stopped taking pictures there were so many olive displays… you get the point. This is WHERE IT’S AT if you love olives!
Italian, Greek and African olive oils in this aisle. You can see how spectacular the prices are!
This section is nothing but different types of peppers.
Vanilla powder. I had NO idea.
I really have NO idea what you can use ammonia powder for, but you can get it at the international grocery store!!
an ENORMOUS selection of spices- all at totally rock bottom prices!!
You can get THIS MUCH saffron for $2.94!!!!!!!
This aisle is all hookah tobacco and hookah supplies. This was why we were really there. This is Rick’s favorite place to buy hookah tobacco.
AMAZING prices on fresh, loose leaf tea!
Got Rice?
Lots of imported serving trays and pottery.
I wish I’d thought to take a picture of the sign that said where this stuff was from, I can’t remember!
ah yes… Polish ceramics
You can get pretty much anything you want made with olives. lol
wow. This is Rick in front a wall of his favorite type of German chocolate. Just so you know, this is a SUPER small portion of their chocolate selection!! This is only ONE BRAND of German chocolates… so you KNOW there are just RACKS AND RACKS of chocolate from around the world!!
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