Ethnic markets - the place for better and cheaper! produce

This evening on the way back from work, I stopped by the El Cubano Market. You see, I have a 45 minute daily commute each way. The drive can be tedious but it does allow me to discover the 'other' LA as I drive through a mainly Hispanic community in the Valley. I spotted El Cubano a few weeks ago on the way to work and of all things that could have caught my attention, it was their "4 for 99 cents" sale poster for cilantro on their outside wall that made me want to visit. You see, although you can find cilantro just about anywhere these days, good, fresh, leafy ones are a bit harder to come by... and if you are a bit of an amateur chef, you would know that to get some of freshest produce, you either go the local farmers market or you hit the ethnic markets where certain produce that's popular with that ethnic group will surely be the freshest and most likely the cheapest. One of the great things about LA (few and not many) is the amount and diversity of peoples living here - from the large Hispanic and Asians communities (Chinatown, Little Tokyo, K Town) to lesser known communities Little Ethiopia and Thai Town. These communities invaribly have their own subcultures and as a result, their versions of supermarkets.

Unlike shopping at the 'mainstream' markets like Vons, Ralphs, or Albertsons which are dominant in the LA area, ethnic markets tend to be more unique and less homogenous. Each have their own flavor since most are independent grocers and don't have the 'large-format' feel that is prevalent with the common mainstream markets. El Cubano was as I had expected and more - it had a well-stocked produce section offering everything from the common banana to lettuce and watermelon. But it also had 5 additional kinds of bananas, a wide assortment of more ethnic produce like cacti and numerous other leafy and not-so-leafy vegetales. What surprised me the most was that I also found a few Asian vegetables like Chinese eggplant and bittermelon. When have Hispanic people started eating bittermelon? I thought bittermelon is strictly a Chinese vegetable since to the un-initiated (and even to many Chinese), bittermelon is not a vegetable many will ever take a liking to. Besides the produce section, the meat department was also a feast for the eyes as rows of beef were sliced in various ways that cater to the Hispanic palette - from thin slices of beef for what I imagine would be used to make fajitas to non-Western offerings like menudo.

The half hour or so I spent browsing the isles was like a short trip to South America - not only were the variety of produce and meats fascinating, but even the organization and presentation of them were fascinating. The other great benefit of shopping in ethnic markets is that you'll find, like I did today, the majority of the produce you buy will cost substantially lower than they do in the mainstream markets. There are actually a few reasons for this. For one, ethnic markets tend to invest less capital than the mainstream markets (usually the stores are not as big, clean, or have all the fancy electronics). So with fewer dollars invested, the markets can afford to charge less. Another reason is that produce is viewed in the mainstream markets as huge profit centers (the others being meat and dairy). Most mainstream markets will 'get you in' by having sales on things like bread, sodas, chips and the occasional sales on produce and meats. On the whole though, except for the items on sale, most produce and meats are more expensive on average in the mainstream markets.

So, next time you fancy... oops I'm getting British here.. I mean 'desire/want/wish' to buy produce or meats that may be very common to a particular ethnic group, it pays to go find your local ethnic market. If nothing else, it's like a small trip to another culture. Consider it a 'mini-vacation' right in your backyard.