Hello my friends. Lilly thanks you for the kind comments you left for her. It's been a nice week here. My husband took me out to lunch this week at my favorite Persian restaurant which happens to be on top of my favorite Persian market.
This is a view of the market from the landing of the restaurant. We discovered this wonderful venue when we first visited our daughter in California 10 years ago.
After our lunch, we did a little grocery shopping. They had this beautiful Haft-Seen table set up for Nayrouz (Persian New Year). There are seven symbolic items on this table that are attached to the new year celebration.
Next up is this wonderful, freshly made Sangak bread made in this special oven seen behind...warm and tasty!
We basically buy all our food items at the Persian markets. Yes, that's plural and there are lots of them down here in SoCal. I love the meat counter where there are actual butchers who can prepare your meat to your liking.
Next up is the in house bakery. I sometimes buy these goodies as they are so yummy.
Right now they have lots of already made goodies brought in for Nayrouz. These cookies are made in Iran.
I haven't bought any of these yet but I may just have to!
They're known for they fresh, crispy Persian cucumbers. They were on sale this week at .79 cents a pound. My little granddaughter loves these.
Their produce is always fresh and the prices can't be beat. I think because maybe they cut out the middleman. I don't know but most items are priced at .50 cents a pound with parsley and or cilantro at 4/$1.00. I used to pay $1.00 for a few wilted sprigs of parsley!
Here is the fruit section. I bought some Cara Cara oranges; they are pink inside and so delicious.
Most everyone loves bananas at .59 cents a pound.
The Persians are known for their love of spices. Their food is so flavorful with the addition of spices and wonderful fruits sometimes added. The prices for their spices are super inexpensive since they repackage them themselves.
I think I've become a bit of a rice snob. Sorry, but there are so many delicious varieties out there. Right now my favorite is a sella bastmati rice which is a parboiled rice which I buy in ten pound packages. Sella rice has been milled differently and results in a unique texture.
I always enjoy looking at the home decor section. This time they have added these Nayrouz candles for decoration.
And, they had these special flowers brought in for Nayrouz. The scent was heavenly.
I love my Persian markets where I basically do all my shopping unless it's cleaning supplies, cat food, etc. Then I go to my local Walmart grocery store (yes, it's only a Walmart grocery and it's not my favorite but for basic staples, it's great). Oh, and I can't forget Costco (big, huge warehouse store), which is a world unto itself!
From reading lots of blogs, I find it interesting where people shop. Some of my UK blog friends have described their favorite grocery stores. When I lived in Washington, we had Safeway (it's Vons and Pavillions down here in California), Kroger (Ralph's here), and Albertsons to name a few. But, my oh my, are their prices expensive on fruits and vegies compared to my Persian market. But, when I do go shopping, I enjoy a bit of ambience if you know what I mean. The other day I went to Smart and Final to pick up a couple of items they had on sale. Oh boy, was it ever an unpleasant experience. I felt like I was in a warehouse. And, to top it off, the clerk told me the sale prices are different in every store! Alas, I didn't get such a great bargain after all :(
Back in Tacoma, Washington, we had a Metropolitan Market. It was like a French market meets a NY eatery/bistro. It was so much fun to have lunch there and try all the exotic and imported foods they carried. Every Wednesday, they would get fresh bread flown in from Poilane Bakery in France. I miss those days but I have good memories. There's a Whole Foods a few miles from where I live but I seldom get over to that part of my area (I can't say city since you'll being driving along, cross over a street and you'll find yourself in another city!)
It's suppose to be a quiet weekend around here with some rain showers. I hope wherever you are, that you are safe and have a wonderful weekend.
With my best wishes,
Pat
Wow what an amazing market, I think I would have happily stayed there all day. x
ReplyDeleteWe shop around, and have loyalty to no brand, it's hard to get good fruit and veg at a good price, the cheaper shops fruit is always softer. I would love a market like yours close by, hubby would be in heaven in the spice section.
ReplyDeleteWow, you are so lucky. Persian is one of my favourite cuisines (along with Turkish, Lebanese, Greek - all quite similar I guess).
ReplyDeleteSusan
www.blissfulbreaths.com
I t sounds like an incredible market. We pretty much shop at Publix, a southern chain, or we go to the Army Commissary.
ReplyDeleteOh I would LOVE a couple of hours in that market. What a fabulous place. We don't really have anything to compare.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed seeing your Persian Market.. I'd love to go there, I adore seeing foods from other countries and cultures. We have a World Foods place in Portland that has things from all over the world.. love it! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely place I could spend hours there. :) x
ReplyDeleteAfter ten years living in rural Spain, I have got used to the local supermarkets where there is minimal choice, though many have a good instore butcher, and some have a fresh daily fish section. Of course this being an agricultural area, there are always plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in the weekly markets. But there is nothing fancy or 'special' in the supermarkets. But when I go back to UK on holiday, I find the supermarkets quite daunting. There are rows and rows of the same thing, just a different company, and so much to choose from. I prefer our simple life out here. I have gone back to more healthy cooking, making most of our meals from scratch. There are not many prepared meals available anyway. I see few more British and other European ideas creeping in, but I hope we keep our simple life for a bit longer.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, your Persian market does look wonderful, and I would love to visit somewhere like it, but maybe not to shop there on a regular basis. It was an interesting read. Kate x
Thank you Kate for your comment as always it's interesting to see the differences in each country. However, our Persian market is quite small compared to our regular supermarkets here in the US. You're not going to find a huge aisle with paper goods, cat/dog food or other non food items. It's really the place to shop especially if you are one who loves to cook from scratch. We shop there because we save at least half or more on the prices of fruits and vegies. Right now, they have lots of special items in for the Persian new year. If I ever move from California, I will be most sad to not have my favorite market. Enjoy your week dear friend!
DeleteI'm not fond of shopping, though food shopping is ok. Having said that I did enjoy your photo tour of your market. It looks delightful with the tempting and attractive displays of fresh produce and candles etc. I can just imagine the scent of your flowers, they are very pretty. That oven looks amazing! Usually many things are kept behind the scenes so it's nice to see. Lilly is so polite, bless her. Cathy x
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing market! You made me curious what kind of international markets we might have within a reasonable driving distance. I was surprised at what I uncovered. I've driven by a few that I found online, but from the outside they don't look like much. The pictures on the inside (while not as lovely as what you show above) are much more interesting and inviting than I have imagined. I look forward to checking them out now! Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteWhat an absolutely unique and delightful place to be able to do your shopping. It certainly takes the mundane out of grocery shopping. I don’t think we have anything like that around here. I am going to have to check that out when I am up and walking again.
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