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Tekalign Chafo holds a tray of Ethiopian ingredients from his Ethio African Grocery Store.
Cynthia Mensah is pictured with colorful fabric in her G-Sapphire African Market in Lancaster city.
One of the many spice shelves at G-Sapphire African Market in Lancaster city.
Yuca and yautia blanca are among the many tropical tubers available at Brothers Food Max Supermarket.
Exterior sign of El Pueblito, a Mexican grocery store and taqueria.
Exterior of Ethio African Grocery Store.
Asian Mini Mart owner Bijay Ghimire in this 2019 photo.
Exterior of Viet My market in Lancaster city.
Exterior of Asian Center Supermarket off Route 30.
Tabarek International Foods is pictured along the 700 block of New Holland Avenue in Lancaster.
Tekalign Chafo holds a tray of Ethiopian ingredients from his Ethio African Grocery Store.
Cynthia Mensah is pictured with colorful fabric in her G-Sapphire African Market in Lancaster city.
There’s a big world out there, even in a small town, even in a pandemic. A passport is unnecessary; curious travelers can explore dozens of countries by being hungry, literally. Lancaster is home to more than a dozen grocery stores specializing in ingredients, cookware, and packaged and prepared food from four continents. Some might argue you have to go to Philly or New York to load up on global ingredients, but our reporting says otherwise. Through food, the world gets smaller every day.
As with last year’s farm stand guide (lanc.news/FarmStands), we hope that this list will inspire you to expand your food shopping horizons and learn about a part of the world that you’ve merely pointed on a map. We wish you a safe and delicious journey.
One last thing: This list is not comprehensive. If we have missed your favorite, be sure to let us know. Send Life and Culture team leader Jenelle Janci an email at jjanci@lnpnews.com.
Exterior of Asian Center Supermarket off Route 30.
Open: 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., daily.
Notes: A full-service store with a focus on ingredients from East Asia (China, Japan, South Korea) and southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, to name a few) that bills itself as the “largest Asian store in Central PA.” The produce offerings are both diverse and plentiful. There are counters for both meat and seafood. An entire aisle is devoted to housewares. On the far end of the store, there is a bubble tea stand and a counter serving Szechuan food, with four adjacent tables.
For more info: asiancenterpa.com
248 E. Liberty St.; 717- 299-2331
Open: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Notes: Bitter melon, ginger, lemongrass, chile peppers, Asian greens and choy are among the regulars in the produce section, with a strong showing of fruit. Flats of eggs in the front; a seafood counter in the back. An aisle just for noodles, and one for sauces and other condiments. My favorite part is the room of housewares, where you can find several options for a wok, a mortar and pestle and decorative hand-cranked peppercorn grinders.
Asian Mini Mart owner Bijay Ghimire in this 2019 photo.
Open: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily.
Notes: Mini is misleading; this is a medium-sized store featuring pantry staples and fresh produce with a focus on India and Nepal and neighboring countries in South Asia. An array of spices, legumes, grains and sweets. Fresh produce, frozen chaat (snacks) and naan. Some cookware. Chapati (a wheat flour-based flatbread also known as roti) is made on the premises.
Yuca and yautia blanca are among the many tropical tubers available at Brothers Food Max Supermarket.
Open: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.
Notes: Similar to CTown Supermarkets, this is a full-service store with a focus on Hispanic Caribbean ingredients. But the produce section here is even more bountiful, with a selection of tropical tubers that includes yampi, yellow name (pronounced “nyah may”) and malanga. Cactus and aloe, too. On a recent visit, I spotted sour oranges (naranjas agrias), which are key in a mojo marinade. In the cookware aisle, you’ll spot a molcajete (mortar and pestle) and stovetop espresso pots. At the meat counter, you’ll find pernil entero (whole pork shoulder) and if you don’t feel like cooking, you can pick up some pernil and arroz con gandules at the prepared foods counter. There is a second location in Lebanon, at 940 Church St.
451 E. King St.; 717-397-7561
Open: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Parking: Lot in back, with limited spaces.
Notes: Part of a New York-based chain with more than 100 locations in the northeast, CTown is arguably the largest store on this list and not exactly a small business like the others. A full-service grocery store with an emphasis on Hispanic Caribbean ingredients. The hard-to-find culantro, a botanical cousin of cilantro (and a key ingredient for sofrito) is in abundance, as are plantains (green and otherwise), chayote squash and tropical tubers such as yuca and yautia. Fresh sofrito is sold by the pint and quart. Cotija cheese and queso blanco share space with bags of grated mozzarella. Bakery items include Mexican conchas and pan de agua.
For more info: ctownsupermarkets.com
Exterior sign of El Pueblito, a Mexican grocery store and taqueria.
1027 Dillerville Road (Dillerville Square Shopping Center); 717-393-9411
Open: 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Notes: A tiny Mexican grocery store-taqueria combo, with about six tables for sit-down dining. Grocery items include queso fresco and crema, a variety of chorizo, chiles fresh and dried and the shell-shaped sweet breads known as conchas from El Gallito bakery in Reading. In addition to tacos, the menu includes sopes, tortas and tamales; a sign by the check-out counter says that pupusas are a weekend special.
For more info: elpueblitolancaster.com
Exterior of Ethio African Grocery Store.
1027 Dillerville Road (Dillerville Square Shopping Center); 717-413-6036
Open: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Notes: A former accountant at QVC, Tekalign Chafo opened his store in August of 2021, featuring pantry staples of his native Ethiopia and to a lesser degree, other parts of Africa. A selection of spices, grains, flour and coffee beans imported from Ethiopia, legumes and cookware. Fresh, locally made fresh injera bread (made from teff flour) and himbasha (made from wheat flour), along with housemade niter kibbeh (spiced clarified butter) and a spicy green sauce known as kochkocha or qochqocha. More recently, Chafo is selling large cuts of fresh beef Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Open: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
Notes: In this case, European refers to Eastern Europe, countries that include Albania, Polania, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Turkey. An impressive array of biscuits, chocolate and tea, along with cheese – feta, kashkaval and farmers cheese, to name a few, cured meats and condiments galore. The shelves are pristinely displayed, and owner Oyku Ak, who hails from Turkey, is a fount of knowledge.
Open: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Notes: A stand-alone building brimming with dry goods and perishables mostly from India and surrounding countries (with a little North Africa mixed in). Frequently busy, the narrow aisles can feel a tad claustrophobic in these socially distanced times, but the mood is generally upbeat. Impressive selection of fresh produce and herbs, along a row of spices, every legume imaginable, frozen meat, paneer and various sweets.
One of the many spice shelves at G-Sapphire African Market in Lancaster city.
14 S. Lime St.; 717-409-0523
Open: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Notes: “Sapphire” is owner Cynthia Mensah’s middle name and the “G” is for Gideon, her husband. Mensah, who came to the U.S. in 2014 from Ghana, where she used to sell kente fabric, has been running her shop located just south of West King Street since late 2019. “I love selling stuff,” said Mensah. “That’s my passion.” In addition to the textiles, Mensah carries beads and clothing along with traditional cookware (I’ve got my eye on the clay grinder known as an ashanka.). In the freezer, you’ll find a variety of halal meat and smoked fish, along with imported vegetables and bitter leaves. Giant yams imported from Ghana are available by more manageable pieces that she’ll cut to order. Pantry staples include a variety of fufu flours, egusi seeds, red palm oil and legumes.
351 N. Charlotte St.; 717-397-8926
Open: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Notes: This longtime corner store owned by the Mandros family is arguably the only place for 50 miles where you can ask for a few ounces of hand-sliced feta and are asked in return if you’d like sheep or goat. Of course, if feta is not your thing, there are dozens of cheese options in the case that span the Mediterranean. Really good olives, hard-to-find pasta shapes and multiple options for high-quality olive oil from Greece, Italy and Spain are just a few reasons to make a stop. Pro tip: Frozen naturally leavened baguettes from Lancaster’s Slow Rise Bakery reheat beautifully.
For more info: mandrosimportedfoods.net
Open: 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday.
Tabarek International Foods is pictured along the 700 block of New Holland Avenue in Lancaster.
Notes: The signs at Regency Square out front still say Bruke International Grocery, but you are in the right place. Owner Joseph Tebie bought out his partners last year and he’s now carrying dry goods, clothing, cooking utensils, frozen greens and fish from 10 different countries throughout Africa. Originally from Togo, Tebie came to the U.S. in 1997 and for years, he said, he traveled hundreds of miles to shop for the ingredients of his homeland. With the shop, he said, “I wanted to help myself and to help others.” Depending on country of origin, Tebie’s customers might want peanuts from Rwanda, Uganda or Burundi, so he carries them all. The same idea applies to the flour to make fufu (a thick porridge and dietary staple), which might be made from cassava, yam or plantain, depending again on where you call home. (Just ask Tebie for a flour tour; he’s happy to help.) On a recent visit, an Africa Cup of Nations soccer match was on a screen above and a customer opened the door to shout “Jambo” (hello in Swahili) to Tebie’s daughter, who was minding the store for Dad.
798 New Holland Ave.; 717-393-1333
Open: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily.
Notes: Owner Hana Ali carries pantry staples of her native Iraq and surrounding countries of the Middle East. From olives to olive oil, freekeh to bulgur, the inventory is heavy on dry goods, with meat, pita, lavash and vegetables in the freezer. A small selection of feta and lebne is available. Last week, she launched a small carry-out menu, with a variety of fried and grilled options, including falafel, shish taouk chicken, along with stuffed grape leaves and hummus. The store’s second location at Park City Mall features chocolate, candy and gifts from the region.
Exterior of Viet My market in Lancaster city.
550 N. Franklin St.; 717-393-0338
Open: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Notes: Durian, dried mushrooms, Malabar spinach and fresh tofu are all in one frame of this shopper’s lens. No seafood or meat counter, but one where you can order banh mi sandwiches. Giant bags of rice from Japan, Thailand and Vietnam are parked on one side of the store for easy access. Sometimes I go just to listen to the music coming out of the speakers, which always makes me happy. I load up on sesame oil and my preferred soy sauce (Pearl River Bridge Light) and the 14-ounce containers of Thai curry paste, which I like to portion out and freeze as needed.
This is Kim O’Donnel’s last story for LNP|LancasterOnline. Keep in touch with her at writingfood@gmail.com.
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