Fresh Faced Grocers

Specialty grocery stores are like a box of chocolates, you never know if they're going to be filled with curry, squid or oxtails. From the exotic smells to the flurry of conversation in every possible language, it's never been this much fun to be an outsider. With Culture's guide to Philly's international market scene, you'll emerge wiser, well-stocked, and wearing an au du weird. Amigo African Market 4626 Baltimore Avenue (215) 662-1968 Baltimore African Market 4533 Baltimore Avenue (215) 387-5705 Follow your nose to the musty smells of the African markets in West Philly and you'll not only find a plethora of exotic foods and spices, but also racks of African videos, cloth, wooden effigies and the best rates for calling cards to Africa. Both markets boast a selection of standard meat alongside cuts of goat and oxtail, not to mention cassava, okra, and placali. Couscous, rice, and fufu flour (regular and plantain) lay in heavy sacks next to boxes filled with plantains and mangoes. The rockin' African beats will have you dancing through the aisles until you need a whole six-pack of Vimto (that's juice). Baltimore also carries some Carribean goods, while Amigo has Spanish and West Indian groceries. --Jessica Lussenhop Midori Mart 2104 Chestnut Street (215) 569-3381 www.midorimart.com Midori means green in Japanese, and the freshness associated with the color theme runs throughout this quaint market.ÿBoasting not only food, but also ceramics, Japanese language magazines, videos and household products, Midori Mart creates a haven for those looking for anything Japanese. Prices are competitive for imported goods, and the selection is second to none for Japanese recipe staples.ÿFor those lacking Morimoto's culinary flair, go to their website for recipes to both help and inspire your latest rendition on miso soup. Or, for those less adventurous (read: lazy), they offer a selection of instant ramen noodles that outdoes any other market in Philadelphia. -- Rachel Josue P&P Grocery Thai's Imported and Asian Food 4307 Locust Street (215) 387-3509 At first glance P&P Grocery appears to be yet another dingy West Philly mom and pop store, but if you're on your way to Koch's, next-door, this is a great place to get anything and everything you might need to make a traditional Chinese, Japanese or Thai meal. Amidst Skippy peanut butter and Campbell's soup lie pad thai paste, iced green tea, frozen tofu and authentic poo leaves. The store has been operating for over 20 years and although the juxtaposition of American and Asian foods might be slightly confusing, it's a place that's not lacking in variety. -Ashley Lewis D'Angelo Bros 909 S. Ninth Street (215) 923-5637 Run by the same family for 95 years, this small, unassuming butcher's shop is a meat lover's paradise. Affable proprietor Sonny D'Angelo proudly produces some 40 varieties of sausage, and carries the largest, somewhat frightening collection of game meat in the country, including kangaroo, emu, and antelope. Nothing goes to waste here, since "everybody uses a different part of the animal," explains Sonny. Hides and furs are lavishly displayed in the shop, and miscellaneous animal parts are also available. Who knew there was a market for coyote skulls? -Clare O'Connor DiBruno Bros. 930 S. Ninth Street (215) 922-2876 Philly's self-proclaimed "House of Cheese" carries over 400 varieties of cheese -- and over 600 in the holiday season, when a two hour line out the door of this a narrow shop is not uncommon. The strong smell pervading the shop must be due to the huge variety of foods crammed in one space -- barrels of olives line the wall, alongside hampers of dried cod and homemade croutons. Down the street is DiBruno Bros. Pronto, the family's caf‚ and catering company -- bright, clean, and stocked with every type of olive oil this side of Tuscany, Pronto is food-snob heaven. -Clare O'Connor International Food & Spices 4203 Walnut Street (215) 222-4480 Less than a block away from campus, lies the unassuming, yet eclectic and overflowing International Foods and Spices market. I recommend that, instead of popping a Lean Cuisine chicken with vegetables dish into the microwave, you substitute it for a lamb or chicken buriyani. The selection of Indian, Pakistani, Lebanese and even Chinese gourmet frozen meals that you can prepare in less than 10 minutes is endless -- but still represents only a fraction of what the recently expanded, over-abundant market has to offer. The aisles hold every item from bags of rice, sesame sweet balls, sugar coated puff pastries and exotic ice cream to appliances, household supplies, international calling cards and Indian movies and music. If you need toilet paper for your apartment or you feel like a snack, then use it as an excuse to visit this hodgepodge of a market that has been thriving just off Penn's campus for the past 18 years. -- Mia Belldegrun Quetta Halal Market 500 S. 23rd Street (215) 735-8185 "All Meats Sacrificed By Hand," goes the slogan at this Arab meat market -- where "Halal," is to Muslims as "Kosher" is to Jews -- indicating that the meat is chemical-free and slaughtered humanely. Brothers Amr and Adam Scott run this tiny, green tile floored market, where shelves bearing Sultan Moroccan Sardines and white burlap sacks of Basmati Rice labeled "Product of Pakistan" abound. Their father, Wali-Muhammad Scott, started the store in 1975 when he converted to Islam. Be sure to notice the Arabic calligraphy on the hand-painted wooden sign behind the counter, which neither Scott can translate, and the faded 1952 photograph of Mecca over the front window. At Quetta, expect the unexpected -- along with freezers full of "cut-up goat" and whole Alsafa Halal young turkeys, you'll find bottled Louisiana Hot Sauce. "Great on Steaks," Amr explained, and pointed out the Worcestershire sauce nearby. -- Robin Friedlander