All That And a Can Full of Hummus

If you've never ventured into a local ethnic supermarket, you're definitely missing out. The key to shopping in an ethnic foodmart of course is to live/work in an area with a large immigrant population. In Brockton one could throw a stone and hit a dozen Carribbean markets; in Quincy there are Asian markets as big as Stop & Shop, and down by me there are a few small Lebanese markets.

Most chain supermarkets in greater-Boston sell a pretty good selection of foreign staples. However, ethnic markets of all varieties are awesome when it comes to produce. Despite the fact that the American-born workers at the market will probably shoot you a "what the fuck are YOU doing here look" as you aimlessly stroll the aisles, the prices on produce will completely shock the Stars and Stripes out of you. Most of the produce is way less than you'd expect to pay at a regular supermarket, some of it by over half.

Aside from cheapo veggies, you can also try some pretty kickass products for short money. I wandered into my local Lebanese market and bought a can of hummus...for $1.25. The verdict? I didn't like it. But seriously, it was a $1.25 so I'm not going to cry about it. The secret is to avoiding mark-ups is to steer clear of touristy Italian or Irish markets and go straight to the lesser known. Haitian and Filipino markets? Sign me up. Yelp.com has some pretty good reviews but in my experience it's better just to stop in and check them out.