Lavosh flatbreads the size of baby blankets. Persian ice cream with its surprise explosions of clotted cream. Fresh banana and kaffir-lime leaves. Hummus creamier than whipped butter. Fat-bellied Thai eggplants.
Floppy bags of moist Ethiopian injera, the pancakelike flatbread. Tangles of kim nori, that delightful Korean dried seaweed snack that’s at once salty, sweet and nutty.
Don’t look for these foods in conventional American supermarkets, although the big chains’ inventory of exotic ingredients is improving every year.
Instead, plan an expedition to one of the Colorado markets that cater to the relocated residents of the Middle East, Asia, Russia, Africa and the Balkan states.
Sprinkled throughout the state, the international grocery markets have established a solid presence in east Denver and Aurora, particularly in the South Parker Road and Havana Street strip malls that once were blander than cottage cheese.
Most of the shops tend to be tiny and packed to bursting. The aisles are narrow, with bins brimming with ripe produce that’s often less expensive than that at the chain supermarkets, and shelves crammed with bags and cans of the ingredients crucial for from-scratch donar kebab, lamb vindaloo, uppuma, berbere sauce, grilled unagi, bulk spices and other specialties.
Look for excellent imported specialty rice that will forever banish Uncle Ben’s from the home pantry. Ask what kind of fresh-baked breads the shop carries. Seek out the extraordinary, addicting flatbreads and yeast breads. Try a square of flaky, chewy Turkish katmer.
One downside: Apart from the locally made products, like the breads and superlative hummus, shopping at international markets is at the opposite extreme of the buy-local movement.
Salve that guilt by carpooling with a friend or two, and bringing reusable bags. Visiting H Mart is a journey all by itself, like stepping into a Hong Kong marketplace — especially when the rice cake machine is popping out pie-sized rice cakes as noisily as a shootout at the O.K. Corral.
Shopping globally
Some of the international markets in Colorado:
Nazar International Market
1842 S. Parker Road, Aurora; 303-750-8875
Middle Eastern foods, spices and condiments, halal meats, fresh breads including Turkish Katmer flatbread and pita
International Market
2020 S. Parker Road, Denver; 303-695-1090
Middle Eastern, Turkish, African and Indian foods and spices, halal meats, fresh Ethiopian injera bread, pita, sesame bread and baked treats
Arash International Market
2720 S. Parker Road, Aurora; 303-752-9272
H Mart (Han Ah Reum Mart)
2751 S. Parker Road, Aurora; 303-745-4592
Middle East Market
2254 S. Colorado Blvd., Denver; 303-756-4580
Spices, condiments, meat, variety of rices, frozen foods, dates, housewares
Edris International Market
3126 S. Parker Road, Aurora; 303-368-1200
Middle Eastern, African and south Indian products, produce, halal meat and fish counter to open soon
Pacific Ocean International Marketplace
2200 W. Alameda Ave., Denver; 303-936-4845
Vietnamese, Chinese and other Asian products, fresh produce, fresh and frozen fish and meat, condiments (dark sesame paste), dried seaweed, Asian candies and snacks, housewares and Chinese New Year novelties
Oriental Food Market
1750 30th St. No. 84, Boulder; 303-442-7830
Asian, Indonesian, Indian and Japanese packaged products and condiments
Pacific Ocean Marketplace
6600 W. 120th Ave., Broomfield; 303-410-8168
Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Indonesian, Filipino, and Indian products (pasta, rice, crackers, condiments, canned goods), excellent fish counter and meat department including Peking duck, extensive produce department
Asian Pacific Market
615 Wooten Road, Colorado Springs; 719-573-7500
Japanese (including sushi-grade fish), Philippine, Indian, Malaysian and other Asian canned, packaged and frozen products
Seoul Market
2499 S. Academy Blvd., Colorado Springs; 719-570-9999
Korean prepared and packaged foods (ban chan, dashida, kim chee, kim bap) and other Asian products, housewares
Oasis International Market
1643 S. College Ave., Fort Collins; 970-221-3585
Middle Eastern and Mediterranean packaged and canned products, meat department, no produce
Oriental Grocery Store
710 E. Magnolia St., Fort Collins; 970-482-3665
Hawaiian, Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, Philippine and Korean products, including homemade kim chi and frozen fish
Carol’s Oriental Food & Gifts
2814 North Ave., Grand Junction; 970-245-3286
Thai, Chinese, Philippine and Japanese ingredients and cookware
