Independent International Food Shops

Diversity at Dinner Time: Nottingham’s Best Independent International Food Shops

Christina Giallombardo tells us all about the best international supermarkets in Nottingham and how they can really make a difference when it comes to trying new and exciting dishes.

Growing up in an Italian household, I never experimented much with cuisine other than Mediterranean. So, when I came to Nottingham and discovered a plethora of alternative and international food shops, it really opened my horizons. Since then, I have started to cook more dishes from Asia, and I’ve tried a lot of different things such as ayran and a Turkish bread called simit.

Sure, you can find vegetables and spices in your normal supermarkets like Tesco or Lidl, but the selection of authentic ingredients and foods you can find at international food shops is often larger and at lower prices. By visiting these shops, you’re also supporting smaller businesses that were impacted the most during lockdown.

One cuisine I really enjoy cooking is Korean food, and Oriental Mart is the perfect place to get all your ingredients. Located right in the centre of Hockley near the Lace Market Tram stop, here you can buy authentic frozen, fresh and dried foods from not only Korea but China, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan to name a few. You can also snack on signature food from East Asia such as mochi and pocky, as well as get fresh kimchi - a staple in Korean cuisine.

Just down the road, there’s also the Murat Food Centre in Sneinton: an international food market that especially caters to Turkish, Polish, Indian and Pakistani food. There you can get fresh fruit and veg and a wide selection of meat (including halal). If you’re a chilli lover then this is the place to go – I’ve never seen so many chillies in one place! I’m still working on improving my spice tolerance, but I really enjoy adding some heat to my dishes. At Murat, you can even get some fresh Turkish bread and baklava. It’s only a short walk from the Lace Market Tram stop too, so it’s very accessible to get to and bring your shopping home from.

The Kaya Food Market in Radford is a great place to visit for Eastern European cuisine. They also have a wide selection of produce from so many other different countries, including everywhere from Iran to Turkey. The selection of specialised spices is a lot better than Sainsbury’s or Tesco, and there’s loads of veg at low prices too. If you’re interested in cooking South Asian food, Mogal Express in Radford is a great place to visit. They have a wide range of foods, including lots of spices and the biggest onions I’ve ever seen! It’s a great place to get some ingredients for a dahl or masala dosa.

With the fantastic selection of international food shops in Nottingham, it’s been great to try out new cuisines, and I’m looking forward to going home and introducing the dishes I’ve learnt to my family. It’s very different from the fusion BritishItalian food we’re used to cooking and, although my parents are a bit fussy, I know my brother will love to try all these new foods. Perhaps, just as it did for me, a visit to a couple of these shops will make for a fantastic new diversity in your cooking.

By Christina Giallombardo

Photography by Megan Wilde Page Design by Chiara Crompton