Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Cheap Groceries at Ethnic Markets

The Topic: Filling up your grocery bags at ethnic markets (and saving tons of money while at it) by VegNews Editorial Assistant Alexandra Chang.

The Dish: It’s true that buying groceries and eating in is cheaper than going out, but there’s also a significant price difference between buying groceries at Whole Foods or Safeway and getting the same veg-friendly products at an ethnic market. Here in San Francisco, ethnic market tends to mean any of the dozens of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Mexican, and Indian markets throughout the city. But even if you’re not in a metropolis, there’s probably at least one ethnic grocer near where you live. Though they might be a bit intimidating at first, the rewards are completely worth it.

1. Basics First: For grains, noodles, and beans, these markets have the best deals by far. I grew up eating rice at every dinner, and have fond memories of lugging bags bigger than my torso into the trunk of the car. My family of five went through a 50-pound bag in a few months, but now I can hardly get through five pounds in that time. For $30 at any Asian market, 50-pounds—around 250 uncooked cups—lasts forever for one person. You’ll also find packs of eight single-serving shaped rounds of dried noodles for 99-cents. And beans? The prices at Mexican grocers are insanely affordable.

2. Milk and Meat Replacements: Every Asian market has at least a few brands and varieties of tofu. Larger grocery stores like 99 Ranch have more than a dozen. Silken, extra-firm, baked, seasoned, or fried, because it’s such a cultural staple, tofu goes for cheap. You can even afford to experiment with different types—I love extra-firm and baked tofu—in your favorite recipes. Non-dairy milk is also plentiful, ranging from unsweetened rice to chocolate soy, all for at least one-third less than natural foods markets.

3. Spice up a Meal: I went to a big chain grocery market recently (as a last resort for some Earth Balance) and saw tiny containers of spices priced at $8.99. Granted they were organic and fancily packaged, there is no reason for a savvy vegan to purchase such items when just as satisfying spices reside in the aisles of any ethnic market at one-eighth the cost or less. The same goes for premade sauces—soy, black bean, vegetarian BBQ, and all. It’s simple and cheap to achieve the layered taste of a great Indian curry or prepare a delicious Chinese stir-fry.

4. Produce Galore: Though you may not be able to afford kale from natural food stores or farmers’ markets on a daily basis, you will be able to stuff your cart full at ethnic markets. At my favorite neighborhood produce joint, kale is only 99-cents per bunch. Usually steep-priced special veggies are also discounted, in particular those associated with the culture’s cuisine. Baby bok choy, Chinese broccoli, edamame, and various mushrooms are cheaper in Asian grocers, while Mexican grocers’ tend to have lower prices on peppers, olives, and avocados.

5. Surprise Treats: Ethnic markets aren’t only for your everyday staples; they’re a place to explore the variety of veg-friendly food items you’ve never tried or even seen before. Ever heard of basil seed drink or sweet sesame-filled rice balls? Or thought about adding pickled radishes and kimchi to your next meal? What might be considered specialty items at the standard grocery store are so common to certain cultures that they’re cheaper than buying a can of soda at Walgreens. Treat your taste buds to new flavors, without hurting your wallet.

The Final Word: Seeing the total amount at the checkout stand of ethnic markets never fails to surprise, in the best of ways. So if you’re on a budget and looking for regular grocery items or wanting to cook up a fantastic meal from another culture, then add ethnic markets—may they be Asian, Mexican, Indian, or other—to your grocery shopping rounds.

19 comments:

  1. Most of those products have travelled pretty far from where they were produced to your SF market. The "cheap" price tags do not reflect the high carbon footprint...that's an additional cost that is not being incorporated into what you pay.

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  2. good luck finding anything organic at these markets.

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    Replies
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  3. farmers' markets are actually a better bet, and do have cheap organic prices, including 99 cent kale.

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  4. I agree with the comment re "cheap"-sauces may have genetically modified ingredients and or be laced with high fructose corn syrup in its myriad forms. In fact rice (mentioned in the article) has been shown to contain high levels of pesticides if not organic see http://organic.lovetoknow.com/Foods_That_Are_Important_to_Buy_Organic for more info...I agree that affording food is important but so is our own health and the welfare of those that produce us for us (cheap veggies are often a result of cheap labor and harsh, sometimes life threatening, work environments)

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  5. This was talking about cheap vegan food. Not necessarily organic or low carbon footprint (ethnic foods..). Farmers markets are always a great idea of to get local and sometimes organic foods that are healthy for your body but lets not hate on the article for it staying on topic. We all have great ideas, lets share them positively while thanking the author for giving us his or her excellent suggestion on how to make our dollar go father and add a little culture to our lives. :)

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  6. Whoa guys, these are some good ideas.No need to start picking apart whether or not all the stuff is organic.I'm sorry but I can't afford to buy organic everything. I think it's more improtantto make sure that I'm eating kale rather than makiing sure it's organic kale. Organic red peppers are $3-4 each...yikes. no can do.I need to make meals for 4 people 3 times a day the only thing I will reliably get organic is soy. Everything else is a case by case basis.I think not avoiding animal products and gmo soy is the best my family can do right now and I'm ok with that.

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  7. The author is right on about Asian markets being more affordable than major supermarkets. I have to focus on feeding myself and 4 others. I love to buy food from local farmer's markets, but cannot buy everything there. The Asian and Mexican markets is a great place for all on a tight budget.

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  8. Agreed with the last Anon. I frequent ethnic markets (mostly Asian) not for organic foods, but because I love the cuisine, the items are wayyy cheaper than in your mainstream grocery, and it's an education as well. I never knew what was or had a banh mi sandwich until I bought one from the local Asian market. Now, I can't get enough. You learn about a culture from its food. And yes, tofu and veggies are loads less expensive at my "secret" little store. Thank you to the author for clearly stating what I've agreed with all along!

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  9. For those of you who like to make block "uncheese" recipes, you can find agar flakes much cheaper at Asian grocery stores!

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  10. I agree WRT to the concerns about the lack of local/organic, but that doesn't stop me from shopping at such places entirely. A great find that the author doesn't mention is that a lot of Asian markets have other "mock meats" besides tofu. Mine, for instance, has mushroom "chicken" that is vegan and delicious. The tofu jerkies at some Asian markets are also phenomenal.

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  11. Thanks for the great post. These are wonderful tips!
    Despite the haters I cannot afford organic right now or to go exclusively local so I just have to look for what is good for me that I can afford. So thank you for these tips.

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  12. Most soybeans in the U.S. are GMO and can be grown as a rotation crop for cotton - HUGE pesticide load. You can avoid both of those issues by buying organic soy products. Asian markets typically do not stock organic soy products

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  13. Why you may not want to buy faux meats from Asian markets:

    http://beforewisdom.com/blog/veganism/faux-meat-from-taiwan/

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  14. Just went to my local asian market today - bought my favorite - their homemade prepared tofu. Since I was set on the basics for a while, I decided to try out a few new items as well. Always a fun grocery trip!

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  15. Sorry to be a downer here, but you really need to be careful of "cheap" food imported from other countries. If you look at the ingredient lists you'll find nasty things like HFC, MSG, artificial colors and flavors, and scary preservatives. And, sorry to tell you, no matter what the label says, the powdered coconut cream always has some form of dairy-derived ingredient in it to keep it from clumping up. There is no vegan alternative available at this time. :( I'm glad I read the beforewisdom.com blog as I've always been suspicious of the sparse ingredient list on most mock meats imported from Asia. One more thing, then I'll leave on a high note: don't be seduced into buying a 50-lb. bag of rice unless you plan on sharing it with friends. It is hard to store a bag that big for a long period of time without inviting pests and pathogens into your home. OK, here's the good news: the agar flakes are way cheaper and you can always get deals on non-organic produce that is not on the "Dirty Dozen" list. As a general rule, produce in season is always cheaper and tastier. Nothing wrong with frozen either. :)))

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  16. I totally agree on the rice - I always buy 40lb bags of rice, for $25 for so and it's a great deal. I'm Asian though so I do eat a lot of rice!!!

    @Alyssa - I store my rice in a giant airtight storage container, which I keep on a bottom shelf in my kitchen. Giant clean painters bins from Home Depot also work well (this is what my parents use, for example). I've never had a problem with pests. But I agree, you can't just leave an open bag lying around.

    Although I am not vegan myself (yet?) I am trying to eat less meat for health, sustainability and financial reasons. This has been a good site so far! Thanks!

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  17. Keep writing like this, and you will be well-known in no time.

    organic soybean meal

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