There’s something comforting about being able to eat familiar food from an African country. Whether it’s the slightly lemony taste of Ethiopian injera, the softness of Zimbabwean satza, or the spiciness of West African jollof rice, you’re sure to find something to enjoy the flavors of home. Not to mention delicious soups and other delicacies. But even if you want to eat these foods, it can be frustrating when you can’t get them or recreate them due to a lack of fresh, authentic ingredients. If you’re visiting Kitchener, Ontario, Canada for the first time, this guide to buying the best African Caribbean groceries will help you get used to the environment and feel at home while satisfying your appetite.
MyChopChop.ca
@mychopchop.ca
For many people, commuting to the grocery store isn’t always easy. That’s where MyChopChop’s Canada-wide shipping service comes in, saving you time and effort. They are Canada’s leading online African grocery store offering a seamless online shopping and checkout experience. Even though it’s web-based, there’s not much difference. MyChopChop offers everything you can find in a brick-and-mortar store.
SMK African Foods
206-C King St. East, Kitchener
@smk.africanfoods
This long-established grocer has been around for many years and is a family-run business located on King Street in the heart of the city. Conveniently located near the heart of downtown Kitchener and close to the farmers market, it’s a busy spot for those looking to get their hands on African groceries. Products range from miscellaneous goods to meat products.
Oma fresh food
200 Highland Road West, Kitchener
@omafreshfoods
Oma Fresh Foods was formerly known as Kishki World Foods and its motto is to help customers bring back the memories of ‘taste of home’ through their products. We carry a wide selection of Indian, South Asian, African and Caribbean groceries. Not only that, it’s a very large halal supermarket with a fairly large butcher shop.
Okay’s Tropical Supermarket
2399 Kingsway Drive, Unit 5A, Kitchener
You’ll find fresh ingredients here for all your favorite Caribbean and West Indies foods. They also sell snacks such as Jamaican patties, and are known for meats such as goat, chicken, and oxtail. Please visit our store and enjoy the delicious food.
Midat ​​African Caribbean Market
299 Lancaster Street West, Kitchener
@midat_afrocaribbean
Midat ​​offers a wide selection of fresh, high-quality ingredients in a clean, welcoming environment. Their customer service and hospitality is top notch and a reminder of the positive energy of the community. This spacious store offers a wide variety of products, making it a great place for those living in Kitchener-Waterloo.
In Kitchener, almost all of these stores sell African Caribbean groceries, plus some really great packaged drinks and beverages. I have fond memories of making Milo hot chocolate using Nidomilk when I was a child. It was so fun to come to Canada and find these products in some of the stores here. Anyway, I wanted to leave you with a recipe for a sorrel drink that I love to make. Although it is very different from hot chocolate, I also grew up with this drink and it is especially made on important celebratory occasions. I will post the recipe below.
material:
- 8 cups dried sorrel
- 2 cups sliced ​​pineapple
- 12 cups water
- 3 orange peels
- 2 cups white granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons grated ginger
direction:
- Boil 10-12 cups of water. Then add the sorrel, orange zest, pineapple and ginger to the boiling water. Leave for up to 2 hours before infusing. If you’re patient enough, leave it to soak for up to 24 hours to bring out all the flavors.
- Strain the sorrel through a sieve and add sugar to the liquid. Taste for both flavor and sweetness, add more water if it’s too strong, and sugar if needed.
- Pour the sorrel drink into a glass jug and put it in the refrigerator. Serve chilled. Ice is optional.
Which of the following grocery stores are you thinking about going to? Would you like to try a recipe?
Source: Jamila Kyari Co. – jamilakyari.com
