Grocery stores in Toronto are an excellent representation of this city's multiculturalism and diversity. Whether looking for delicacies imported from another continent or hard-to-find spice blends and nostalgic snack foods from the motherland, there's a well-stocked store somewhere in the city for everyone's needs.
Here are my picks for the top grocery stores in Toronto by country.
ASIAN
T&T Supermarkets boasts seven locations in the GTA featuring a broad selection of Asian goods. Highlights include the live shellfish at the fish counter while the aisles are stocked with fresh produce and bakery items, instant noodles galore, snack foods, bottled teas and sodas, and an array of ready-to-eat hot food.
CARIBBEAN
Starfish Caribbean Market in the Weston-Mount Dennis neighbourhood is populated with essential Caribbean provisions. Head here for plantains and okra in the produce section, plus fresh fish and seafood, and imported dry goods, seasonings and sauces.
FILIPINO
Bernard's Pilipino Specialities occupies a modest-looking storefront in Parkdale. The shop stocks various dry goods and snacks from Southeast Asian countries along with freshly prepared Filipino specialties including ube-infused cakes, tocino, longanisa and crispy lechon.
GREEK
Kostas Meat Market & Deli and its adjacent bakery are the place to go when craving Kefalograviera and Kefalotyri cheeses, house-marinated souvlaki skewers, dips, imported dried goods, olives and olive oil. There's also frozen cheese and spinach pies along with everyday essentials.
INDIAN
Nuts, flour, and spices are the specialty at Trupti in East York. The importer is well known for roasting, grinding and blending spice mixes and also carries a range of snack foods including Bhel Mix, Channadal and Jeera Puri.
ISRAELI
Differentiating itself from other Middle Eastern grocers, Sababa imports products almost exclusively from Israel. This is the place to buy Bissli and Malt Star Beer, not to mention they bake pita on site and offer prepared foods like dips and salads along with falafel and shawarma sandwiches.
ITALIAN
Italian grocery items are hardly rare in Toronto, but for a truly excellent selection head to to Pasquale Bros. in Etobicoke. If you're looking for basics like canned tomatoes, pastas, olive oils, cheeses and cured meats, they've got it. And that's not to mention that imported Italian brands like Genesis (preserves including pesto and jam) and Fior di Maiella (dried beans and soup mixes) abound.
JAPANESE
Japanese grocer and gift shop Sanko Trading Co. has been serving Toronto since 1968 and is a fixture on Queen West. This is the place to find fresh wasabi, plus popular snack foods like Pocky, mochi, Ichiban instant noodles, and pantry staples including rice, vinegar and dashi.
KOREAN
Galleria Supermarket isn't the only Korean grocer in Toronto but earns big points for operating 24-hours. Find the shop jam packed with fresh vegetables, seafoods and prepared foods including kimchi, spicy rice cakes, gimbap (Korean sushi), and more.
LATIN AMERICAN
Perola Supermarket in Kensington Market is home to an array of products from Perú, Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina, El Salvador and México. Find the shop stocked with a wide variety of chili peppers, beverages like Postobón, Malta polar and Inka cola, sweets like Turrón de Doña Pepa, Chocolate Garoto and dulce de leche, pan de queso, and other essentials of a Latin kitchen.
MIDDLE EASTERN
Adonis in Scarborough is a one stop shop for Middle Eastern eaters. The best stuff is around the perimeter of the store, including bulk nuts and olives, soft cheeses, halal meats, baklava and hot foods. The massive automated pita-baking operation at the heart of the shop is impressive too.
PERSIAN
Khorak Supermarket (or Super Khorak as I like to call it) is home to fresh barbari bread, spices, fresh produce, and a pretty awesome hot table stocked with stewed meats and rice dishes.
POLISH
Smoked fish, bulk pickles and sauerkraut, kielbasa, and rows upon rows of imported products from Europe are among the main attractions at Starsky.
PORTUGUESE
Nosso Talho is a Portuguese grocer and butcher shop that's been a fixture in Bloorcourt since 1974 (there's also a location in Little Portugal). Shoppers here know to stock up on hard-to-find products like São Jorge cheese, chourico and bacalhau (salted cod).
RUSSIAN
Yummy Market in North York (and Richmond Hill) is a massive supermarket specializing in goods imported from Russia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland. Browse the aisles here for Tvorog (quark), pelmeni (dumplings), borscht and more.
SPANISH
Mercat del Carmen on Queen West is a cafe and marketplace where the shelves are stocked with a mix of imports and house-made products including canned seafoods and olives, spirals of merguez sausage, blocks of manchego cheese, house-made taro chips, roasted nuts, canned tomato sauce, olive oils, and freshly spun aioli.
TURKISH
Marche Istanbul on Dufferin near Orfus Road is a treasure trove of imported goods. Find the shop stocked with Koska brand jams, Peyman dried fruits and nuts, ETi biscuits and snack foods, bulk items, and more.
What did I miss? Add your favourite international grocery store in the comments.
by Liora Ipsum via blogTO
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