The top international grocery stores in Toronto are truly a blessing. Where else can we find things like authentic porchetta, proper challa, or adobo goods in a can? Grocery stores like these are one of the best reasons to love this city.
Asian
T&T's five locations have always served as one-stop shops for Asian Canadians. It was doing so well, Loblaws acquired it in 2009, and it’s since become a little more accessible for non-Chinese speaking buyers looking for Asian groceries and houseware goods.
Balkans
Head to the family-run Mrakovic Deli in Etobicoke for their amazing selection of Eastern European meats and find rare items like stelja (smoked sheep) and ajvar (red pepper relish).
Caribbean
The best thing about Aunt Elsie's in Scarborough is that it's both a hot counter and a grocery store. Boxes of Allan's spicy beef patties, Caribbean hot sauce and bottles of coconut water straight from Jamaica are all available here, plus phenomenal ready -to-eat jerk chicken.
Ethiopian
For berbere and all your other favourite Ethiopian spices, head to Desta Market on the Danforth. Everything you need for your Ethiopian meal from injera to ready-made misir wot are available here for good prices.
Aunt Elsie's provides both groceries and Caribbean hot foods to go. Photo by Hector Vasquez.
Filipino
You can’t beat Seafood City, a small but jam-packed grocery store in Mississauga delivering everything Pinoy. It also has a food court area at the front for you to nom on some fried chicken or ube shakes mid-grocery haul.
French
Get your baguettes at Douce France at Yonge and Eglinton. Everything in this store is organized by region in France, and they have a delicious assortment of croissants and other baked goods – some gluten-free – for you to try.
German
The pretzels at Dimpflmeier Bakery are top sellers at this cash-only Etobicoke store. A family-run bakery, they make their German baked goods with natural Terra Cotta spring water, not that yucky Toronto H20.
Greek
Kostas is primarily a meat market in Scarborough but it also has imported cheeses from Greece like feta and kefalotyri as well as tons of authentic goods like marinated octopus and souvlaki.
Indian
In-store blended spices at Trupti are ground in a variety of ways to achieve the best flavours, which is what makes this Thorncliffe Park store smell so damn good.
Israeli
Nortown Foods on Eglinton West has been providing the neighbourhood with potato latkes and matzah balls for over 50 years.
Adonis in Scarborough is the go to grocery store for Middle Eastern products. Photo by Jesse Milns.
Italian
A family-run butcher shop, Eddystone Meats is located in North York and has long been a go-to for Italian immigrant families. They’ve got tons of frozen pastas, sauces and soft drinks from Italy, but are most famous for their Abruzzi-style porchetta sold by the pound.
Japanese
For anything Nippon, J-Town in Markham is a must, so it makes sense that they’d have the best grocery store for Japanese foods. Heisei Mart is located in the complex and carries all your favourite Japanese candies, packaged foods and sodas.
Korean
With several locations around the city, Galleria is one of the most well-known Korean grocery stores in Toronto. They’ll often have sales on items like kimchi and spicy rice cakes, plus you’ll definitely be able to find your favourite hot pepper paste brands here.
Latin American
Located in Kensington Market, Perola's Supermarket is small but boasts a very diverse selection of authentic ingredients like dried chilis and hot sauces. They also serve pupusas and tacos, though wait times for those can stretch on forever due to big take-out orders.
Middle Eastern
Adonis is really the heavyweight champ when it comes to Middle Eastern products. This massive Scarborough grocery store is always packed with families during weekends. It even has a little bread factory in the middle of the store that runs all day.
Pakistani
The premier spot for Pakistani, Indian, and other Asian products, Iqbals in Thorncliffe Park has a reputation for being an exceptionally good halal butcher shop. Parking here can get messy but worth it for the meats.
Persian goods are for sale at Iranian supermarket Khorak in North York. Photo by Jesse Milns.
Persian
Rare imported products from Iran can be found at Khorak, a.k.a. Super Khorak, in North York. They offer all the Persian staples like flatbreads, halal meats, and cheeses.
Polish
With two locations in Mississauga and a couple more around the GTA, Starsky has proved itself to be a certified mainstay in the Polish community. Sausages here are aplenty, and popular Polish pickle brands can be found, sometimes in bulk.
Portuguese
Tavora in Corso Italia has evolved from a small mom-and-pop shop to a chain of markets that include a deli counter with chouricos, a favourite portuguese-style sausage, and black forest hams.
Russian
A massive grocery store by Dufferin and Finch, Yummy Market has an abundance of goods from all over Eastern Europe, including an on-site bakery. Groceries here include tvorog cheese, cured meats and a wide range of pickles.
Turkish
Located at Lawrence and Dufferin, Marche Instabul is chock full of Turkish goodies like candy and other houseware utensils like traditional coffee pots for brewing your coffee grinds. They also have hookahs for the nargile lovers.
by Tanya Mok via blogTO
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