Asian grocery stores have finally come out of the mom-and-pop woodwork and we now have a few to choose from. The competition is fierce with national chains muscling onto center stage with supersized stores and aggressive advertising. We’ve come a long way, baby! My mom recalls how she couldn’t even find soy sauce in the local Winn-Dixie grocery store and if there was rice, it was Minute Rice, “fluffy and not sticky!”  That’s how we ended up eating dishes like Pepper Steak and Rice-a-Roni and Hot Hunan Catfish. That’s what was available or what my parents caught in Lake Allatoona!

Georgia Asian Times compiled a helpful list of Asian groceries with notes. Several stores, like Assi, H-Mart and Hong Kong Supermarket now have multiple locations and there is a Cobb International Market on Spring Rd in Smyrna.

I have been to all of them. For me, proximity, variety and quality brands are the top factors.  It also depends on what you are looking for, e.g. meats and seafood, fresh produce, specific ethnic focus or good foodcourt eats.  I go most often  to Buford Highway Farmers Market (variety and quality) and Cobb International Farmers Market (proximity).

Regardless of which you choose, it can be a fun, adventurous experience.  If you want help navigating or are interested in our favorite products and “pantry essentials,” contact us for a group Asian Market tour.

We also have new events lined up at Buford Highway Farmers Market, click here for flyer