Window Shopper.... (Grocery Shopping in the Italian Market)

Lupita Grocery

Tepeyac

   In order the task of making molé at home, you first need to be able to find supplies. While there is great quality and shopping variety to be found for most things in traditional supermarkets, this requires specialized shopping. The benefit of living in ethnically diverse cities is the ability to find the ingredients necessary in cooking these dishes. Though I have been able to find pockets of Latin residents throughout Philadelphia, I will limit most of my shopping to the Italian Market area .

Puebla Meat Market

Tortilleria y San Roman

 

   The Italian market has been the center of the “gravy belt” in Philly for a very long time. in recent years because of the low cost of housing the surrounding areas have began to attract an influx of Asian and Hispanic immigrants. With the influx of new residents, various entrepreneurs have opened stores which carry the items necessary to give these immigrants a taste of home. These store fronts have provided the rest of Philadelphia’s residents with the opportunity to share in these authentic flavors. I for one am excited by this although one local businessman doesn’t like the languages in which some of the new residents order their cheese steaks. FTG (fuck that guy).

   All along 9th street you will find restaurants and non-descript bodegas that will carry everything for your molé making needs. From produce, nuts, seeds and dried chilés to a selection of paste from Mexico that just need the addition of stock. . I was also lucky enough to find a place in Philadelphia that makes fresh tortillas daily.  There is also a bakery that makes fresh churros a.k.a the breakfast of champions.

Enjoy your shopping!

The Skinny Fat Kid