In cities of any size, you can usually find grocery stores catering to various types of cuisine or ethnicity.
I love browsing through these. Whenever we're in Windsor, Alan and I stop in at La Stella in little Italy. Other cities - other shops.
The foods, the labels, the different sights and smells. Often, recent immigrants looking for a taste of home will be shopping as well, chatting in their first language. I always feel like I've taken a mini-vacation to whatever country the shop specializes in.
If the people working there have a good grasp of English, you can ask for tips on preparing and serving some unfamiliar foods. And sometimes, they'll give you a sample of something tasty.
Of course, temptation always abounds. And it might be a good idea to hold off on buying that industrial size can of bamboo shoots, or the container of marinated seafood salad until you've got a reliable recipe for it.
On the other hand, compared to the cost of a plane ticket, fifty bucks for a jar of squid tentacles and other interesting bits seems a bit of a bargain....
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