Reykjavík Grapevine - sep. 2020, Blaðsíða 34

Global But Make
It Local
A comprehensive !uide to independent,
international !rocery stores in Reykjavik
Words: Shruthi Basappa Photos: Art Bicnick
If you are a new Icelander crav-
ing a taste of home, chances are
mainstream stores don’t quite cut
it. But fear not, as Reykjavík’s lo-
cal supermarkets bring the world
to your doorstep. The produce is
fresh, varied and seasonal, all year
around. And if you’ve lived here
long enough, you know this is man-
na from heaven.
Afrozone
Mon to Sat: 10-18.30
Lóuhólar 4
Catering to a diverse clientele with
overlapping interests, Afrozone is
both a supermarket purveying West
African food products as well as a
hair care one-stop shop for Afro-
textured hair. Patience Karlsson is
the vivacious proprietor and a su-
perb Ghanaian cook herself.
Here you can pick up all the
ingredients for fufu with Ghana-
ian peanut soup. From the cas-
sava flour, to red palm oil (please
read Yewande Komolofe’s excellent
piece, ‘The problems with palm oil
don’t start with my recipes’ before
you @ me) and peanuts in all its av-
atars—shelled, whole and roasted
are all jostling for space with spice
mixes and pastes.
A small but fresh selection of
fruits and vegetables arrive like
clockwork and if you aren’t fast,
they’ll run out of fresh okra and
the juiciest sweet summer man-
goes, as I’ve learnt the hard way.
Oblong egg-shell like aubergines,
smooth bottle gourd, bright orange
scotch bonnets and habaneros, long
brown cassava roots, plantains by
the dozen (once you’ve tried fried
sweet plantains, there’s no going
back), tender coconut and whole
jackfruit all regularly make an ap-
pearance at Afrozone. I’d also factor
in extra time in your shopping trip
for a chat with Patience; it’s always
a good idea.
Dai Phat Asian
Supermarket
Mon-Sat: 11-20, Sun: 12-19.30
Faxafen 14
If there was one jealously guarded
supermarket, it’d be Dai Phat. New-
comers are intimidated and regu-
lars comforted by the sheer range
of wares here.
The observant shopper will no-
tice that the aisles are loosely ar-
ranged by cuisine, with Korean at
one end, Thai at the other, and Chi-
nese, Vietnamese and a smattering
of Indian in between. Chances are
you will invariably leave with an in-
gredient or product you didn’t know
existed and will come to love.
It’s best to build a pantry of
soy sauces (dark, light, sweet and
sticky), black vinegar and coco-
nut vinegar for dumplings and fi-
ery vindaloo. Be sure to pick up at
least two jars of Lao Gan Ma crispy
chilli oil, as old Chinese legend has
it that failing to do so will invite
bad luck—with 2020 going the way
it has, well, you’ve been warned.
There’s also a universe of instant
noodles, fermented Korean chilli
pastes and a wonderful selection
of dried foods, from papery white
teeny shrimp to cloves of dried lily
buds (both add a delightful crunch).
From the freezer, choose from
chive pancakes, dumplings that
surpass your feeble attempts at
home (wrappers for the masoch-
istic home cook are also available)
and tropical fruit and veggies to
free you from the horrors of Bónus’
melons.
The coolers are another door-
way to shattered notions. Yes, fresh
coriander really is that citrusy fra-
grant. Yes, the roots and stems are
to be devoured. Sawtooth coriander
is a thing. Shimeji and enoki mush-
rooms do not cost your kidney. Taro
mochi exists and it will change your
life.
And regulars, relax. As you can
see, I haven’t spilled all the beans.
Fiska
Mon-Sat: 11-18, Sun:
12-17N'bylavegur 6 and Lóuhólar
2-6
The grand daddy of all things Thai,
Fiska has long been importing
the whole spectrum of Thai curry
pastes, sauces and condiments
alongside an equally abundant se-
lection of frozen seafood. They were
definitely one of the pioneers in ad-
dressing the lacuna in the limited
grocery selections.
A firm favourite with both
restaurateurs and home cooks,
what makes Fiska tick are their
rotation of inventory and hard to
beat pricing. Their initial Thai
selection has expanded to a decent
Indian, Japanese and Korean pantry.
In their original Kolaporti! outpost
circa 2013, they even sold handmade
fresh Vietnamese noodles!
From chapati flour, to fresh Thai
basil, Fiska’s coolers, freezers and
shelves beckon.
What I wouldn’t leave without are
Thai condiments, tamarind paste,
good quality fish sauce, bags of aged
and new rice (pick from jasmine,
sticky, glutinous, long grain, Thai
and Indian varieties) and tins of
desi sweets and dried fish snacks
that can elevate mundane weekday
meals. I’d also keep an eye out for
fresh Durian, a veritable treat even
for the faint-hearted.
Heilsuval
Heilsuval, Mon to Sat: 10-16,
Laugavegur 178
Given the local popularity of
Mexican cuisine, you’d be forgiven
for thinking there was a taqueria
at every corner and that ‘Mexican
cheese’ and Santa Maria seasoning
existed only in the dark alleys of a
feverish nightmare.
Afrozone
Food
FISH & MORE
SkólavörDustígur 23 • 101 reykjavík
Steamed Fresh Fish, Traditional Icelandic Fish ‘Stew’, Fish & Vegan Soups,
Smoked Salmon & Vegan Toppings on Sourdough Bread, Beer, Wine, Coffee & more
15% DISCOUNT
SALKA VALKA
15% discount of total bill, every day
IF you bring this ticket
Laugavegi 28
537 99 00
sumac@sumac. is
sumac. is