Avocado deal! Value at ethnic grocers

The Latin American supermercado, La Morenita, has a translated placard under its name that reads “meat market,” and sure enough, there is a substantial supply of beef, pork, chicken and fish inside. But ultimately, it’s a misleading moniker given the vast amount of tropical produce and other grocery items here, too. The store’s eastern quadrant is well-endowed with fruits and veggies for Central and South American cooking, including generous displays of bananas, plantains, tamarind pods, tomatoes, several types of cactus, fresh and dried peppers, mangos, green coconuts, long beans, avocados, limes, tomatillos and so on. What’s more, these items are often priced at a fraction of what you’ll pay elsewhere. Avocados at La Morenita range from $.50 to $1.19 each, depending on size. Limes are as low as 10 for $.99, and fresh tomatillos fetch $.89 per pound. The phenomenon extends to the city’s other international markets as well. Lemongrass can be hard to find and expensive, but at the Asian grocery Vinh Phat, a fresh bunch is $1. It proves the point that if you can work in a visit to an ethnic grocer, you’re rewarded with both new ideas and value.