A World of Bargains

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Discovering H Mart

The food we eat is one of the defining aspects of who we are, experiencing an ethnic supermarket for the first time is both a learning experience, and a great way to become immersed in new foods and cultures.

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Drewno can pick out the differences because he is versed in Asian ingredients, but less-experienced shoppers often find the sheer number of unfamiliar items intimidating.

Heather Choi started giving informal tours of H Mart for that very reason. She thinks H Mart and other such stores are experiencing increasing sales because more people are using Asian ingredients, which are hard to find elsewhere. However, "I realized many non-Asian customers need help getting what they wanted," she said. "Even if the customer representative speaks English well, sometimes he or she may not know the ingredient in different languages. For example, Japanese nori, Korean gimm and Chinese hai tai are the same thing." (In addition to Korean and English, Choi speaks some Japanese.)

As he winds through the produce section, past Chinese sweet potatoes, Korean pears, lotus stems and Fuyu persimmons, Drewno says he appreciates the store's global appeal. "They're for South Americans, Indians, Thai, Vietnamese, Koreans, Chinese. . . . It's a world market, really."

Drewno points out an Indian bitter melon and tindora squash, often used in making curries. Nearby sits a box overflowing with fresh cactus paddles, a few steps away from an entire aisle of products from Goya, the company specializing in Latin foods. "Here's pacaya. It's pickled date palm," he says. "These are delicious for chili relleno."

No matter what community it's aimed at, the produce ranges from extremely inexpensive to on par with prices at other local markets. Wide assortments of bell peppers, which Choi says are "still expensive" at H Mart, fetch $1.49 to $3.50 a pound (for three to five peppers), compared with $2.99 a pound at Whole Foods and 99 cents each at Giant. Mounds of Sicilian, Italian and Chinese eggplants cost $1.60 a pound, compared with $2.49 at Whole Foods and $2.50 at Giant. Lemons are five for $1, compared with 79 cents apiece at Whole Foods and 89 cents apiece at Giant.

Unlike an eco-conscious store such as Whole Foods, however, H Mart is not upfront about the origin of all of its products, which might not sit well with shoppers wary of Chinese imports after recent food-safety scares. H Mart representatives would not clarify how many of the store's products come from China, but spokesman Jimmy Kim says suppliers are located all over the world, "though New York-Pennsylvania produce markets supply a bulk of the Virginia produce."

"We work hard to find the freshest and least expensive sources for all of our products," Kim says. "This is what we do best and why we can offer the lowest prices."

Despite the variety (or perhaps because of it), shopping at these markets can be akin to trying to find the perfect outfit at Filene's Basement or TJ Maxx. "It can be hit or miss," Karoum says. "And weekends can be crazy at these places." He emphasizes knowing what you're there for before walking through the door.

Karoum steers away from live fish in tanks; he doesn't approve of big farm-raised fish kept in small spaces. But he does buy live crustaceans, particularly lobsters and crabs, "provided they're lively," an indication of freshness and health.

On his recent visit, Karoum goes right for the whole fish closest to the fishmonger. Clear-eyed, fresh tilapia lists at $4.59 a pound. Fluke is "of sashimi quality. Very, very beautiful," he says. Red snapper costs $5.99 a pound, and lively blue crabs are $2.99 apiece, compared with $19.99 a pound and $5.99 apiece, respectively, at Whole Foods. (Giant did not have either in stock.)

In the meat section, the variety continues, with popular cuts being oxtail; osso buco; brisket; and flank, rib-eye and skirt steaks.

"There are so many more cuts available from an Asian butcher than an American or European one," says Choi, showing off bone-in and boneless osso buco. Then she pulls two cuts of short ribs. "This is L.A. style," she says of the long-cut, boneless meat. She prefers short and stubby Korean-style cuts with the bone in. They may take longer to cook, but "they're more traditional," she says.

In each store's periphery, shoppers can find one or two aisles of American products: cereals, Hershey's cocoa, Chef Boyardee and more Spam than one would ever hope to have. And though the list prices are on par with Safeway's or Giant's -- a 17-ounce box of Honey Nut Cheerios is $4.19 and Frosted Flakes is $4.15 -- many goods are marked down. All cereal was $2.99 on multiple visits.

As for dry goods and condiments, Drewno suggests buying a few familiar things, then trying new ones, too. The noodle aisle is his favorite. Someone who is noodle illiterate might find the section dizzying, but Drewno riffs on recipes like a mentalist recites numbers from a phone book. Japanese soba, Vietnamese sweet potato noodles, rice noodles, glass noodles made with mung beans: "Noodles are really an art form," he says.

Condiments are a draw for consumers of every ethnicity at H Mart and stores like it. At a conventional grocery store, shoppers might find one or two brands, but here they come in varieties akin to the 10 to 15 pinot grigio offerings in an average wine shop.

Items are arranged in ways that might mystify a Westerner. At one H Mart, soy sauces run from dark and malty Chinese to lighter Japanese styles, while another store stocks primarily Korean brands.

And then there are the exotic items of legend at H Mart, such as the infamous durian, a spiky, foul-smelling fruit that, when opened, has the consistency of custard. "If you can get by the smell, it has a really succulent flavor," Drewno says.

Choi steers clear. She talks up another produce legend, the litchi. Made famous by a favorite concubine of an 8th-century emperor, the small, round fruit with a dark rind and a haunting perfume is credited with cultivating her beauty and sensuality. So although litchi season is months away, who can blame women who seek them out year-round? Perhaps that's why they're available in the frozen section of every store.

Melissa McCart writes the Counter Intelligence blog at http://melissamccart.wordpress.com.