There's nothing better than making food from your native country on a rainy (or heatwavy) Dutch day. There's also nothing like sharing food from your country with your friends. However, where would you find the right ingredients and spices? Luckily, there's quite a few international supermarkets here!

Asian supermarkets

Groningen has several Asian-style supermarkets. The Asian-style markets are typically know as toko’s and there are several smaller toko’s throughout the city: at the Gedempte Zuiderdiep there’s Toko Melati which sells fresh foods, herbs and spices, rice and other food, snacks and also afro-cosmetics. There are several Toko’s on the Nieuwe Ebbingestraat and in the Korrewegwijk. Looking for Japanese tea or Saki, there’s is the Japanese store Batsu close to the Westerhaven. Finally, there’s the big gun: the Amazing Oriental store at the beginning of the Korreweg is a large Asian supermarket and it has everything. Also sells tonnes of food from other continents, so if you’ve been looking for all-American buttered popcorn or Fruit Loops, this is also the place for you.

Middle-Eastern supermarkets

The city also has several Middle-Eastern supermarkets. At the International Supermarket “Al Nour” in the Selwerd mall and at Nazar you can find Halal meats, Turkish bread, fresh vegetables and cheeses. Le Souk is wildy famous in Groningen - a North African baker and grocery store filled with olives, cheeses, hummus and dates. A great North-African Halal butcher can be found in the Steentilstraat - that sells cuts and types of meat less typically found at Dutch butchers. Paddepoel mall is also home to two Middle-Eastern grocery stores.

The Market

The Market on the Vismarkt Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays is also a good place to look for a range of products not normally available in the supermarket. Want some “Biltong”? Get it there. Missing “Pastel de Natas”? Markets the place to be.

Other stores

You shouldn’t miss out on the Russian shop Vjatka on the Nieuweweg - which offers a range of Russian and Balkan products from food and alcohol to souvenirs and beauty products. Similarly, there’s the Polski Smak store at the Nieuwe Ebbingestraat which sells Polish delicatessen. At the Basarz on the Vismarkt, you can find a range of Mediterranean foods and catering. If you’re looking for American foods and you cannot find them at the Amazing Oriental or America Today, then you may need to order those online. And finally, if you are in want of Scandinavian food? Try IKEA Groningen.

Where do you buy food from your home country? Give us the addresses cause we’re going to want to go!