# What might I find in a Mexican grocery? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 26, 2012, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-i-find-in-a-mexican-grocery/620045 "2012-04-26T19:10:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-i-find-in-a-mexican-grocery/620045/21 "2012-04-26T20:10:49Z")
Somehow, I knew that was coming! šŸ˜› ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-i-find-in-a-mexican-grocery/620045/22 "2012-04-26T20:13:31Z")
Phone cards ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-i-find-in-a-mexican-grocery/620045/23 "2012-04-26T20:16:16Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Moved MPSIMS ā€“\> Cafe Society. > [@Cheez\_Whia](#): > > Somehow, I knew that was coming! šŸ˜› I wasnā€™t sure initiallyā€¦didnā€™t necessarily intend it to become a discussion about cuisine, but I guess it has taken its logical course! And now I also know that threads about food at 2:30 in the afternoon are a bad idea :smack: ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-i-find-in-a-mexican-grocery/620045/24 "2012-04-26T20:29:03Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > Candles with Jesus or the Blessed Virgin on them Specifically, Guadalupe. > [@pulykamell](#): > > For example, at my store you will find fresh tomatillos, guava, various mangos, Also, itā€™s where you can get frozen Goya products, such as maracuya (parcha) for making tropical fruit drinks from fruits that donā€™t get imported to the States. > [@Anne\_Neville](#): > > The disks of chocolate with cinnamon: eat them right out of the package. . . :eek: Just the idea makes me feel a little sick. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-i-find-in-a-mexican-grocery/620045/25 "2012-04-26T20:31:33Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > :eek: Just the idea makes me feel a little sick. Send them to me, then. ---
**Author:** ![cuberdon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/45deac/32.png) [@cuberdon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuberdon)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-i-find-in-a-mexican-grocery/620045/26 "2012-04-26T20:41:51Z")
Has no one mentioned paletas? ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-i-find-in-a-mexican-grocery/620045/27 "2012-04-26T20:42:17Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Because Iā€™m not one who is always comfortable immersing myself in unfamiliar situations šŸ˜ƒ Dude, itā€™s a grocery store, thereā€™s not really anything to immerse yourself in. Aisles of fresh, canned, frozen and/or packaged food, and then people who are waiting to take your money. Unless you make a scene a la **Eve** , they just want your moolah. Itā€™ll be okay. And hey, you might find some new thing you like! If you find tamarinds, either in [paste form](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Liz-VpvKDvo/S-hvvXDK2dI/AAAAAAAAEHY/NL7ta1dp7Xw/s1600/tamarind+block.jpg)or the [original bean](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fsC86MVVdt8/TtaVyHJceUI/AAAAAAAAKbg/EoncgaKiGxo/s1600/sweet-tamarind-pic.jpg), they upgrade any beef stew into Awesomeland. Oh, and here in north Texas, the Mexican grocery stores have waaaaayyyyy better prices on fresh food like produce and meat than the U.S. based chains. Thatā€™s reason enough to go. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-i-find-in-a-mexican-grocery/620045/28 "2012-04-26T21:22:17Z")
Iā€™ve found that a lot of the Mexican/Hispanic grocers around here are more likely to have dried beans and sometimes rice in bulk. And if you go through a lot of dried beans, this can save a lot of money. Some of the stores have bulk spices, too. The selection is usually different, and many products are labeled in Spanish. Sometimes theyā€™re also labeled in English, sometimes itā€™s Spanish only. The book and magazine section has Spanish language books and magazines, and rarely has English language offerings. Itā€™s entirely possible to conduct business without being able to speak Spanish, money talks in a way that most everyone understands. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-i-find-in-a-mexican-grocery/620045/29 "2012-04-26T21:29:57Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Because Iā€™m not one who is always comfortable immersing myself in unfamiliar situations šŸ˜ƒ Hehe, donā€™t feel bad. I went into a korean grocery, found a GREAT deal on a bag of frozen scallops, only to get home, try to cook them, and realize they werenā€™t scallops at all but some kind of discs made ofā€¦gluten, as far as I can tell. šŸ˜› I have a much easier time in hispanic stores. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-i-find-in-a-mexican-grocery/620045/30 "2012-04-26T21:31:13Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > About ten years ago I was thinking of moving to a town where the only nearby grocery store was Hispanic. I had cats at the time, and did not see any cat stuff: food, litter, etc. My high-school Spanish did not cover this, so I tried to ask the clerk using the universal language of mime. I pretended I was a cat, I squatted, I buried with my paws, I scooped. > > They asked me to leave. I laughed out loud. šŸ˜› ---
**Author:** ![stegon66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee59a6/32.png) [@stegon66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stegon66)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-i-find-in-a-mexican-grocery/620045/31 "2012-04-26T21:31:59Z")
My ex-wife didnā€™t like going to the local Mexican store because it ā€œsmelled foreign.ā€ She was more than happy to eat their burritos though! They also made awesome chorizo tacos. Mmmā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![mister\_nyx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@mister\_nyx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mister_nyx)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-i-find-in-a-mexican-grocery/620045/32 "2012-04-26T21:35:47Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Phone cards I came in here to say this. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-i-find-in-a-mexican-grocery/620045/33 "2012-04-26T21:47:27Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > I donā€™t know what to do with many of those new foods. Except tortillas, I know some things to do with those. Cook some chorizo. (Take the skin off first, since you want to break it up.) Cook some potatoes. Put some chorizo and potatoes into a tortilla. (Add scrambled eggs if you want, but I like just _choizo con papas_.) And thereā€™s your breakfast burrito. Or lunch burrito. Or snackage. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-i-find-in-a-mexican-grocery/620045/34 "2012-04-26T21:50:12Z")
A lot of Mexican stores around here have package deals on meat. So youā€™ll get a variety of, say, pork products, for a set price. Itā€™s usually not the best quality meat, no- but it is often a good deal. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-i-find-in-a-mexican-grocery/620045/35 "2012-04-26T21:51:29Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Cook some chorizo. (Take the skin off first, since you want to break it up.) Cook some potatoes. Put some chorizo and potatoes into a tortilla. (Add scrambled eggs if you want, but I like just _choizo con papas_.) And thereā€™s your breakfast burrito. Or lunch burrito. Or snackage. Your suggestion would be improved with the addition of salsa. šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-i-find-in-a-mexican-grocery/620045/36 "2012-04-26T21:54:40Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Your suggestion would be improved with the addition of salsa. šŸ˜‰ What, and dilute the chorizo spices? šŸ˜› I use salsa (and sometimes Vegemite) on all other breakfast burritos. But not _chorizo con papas_. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-i-find-in-a-mexican-grocery/620045/37 "2012-04-26T22:00:44Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > What, and dilute the chorizo spices? šŸ˜› > > I use salsa (and sometimes Vegemite) on all other breakfast burritos. But not _chorizo con papas_. Agree. Salsa=good. Chorizo=good. Salsa+chorizo=wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-i-find-in-a-mexican-grocery/620045/38 "2012-04-26T22:29:12Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > About ten years ago I was thinking of moving to a town where the only nearby grocery store was Hispanic. I had cats at the time, and did not see any cat stuff: food, litter, etc. My high-school Spanish did not cover this, so I tried to ask the clerk using the universal language of mime. I pretended I was a cat, I squatted, I buried with my paws, I scooped. > > They asked me to leave. This made my day. Thank you, Eve. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-i-find-in-a-mexican-grocery/620045/39 "2012-04-26T22:33:34Z")
Our hispanic grocery has a really large section of Goya food products. Goya ginger beer is about **rjk** ā€™s preferred brand - it has a touch of capsaicin in it to add to the bite of the ginger. They also have really good store-made chorizo, and a great variety of hispanic cheeses, unusual canned and frozen produce, as well as a few fresh veggies that you donā€™t see in your local Safeway. Check out the beauty section for items you havenā€™t seen in a grocery store since the 70s. The herbs and spices tend to be a lot cheaper. I would recommend that you stay away from Mexican vanilla though. There is a plant that tastes similar to vanilla, and is used to make cheap vanilla but is [potentially toxic](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2328/is-mexican-vanilla-toxic-plus). Itā€™s illegal to sell it in the U.S., but that doesnā€™t always stop sales. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-i-find-in-a-mexican-grocery/620045/40 "2012-04-26T22:58:52Z")
Rice ice cream! Also, actually ripe avocados. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-i-find-in-a-mexican-grocery/620045.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-might-i-find-in-a-mexican-grocery/620045.md?page=3)