By Humaira
My mom Jeja's favorite Afghan grocery store is Herat Market located just a few blocks from her house in Newark, CA. Brother in-laws married to two sisters own Herat. The whole family clocks in to cover the long business hours. The owners informed me that my mother and father were their first customers when they opened their doors 11 years ago. I didn’t know that.
Jeja in her favorite market
Herat has a butcher, a baker, and a large selection of spices, legumes plus housewares. The owners have managed to fill tall shelves with all kinds of goodies. The shoppers are mainly Afghans or Iranians but once in a while I find a curious American wandering the aisles, picking one or two items. I envy that shopper since Jeja and I can never leave the store without at least 3 bags full of grocery. Since Jeja doesn’t drive, sometimes they make home delivery for her. It is surprising to see such old-fashioned customer service in the age of self-check out counters.
Herat co-owners Amin and Hussein
As I hear about the negative effects of our country’s economy on small businesses it is heart warming to see this family run business thriving. If you are in the East Bay I highly recommend a visit to Herat Market followed by lunch at Afghan Village Restaurant next door.
Although Herat is my go to Afghan market, I thought it would be helpful to provide you with an expanded list of places to shop for ingredients. I have compiled the names and addresses of Afghan/Middle Eastern markets in the Greater Bay Area, Southern California, New York, New Mexico, Washington DC area and Denver. Although you can find most ingredients for Afghan cooking at ordinary supermarkets, visiting a specialty store is a real treat and can be as much a part of the cultural experience as the cooking itself.
Afghan pastries and delights
CALIFORNIA
San Francisco
Parkside Farmer’s Market
555 Taraval Ave.
(415) 681-5563
Newark/Fremont Area
Herat Market
5694 Thornton Ave
(510) 713- 1834
Maiwand Market
37235 Fremond Blvd.
(510) 796-3215
Little Kabul Market
4673 Thornton Ave.
(510) 818-9201
San Jose
Kabul Market
2626 Union Ave.
(408) 559-6175
Hayward
Afghan Market
27521 Tampa Ave.
(510) 786-1085
Tracy
Afghan Market
3258 North Tracy Blvd.
(209) 834-0052
Ariane Halal Market
925 Central Avenue
(209) 835-1666
Concord
Mashriqi Market
1106 Meadow Lane
(925) 676-7844
San Carlos
Adel Market
165 El Camino Real
(650) 654-3340
Mountain View
Rose International Market
1060 Castro St.
(650) 960-1900
Dublin
Sahara International Market
6783 Dublin Blvd.
(925) 999-8242
San Rafael
Jasmine Market
307 3rd St.
(415) 459-4866
Southern California
Wholesome Choice
18040 Culver Dr., Irvine
(949) 551-4111
Super Irvine
14120 Culver Dr., Irvine
(949) 552-8844
Super King Markets (four locations)
10500 Magnolia Ave., Anaheim
(714) 527-5809
2716 N. San Fernando Rd., Los Angeles
(323) 225-0044
2260 N. Lincoln Ave., Altadena
(626) 296-9311
436 Auto Center Dr., Claremont
(909) 267-7252
NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque
Ariana Halal Market and Afghan Food
607 San Mateo Blvd,
(505) 255-1325
NEW YORK
Queens
Kabul Halal Meat and Indian Grocery
4219 College Point Blvd.
(718) 961-4141
WASHINGTON DC VICINITY
Alexandria, VA
Afghan Market
5713 Edsall Rd.
(703) 212-9529
Springfield, VA
Afghan Mini Mart
6566 Backlick Rd.
(703) 644-0186
COLORADO
Denver
Arash International Market
2720 South Parker Road
Aurora, CO 80014
Jams and garnishes
All kinds of houwewares for entertaining like an Afghan
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