Frozen octopus, ox feet, green tea ice cream bonbons and organic soba noodles are one of many items filling the spacious aisles in this Great Neck, Long Island supermarket.
Hmart, or Han Ah Reum, opened its doors May 2008, and is receiving rave reviews among many people in the community. The supermarket is part of a growing trend in the Eastern Queens and West Long Island area. As the Korean population in the community is expanding, so is the presence of Korean stores, markets and delis.
The shelves and frozen sections are a treasure trove of foodie delights and unusual finds.
The market held a class today for people not familiar with Korean foods or cuisine. I was invited to join a class, and spent a large portion of the day wandering aisles and watching people taste and learn about all types of Korean food.
As we walked from produce to the fish section to the dry foods, we picked up cooking tips and nibbled on several items. Chinese prunes were sour, while the Korean pears were sweet and crispy. Sesame leaves are equivalent to shiso leaves, but are a bit stronger. If you see a Korean packaged food and the container is red, that means it’s spicy.
As we wandered around the market, I was mesmerized by the new sights and smells that crossed the our paths.
Let’s take the octopus for instance. It’s not every market where one can find such a wide array of choice for the eight-legged sea creature:
And I have to admit, my fourth grade inner child was thoroughly amused by these meat selections:
There are no classes at Hmart for the moment. You can check their events page for future listings.
are they still holding the classes??
Hi Anastasia – There are no classes listed for now, but I’ll let you know if I hear anything. You can also check out their events page for listings….
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