I usually write about Prague restaurants.
But, every once in a while, I want to do something different. Perhaps a restaurant in nearby Brno or one in far away Avignon.
Or an international food shop.
Back in March, I wrote about the Greek offerings at Olympia Delikastesy a Vína. That little shop has a devoted following, me included, and it was a popular post.
Today, I have another favorite shopping stop on my mind: Farah Oriental Market (orientální potraviny).
"Oriental" means they mainly carry Middle Eastern, Turkish, and Indian foods and spices.
A big reason to go to Farah is for the lamb chops. I'm sure others have their sources, but for me, good ones have been hard to find.
Farah's lamb chops have always been very fresh, meaty, and tender. With this batch, we took the easy route and soaked them for a while in a Marks & Spencer red wine marination.
Usually, we put them in olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and rosemary. We'll grill them on the terrace if I can get motivated to start a fire.
The shop has a small meat case. The lamb chops are kept uncut and when you order them, the butcher takes them in the back and hacks them apart with a cleaver. They cost 210 CZK per kilogram.
They also carry Merguez lamb sausage. We bought some on the last visit. It costs 179 CZK per kilogram. We froze them, so I still haven't tried them yet. The website says the meats are halal.
Next to the meat case is a sweets case, with honey-phyllo desserts and a variety of other non-diet substances. I haven't had the impulse to try these.
Aside from lamb, the many spices available at Farah draw us back. There are buckets and buckets of the stuff, as well as many prepackaged varieties.
On the last visit, we got 200 grams of turmeric for 94 CZK. It was also our source for garam masala for a recipe V wanted to make.
Believe it or not, despite all the restaurant talk here, we cook at home. A lot. V cooks to relax. Very international. I am the chief seasoner, stirrer, and all around cleanup guy. And eater.
Anyway, a big part of Farah is devoted to Middle Eastern and Turkish canned goods. There are a few Asian items, as well. I made an impulse buy of some stuffed vine leave, or dolma, for 53 CZK a can. I'm kind of into these little things, and theirs were better than other canned brands I've tried.
There is just a wide variety of stuff, and I didn't take notes, so I can't begin to tell you everything that is on the shelves. I did enjoy browsing for a while.
If you've got other good exotic food sources around Prague, feel free to share.
Farah orientální potraviny
Myslíkova 5
Prague 1
Tel. (+420 224 930 704)
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Farah Oriental Market
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6 comments:
Hey you forgot to also mention that they carry little packages of chickelets.
That's nostalgia for many!
Also they carry very fresh chicken. It is a wonderful grocery store.
Yes, I lived by this place and shopped there often.
Yes, great place stop by there every few months to buy spices and some other stuff like the yogurt as well!
I agree, lovely place.
About other delis. I know a really good Italian one in Brevnov, Prague 6, in Bělohorská about 100m from the Hotel Pyramida. They've got a great choice of italian cheese. I always buy my pecorino or parmiggiano there, and they have several kinds at nice prices. The first time I went there I wanted to buy some pecorino, I saw other kinds and asked the attendant how much one of them was, she told me the price and asked me if i wanted to taste some. Of course I did, and it was so lovely I had to buy a piece. Then I asked the price of another one, same routine, this time the cheese was even better, I bought some more. Then my eye was caught by some salami, it smelled great, asked the lady the price, and again she asked if I wanted to taste some. This time I refused, I knew I would end up buying it!
BTW, a new Greek Deli opened in Vinohrady, in Francouská. Basically same stuff as in Olympia but at least the olive oil I buy it's cheaper. They seem to have the same stuff, unfortunately, they don't take cards.
When I noticed the photo of the lamb chops yesterday I just had to run there and buy two pounds of it. I'm gonna devour it tonight :-)
Thanks for this article.
I've been to the new Greek place on Francouska. Unfortunately, they didn't have the extra thick Greek yogurt that I am in love with and that Olympia carries. They said they have real pre-packaged Greek yogurt, but it just isn't the same. A friend who lives nearby said they have a lot of good stuff in their freezer case.
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