From top left, clockwise: Tellicherry peppercorns, paprika and Lebanese
za'atar from Internatinal Grocery on 9th Avenue in New York.
The bright blue and white awning of the International Grocery pops out like a beacon on the decidedly dingy block of 9th avenue between 40th and 41st Streets. It’s the vivid marine blue you see all over Greece—and on paper coffee cups all over New York--and once inside you might be forgiven for thinking you’ve been transported to a tidy neighborhood food shop on a back street in Athens.
Here is Dino Karamouzis--sturdy, bespectacled, energetic--bustling around the shop, dishing out portions of homemade baklava and spanokopita, wrapping up wedges of feta cheese, wishing a grey-haired woman buying an almond cake “a happy birthday to your daughter.” The refrigerated cheese case is topped with burnished antique copper cooking pots (“not for sale”) and by the cash register, you can pick up a package of wild Greek oregano (“the best”) or purplish Kalamata olives ladled from a big glass jar.
Mr. Karamouzis is a man of few words. How long has he been here? “A long time.” And how many years might that be? “Thirty five.” And how about those prices—$1.50 for a quarter pound of “imported” black peppercorns? Now you’ve touched a subject close to his heart: “I like to keep it old-fashioned. Prices are not the same as 35 years ago, but they are low because I sell so much.” He makes a rolling motion with his right hand. “People can buy a little, just one ounce, and take it home. They don’t have to buy a lot. They like that.” Customers do like his spices, and they call him up even after they’ve moved away. “I just sent a big order, 20 spices, to a lady in New Mexico,” he says.
Deborah, one of New York’s great cooks who also happens to be my sister-in-law, used to trek to 9th Avenue from the Upper Westside to buy Greek oregano, lamb, olives and feta cheese. You can still find wild Greek oregano there and in the bins opposite the front door, a score of spices: bright red paprika, golden turmeric, orange cayenne pepper, Tellicherry peppercorns, crescent-shaped cumin seed and more. Even though the bins are open-air, the contents are surprisingly fresh—testament to the store’s rapid turnover.
More tempting items: An old- fashioned coffee roaster on sale; dried Egyptian fava beans; sticks of “soft” or true cinnamon; Lebanese za’atar (“the best”); round cake pans hanging from the rafters with bunches of dried herbs; tubs of Arborio and jasmine rice, Israeli couscous, red and yellow lentils; Jerez sherry vinegar; dried cod; thick slabs of halvah…well, you get the picture.
What I bought: dried Greek oregano, Lebanese za’atar, Tellicherry peppercorns, paprika.
What I thought: When I opened the oregano, a light vibrant aroma filled the room, so the flavor of the herb came as a shock: strong, peppery, very pungent, not for the faint of heart. Lamb shanks braised with lemon and olives, perfumed with a sprig of that oregano would be Olympian.
The za’atar, rich with sesame seeds, fragrant with dried herbs, was heavy on the sumac, giving this traditional Middle Eastern mixture a distinct acidity. Mixed with olive oil and used as a dunk for peasant bread, its earthy flavors came forward. For a recipe for chicken cooked with lemon and za’atar, see Oleana chef Ana Sortun’s new book, Spice: Flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean.
The Tellicherry peppercorns were nearly as fresh and aromatic as those I keep in a tightly sealed jar in the pantry—and a lot cheaper. The paprika, besides being the most glorious shade of red, was nicely bittersweet, great on pork chops seared with onions, lemon zest and red pepper.
The scoop: International Grocery, 593 9th Avenue (between 40th & 41st Streets), New York, NY 10018. Telephone: 212.279.1000. 212.279.5514.