A friend recently told me about India Farmer’s Market in Orange, and because it’s not far from my regular jaunt to Ikea, I had to see what she was raving about. Unusual ingredients beyond garam masala aren’t always easy to find around here, and creative cooks are used to making a trek.

This vast ethnic market is home to an organic produce section that includes sugar cane, dragon fruit, mini mangos and karela (bitter melon that’s helpful for both acne and weight loss apparently!), a fresh halal butcher (no beef obviously, but here’s your spring leg of lamb), shelves packed with twenty pound bags of basmati, piles of every sort of pita, naan and tortilla, and that’s just the stuff I recognized. Floor to ceiling shelves of spices line one aisle, while all manner of hilariously packaged instant noodles line another.  If your recipe calls for Indian, African, Mediterranean or South American ingredients, you’ll likely find them here.

My interest was definitely piqued by the three-minute oats with masala (I’ve always preferred a savory breakfast) and freezer cases stuffed with samosas with various fillings (a handy hors d’oeuvres). Have you ever heard of yogurt soda? Me either, but they’ve got gallons of the stuff. Plenty of the stock is organic, it all looks quite fresh, and judging by the crowds on a Sunday, this is the go-to spot for adventurous cooks of every nationality.

100 Boston Post Road in Orange

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