International Grocers in Lincoln

Lincoln is a very rich and diverse city. If you’ve ever driven up north on 27th Street, you’ve seen a large array of countries represented in restaurants and grocery stores. If you ever get tired of your cureent meal plans, these are some pretty good options. Maybe you don't feel like cooking for yourself. I’d like to submit to you that these places are a kind of activity in their own right. Every time I’ve gone with friends, we’ve had a good time. Because Lincoln has these stores all over the place, they comprise a big part of what it is to live here.

Karen Asian Market

I was surprised to see the Karen store, which is a relatively small establishment on South 17th street. They carry all of the staple items of an Asian grocery store, as well as a few specifically Karen items. My favorite item is the green guava hard candy. I had a couple of friends in high school who would hand them out to people all the time. The bags that these candies come in are usually huge, so giving them away is really fun.

Amin’s Kitchen & Grocery Store

This is a Middle Eastern place on 27th street. In addition to the selection of groceries, they have a restaurant in the back. Amin’s opened only five years ago, but they have a pretty large presence. The restaurant offers large servings at very fair prices.

Little Saigon Asian Grocery Store

When I transferred to Union last year, one of the first things I did was take a trip to Little Saigon with some friends. We all browsed for a long time before sharing sodas with labels we couldn’t read. It was a great experience all around. Whether or not you cook, you will find something interesting.

Visiting these stores can be really fun, but it is also important in some ways. It is important to find ways to interact with the community that you live in, and one of the ways that this is done is through supporting local small businesses. I’ve grown to appreciate SuperSaver while living in Lincoln, but switching to smaller stores can help the local economy. It helps the store owners out financially and it helps the communities they represent by keeping their options available to them.

By Luke Morris