Good morning. What’s your favorite grocery store? This week were taking a field trip to the Latin supermarket (more coming next week on other international grocery stores…)

LIFESTYLE PROTOCOL 🍳

Latin supermarket field trip

If you live in a city, it’s worth checking out a specialty grocery store at least once a year. Why?

• Better value: The ingredients below are worth buying at international supermarkets instead of your normal store. You can usually find higher-quality options at a better price.

• Inspiration: You’ll walk away with fresh ideas of dishes, ingredients to use, and how other cultures shop for food.

When you’re there, look for the following versatile ingredients:

✅ Our recommendations

• Maseca or pre-made masa or fresh tortillas

• Dried chilies (sold in bags — stock up. Recommended varieties: guajillo and arbol for heat, ancho and passilla for smokiness)

• Specialty herbs like epazote or culantro

• Spices (great place to buy bulk cumin, chili powder, and less common spices like achiote)

• Bouillon powders and adobo seasoning packets (sazon)

• Lard (manteca)

• Rice and beans in bulk

• Piloncillo (a type of brown sugar that lends a specific aroma profile to many drinks and desserts)

• Regional cheeses (quesillo, asadero, cotija, queso fresco)

• Unique or economical cuts of meat (e.g. look for deals on skirt steak!)

🛠 Bonus points — specialty kitchen gear

International grocery stores are also a great place to get specialty equipment at low prices.

• Latin markets often have cheap tortilla presses, steamers, and molcajetes (volcanic rock mortar and pestles)

RECIPE RECOMMENDATIONS 🌶️

Use your new ingredients…

Check out some of our best Latin & Mexican inspired dishes here. Even if you aren’t able to go to a Latin supermarket, most of these recipes can still be made with accessible ingredients:

FOOD TRENDS 🚀

Why do speakeasies still exist?

When did speakeasies become cool again?

Speakeasies came about in the 1920’s during prohibition, functioning as secret bars or nightclubs. Although they were centered around serving alcohol, they also served as social and entertainment hubs, creating spaces for the arts like comedy and jazz to flourish.

Today, speakeasies are growing in popularity for their atmosphere and culinary merit. They offer a more unique experience than other bars because they tend to be more intimate and elevated —especially from the craft cocktail front.

But despite being perfectly legal, a lot of speakeasies have maintained their secretive nature by hidden or revolving doors and passageways that make the experience feel more elusive.

Remember, eating and drinking is never just about sustenance. The human element of flavor means a cocktail in a hidden lounge is likely going to taste different than one you made at home.

READER Q&A 🧠

When to add garlic & ginger?

Answer: It depends what you are going for. For flavor infusion, add aromatics at the beginning. For pungency, add them at the end of cooking.

Adding garlic and ginger in the beginning stages of cooking allows for the aromatics to become infused into the whole dish without harshness.

• For example, when garlic is added at the early stages, it softens and loses some of its pungency. Garlic goes through the maillard reaction when sautéed, making it sweeter and more complex. These aromas are fat soluble, meaning they are carried through the dish via any dispersed oil molecules.

• Ginger is more water soluble, so it’s often added to soups or broths early to fully infuse, like a tea.

However, there are some cases where adding garlic or ginger at the end is intentional. For example, some stir fries add in whole garlic or ginger at the end to maintain their pungent, raw flavors.

Learn more about pungency vs aroma on our Fundamentals pages.

Have a culinary question? Reply to send it in for a chance to be featured and get your question answered.

WINNING READER SUBMISSION 🏆

Szechuan dumplings

This week’s dinner winner is Ariel S., who made Szechuan spicy cumin lamb dumplings.

Reply with your best home-cooked food photos for a chance to win & be featured!

EXTRA HELPINGS 🍽️

A read: Does Vinegar Go Bad?

In a minute or less: A Different Kind of Happy Hour

What we’re watching: Why Sushi Chefs Pay Up to $20k for These Knives

Food science: What's The Gluten Window Test?

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