India Farmers Market

100 Boston Post Rd, Orange, CT 06477

If you’ve been to any of our classes in the past month or two, you’ve probably noticed that we never shut up about the alternatively named India Farmers Market/Farmers India Market (we still don’t know). Our new favorite grocery store (without a doubt), either name is a misnomer. While the market is Indian owned and has substantial Indian goods, they sell themselves short by not advertising the myriad of international cuisines they cater too, including (but not remotely limited to) South/Central American and Mexican, Arabic, Turkish, Persian, West African, Caribbean, and more. As with most Indian grocery stores you will find top quality bulk spices, but this store has so much more to offer. You will indeed find the full range of Indian spices, rices, sauces, seasonings, yogurts, breads, veggies and desserts. But on our most recent visit, we also found: Bulgarian breakfast cheese, a full range of Latin American cremas (including Salvadoreña and Guatemalteca), fufu, Danish butter, German chocolate, achiote paste, McCormick lime mayonnaise (if you know, you know), palm sugar, Persian tea, gojeh sabz (green Persian plums we’ve been hunting down for 15 years), and every chili pepper we need to make molé negro. And we weren’t even trying that hard.

Perhaps most impressive is their incomparable produce section. Expansive and inexpensive, the veggie section (which is about a third of the generously sized store) has the freshest version of everything you love (think giant bunches of mint and dill for less than $2) and everything you’ve been hunting down but couldn’t find. Fresh lemongrass, prickly pears, fresh turmeric, whole jackfruit, 5+ varieties of eggplant, and more are not only present in abundance but are significantly higher quality and about ¼-⅓ of the price they’d be at Whole Foods (if you could find them at all). Herbs and aromatics are fresh and intense, whether you’re looking for something widely familiar like ginger, or are looking to branch out into unfamiliar territory. At this point, if we can spare the time to drive to Orange, we’re buying most of our produce here. 

Whether you love to cook international cuisine, or you just want top quality ingredients for all of your culinary needs, this store is an absolute gold mine.

Also pro-tip: many Indian grocery stores (including this one) sell very reasonably priced saffron, and discount it even deeper during Ramadan. Go for the ounce and share with a friend for the best deal.

Favorite Items: Any produce, particularly herbs and exotic fruits, Ahmad brand cardamom tea, saffron-pistachio ice cream (often labeled kesar pista), straight up saffron, fruit and flower syrups (like the ones we use in our famous spritzers.