International grocers continue to emerge in OKC metro

Oklahoma City continues to become more diverse in its ethnic makeup. That increase stands to reason if you take into the account that OKC was one of just 14 large cities across the U.S. to add more than 100,000 people from 2010 to 2020.

If you belong to one the many ethnic groups and now call Oklahoma City home, there are a number of grocery stores that sell many of the same products to which you may already be accustomed. Even if you were born right here in the OKC area or perhaps you simply have a love for various ethnic cuisines, there are several international grocery stores or markets scattered throughout the metro.

Oklahoma City’s Hispanic and Latin population may be the largest among all ethnic groups. And with that growth comes the demand for more Latin and Hispanic markets. If you are a fan of Mexican food (and who isn’t?) and enjoy creating your own cuisines from scratch, there are several excellent Latin and Hispanic grocery stores scattered throughout the city. One of the oldest such stores is Supermercados Morelos, which now has five locations across the metro. The chain sells mostly Mexican products; however, many of their products are from other Latin countries such as Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

Much like Supermercado Morelos, two other Latin and Hispanic grocery stores in Oklahoma City – Feria Latina Supermarket and La Michoacana Supermarket (formerly Super Mercado Buy For Less) – also provide their customers with an array of products from Mexico and other Latin nations.

Oklahoma City is also home to a large Asian population from places such as Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines, China, India, South Korea. With so many Asian nations represented in our community, it is no surprise that several Asian grocery stores have popped up over the years. Perhaps the most well-known of the bunch is family-owned and highly rated Super Cao Nguyen, located on N. Military Avenue in the city’s Asian District. Super Cao Nguyen has the distinction of being OKC’s oldest ethnic grocery store, offering 55,000 products to its customers not only from Asia but 60 other countries as well.

World Fresh International Market, another popular international grocery store located on the city’s southwest side, sells mostly Asian foods and products; however, several aisles are filled with items from Europe, Central America, South America, Africa and the Middle East.

If you want to visit stores with a more Middle Eastern flair, you might want to check out places like Farah Mart, Sabri Foods Grocery & Halal Restaurant or Nunu’s Mediterranean Café and Market, or one of the city’s newest international stores, the Afghan Halal Food Market.

Interested in foods from India? You might try Spices of India, a staple in northwest OKC for approximately 30 years. Spices of India is an excellent place to purchase grocery items from India as well as Nepal, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Middle East.

There are many more international grocery stores and markets around the OKC metro than are mentioned in this brief article, and depending on your personal preference. You can find out more about these and other OKC international grocers by visiting the Chamber’s A Better Life website.