Super G Mart offers unique ingredients

Mobsters pride themselves on their network of inside connections. Surrounded by crooked politicians, unscrupulous judges, and talented cleaner-uppers, it is clear that the mafia has a specialist for everything. Among my friends and family, I have always been the go-to guy for connections of a different sort: the culinary arts. "Where can I buy a whole pig?" I've got people. "Who has the best Italian food?" My Mamma. "Would blue cheese pair well with tilapia?" Fahgettaboudit! Coming back to reality from my mafioso ambitions, the truth is my gourmet connections are my greatest asset as a Foodie. Like the mafia, rarely do I expose my inner sources; it's just the way the Omertà works. But I am willing to make an exception this once, because I have a hidden gem that is too astounding and strangely eclectic to remain a secret any longer. The ultimate haven for cosmopolitan Foodies who seek out the most worldly of ingredients is the Super G Mart.

Calling the Super G Mart a mere Asian market would be as sinful as calling the Grand Canyon a slightly above average hole in the ground. Super G Mart's impressive 76,000 square feet of space allow the store to pack in everything from a fully stocked Asian and Latin produce department to an indoor flea market in which independent vendors hawk their heavily discounted goods. In addition to offering Asian market staples such as pseudo-strawberry flavored Pocky cookies and entire aisles resembling floor to ceiling glass walls of soy sauce, G Mart features everyday groceries at prices much more competitive than Harris Teeter and even Food Lion.

Perhaps one of my favorite facets of the "Super G Mart Experience" are the surprises one encounters on every over-filled shelf in the sprawling market. Many items on their shelves are completely foreign to the masses. Even if you are fortunate enough to vaguely recognize an item, chances are you have not the slightest inkling of its use. Do not let this silly fact impede your creativity. I periodically purchase things that seem interesting at whim, take them home, research their uses, and then try to cook up an interesting concoction. This week's contender is oyster sauce; now doesn't that sound interesting?

Being an Italian, my house uses garlic as if it were a job. G Mart takes the hassle and expense out of utilizing the flavorful root by offering three-pound pealed and ready to use cloves for less than $3. They stay for a month in the refrigerator, but that is not a problem in my house: I go through a whole package every week.

The butcher case has every cut of meat imaginable, including whole pigs (conveniently cut into quarters and flash frozen) to sliced hot-pot meats. Shabu-Shabu, a Japanese variant of hot-pot cuisine, is a low-carbohydrate, high-protein dish enjoyed by Japanese families during winter to promote togetherness and family unity. Originally developed for sumo wrestlers, Shabu-Shabu is a combination of thinly cut meats and vegetables, tofu, and udon noodles which are individually plucked with chopsticks and then briefly dipped into a pot of flavorful, boiling broth to cook, and then consumed. While traditionally made with kelp, I usually add soy sauce and red chilies to my broth for a more dynamic flavor. Shabu-Shabu is a quick, effortless, and fun dinner idea that is slowly catching on stateside.

Stop buying spices at supermarkets, for you are gravely overpaying. Super G Mart carries more herbs and spices than you will ever know what to do with, in huge quantities, and at prices that seem utterly impossible. The frozen section at the Super G Mart is also filled with unusual goodies from around the world. Lotus root, sticky rice daifuku, frog legs, and ox tail are among the specialties which decorate the grocer's freezer cases. One can only have an appreciation for the overwhelming selection of treats by visiting the establishment first hand.

Super G Mart also has an impressive cookware section, carrying a wide range of Korean stoneware, ornamental chopsticks, and ginzu knives galore! If you are looking for the perfect santoku knife or that marble mortar and pestle Santa forgot to deliver last year, look no further than the G Mart. One complaint is that Super G Mart's fish department, in my opinion, is questionable. Although they proudly display an acceptable sanitation score from the State, my knowledge of fresh fish prevents me from purchasing from their wide range of seafood options. Two easy indicators of ocean-fresh marine products are easy to test for. Fresh fish should never smell like … well, fish; it should smell like a fresh ocean breeze. An offensive odor is usually an accurate indicator of health-threatening decay.

Secondly, check the eyes of the fish. They should be clear and colorful, with no hints of cloudiness or translucence. While I now mainly shop at Super G Mart for the majority of my grocery needs, my suggestion is to buy one's fish elsewhere.

At a time when the U.S. economy is in shambles and poor college students seem to be worse off than ever, a shopping emporium such as the Super G Mart is a refreshing change. The store carries just about any culinary item one would ever desire, and about 3 billion more delights you may have never considered. During this holiday break, I invite you to embark on an adventure to the Super G Mart. As you wander the store, imagine the gastronomic possibilities at your disposal. If you are feeling especially zealous, why not try to cook up an Asian feast yourself? One of my greatest Foodie secrets uncovered, I prepare to put down my pen for the holiday season and retrieve my long lost fork; be warned that I will have plenty more confessions to share in 2010 …

Jonathan Ross is a well-traveled lover of world cuisines, published food writer, amateur cook, and culinary blogger. To access more tantalizing reviews and mouthwatering pictures, please visit the Confessions of a Foodie homepage at worldlyeats.blogspot.com or join our fan page on Facebook.