The shelves at Lotte Market in Richmond are a far cry from the woefully small half-aisle worth of “International Foods” you may be used to in your neighborhood Target or Walmart. A rainbow of vibrant packaging greets me at the entrance. Before me is a sweeping expanse of juice boxes in melon, mango, and banana flavors giving way to a massive produce section offering Thai guava, jujube, Chinese and Indian bittermelon, and jackfruit in addition to apples and oranges. Variety and abundance are the hallmarks of this food-shopping experience; it’s more of a grocery universe than a grocery store.
Lotte and its peers, including the rapidly growing chains H Mart and Grand Mart, are commonly called Asian markets. But truly, they’re meccas of international food from Southeast Asia, India, South America, and the Middle East. Slowly, they’re arriving in Virginia, bringing along their vast supply of soju, tofu, ramen, and more. Gone are the days of an endless search for a mere enoki mushroom or Tamarind sauce. Even food from the U.S. gets some love on their shelves.
An aisle of about 100 kinds of Kimchi leads to a full-fledged food court, and a fresh seafood section keeps going, and going, and going along the back wall. Squid is offered in at least five different cuts amid cuttlefish, crawfish, frog legs, and live blue crab. I can find Drumsticks and Häagen-Dazs alongside jackfruit and purple yam ube ice bars. The biggest issue I encounter is how to carry everything I want home. Leaving, with shrimp chips and milk candy in hand, I wonder how I’ll ever be satisfied with the big-box store aisles again.
This article originally appeared in the December 2024 issue.
