For South Africans traveling to Baltimore for the highly anticipated Springboks match, rugby will undoubtedly be the main event. However, after the excitement of match day, being thousands of miles from home, there may be a desire to experience familiar little things.
Sometimes it is a familiar spice, sometimes it is an African ingredient that a person knows how to cook, and sometimes it is simply searching for something that reminds them of family meals back home.
Although Baltimore may not have a large number of specialized South African grocery stores, visitors looking for the tastes of the continent have several options.
Several African and international grocery markets throughout the city sell ingredients and goods from different parts of Africa, providing South Africans with the opportunity to find familiar flavors while staying in the US.
All-In-One International Market
This family-owned store positions itself as an international market serving African, Western, and Caribbean communities. It offers fresh produce, meat, and a wide range of international goods, making it a useful spot for South Africans seeking ingredients that are hard to find in regular American supermarkets. Shoppers note the good selection of African products, spices, fresh meat, and other food items.
Tropical African Supermarket
This is another physical African grocery store in Baltimore, offering goods from all over the continent. The assortment includes African products, fresh meat, spices, grains, fish, and other foodstuffs. Although it is not exclusively South African, its extensive selection of African food makes it an alternative option for visitors wishing to find ingredients that feel more familiar.
Royalty Food International Supermarket
This supermarket is also an international grocery store in Baltimore. It has a wide selection of African products, including specialized ingredients, meat, vegetables, and spices. Customers emphasize the variety of African products and the choice of ingredients that are difficult to find elsewhere. For South Africans cooking outside the home, this can be another useful stop when looking for staple African products.
Mama Africa store
If something closer to a local shop is needed, Mama Africa is a neighborhood African store in Baltimore. The store is located on North Pulaski Street and offers another option for visitors who wish to explore African products without leaving the city. Although it is not a store specifically for South Africans, its African focus makes it worth noting for South Africans searching for familiar continental tastes.
Even when thousands of miles away from South Africa, it is not necessary to leave all the flavors behind. For Springboks fans heading to Baltimore, these African and international stores provide the opportunity to explore familiar ingredients, stock up on African products, and perhaps cook a meal that reminds them of home. Whether it is a plate of food, a familiar snack, or a shared meal with other South Africans, sometimes a little piece of home is exactly what you need when you are far from Mzansi.
