Ethnic Grocery Stores in Bologna

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I’ve been living in Bologna for 5 years now. It’s truly been a dream come true for me to spend this much time in Italy and to explore its food and culture. However, after about 3 years into our time here, I started missing other ethnic flavors. I lived in NYC for 15 years. Therefore, I got used to eating food from all over the world. Eating internationally can be tough here, as dining establishments tend to be predominantly Bolognese. Often, restaurants serving ethnic foods aren’t very good. So, in the last couple of years, I have been upping my cooking game with a variety of international cuisines. In order to do so though, I’ve needed to find the right ingredients! With this post, I hope to help adventurous cooks in Bologna. Join me as I share my journey into the ethnic grocery stores in Bologna.

First things first, I need to say that I am keeping this blog Italian food focused! Italian cuisine fans, don’t be worried. Nonetheless, I do also want to be a resource for people coming to Bologna and for those who live here. This list of ethnic grocery stores in Bologna might also help fellow expats who are homesick and want a taste of home.

The ingredient huntress…

I am the kind of cook that will work hard to create a traditional dish. Hence, I do my research, search for authentic ingredients, and don’t mind chasing around to get the right stuff. Many of you are not like this at all. That’s OK. I want to provide this info for those of you who like to recreate ethnic dishes that they’ve had or who like to travel through food. The only way to do this is to have the correct ingredients. In my time here, I’ve managed to find things that my friends have tried to locate, yet couldn’t. I can be stubborn and obsessive! Through some effort, I have managed to find fresh curry leaves for my Indian food cravings and frozen cranberries to use for Thanksgiving in Italy. I’m an ingredient huntress for sure!

Off the beaten path…

Where have I found all of these markets? With the exception of handful of ethnic grocery stores in the city center of Bologna, I have found many of these spots in immigrant neighborhoods just outside the center. When I lived in the US, I used to do the same thing – I shopped at Greek, Italian, Mexican, and other international markets where people of those nationalities shopped. In doing so, I found the best deals, the biggest selection, and the highest quality. Better quality and cheaper prices? I’m there! I’ve found some incredible ingredients that I’ve been able to use to create dishes like Sichuan Mapo Tofu and have found the best smoked salmon that I’ve ever tasted from an Eastern European market. If you are willing to go off the beaten path then let’s get down to business!

In the city center…

Asia Mach

Asia Mach is probably the most well-known international market in Bologna. It has the most variety of international products with an emphasis on Asian ingredients. The owners are from Vietnam but you can also get products from:

• China
• Japan
• India
• Thailand
• America (canned pumpkin for Thanksgiving, Tabasco, malted milk powder & sweetened condensed milk)
• South America (a small selection of items such as dried black beans)
• Greece/Middle East (grape leaves, tahini)
• Mexico (extremely limited but at least they usually have Masa Harina)
• Korea
• Great Britain & Australia (Marmite, steel cut oats, Lyle’s Golden Syrup)

They also have woks, chopsticks, rice cookers, and some other Asian kitchen tools. The produce section is very small and isn’t always well stocked. At times, you can find lemongrass, limes, cilantro/coriander, frozen kaffir lime leaves, fresh galangal, tofu, nattō, and other Asian ingredients. This store could very well suit most of your needs.

Via Mascarella 81 ABC, 40126 Bologna BO
051 253288
Check Google or their website for hours as they close for a large part of the afternoon.

Mix Markt

Mix Markt has only come to my attention recently. It’s located near the main Bologna train station. Apparently it’s a rather big chain in Europe, but I was unfamiliar with it. (FYI, they have locations throughout Italy.) I am so happy that I found it if for no other reason than its smoked fish. It has the best smoked salmon that I’ve ever had. It’s so delicious and such a treat! (It comes in handy when I make NY bagels!) They also sell a wide variety of other smoked fish. In this store, you will find products from across Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

At Mix Markt, I have come across a number of products that are very difficult to find in Italy that are also useful for reproducing American dishes. Here are some of the things available that are very rare to see in Bologna:

• sour cream (the best I’ve ever had)
• farmer’s cheese and other cheeses such as cottage cheese
• phyllo/filo dough (I’ve never seen it anywhere else)
• kefir
• horseradish
• kielbasa sausage and a ton of cured and smoked meats from that part of the world
• sauerkraut and pickles (many kinds)
• frozen cranberries (Thanksgiving has been saved!) and other frozen berries such as sea buckthorn
• fresh dill (sometimes available)
• caviar
• frozen pierogis, blinis, pelmenis and other dumplings
• vodkas, Eastern European beers, kvas
• rye bread and other dark breads

Piazza XX Settembre, 1B/C, 40121 Bologna
+39 389 6187811
Open Monday-Sunday 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Kalinka

Like Mix Markt, Kalinka sells Eastern European products. It’s a much smaller store but I find them to be a bit more helpful and kind. For those of you that make pasta, they have 6-7 kinds of Pelmeni molds at a variety of price points. (All rather cheap!) I got one there and the helpful salesman got on a ladder and brought all of the models down for me to examine before I chose mine. He was very patient and sweet. If you have kids, you can also by them a Russian matryoshka doll while you’re at it!

Via Galliera 63/ABologna, Italy
051 240173
Open Monday-Sunday 8:30 AM – 8:00 PM

Mini Markets in town…

There are a few nondescript places in the historic center where you can pick up international ingredients as well as produce. They often don’t have names on their awnings so it’s difficult to know what to call them! One such bodega is on the Via Pescherie Vecchie, which is one of the famous old market streets of Bologna. In the middle of the block, there’s a little bodega that has Asian and ethnic pantry items, plus produce such as bok choy and sweet potatoes. It’s nestled between two butcher shops. If you are looking for fresh cilantro (coriander) they usually have it but it’s not on display. You need to ask.

At the Mercato delle Erbe, there is a stall that features ethnic produce. As you enter from the Via Ugo Bassi, it’s on the left aisle of stalls, near the front. They have cilantro/coriander, dill and Indian produce. From an American perspective, it may seem strange to mention cilantro and dill but believe me, they’re hard to come by. Bolognese cuisine is not heavy on the herbs…

On the Via San Gervasio, next to the Mercato delle Erbe, there are two Halal markets that have Indian and Pakistani spices, Halal meat and some produce.

On a random note, cheddar cheese is ubiquitous in the USA but nearly impossible to find in Bologna. La Baita Vecchia Malga, right on the Via Pescherie Vecchie 3/A is a gourmet shop that is uber Bolognese but they also carry some cheeses from other countries, including superb cheddar from England. It’s expensive, but sometimes I just need my cheddar!! (Note – I have a 2023 cheddar update below!)

Outside of City Center…

Now we are going to venture outside of the main part of town to the Bolognina neighborhood. There seem to be a number of immigrant populations there and I have found markets serving the Chinese, African, Moroccan, Tunisian and South American communities. Some of these stores are large, some are tiny. I’m not going to name all of them but just highlight a few.

Macelleria al Maghreb al Arabi

This is a halal butcher shop that sells meat of course, including merguez sausage. They have Moroccan and Tunisian products, including:

• preserved lemons
• Moroccan spiced olives
• Moroccan tea
• couscous
• tagines
• harissa (fresh and jarred)
• pickled chili peppers
• Arab breads

Via Giacomo Matteotti, 28 40129 Bologna
Note: Google has 1 bad review for the place but I’ve not had bad experiences there. I leave you to your judgment.

Market Xing Long

This is a small bodega with products from Asia, including produce and pantry items. On top of the Asian cuisines mentioned from Asia Mach, I’ve seen products from the Philippines.

Via di Corticella 26/C Bologna

China Trade & Oriente Market

These two markets are minutes apart from one another, on opposite sides of the Via Ferrarese. They are the largest Asian markets I’ve found and I’m putting them together because their selection is very similar and both stores are worth checking out. They have some ingredients from different parts of Asia but mainly from China. Unlike Asia Mach, they have a decent amount of fresh produce and on a good day, it’s very fresh (including scallions, which are no where else to be found). I have been able to procure ingredients to make authentic Pad Thai and fresh kimchi. The prices are dirt cheap as well. At these stores you will find:

• fresh and dried Asian noodles, a decent variety of them
• meat and fish
• tofu, different kinds and degrees of firmness
• Asian dumplings in the frozen section, many from Prato, which has a huge Chinese population
• Asian wrappers to make dumplings
• woks, bamboo steamers, stainless steel steamers, porcelain pots, and other cooking equipment
• spices, nuts, and chilies
• Chinese desserts and fresh baked goods

China Trade – Via Pietro Faccini, 2(C 4/A-B 40128 Bologna BO, tel.
Oriente Market – Via Roberto Longhi 1/C 40128 Bologna, tel. 377 8300991
They both have continuous hours which is very convenient.

New markets and updates as of 2020

I have some updates folks as of November 2020. Due to Covid-19, the market I mentioned when I wrote this article with fresh curry leaves has closed. Unfortunately, the owner has moved back to Sri Lanka. I have a new source. Plus, a new Asian market has opened up in the center of Bologna. Here are the new store names and addresses:

Ceylon Food Center

This is a brand new market with some very cool ingredients. It will be my new source for fresh curry leaves in Bologna. They receive them on Fridays I have been told. On top of the coveted curry leaves, they had some very interesting produce including some Asian varieties of eggplant, melon, okra, fruit, and lemongrass.

Via Amaseo 3/A, tel. 324 9037502

Da Yuan Market

I am very happy that this new market has opened up, right in the center of town. Italy seems to be full of Asian-owned shops that have a bit of everything from office supplies, cleaning supplies, basic cookware, and much more. This is one such store but they also have:

• Asian cookware
• Spanish cazuelas (yippee tapas here I come!)
• pretty Asian serving ware and chopsticks
• rice cookers
• bamboo and stainless steamers
• parchment liners for steamers
• spices
• fresh tofu
• limited produce
• pantry items from all over Asia such as flours, soy sauces, spices much more

Via Altabella 21/A, tel. 051 0566085

Last notes and helpful tips

A health food store chain in Italy called NaturaSì often has random things like buttermilk, kefir, and crème fraiche. I have hardly seen buttermilk anywhere else.

If you go to the big supermarkets in the shopping malls, their international sections are limited but might be able to serve your needs. Also, every year that we are here, we see more and more international ingredients available at supermarkets.

Canadians and Americans – FYI, maple syrup is incredibly expensive in Italy. If you need a big Costco sized jug of it, bring it. Otherwise, you’re going to pay at least 8 euros for a miniscule bottle of it.

Lastly, if you really can’t find the Asian ingredient you’re looking for, I once ordered from an online store called Asia Market in Milan that sells items from all over Asia and I had a great experience. I ordered my items at around 2:00 in the afternoon, got an email confirmation within seconds and had my items by 11:00 the next morning!

Mexican food in Italy…

If you are a Mexican food lover that will be staying in Bologna for a while, I’d advise you to bring the pantry items that you need with you. Mexican food is hard to come by. Get your chipotle chilies in adobo and all of the dried chilies and spices that you might want and put them in your suitcase. That’s what I do every year. Do not expect to find poblanos, tomatillos, jalapenos, serranos or other readily available Mexican ingredients at every turn you see like in the US. Maybe other Italian cities like Milan or Florence have more available, but Bologna doesn’t. I grow my own jalapenos… At some supermarkets, you’ll see some Mexican items but they are usually El Paso type products that are not really Mexican to begin with!

Updates for 2023

It’s time for some more updates about new ethnic grocery stores in Bologna!

I have a news for cheddar lovers! Another expat just told me last week that the supermarket chain called ALDI carries cheddar cheese! I went as soon as I heard. They carry mild, medium, and sharp cheddar. I think it’s really good and it’s from the UK. I am very happy to have a local source. For Thanksgiving this past fall I had to order UK cheddar from the cheese store in France due to Brexit… This will be a lot easier! Also ALDI has cheaper maple syrup and a number of other international ingredients at great prices.

Bakers will be happy to hear about a recent discovery at NaturaSì! I recently needed dried currants and looked at about 7-8 stores in search of them. The first place that I looked was NaturaSì. In my first visit I couldn’t find them. However, I was looking for the wrong name. It turns out that they do carry currants. Yay!

If you need them for items such as scones, Welsh Cakes or muffins, they are called Uva di Corinto (Corinth Grapes, also called Zante grapes!). The problem was that I was looking for dried currants as in the berry (ribes) but what we know of as currants used in the UK and American baking is actually a dried Corinth/Zante grape. Who knew? With Christmas coming up, currants could be an important ingredient to have on hand.

Update 2024!

Orient Market

My goodness. I have another for you! Recently, my husband and I came across another Asian market outside the city center called Orient Market. They have many interesting items, including fresh Asian pasta such as wheat noodles for Dan Dan Mian, fresh wonton wrappers, and other pasta shapes made from different grains. Also, they have grocery items for various countries, fresh fish, a butcher, prepared foods, and produce. The staff is nice too.

Via Ferrerese 124, tel. 333 1640284

Lastly, if you are an Italian cuisine-obsessed cook and coming to Bologna, please check out my article on where to buy kitchenware in Bologna.