Imagine the change in mindset needed to adapt to Brussels: a typical shopping outing can take me to as many as five stores to pick up everything I need. And for anything remotely exotic, good luck. It was a pleasure, therefore, to discover Exotic World in Leuven. Although only the size of a typical supermarket, I had yet to see so many countries represented in one place since moving to Belgium. The store, located on Brusselsestraat in the centre of town, is certainly not concerned with aesthetics – products are neatly arranged on the shelves, but the shelves themselves, along with the lighting and flooring, clearly prize function over form. It can also be a bit confusing to navigate. Indian spices showed up next to the local Ducros brand herbs; Indian dried goods (beans, chickpeas) were nearer the rice section; and Indian foods that didn’t fall in either of those categories appeared elsewhere in what I could only assume was the “Indian” section. Moreover, you’ll need to bone up on your languages, as the names and alphabets are diverse and not always translated. But what fun! Exotic World is full of products I had never heard of and that required subsequent internet research: from durian (a Southeast Asian fruit), to pomtajer (a tropical tuber), to pickled mudfish. I can only hope that someone out there is reading this article, exclaiming: “Pickled mudfish! I’ve been looking everywhere for that!” You’ll also gain a new appreciation for both the diversity and the similarities of world food. I have often discussed with friends how a ravioli in Italy is a pierogi in Poland and a wonton in China. But at Exotic World, you actually see parallel products side-by-side. A refrigerator holds Italian pizza crusts and Middle Eastern lavash bread. An aisle with jars of pickles nicely demonstrates that, while Poles pickle beets and cabbage, Iranians pickle garlic, shallots and aubergines, and Mexicans are busy pickling jalapeno peppers and cactus. Exotic World features goods from far and near – even very near. A small Belgian section contains a few beers and liqueurs, Wildiers jams from Haacht and Delaan homemade mayonnaise from Overijse.

www.exoticworld.be

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