Welcome to part two of my feature on Jungle Jim’s International Market. If you missed part one, I strongly recommend you catch up before reading this post. I’m excited to share with you some of the reasons we keep coming back! So, let’s dive in!
As soon as you walk into the store, you’ll know right away this will be a grocery store experience unlike any you’ve ever had. There are people EVERYWHERE.
There are stores within the store. And a small movie theatre to play the history video I shared in Part One.
They also encourage you to grab a cold adult beverage from the tasting bar to keep you hydrated during your shopping experience. Nothing worse than dehydrated adults in a crowded grocery store.
And, if all of those clues fall short of convincing you about what you’re about to experience, they have actual maps of the store. And yes, you’ll need one. Because it’s inevitable that you will get lost if you aren’t careful. Or even worse, totally miss a section that deserves to be explored.
Pro tip: Use the restroom. Even if you feel like you don’t have to go and you don’t really want to go in a porta-potty, a pitstop at the restroom is a must. You’ll be here a while.
As you can see from the map I shared above, the store is laid out in several sections. The “International Section” is by far my favorite section and will be the primary focus for this post, but I will highlight several other sections as well. I have also chosen not to even mention several other parts of the store, so that there are still surprises in store for you, should you ever have the chance to visit.
Pro Tip: Before you go, find a popular recipe from another country that you’d like to make. Add the ingredients to your grocery list!! I’m confident you’ll find everything you need at Jungle Jim’s.
The International section covers just about every corner of the world. Need something to make a Pakistani dish? They’ve got a few aisles dedicated to just that. Did you fall in love with a particular candy while visiting Japan but haven’t been able to find it anywhere else since? Jungle Jim’s probably has it. And they’ll have others that will entice you, as well. Do you need saffron threads to make a Peruvian inspired risotto dish? Yup, you guessed it. They have 5 different saffron to choose from and just as many choices of risotto rice, as well.
There are two different types of shoppers at Jungle Jim’s. Those who frequent this store and can be in and out within 30 minutes, like a typical grocery store experience. And then there are the shoppers who will go down every aisle, looking at each item with a childlike awe and wonder, and then realize they’ve been there for 4 hours.I fall into the latter category of shoppers. Being a foodie who loves to try cuisines from all over the world and one who enjoys cooking, I find myself loading the cart with all kinds of delicious ingredients to experiment with in the kitchen, alongside @Mikeinthefalls
Whomever said grocery shopping can’t be fun, surely hasn’t been to Jungle Jim’s. One of the ways we like to liven up our experience is by playing a came we’ve named “chip roulette”. In this game, we’ll pick 3 or 4 bags of chips that we have never had before from different countries in the International section. Sometimes the labels will have pictures that help you figure out what flavor they could be, while others offer no clues and it’s purely a mystery. To our surprise, we’ve found several flavors of chips that we actually really enjoyed but there have been some incredibly gross chips, as well. It’s all part of the fun!
Another section I absolutely love is the hot sauce/barbeque sauce section. I tried to capture a photo that does it justice, but it was nearly impossible. But…there is a fire truck display that is home to hundreds of varieties of hot sauce, so there’s that.
Here is just one wall of the hot sauces (displayed in alphabetical order).
As you can see, we even poke fun at our divided political environment.
Not far from this section is another wall that offers hundreds of varieties of salsa. Whether you’re looking for a mild salsa, salsa verde, black bean and pineapple, or a fiery queso, you’ll find it here.
As you’re wandering through the rest of the store, you’ll find a cute honey display that features national and global brands as well as local honey producers.
A meat/seafood section complete with fresh fish, live lobster tanks, onsite butchers and even a boat!!
If you’re a fan of Kombucha, pull up a seat at the Kombucha bar and do a little taste testing to find your new favorite blend.
One of the newest experiences that Jungle Jim’s has added is the self-serve wine sampling. They have a selection of wines on tap for your to sample. If you find one you love, you can take home a bottle! And you totally avoid buying a bottle of wine you think you’ll love, only to find that you can’t stand the taste of it.
Speaking of alcohol, they have a HUGE beer section complete with a bar that you can order a cold one to enjoy while you’re shopping. They also have an onsite liquor agency that carries just about every brand of spirits you could ask for and probably some you didn’t know you wanted. There is also a cigar shop inside the liquor agency for those who like to endulge.
If you’re shopping with kids who have been a struggle to shop with, you might want to reference that store map I told you to grab so that you can dodge the huge candy section. But, if they’ve been good, make sure you stop by and let them grab a goodie or two or three.
I would be doing a huge disservice to you if I didn’t highlight their produce section. It is MASSIVE. They have fruits and vegetables I’ve never even heard of. One of the things that I can’t help but notice when I go, is how fresh all the fruits and vegetables are. Their team is dedicated to ensuring you are getting the best products available.
And the lastly, the bakery!!! They have several cases and shelves of freshly baked in store breads, desserts and more. If you find yourself hungry for a little snack, I can’t recommend the cheddar jalepeno pull-apart bread enough. It’s quite possibly the best bread I’ve ever had. I’ll warn you though…you may find yourself polishing off a loaf by the time you get to the check out. Just save the packaging so you can pay for it.
Once you’ve loaded your cart to capacity and finished transferring your life savings to your checking account so you have the funds to pay for your haul, you will likely run into a long line of folks waiting to check out. Don’t let the long line intimidate you. They have upwards of 25-30 cash registers and they’ll have as many open as they have cashiers to work. What most people don’t realize, is that there are registers on two sides of the exit. Find the side with the shortest wait and head towards it. The cashiers and baggers are quick and efficient and super friendly and will work their hardest to get you through the check out and on your way as quickly as possible.
Pro Tip: Bring a cooler with ice so that you aren’t limited to buying shelf stable items.
So as you push your cart to your car and you’re loading all your delicious treasures into your car, you’re probably thinking that’s all that Jungle Jim’s has to offer. And I was right there with you, but as I was on their website pulling information for this post, I realized they have cooking classes, product demonstrations, beer/wine/food tasting, festivals and more! Just one more reason for @Mikeinthefalls and I to head back to Cincinnati soon!!
I want to know – do you have a market like this in your area? What is your favorite ethnic food to eat? Have you ever been to Jungle Jim’s?? What types of stores or experiences are you willing to make a roadtrip out of?
