Korean kimchee is a must-have food group for Weinberg senior Jodi Anderson. But this traditional dish of fermented chile peppers and vegetables, usually cabbage, is hard to find in Evanston.
“It’s really frustrating,” Anderson said. “(World Market has) this organic kimchee, and it’s really expensive, and it doesn’t taste good.”
Besides Cost Plus World Market at 1725 Maple Ave., few places in Evanston carry this popular Asian dish. And Anderson has looked.
“I went to JK Sweet’s and I asked if I could just get like a cup of kimchee to go,” Anderson said. “They gave me a five-minute explanation about how they’re not a grocery store.”
For convenience, most students usually buy groceries at Whole Foods Market, 1640 Chicago Ave.; CVS, 1711 Sherman Ave.; and White Hen Pantry, 817 Emerson St.
But students who want specific ethnic dishes or to taste a new food usually have to make farther trips or rely on online grocers. Convenient shopping Web sites have become a new trend for college students living off campus.
Ethnic grocery shopping often becomes a hassle for most students.
“I’m just so busy,” Weinberg junior Neeral Sheth said.
Sheth makes a trip to Devon Avenue, a hub for Indian groceries, restaurants and stores, about once a quarter. The trip takes about 15 to 30 minutes by car.
Emily Oshima, a Weinberg senior, lives near Sea Ranch, 518 Dempster St., known for its Japanese products. Items include fresh fish, sashimi, Japanese candies and snacks.
“There’s not many places to get real Japanese food in Evanston,” Oshima said. “They carry a lot of things other places don’t.”
But like Sheth she only shops there about once a quarter.
Jerett Yan, a Weinberg sophomore, lives on campus but volunteers weekly at Chinatown. He often finishes his volunteer trip by shopping for soy milk and Asian bakery goods. Sometimes he brings back groceries for others because a trip to Chinatown is time consuming – nearly two hours by El.
“It’s a matter of convenience,” Weinberg senior Mike Tong said. While living In an apartment last year, Tong shopped mostly at Whole Foods and CVS because they were nearby.
Some students find it most convenient to use online groceries, such as www.peapod.com.
Meltem Nazli Senol, a Weinberg sophomore, orders snacks, seasonings and other dried goods from a Web site that specializes in Turkish products, www.tulumba.com.
Weinberg senior Hyeong-Rak Youn shops from a Korean store at www.koamart.com, buying rice, ramen and other snacks.
He has only made two orders this year, but he shops in bulk.
“It’s easier to order in bulk,” Youn said. “Shipping was like $20 or something. Some of the prices were cheaper. I think it kind of evened out.”
Reach Diana Xin at [email protected].
