nijiya market

I've been to quite a few Japanese markets from Boston to New York to L.A. Today I found my favorite. Macrobiotics began as a definitive philosophy by George Ohsawa in Japan, and so miso, shoyu, umeboshi plums, burdock root, daikon and other Japanese foods, known for their health supporting properties are often found in macrobiotic cookbooks. I usually get the few identifiable things I know, fresh produce, cute hello kitty band aids, sea vegetables avoiding anything in packaging. As good as it looks, I try to avoid msg and any other ingredient I can't pronounce.

Then came my Japanese friend Mai. Today she gave me a tour of a store minutes from me that I knew nothing about-Nijiya Market purveyor of healthy and gourmet Japanese foods http://www.nijiya.com. Mai can read the labels. I left with products that I thought I could only order online. Nijiya sells organic produce, that comes from their own farm! There is a hot deli, where Sylvie and I shared a $1.50 mouthwatering vegetable croquette covered in crispy breadcrumbs that you dip in a fruity sauce.
We left more than content, bags filled with dried tofu, shitake mushrooms, quality miso, and adorable snacks for Sylvie featuring dancing broccoli and squash characters on the packaging. Thank you sweet Mai for sharing with me!