Afra on Main: Family-owned market is a gem for middle eastern goods

Daily Hive

With increasing grocery prices, it’s never been a better time to seek out local markets and grocery stores.

These independent spots often offer more affordable prices, not to mention a great selection of items that you might not be able to find at large chain supermarkets.

One of our favourite spots in the city has to be Afra on Main, a small market-sized store specializing in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern goods.

Daily Hive

Located in Mount Pleasant at 3046 Main Street, Afra is identifiable by its red awning and the tantalizing display of baba ganoush, baclava, and house-made falafel visible from the street.

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One of the first things you’ll see when you enter this market is its plentiful shelves of packaged flatbreads, including Persian sangack bread, which is made locally with sourdough starter and roasted sesame seeds. The bread is huge, slightly tangy but flavourful, and if you don’t try to wear it as a scarf something may be wrong with you (just kidding, but definitely don’t leave without one in your basket!).

Daily Hive

Daily Hive

Shoppers will find plenty of other tempting items here as well, ranging from dried fruits (try the strawberries!) to almond cookies to huge sheets of fruit leather made with sour cherry and barberries.

It’s also a fantastic spot to grab pantry essentials for the avid cook. We recommend stocking up on bottles of rosewater, jars of preserved lemons, tahini, dried beans, and every kind of pickle you could imagine – all the makings of a fantastic and simple middle eastern meal.

Daily Hive

Daily Hive

Afra also has one of the best selections of spices in the city (not to mention one of the most affordable), with rows upon rows of small baggies filled with everything from whole cardamom to sumac to fennel to pre-mixed bags of falafel spice. Have a pepper grinder at home? Don’t leave without picking up a bag of whole peppercorns from here, which are a fraction of the cost for the same amount at large grocery stores.

Look at all those spices! | Daily Hive

For its dried pantry selection, you’ll find couscous as well as pasta, cans of dolmades, and even dried rose buds – great for a cup of soothing herbal tea or as garnishes on cakes.

Afra has a refrigerated section at the back of the store, where you can stock up on fresh dates, feta, labneh, and bottles of hard-to-find juices and beverages, as well as a small selection of frozen goods. From phyllo pastries to housemade Bastani – Persian ice cream made with rosewater, saffron, vanilla, and pistachios – the freezer section is great for quick meal options.

Daily Hive

Daily Hive

We also suggest stopping by the olive bar or feta bar before checking out, as well as stocking up on some bulk nuts, all of which are very well-priced.

Afra’s deli section is small but absolutely worth checking out, with a particularly lovely smoked eggplant dip (similar to baba ganoush), spicy feta dip, tabbouleh, samosas, falafel, and more, all of which make for a great grab-and-go lunch or snack.

Daily Hive

If you’re a fan of middle eastern sweets, we suggest trying some of Afra’s housemade treats, which include halva and baklava.

On a recent visit, we found bags of Turkish floss halva – also called Pişmaniye – that we can’t wait to pile high on a stack of waffles or a bowl of ice cream, perhaps.

Turkish Floss Halva | Daily Hive

Afra is hardly ever crowded, but clearly has a dedicated base of regular shoppers who return for its niche groceries and to peruse the few household goods stacked high on the tops of shelves – we’re always tempted to buy one of the market’s brass Turkish coffee makers or a glass hookah but the daunting thought of carrying them back on the walk home keeps us from this one particular indulgence.

This came to about $40 (pictured: anchovies, orange blossom jam, bread, olives, feta, giant lima beans, dates, tahini, dukkah, and Turkish floss halva) | Daily Hive

This family-owned deli and grocery is truly a haven for the fellow grocery-obsessed, and you’ll likely not leave without finding a few items to inspire your next meal – or maybe even the inspiration to start cooking for the very first time.

Afra on Main

Address: 3046 Main Street, Vancouver

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