How international supermarkets can break up a dinner rut without costing
a fortune
[August 29, 2026] By
REBECCA BOONE
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — When kitchen burnout hits, figuring out what to make
for dinner every day can feel like an impossible task.
Eating out or relying on convenience foods are increasingly difficult
solutions for many American families, who are facing the biggest jump in
grocery prices in a half century. It can also be healthier to cook at
home, where it is easier to control things like how much salt or sugar
is added to a meal.
But in many cities, there's another way to break the “what's for dinner”
rut without breaking the bank: shopping at international food markets.
It can be surprisingly simple to incorporate new flavors into home meals
by pairing unfamiliar ingredients with pantry staples, says Palina
Louangketh, a self-described foodie and the director of the Idaho Museum
of International Diaspora. She also teaches cooking classes, partnering
with Boise-area refugees who demonstrate dishes and techniques from
their home countries.
“Coming here to an international market, you get both a dose of cultural
experience but also healthy, fresh exotic ingredients,” Louangketh said
on a recent trip to the Idaho Capital Asian Market in Boise, pointing to
products from China, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea and
elsewhere.
“It doesn’t have to be so scary or unique. If you pair your protein with
vegetables and with a starch and add savoriness to it — soy sauce, fish
sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce — you’re covered," she said.
Yes, navigating a grocery store full of new-to-you products with
foreign-language labels might feel daunting at first, said Beryl
Shereshewsky, a New York video producer whose YouTube channel is
dedicated to exploring dishes and cultural connections from around the
world.
But there are ways to incorporate international supermarkets into your
home cooking routine, she said.
Here are some tips:
Venture outside your neighborhood
“I think you would be surprised by how many international markets exist
even in small towns and cities,” said Shereshewsky. “Everywhere you go
in America, you’re going to find immigrants, and those immigrants are
still cooking their foods from their countries and cultures."
Sales at international supermarkets and small grocery stores across the
U.S. have been growing steadily for years, according to market research
firm IBISWorld.
There are more than 20 international markets in Boise, which has just
over 235,000 residents. Several more are located in nearby Meridian,
Nampa and Caldwell.
People tend to shop near home, Shereshewsky said, but exploring new
territory can reveal hidden gems.
“It allows you to interact with your city or town in a different way,”
she said.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
Store workers are often happy to assist.
“It’s exciting,” said Bailey Hughes, a cashier at Idaho Capital Asian
Market who enjoys following food trends. “People will come in because
they saw something viral on the internet, like Chinese Baddie Tea.”
The viral beverage is based on a traditional Chinese tea recipe made
with jujube dates and ginger.
And doing a little advance research goes a long way.
Many food bloggers focus on one cuisine, like vegetarian chef Manjula
Jain who writes about Indian cuisine, Lola Osinkolu who specializes in
Nigerian and indigenous African cooking, and Maangchi, a go-to resource
for Korean cooking.
“There are a lot of people out there who are recipe developers who have
spent a lot of time perfecting dishes and making them acceptable,”
Shereshewsky said. She goes into markets “with a very specific list and
recommendations of what I need to buy because going in there with no
plan can be like, a little bit too much.”
It’s OK to start small
You can find inspiration in the familiar if you're not ready to fully
venture into the unknown.
[to top of second column] |
Palina Louangketh shops at Idaho Capital Asian Market in Boise,
Idaho, on June 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Rebecca Boone)
 “Look at something you really like
and see the iterations of it around the world. That way you add a
couple of new ingredients and you’re trying something new from
something that’s familiar,” said Shereshewsky. “Even though we speak
different languages or wear different clothing, or we live in
different places, suddenly we’re all connected through a tomato."
Breakfast lovers might try swapping scrambled eggs
and toast for a Ugandan rolex, a thin vegetable omelet wrapped in
chapati flatbread. Or a basic side salad can be replaced with
Chinese spinach salad, an addictive appetizer made using blanched
Taiwanese spinach, vinegary dressing and peanuts. The Taiwanese
variety is sweeter and crunchier than the flat-leaf spinach found in
most big-box grocery stores.
Soups are another good place to start, says Louangketh. She likes to
add bright, tart flavor to broths with fresh lemongrass and kaffir
leaf, both pantry staples in Laos, where she was born.
Keep your eyes open for savings
Spices, fresh produce and some specialty sauces are often less
expensive in international markets than in mainstream grocery
stores. Even proteins like fresh and frozen seafood can be
substantially cheaper, in part because these stores are more likely
to work with multiple suppliers.
But keep your eyes open, and don't just assume everything will come
at a savings. International markets can also carry very high-end
versions of specialty products compared to what you might find
elsewhere.
“I think you'll find some ingredients are much cheaper than in the
traditional supermarket and others could be just as expensive — it
depends on what you're looking for,” Shereshewsky said.
You might find a new favorite food
If you see something that intrigues you, don’t be afraid to try it.
“If you just buy some things because you’re vibing with them, you
can then reverse-engineer meals out of them by searching that
ingredient and recipes,” Shereshewsky said.
Filipino dishes have become part of her regular cooking rotation, in
part because they are simple to prepare and often allow for
ingredient substitutions that don’t change the overall flavor or
integrity of the dish, she said.
“For example, they have calamansi juice, which is a type of citrus,
but you can use lemon, no problem,” she said.
Other favorite ingredients for Shereshewsky include pork floss — a
Chinese finely shredded dried pork with a texture similar to savory
cotton candy — and aji panca, a mild Peruvian chile with a sweet and
smoky flavor. Banana sauce, a sweet and tangy cousin to tomato
ketchup, is another pantry staple, she said.
Look beyond your plate for a deeper connection
It can be fun to dabble in different cuisines, but real satisfaction
comes from appreciating the cultures and people behind the food,
says Louangketh.
“Food is about building community,” she said, and creating
opportunities "to connect through something that is healthy.”
Consider attending cultural festivals or events or taking classes,
like the free online “Kitchen of Exotic Eats” cooking classes
offered by the Idaho Museum of International Diaspora.
Viral food trends may offer an easy entry point to exploring a new
cuisine, said Shereshewsky, but don't let that overshadow the
history of a dish. "If you take the time to understand where that
food is from, you can get a lot out of it and learn a lot from the
people who have grown up with these dishes,” she said.
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