Yekta Supermarket is a Persian/Middle Eastern deli off Rockville Pike in a nondescript strip mall. We ended up here after a visit to Joe’s Noodles, a few doors down. Yekta is fragrant with Persian flavors: saffron, pistachios, orange flower water, limes, etc. It doesn’t smell like your average ethnic grocery store (with apologies to the Chinese grocery stores of my people).
They manage to cram a lot into a small space. In the deli case are the biggest chunks of fresh feta you’ve ever seen, flanked by rows of flatbreads, inexpensive spices, yogurt drinks and more.
We picked up this cardamom rock candy (left) and almond-honey-pistachio crunch (right). The former has cardamom seeds inside that act like a natural breath mint when you bite into them—almost a cross between mint and cinnamon flavor. Pungent, in a good way.
The almond crunch candy is amazing, with a flavor not unlike the sesame honey candies you’d get from the bulk bins of natural foods stores. The sugars have been caramelized, so you get sweet, smoky goodness paired with a crunch that could result in some serious dental bills.
On a side note, for every ethic supermarket you hit, there always seems to be that one product that reminds you how far the tentacles of British Colonialism have reached. I’ve seen both Caribbean and Chinese supermarkets carry Ribena (blackcurrant juice) products. At Yekta, they sell tins of Quality Street chocolates. Apparently, the sun never sets on the groceries of the British Empire.
Yekta Supermarket, 1488 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852 (301-984-1190)
