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• Food + Drink
• CU’s variety of international groceries

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Janet Morford shopping for cheeses at Euro Mart. (Anne-Marie Cheely, Buzz photographer)

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Interested in trying out some of these unique products? Here is what these notable items will cost.
Am-Ko:
Ginger candy $1.69
Rice Cakes $2.59
Euro-Mart:
Chaman (cheese spread) $9.99/lb
Findek Ezmesi (Hazelnut spread with crocant) $7.99
Green Onion:
Seaweed Salad $7.99/lb
Lotus root salad $8.99/lb
World Harvest:
Fennel candy $3.69
Falafel $1.99/4 pieces

Related Venues

World Harvest »
Address: 519 E. University Ave. Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 356-4444
Show on map

Am-Ko Oriental Foods and Gifts »
Address: 101 E. Springfield Ave. Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 398-2922
Show on map

Euro-Mart »
Address: 48 E. Springfield Ave. Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 355-1488
Show on map

Green Onion »
Address: 2020 S. Neil St. Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (217) 766-6588
Show on map

Freshmen learn fast that dorm food can be rather unappetizing and not very figure-friendly. Even apartment and house dwellers suffer from stagnant eating habits. But not all is lost for hungry college students searching for more cultured cuisine. Compiled is a list of CU’s finest ethnic grocery stores that offer affordable prices and a unique selection.

World Harvest International and Gourmet Foods

519 E. University Ave, Champaign

Like Euro-Mart, World Harvest has an assortment of chocolates, coffees, and tea for all tastes and a deli loaded with meats and cheeses uncommon to the average chain supermarket. World Harvest makes its own falafel, spinach pie, and hummus, and even packages its own fennel candy, all served fresh daily. Olive lovers will be delighted with the 25 different varieties available regularly. The store also boasts a large spice selection, which takes up an entire wall.

Even as college students, buying, preparing, and eating food doesn’t have to be mundane or expensive. As Drew Thomas, a University Alumnus, notes the variety and diversity of ethnic grocery stores is a plus for the students and CU residents alike.

“Give the size and locale, I don’t know any other towns that size that have anything,” he said.

Am-Ko Oriental Foods and Gifts

101 E. Springfield Ave. Champaign

An eclectic mix of imported goods and foods from the Far East to the Middle East, Am-Ko is nothing short of authentic. Available are a wide variety of rice, sauces and noodles to more elusive items like lotus oatmeal and cuttlefish crackers. Many of the store’s imported goods are well-known products in countries such as Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand, such as Pocky Sticks, a popular candy from Japan. Am-Ko also carries imported wines and spirits, from sake to rice wine. Often packed with customers of all ethnic backgrounds, regular customers are always satisfied with Am-Ko’s offerings.

“They have a lot here that are not at other stores,” said Liya Milgram, a senior in LAS. “It’s also a lot cheaper.”

Euro-Mart

101 E. Springfield Ave., Champaign

Known for its cheese and meat selection, Euro-Mart not only sells imported European goods, but goods from all over the world including the Caribbean. Customers with a sweet tooth can oogle over the abundant selection of chocolates, specialty coffee and tea, and cookies, like Napolitanke, a Croatian wafer cookie with hazelnut spread in the middle. Euro-Mart also sells a unique frozen food section, replacing the usual freezer grub like pot pies and frozen pizzas with tandoori chicken and philo dough stuffed with spinach.

Green Onion Asian Market

2020 S. Neil St., Champaign

Another Asian specialty grocery store, Green Onion offers a deli with homemade salads and seafood dishes with a DVD rental corner as an added bonus. The store is also a vendor of organic foods. Venture over to the frozen food section and find some tasty oddities such as fishcakes, honey pancakes, and red bean rolls. Ice cream flavors are equally unique, with green tea, red bean, and sesame sitting alongside chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla. Even the refreshments come in nontraditional flavors like plum and coconut with pulp.