4 replies to this topic

[Dejah]

We're heading to Dayton, Ohio this summer, and one of the places I've heard about is Jungle Jim's International Market in Fairfiled, Ohio.

What is shown on their website is incredible.

Anyone been? Is it as exciting as it looks?

[moreace01]

Funny, I was just thinking about Jungle Jim's yesterday.

I used to live in Cincy - about 9 years ago (wow, didn't realize it has been that long...) and used to make special trips to go there. It's HUGE - the size of an airport hangar. It's like every ethnic market you can think of combined into one. So, in the ethnic foods section, each aisle is devoted to a different country or region. It's amazing. Everything you could possibly think of under one roof. The produce was great and so was the fish, meat and cheese sections.

Definitely worth a stop. But from what I remember, it was a nightmare on the weekends.

[Ktepi]

Definitely plan to spend some time.

When I lived in Indiana, we would occasionally visit friends in Cincinnati and bring a cooler, hitting Jungle Jim's the last or second to last day there -- bringing back pig heads or pork belly (I never got around to buying the rattlesnake, too expensive), Meyer lemons and Buddha's hand back when I never saw those things in regular supermarkets, and so on and so forth. Even the wine and beer selection is pretty decent, though I think the liquor selection was just standard.

Even if you don't buy much, the window shopping can be fascinating, especially if everyone with you understands that it's going to take longer than just going to the store back home for the weekly groceries.

[tino27]

I'll triple the recommendation on giving yourself plenty of time. The website does not do the place justice as it is absolutely enormous. And the wonderful thing is that you can find not only hard-to-find ethnic items, but some really great deals as well. The last time I went, I only had about 90 minutes to look around and still didn't manage to get to every nook and cranny of that store.

[Dejah]

Thanks for the responses.

My friend has planned a Saturday trip there with several others as part of a day trip. I'll do reconnaissance then go back early the following week for a longer shopping spree.