Mexican groceries in San Jose area?

[infernooo]

Hi everyone,

I am currently staying near San Jose/Santa Clara (Milpitas to be exact), and was wondering if anyone knows where I could get the following?

1.) Mexican tortilla press

2.) Masa Harina

?

If any one has any ideas, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!

[Jaymes]

San Jose has a large Mexican population. The intersection of King & Story (just east of I-280 & US101 interchange) seems to be sort of the unofficial capital. There are several excellent restaurants at that intersection, as well as bakeries, taquerias, etc.

I particularly liked Los Jarritos and Tacos al Carbon.

In addition, there is a large supermarket that will have everything you're searching for.

And a lot more.

Edited August 12, 2006 by Jaymes (log)

[infernooo]

Great!

Exactly the answer I was hoping for - thanks for you help! :-).

[Jaymes]

Actually, now that I think about it, there are TWO large supermercados at that intersection. Our own ExtraMSG did a report on it, complete with photos.

You can see the photos at his website, here:

San Jose, intersection of King and Story.

And you can read his report here (just scroll down to the section on San Jose):

Visiting the Bay Area.

Edited August 12, 2006 by Jaymes (log)

[infernooo]

Hi Jaymes,

Well I hit Tropicana and Mu Pueblo today and what can I say.... thank you for letting me know about it.

Admittedly, it was a bit intimidating for a person who has probably seen 5 mexicans in their entire life to be the only non-mexican person in a 2-block radius, but I was there for the food :-).

I got my tortilla press and Masa Harina and tasted my first properly made tortilla! You see in Australia, we have basically no authentic mexican restaurants, and NOONE makes tortillas from proper Masa dough - everything is either from flour or plain corn flour (i.e. NO Masa Harina - no lime), so it tends to taste the same whether from a supermarket or in a restaurant. Our idea of mexican is tex mex - it's all we have.

I also noticed that there seem to be 2 types of guacamole - one thick and chunky, and the other quite runny like a sauce (unless I misread the sign - and no it wasn't the green chili sauce). Overall, I left with way too much stuff, and now I have to figure out how I am going to smuggle this stuff back into Australia :-). I hope we are allowed to bring in dried chilies and masa harina (flour) !! Otherwise I might just have to send myself a package and hope quarantine don't open and remove everything.

Thanks again!

[Jaymes]

Oh my goodness, thanks for letting me know! Sounds like you had quite the adventure.

I know what you mean about the tortillas. I used to live in Panama, and although most norteamericanos think that everything south of the US/Mexico border is Mexico, or some version of it, that's decidedly not true. And the Panamians don't eat tortillas, so the only ones you could find there were either, as you said, inferior ones in a "Mexican" restaurant (which for them was just as foreign as a Thai restaurant), or ones that came in cans in the imported food section of grocery stores.

So I had a tortilla press, and my family sent me masa harina.

I'm sure you're right about the guacamole. Probably there was the chunky stuff we're all accustomed to, and a thinner avocado sauce that they pour over some meat and fish dishes.

But I'm glad you had a good time, and found what you're looking for. That neighborhood is a lot of fun. Especially on Mexican festival and holidays, when they ride through the streets honking horns and blaring Mexican music and waving flags.

And again, thanks for letting me know. I wondered all day if you had gone and how you liked it.

Edited August 13, 2006 by Jaymes (log)