The Chef Goes Shopping: Finding Persian Delicacies In Caspian Market On Rte 40

As Bill Parcells once said, "They want you to cook the dinner -- at least they should let you shop for the groceries."

The Unmanly Chef blog has been a new, steady source for posts about cooking, especially Persian food.  But the local blogger offered to shop for some groceries at Caspian Supermarket on Rte 40 in Ellicott City -- and to make practical suggestions about things that you could check out in the store or at Pars Market in Columbia.

This is part of a series of guest posts by some new Howard County bloggers.  For local food blogs, check out the HocoBlogs food page.

Caspian is on the south side of Rte 40 just behind the Burger King and Tutti Frutti frozen yogurt.  As an Iranian-American and Howard County local, the Unmanly Chef frequently shops there for essentials of Persian cuisine.  I have been a few times for past posts on saffron ice cream and other delicious items, but the Unmanly Chef offers a comprehensive tour of items that you could ask about there and then cook using recipes on his blog:

The owners of Caspian, Ali Nazarian & Roya Radfar, are a husband and wife that have been fixtures in the local Iranian American community since they opened in 2006.
An international grocery store can be intimidating, especially if you don’t know what is what in the store. I’m here to give you a nice guide from the Persian perspective. 

Roya Radfar or “Roya Khanoom” as I call her was gracious enough to give me a tour as she highlighted items that many of her non-Persian customers often miss.   They are always willing to help you should you have any questions.

Butcher Shop: Caspian has halal lamb, organic beef, and organic chicken. They will also do custom ground blends for you, if you want to make a special kofte or Koobideh kabob they will blend lamb and ground beef for you. I highly recommend using them for any lamb dish you plan on doing.  (I went to get some lamb shanks and tongues.)

Breads: Persian breads are underrated; they go way beyond your standard pita (which isn’t Persian at all) or naan (Indian/Pakistani). I really recommend trying some of their Barbari bread or Lavash. And if they have some in stock, Sangak Bread (Noon-e-Sangak in Farsi, meaning bread of little stones as it is prepared on little pebbles). 

Nut Mixes And Blue Soda At Caspian Market

Fresh nuts are an easy way to introduce yourself to the Caspian Market -- a guaranteed find and an excuse to check out the yogurt, grains, meats and other Middle Eastern items at the Ellicott City grocery.

Right in the center of the store, Caspian sells two bulk nut mixes.  You scoop as much as you want into a plastic bag.  The mixes beat out any packaged mixes that I have bought at places like Trader Joe's -- and I love TJ's.

Caspian's nuts are so fresh.  Huge nuts in a mix that has a half doen varieties including pistachios, almonds, pecans, dried fruit and more.  Normally, I avoid walnuts because they can be bitter, but Caspian's mix was sweet from the walnuts to the Turkish delight.  That's right -- one of the mixes comes with a few bursts of candy among the nuts.  It's a delicious snack, but it is classy enough that you could fill a bowl for a party.

If you go to Caspian, you must try the Fard pistachio nougat.  Those candies remain one of my favorite HowChow discoveries.  Also check out the saffron ice cream.


And does anyone recommend Fanta Shokata?  It's a shockingly blue soft drink that Wikipedia says is flavored with elderflower blossoms.  They say its available in Romania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslavia.  Cool bottle shape.  Worth buying?

Saffron Ice Cream at Caspian Market

The saffron ice cream at the Caspian Market opens a bunch of good options for the coming warm weather -- from an adult ice cream cone to a classy dinner party dessert.

Caspian sells Shirlee's "Persian Ice Cream," which passes the "ingredient test" for ice cream.  Milk, sugar, cream, rose water, saffron.  That's all they put in, so what they get out is a creamy, thick ice cream with the mild, spicy taste of saffron -- almost nutty.

This is a treat like the fruit ice creams at Seibel's in Burtonsville or the Jamaican-inspired Island Style versions at Golden Krust in Catonsville.  They're simple foods made better by people rather than big companies.  The saffron ice cream -- highlighted for me in an anonymous comment -- is reason enough to check out Caspian Market.  It's a flavor that would make a nice end to almost any meal and has been an afternoon treat right from the freezer.

Caspian Market in Ellicott City

With all the new Middle Eastern markets, it was time to go back and look at one of Howard County's originals -- the Caspian Market in Ellicott City.

The term "Middle Eastern" works, but it doesn't truly cover any of these markets because they carry goods that run from Greece through India.  Caspian -- on Rte 40 in the same building as Tutti Frutti -- carries all of the basics like spices, bulgar, bread, and cheeses.  There are Iranian fruit rolls, Turkish soujouk, and Sadef kabob spices -- all worth checking out and all opening you up to making healthy, delicious dishes from Greek to Iranian.

Caspian stands out because it also sells produce and fresh halal meat, really packing the products into two small rooms.  Caezar International in Elkridge sets the local standard in terms of size and experience, but I didn't see much missing when I walked through Caspian.  My regular purchases are yogurt, grains, sweets, and sometimes the breads.  Most importantly, Caspian sells the pistachio nougat that remains one of my favorite finds in my HowChow trolling.

In addition, Caspian had two unique items that will draw me back -- saffron ice cream and two amazing bulk nut mixes.  The nuts are in the center of the store near the cash register.  I bought a scoop, and I wish I had bought five times as much.  Fresh nuts and dried fruit, and not the almonds and raisins that you get in most packages.  This was walnuts, cashews, almonds, pistachios and macadamia.  Cheap walnuts taste horrible.  Every nut in Caspian's mix was delicious, and they came tarted up with sweet unusual fruits, including tiny figs.  An absolute revelation.

Go check out Caspian if you are anywhere near Rte 40.  If nothing else, get some bulgar, some yogurt, some spices -- and the holy trifecta of nougat, ice cream and nut mixes.  But there are many interesting finds for people who want to explore beyond the regular supermarket.  Try the lentils, the bulgar, the vegetables and then get a few quick ideas from Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything Vegetarian.  Or just ask Caspian's owners.  They seemed really nice, definitely the type who would answer questions and know what they're talking about.

The new Middle Eastern markets include Columbia Halal Meat Market in Elkridge and both Nazar Market and Pars Market in Columbia.  In addition, Caezar International Market in Elkridge expanded last year when it moved from its former home in Columbia.


If you're a gardener, you should also check out the seeds that Caspian is selling at the end of one of the aisles on the right.  They're Avand brand seeds from Iran -- basil violet, sweet fennel, rocket, cucumbers, sunflowers.  I bet they're interestingly different if you like to experiment in the garden.  I bought seed for my few square feet months ago, but I'd love to hear if anyone tries these out.

Fresh Almonds at Caspian

If you're looking for fresh almonds, they're available for now at the Caspian Supermarket in Ellicott City.

Fresh almonds are a Middle Eastern snack.  They're sour with the texture of unripe peaches.  New for me, but they're apparently a standard snack topped with salt.  A few grains of sea salt really improved the flavor, so bite off a little almond and dip the inside fruit in a little salt.  (Other people cook with them.)  Beautiful green color, and you crunch through the entire thing.  They're young enough that there is no nut inside, just a translucent disk where the nut would have matured.

I'll post more about Caspian, but the fresh almond season only runs a few more weeks.  Not my favorite find of all time, but I'm a sucker for seasonal stuff.  So run over now if you want to try them.

Caspian Supermarket
9191 Baltimore National Pike
Ellicott City, MD 21042-3933
410-313-8072

NEAR:  Caspian is next to the Burger King on Rte 40 west of Rte 29.  It's the same building as Tutti Frutti.      From east-bound Rte 40, your turn in at the Burger King, then turn left and right so that you drive next to the drive-in lane.  Caspian is in the back facing the drive-in.