Nasr Foods
1996 Lawrence Avenue East
416-757-1611

Last week, overcome with hunger, I traveled to the Mid-East. During my sojourn in that troubled area, I gorged myself on sheep cheese, fresh dates and halvah. My plump, manicured fingers snatched Turkish Delight from a tray. Satiated, I reclined languidly as I partook of a water pipe.

Of course, when I refer to the mid-East, I am referring to the mid-East of the G.T.A.. This area - Lawrence between Pharmacy and Warden - has emerged as a sort of Arab Strip or Little Lebanon, awaiting discovery by the falafel-craving foodies of downtown Toronto.

At the centre of this neighbourhood stands Nasr Foods, a grocery store that stocks a fascinating array of Mid-Eastern and Mediterranean foods. Nasr Foods is a family run concern. This large store, not quite large enough to be called a supermarket, is undergoing renovations at the moment but has a comfortable and comforting ambiance. The ever-present fragrance of cumin sweetens the shopping experience.

Start with the bread and baked goods. There’s pita of course – two bags for $1.95. Ka’ak is a sort of ring-shaped bread stick that can be sweet or savoury. Barbari bread is a thick, white bread of Iranian origin. And Nasr is a baklava extravaganza for those with a sweet tooth. Of a more Italianate flavour is taralli, which is a twice cooked pretzel.

The cheeses on display are shiny, briny and white. Ackawi is a soft cheese customarily made from ewe’s milk, native to Lebanon and Syria. It is essentially the cheddar cheese of the Middle East. Naboulsi is a boiled ackawi containing a mixture of spices and seeds.

Nasr, has a seedy side to it. And I mean that literally. Egyptian pumpkin seeds, Egyptian squash seeds, Palestinian melon seeds, Iranian sunflower seeds. If you are a connoisseur of fine seeds - or a bird – this is definitely the place to be.

The olive bar is well stocked with a variety of green and black olives, as well as marinated turnips and grape leaves. Mollkhia leaves are sold here as well. Mollkhia (also known as Jew’s Mallow) is a mucilaginous plant that is the basis of a staple Egyptian soup.

Pussy willow water? Borage water? I’m not sure, but I think you make sherbet drinks out of them. Or you could quench your thirst with a fruit flavoured malt beverage, a perfect accompaniment to lahmajoun, a thin-crusted Lebanese pizza topped with spiced ground meat.

The produce looks to be fresh and in excellent shape. And there’s more dates supplied here – fresh and dried - than at a matchmaking service. Armenian jams, Bulgarian cheeses, flower teas, exotic pickles and preserves – Scarborough never seemed so alluring.

And there are hookah pipes for sale as well. Oh, but speaking from experience: don’t do the reclining languidly thing while in the store. Because you’ll definitely want to be allowed back for another visit.