Walk into the huge Oceanic Market, and a dozen Asian countries greet you: China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, India, Philippines. This expansive food store has everything any Asian connoisseur could want, from popular, well-known items (wasabi peas, curry pastes, soy sauce) to the obscure (dried shrimp bites, beef tongue, lotus root). The market has over 200 varieties of tea — from organic green tea to “stop smoking tea” — and a huge selection of herbal supplements and tonics (like crocodile bile pills for asthma). A deli and fresh-fish counter round out this unique gem in the heart of Tampa.
This article appears in Sep 12-18, 2007.