question about JA grocery stores

[irieworld]

I haven't done a big grocery shopping in Ja for a few years and am wondering if I would get more bang for my buck and find more items at Mega Mart in Mobay or Hi Lo in Negril. I have shopped at both stores, and from what I remember, Megamart has a better selection. I am having my driver stop on the way in so I can arrive w/groceries in hand and not have to bother about it.

Also--several people have posted about bringing olive oil with them--is it really hard to find or just super pricey? I would rather pay a little more and get it there if that is an option. Also, I don't remember seeing Canola oil on the shelves--it think I got regular vegetable oil last time. Is Canola available? If not--I may pack my own but space in my suitcase is at a premium.

Thanks in advance for input!

[Vince]

ahh!!This is a GREAT question!!-Thanks

[Ariana]

I personally think the selection at Mega Mart is much greater than Hilo, pricing is hit or miss, but as a general rule I find that Mega Mart is a bit cheaper. You can get Olive Oil and Canola oil here. Your selection isn't the greatest with olive oil so I guess it depends on if you're picky with it or not.

No matter where I go to shop though, I end up shopping at multiple places, I can never find everything in one spot.

[irieworld]

thanks, ariana. I think I will hit Mega Mart and load up on most items there. Then I can supplement with fish from the fish market, fruit and veg off the truck, etc. But I would like to arrive with basics and a couple of days worth of food so I don't have to shop for more till I feel like it. I shopped at megamart on the way to seastar once and didn't have to do any shopping the rest of my trip. I am a little leery of bringing cold items though like dairy and poultry--not sure if it will stand up to the long ride.

[Ariana]

I buy dairy and meat there all the time (not chicken however) and have had no problem at all. Just have it packed all together and if you get anything frozen pack it together like an icepack. You could also grab some newspaper and have them wrap those things too to keep them cold. I tend not to worry about that kind of stuff too much though either.

[irieworld]

yeah--I was thinking about packing it all together and somehow insulating it and buying a couple of frozen things for a source of cold.

[cinnni]

We are stopping in Mobay on the way in also. But we have packed soft sided coolers to help to keep the cold things staying cold.

[irieworld]

too bad I left my cooler with a friend when I visit Samsara (no fridge) a while back. I am psyched about grocery shopping in JA--more fun then here and I like trying new things. I missed having a kitchenette my past few visits.

[Rambo]

ya gotta use coconut oil,,,,oh! boy...........bad for your body..but what the hell, a few times a year right?

[Ariana]

ya gotta use coconut oil,,,,oh! boy...........bad for your body..but what the hell, a few times a year right?

Actually there has been a lot of research on coconut oil in the last few years and how good it is for you.

I cook with coconut oil (instead of veg oil or canola) and love it.

[Alfred's Taxi & Tours]

You could ask your driver to bring a cooler to use during transport, we do that for our guests :)
Alfred

[irieworld]

alfred's taxi I am riding with you! (my name is Rebecca and I get in the 28th) So that is a stellar idea! I'll email you--but if you see this--bring a cooler along to my pick-up!

[irieworld]

oh yeah, thanks for the coconut oil tip--does cooking with it leave a strong flavor in foods?

[Ariana]

No, not the ones you get here (not sure but it may be the difference that many of the ones you get in the US are cold pressed), you only get the flavor of your food, not the oil. I like the Simply Natural brand of it. You can cook it at high temps too which is great and it doesn't stink the same way vegetable oil does when it's heated.

[Marko]

expensive.........
shopping for groceries der is a challenge and you have to pick your battles with every store.......
some stores have great prices on snacks.........others don't .......same for most staples
to be a prudent shopper there.......you need to hit two or more stores to get what you want......
plus you gotta hit the vegetable stands to get your fruit and veggies........
of course if you are there for a week or two on vacation.......
hitting HiLo or ValueMaster or Wise Choice etc is no biggie to the pocketbook......

Cool Runnings, Marko

[Island Girl]

After tasting coconut oil in Jamaica, it's the only oil we have used for cooking in the last 20 years. My good cholesterol is so high (and bad cholesterol low) that my Dr says I should donate my body to science, LOL. If you want oil for salads, etc of course you will want olive oil. I am pretty sure I remember seeing it at MegaMart, but that was in Kingston. It IS fun grocery shopping in Jamaica, but definitely go to Mega Mart for meat, cheese and any comfort foods that you would normally buy in the US. Check out the non-food items at Mega Mart too- interesting! IRIE! *IG

[irieworld]

thanks IG -- I love shopping in JA and the prices really aren't more than I pay here in NYC--and I stick to many Jamaican items. Sometimes I buy things out of curiosity and figure out how to use them. Last time it was the powdered coconut milk instead of tinned--had never tried that before.

I always avoided coconut oil because I was afraid it would be heavy and have an intense flavor that I didn't want when sauteing veg, fish, etc. I am going to try it!

[M&G Montreal]

Just want to weigh in here on this. Yes, Mega Mart will probably have more selection and better bang for your buck, however, it's an international company, and it doesn't appear to me that a lot of the $$$$ stays in JA. Hi-Lo is part of the GraceKennedy group, and is Caribbean. They do a lot of fund raising etc there in JA and other Carib countries. They give back. Considering that we are all visiting JA and getting seriously Great Joy from it, it may be worth it to spend at Hi-Lo where there is more local produce and local stuff. You also gotta give the little guys at the end of the road trying to eek out a living some $$ too. Sure, you may pay more for your beer, but hey ... you're there and have a lot more disposable income than the owner probably does. Know what I mean? I feel strongly about giving back here, so I feel really strongly about giving back there. Get the basics you need at Mega Mart, but other than that, spread the wealth. And no matter how tight your budget is, if we are going to JA, we're probably doing a pooh-pot better than most of the employees at Hi Lo, or the corner store. Random acts of kindness. Spread it around!

[irieworld]

I support local interests in Negril as much as I can--and buy off the truck produce and fish from the fishermen. I hit small stores in Negril often. I have shopped a lot at Hi Lo but never found much good local stuff there and the produce was always limited and not too fresh--that is why I go for the truck and fruit vendors. I am getting the groceries for setting up the kitchen at Mega Mart.

[irieworld]

FYI regarding megamart-- it is not an international company. It's owner/ceo is Gassan Azan, who is a Jamaican, from a Ja family. He also owns the Bashco chain of stores in JA. He went to college in St. Elisabeth, and then in England and the US. He came back to Ja and his father wouldn't hire him( he didn't finish school in the US), so he borrowed money from his mom and started business selling cigarettes. Megamart believes in not hiring foreigners and also sells as many local goods and produce possible, as well as a large range of non local items. One store alone employs some 250 jamaicans. So to say spending money there does not go into pockets of Jamaicans--I don't think that is entirely true.

[Ariana]

http://www.shopmegamart.com/news/3/MegaMart-%3A-A-Jamaican-retailing-giant-comes-of-age.html

History of Mega Mart

[irieworld]

I read up on megamart last night as I became interested after the post in this thread that claimed it was an international company and the $$$ didn't stay in Jamaica.

Gassan Azan has a retail empire going--but it sounds like he came from a family that was in retail already in JA and definitely had resources ($$) and business sense. Interesting that he borrowed money from his mom and started with the cigarette venture and was successful with that (paid mom back)-- he would buy from higglers and sell back to stores. He studied the habits of the higglers and also JA shppers, and obviously also was looking to Costco and Walmart models for his Megamart inspiration.

But he basically started from scratch and built his retail empire from the ground up. Sure his stores carry goods from foreign, but he also carries a lot of Jamaican produce and goods. Seeing as he has so many stores (the bashco and megamart chains) he is providing hundreds of jobs, maybe thousands, and also an influx of $$ to the JA economy. I am sure there is more back story than is reported in the papers, but I was able to peruse a lot of info that is printed about his ventures.