Exploring a Huge Muslim Supermarket in Houston

Yes, they sell camel milk

Looking for camel milk? Or a whole lamb's head? I explored a big Middle Eastern grocery store in Houston that sells that and much, much more. Almadina Supermarket at 3210 Hillcroft Street in  Houston is a must-visit stop for anyone, Muslim or not, to find delicacies and treats that you just won't find in "mainstream" grocery stores. From spices, sweets to nuts, meats to treats, freshly cooked food and hot flat breads, Almadina has something for everybody.  

I first visited Almadina in late 2022. Upon entering, I was immediately struck by how nicely laid out the store is. The vast variety of international foods quickly impressed me. This store is not just about "Arabic" or "Muslim" foods. It's for anybody who loves spices and seasonings, and they offer a multiplicity of those. Also impressive is the stock of condiments, relishes, and pickles. 

Giardiniera w/oil

I was accidentally thrilled (yes, thrilled) when I stumbled upon giardiniera, and Italian condiment. As a former Chicagoan, that was quite a find. After nine years of searching Houston for a good Chicago-style giardiniera made with oil instead of the traditional Italian recipe without oil, I found it at Almadina. Any Chicagoan who loves an Italian beef sandwich knows what I'm talking about: It's gotta have that oil. "Apparently in Northern Italy the vegetables were just pickled with vinegar, but in Sicily, they were kept in oil," according to food blogger Abbe Odenwalder. (And the Sicilian mafiosi once had strong influence in Chicago.) 

My point in telling you about the giardiniera is that Almadina offers a lot to any food shopper, with unexpected treasures. 

Za'atar manakish منقوشه زعتر

Lovers of pita, naan and other flat breads will love Almadina's bakery and deli. "The biggest highlight you’ll encounter is the freshly baked bread section," noted Houstonia Magazine. "Almadina has an array of savory Arabic baked goods from the North Indian pita bread Roghni naan (perfect with baked chicken tikka) to Manakish, a flatbread topped with za’atar, a blend of sesame seeds, sumac, and thyme."

You won't find this at Kroger

Almadina has wide appeal to people of diverse demographics, but there's no doubt that their niche is the Muslim community. As such, they have an good variety of meats that are halal. 

Whether you're looking for chicken, beef, lamb or goat, they've got it. Need an entire head of lamb or goat? Check. Lamb or beef tongue? Check. A whole or half lamb or goat? You bet. Lamb testicles? Sure.

Sometimes you feel like a nut

And speaking of nuts, Almadina not only has a big assortment of packaged nuts, but they also feature a huge table full of loose nuts sold by the pound. Seeds, Fancy Mix, Squash Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Cashews, Pistachios, Peanuts, Almonds, Hazelnuts, Turkish Pistachios, Iranian Pistachios, and Pecans.

Looking for olives? Go to a mainstream grocery store and you'll find a few brands and varieties of them, but the selection at Almadina probably dwarfs anything you've ever seen. This is undoubtedly due to the cultural importance of olives in Middle Eastern culture. 

Olives, Olives, Olives!

"Olives were cultivated about 8000 years ago in Anatolia, where it spread to the Middle East, North Africa and Southern Europe (Efe). The olive was spread throughout Mediterranean Europe and North Africa very early, due to its ease of vegetative propagation and cultivation in dry climates (Jordi)," according to the Arab American Tribe website, and "Olives are eaten with almost every meal in the Middle East, sometimes even at breakfast." 

Website: https://almadinahouston.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/almadinahouston/