Central and Latin American Delights at Aqui España

The other day, on the way to lunch, I stopped in at Aqui España on Kantstraße, just because I was feeling curious. Imagine my delight at finding all sorts of Central and Latin American treats therein, like Mexican goat's milk cajeta, canned tomatillos, tamale wrappers, guava paste, dried salt cod, dried pasilla, guajillo, ancho, arbol and chipotle chiles, dulce de leche in a Russian doll's variety of jar sizes, several different countries' worth of masa and achiote in both ground and pellet form. (There is also a large selection of Spanish and Portuguese goods, from olive oils to cured meats, wines to dry goods.)

I left with a can of tomatillos (I'd only ever eaten them fresh, but some casual Googling assured me that canned tomatillos are a good thing, much like canned tomatoes) and a jar of hearts of palm, but I can't wait to go back for all the ingredients for the Mexican feast I plan to cook soon.

Aqui España
Kantstraße 34
10625 Berlin
(030) 312 3315

Comments

[ana]

i just wanted to say how nice it is to read you again! :)

[Luisa]

Thanks, Ana!

[Suzy]

Oooo, good find!

[Stephanie]

Luisa, if you're planning a Mexican feast, do you know Diana Kennedy's "The Cuisines of Mexico"? It's from the 70s, but it's a classic. So far, we've made the rice, the beans and the salsa verde. All of the recipes are more work than we expect . . . but the finished dishes are also all way more amazing than we expect.

After taking it out from the library for six weeks (twice!), I found it at a used bookstore on the weekend. Fingers crossed you could have such luck in Berlin . . . Happy feasting!

[Luisa]

Stephanie - Do I ever! It was also reissued by the publisher a few years back.

[Yaotzin]

At the Lübbener Str., corner Skalitzer Str., there's a German farmer who places his stand there and occasionally sells fresh tomatillo. He had some popularity because he stands between this mexican taquerías, TáCabrón and María Peligro, but dunno if he's still selling it.

Anyway, here's also a good book recommendation that you can find at Dussmann: Mexikanische Feste, Die Fiestas der Frida Kahlo.

And don't forget to make fresh tortillas!

[Katie Hudson]

If you ever need Spanish, Portuguese or South American ingredients try the Spanishe Quelle on Charlottenstrasse. http://www.spanische-quelle.de/startseite.html

They have a shop upstairs and a big wholesale area down some dark stairs....