Spice Markets in Portland, Oregon?

[Elizabeth Rothman]

Recommendations on spice or ethnic markets in Portland?

[sambamaster]

You've posed TWO, pretty vague questions. Regarding #1, an obvious answer is Penzeys Spices‎ - 11322 SE 82nd Ave, Happy Valley, OR‎ - [phone]. Whole Foods usually has a good selection of bulk spices, not sure if New Seasons does. Beaverton is dotted with Indian/Pakistani mkts, all of which have decent spice selections, but specific to those cuisines.
You need to be more specific. I'm sure a search of this board will turn up plenty of other responses regarding the markets. Or look in the phone book!!!! Or, as they say, google it.

[Nettie]

New Seasons has bulk spices. Heck, even Fred Meyer has bulk spices.

[JillO]

From the Portland Tipsheet here:
http://www.extramsg.com/uploaded_misc/portland_tipsheet.html

LATIN MARKETS
1. Grande Foods: Converted Thriftway on Hwy 8 miles beyond the end of the Max line. But you may save money just on their occasional lost leaders, like mangoes for 20 cents each and five dozen eggs for less than the price of one dozen anywhere else. Great selection of produce, chiles, meats, offal, fish, and bulk cheeses with an obvious Latin American focus. Quality varies, but perhaps less so than at most Latino grocers. Mexican pastries, drinks, and deli items for take-out. Also carries typical supermarket items like dish soap, toilet paper, and food from a box. 1619 N. Adair St, Cornelius, OR, 503.359.0333
2. Tortilleria y Tienda de Leon: Fresh commercial-style tortillas, wonderful house-made salsas, and a great deli are not the only draws to this family-run market. They also have one of the better selections of Mexican canned goods, chiles, and cheeses around. One of the few places canned squash blossoms can consistently be found. Sad produce section, though. Carniceria is better for items that are already cooked. 16223 NE Glisan Street, Gresham, OR, 503.255.4356
3. Mercado Don Pancho: Proving that size doesn't matter, this small mercado and carniceria offers fresh produce and nice meats. Perhaps the only Latin market worth visiting that's not on the outskirts of town. Taqueria next door is good, too. 2000 NE Alberta St Portland, OR, 503.282.1892

ASIAN MARKETS
1. Uwajimaya: Mega-mart with Japanese emphasis. High-quality selection of fish, including live lobster, crab, tilapia, oysters, geoduck, clams, mussells, and crayfish. Great produce and meat selections as well, plus aisle after aisle of noodles, sauces, snacks, frozen goods, and so on. Portland's largest Asian market. Open M-Su; 10500 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy, Beaverton, 503.643.4512; http://www.uwajimaya.com/
3. Fubonn: The eastside's Uwajimaya-lite with more of a Chinese-Vietnamese emphasis. Great prices, large selection. Growing selection of fish, including live seafood. Nose to tail meats. Lots of little connected Asian shops and three good restaurants. Banh mi and Vietnamese deli inside actual grocery store. Open M-Su; 2850 SE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR, 503.517.8885
3. An Dong: All-purpose Asian market with impeccable meats and offal. Fish and produce are varied and fresh. Shelves stock variety of goods: shark fin soup in a can, preserved ginger, pickled mango, dried squid, unrefined fish sauce, monstrous bags of MSG, etc. Excellent prices on Thai-style granite mortars. 5441 SE Powell Blvd, Portland, 503.777.2463

[Oregonian2]

Tigard also has H-Mart on 99W that's about the size of Uwajimaya and Fubonn (it's in a former Haggen supermarket location) which is to say pretty large (and newest of the three). It has more of a Korean emphasis. I personally prefer Uwajimaya of these three (I've not been to An Dong), but all have their "specialties".