Market to Pantry #4: Ed Hyder's Mediterranean Market Place, Worcester, Massachusetts

From Lydia (me!), in Rhode Island:

A couple of years ago, Nika told me about Ed Hyder's Mediterranean Market Place, a market serving the Middle Eastern, Armenian and Greek communities of Worcester, Massachusetts. It's taken me all this time to get there, though it's only an hour from my house. It won't be long before I go again.

The market, in a decommissioned fire house, offers one-stop shopping for everything from spices to flours to condiments, to cheeses and wines. Bins of olives? Absolutely. Wooden ma'amoul molds? Sure. Spinach pies and parmesan bread? Yep. Homemade baba ghanoush and tabbouli? Of course.

What I bought for my pantry: pomegranate molasses, green lentils, dried chickpeas, fregola sarda, harissa.

Ted and I had a great time looking around. We also bought taleggio cheese and mango-ginger cheese, locally-made fresh pita bread, and a spinach pie to nibble on in the car on the way home.

 

On Saturdays, for more than two years, we've been peeking into Other People's Pantries all around the world.

*There are eight more pantries to share. If you'd like this feature to continue -- if you've been meaning to send your photos but haven't gotten around to it -- please send in your pantry photos. Here's how.

And, please put your camera to work on Market to Pantry, alternating with Other People's Pantries. There are four more markets to share.

Come on -- show us your favorite supermarket, farmer's market, ethnic market, big box store or roadside stand. We'd love to see where you shop for food!  Here's how.

The market, in a decommissioned fire house, offers one-stop shopping for everything from spices to flours to condiments, to cheeses and wines. Bins of olives? Absolutely. Wooden ma'amoul molds? Sure. Spinach pies and parmesan bread? Yep. Homemade baba ghanoush and tabbouli? Of course.

What I bought for my pantry: pomegranate molasses, green lentils, dried chickpeas, fregola sarda, harissa.

Ted and I had a great time looking around. We also bought taleggio cheese and mango-ginger cheese, locally-made fresh pita bread, and a spinach pie to nibble on in the car on the way home.

 

On Saturdays, for more than two years, we've been peeking into Other People's Pantries all around the world.

*There are eight more pantries to share. If you'd like this feature to continue -- if you've been meaning to send your photos but haven't gotten around to it -- please send in your pantry photos. Here's how.

And, please put your camera to work on Market to Pantry, alternating with Other People's Pantries. There are four more markets to share.

Come on -- show us your favorite supermarket, farmer's market, ethnic market, big box store or roadside stand. We'd love to see where you shop for food!  Here's how.

Comments

besides everything else is the store, all those feta cheeses threw me over the top,,,,,Im coming to live in MA haha

You are so so SO lucky to have a place like that to visit.

Thanks for the post

Thanks Lydia! Looks like a road trip is in order. Now I have an excuse to drive from Fitchburg to Worcester besides going to "Wholly Cannolli"!

I live in Worcester and Ed Hyder's has been on my must visit list for some time. Thanks for the prod I needed to make that happen. My husband once worked in an office upstairs in that building and he raved about the sandwiches he'd get there at lunch time!

This store is also the place to get your spices, especially when you only need a small amount of some you only occasionally use. I get mine there for this reason plus the prices are very good. You don't have to pay for shipping charges either.

What a fabulous find! This is my kind of place - a market with personality, unusual finds, and plenty of food.

What a marvelous-sounding shop! I was just chatting with an Israeli friend here in DC about how hard it is to find dry harissa/ peri peri. How I love stores that sell in bulk like this. Lucky you and Ted! :)

I'd love to find a store like this, how fantastic!

What a quaint place, very cool!

Thanks, everyone. So glad you enjoyed this peek into Ed Hyder's. It's the kind of market we used to enjoy when our neighborhood in Boston was Lebanese and Syrian, more than 30 years ago, so we really enjoyed our visit. To those in the local Worcester area.... go! You'll love it.

Here's one I can go to! First on the list, replace the harissa that exploded in the tube...

Susan, this one is right up your alley. Easy to find, and the kind of place that grabs you right when you walk in the door. They don't have harissa in the tube, which I love, but have the same brand in a can -- and a great suggestion for how to freeze it (ask the girls behind the counter).

I am fortunate in that I live about 1 mile from Ed Hyder's. I am a regular. Their feta cheese is spectacular - especially the creamy Sheeps Milk feta. In September, they usually run a buy 1/get 1 free sale on their dried herbs and spices. So for example, buy 2 oz of any dried herb or spice, get the same amount free. I always stock up in September. Thanks for the shout out to our community of Worcester!

What a find! I love browsing ethnic markets like this Mediterranean market! Such a wonderful variety of foods to try.

YUMMMMM FETA!!! great little gem!! makes me want to go to Worcester or as we like to say here in MA "wistaaa"

I would love it if Ed's taught cooking Mediterranean style, how about it?