كل شي من بلادنا
Everything the big store stopped carrying.
Three aisles, with more in them than shops five times the size. If it belongs in an Iraqi, Levantine or Persian kitchen, it is somewhere on these shelves, and if it is not, Jaafar will find it.
خبز عراقي ولبناني
Iraqi and Lebanese bread
Samoon and tannour bread out of the clay oven, and soft Lebanese pita by the bag. Baked for the day and gone by the evening. The reason a lot of people drive across town.
لحوم حلال وسمك
Halal butcher & fish
Beef and chicken cut behind the counter, and whole fish in with the Thursday delivery. Zabiha halal, no separate section needed, the whole case is halal.
بهارات
Spices
Sumac, za’atar, baharat, dried limes, cardamom still in the pod. Bought by weight, not by the little glass jar.
أرز وحبوب
Rice & pantry
Sacks of amber and basmati rice, bulgur, red lentils, chickpeas, tahini, pomegranate molasses, ghee.
ألبان وأجبان
Dairy & cheese
White brined cheese, braided string cheese, labneh, yoghurt in the big tub the way it is meant to be sold.
قهوة وشاي
Coffee & tea
Turkish coffee ground with cardamom, loose black tea by the kilo, and the dallah and istikan to serve it in.
حلويات وتمر
Sweets & dates
Baklava, kunafa, halawa, pistachio everything, and dates by the box when Ramadan comes around.
أدوات منزلية
Homeware
Half the shop, really. Ramadan lanterns, Turkish mosaic lamps, framed calligraphy, prayer mats, tea glasses, and stacks of serving trays for when you are feeding thirty people.
Cannot see it here? It is probably still on the shelf. Call the shop and ask.