Michiana African Hair Braiding

Aug 2013

I'm writing this review to put this unique (for here) ethnic market on the Yelp map. First, the tricky issue of location: for some time now, I've seen a sign on Edison just West of Grape Rd. indicating the presence of an African grocer. I never could tell where it is, though, so only by accident today did I stumble on the secret: it isn't in the strip mall with Bonefish Grill, etc., which I was somehow supposing, but instead it's off a utility road that cuts north from Edison just West of the gas station on the corner of Edison and Grape. That means it's accessible from Grape through the City Wide Liquors lot and also from Edison, but it's also rather invisible from either road. About the stock: I'm an ethnic foods junkie, so I went in, bought some goat meat at a quite reasonable price and picked among a number of foods I'd never seen before, like a cous-cous-like starch in a box that is based in Cassava root (it's gluten-free, incidentally, but that's not an issue for me). Rather like the nearby Indian grocer, there are lots of meats but also fish, all frozen in cases. In addition to the predictable lamb and goat, they have things like beef skin, pork feet, and other things, and also a number of frozen greens like collards and some I haven't heard of. They have loads of rice, various exotic flours, spices, spice blends, canned items, bottled condiments, and oils. I got some jerk sauce (they do a bit of Afro-Carribean, too), and some others things new to me, like palm oil. This place has inspired me to seek out some African cooking books to expand my horizons. The fellow running the place is named Ben, and he's from Ghana. He says that they will soon start to offer prepared African foods on Fridays, once the store is more fully set up. I told him that he should try to use Facebook to announce when that's up and running, so go there and "like" their page, if you're interested: So I give 4 stars for now for this being a genuine, clean, unique addition to the local scene. If some local Yelpers are game to try an African meal date, I'll host. Do the hard work of finding this place, and see what you think. More soon.