Put down the passport and leave your map at home - Edinburgh’s foreign supermarkets are exploding in popularity, so get out there and taste the ‘real’ delicacies on our far flying foodie adventure.
Polska Chata Cottage Shop
126 Salamander St, EH6 7LA, 0131 261 6002
Aimee Stanton
The General George carpet warehouse on Salamander Street may have hit retirement, but the iconic red building still stands and now houses the ‘biggest Polish supermarket in Scotland’. The store has a wide selection of imported meats and the famous ‘baltonowski bloomer’ bread, not forgetting one of life's Polish essentials - vodka.
For an Eastern European warmer eat... Pierogi (dumplings).
Akdeniz Mediterranean Supermarket
84-90 Leith Walk, EH6 5HB, 0131 629 1300
Aimee Stanton
'Akdeniz' translates to 'Mediterranean' in Turkish, so relive your summer holiday and taste the best olives in town. You can also overload in carbs at Akdeniz’s bakery, which has a large selection of Turkish baked goods such as pide (Turkish flat bread), baklava and also Turkish Delight.
Gain a pound (or two) by eating... the pistachio, almond or walnut baklava.
Rahman Halal & Continental Food Store
253 Gorgie Road, EH11 1TX
Aimee Stanton
If you think variety is the spice of life, visit Rahman at Gorgie for a seasoning of African, Asian and Middle Eastern foods. Navigate your way around the towers of rice bags, highly stocked spice shelves and the freezers full of South Asian fish such as Rahu and Mrigal for a continental blend of dishes from Bangladesh to Beijing.
To put hairs on your chest sprinkle... Rahman’s chili spice into curry.
Matthew’s Foods
36 Inglis Green Road, EH14 2ER, 0131 443 8686
Aimee Stanton
Travel East and to China’s Forbidden City or, as it’s more commonly known, Matthew’s Foods Oriental Supermarket at Longstone. With an entrance as grand as a Chinese palace (check out the headline pic), you’ll discover Edinburgh’s biggest oriental supermarket holds everything from Chinese noodles to Japanese seaweed and sake and Thai seafood to Korean kimchi.
For the ultimate chow mein... cheat and pop upstairs to the supermarket’s restaurant, the Imperial Palace.
Maqbools Supermarket
36 Potterrow, EH8 9BT, 0131 667 1778
Aimee Stanton
Indian, Lebanese, Kurdish, Egyptian, Spanish, Scottish... Maqbools Supermarket caters for a whole host of nationalities. Run by the Edinburgh Central Mosque team, it’s a haven for adventurous cooks who can try bitter melon, dates and halal meat.
For an Asian style breakfast try... Fava beans with halloumi and bread.
Check out Time Out's guide to Edinburgh's best delis.