6 Foods You Should Be Buying at World Market

When my family first moved to Los Angeles when I was in high school, World Market was one of the first places we went. We didn’t plan it that way, though. We saw one in a plaza where we were getting lunch, decided to pop in, and immediately fell in love. Our new favorite store carried furniture, clothes, and food. We were hooked.

Later that week, my parents and I went to visit my uncle who had already been living in L.A. for years. We told him all about this really cool local vintage store we had found that was so cool and unique. My mom showed him a vase she bought. While inspecting it, he saw the tag on the bottom my mom had yet to remove. “This is from World Market.” We were excited that he had heard of the cool store near us. He spent the next ten minutes laughing and explaining to us that this was a chain similar to Pier 1. Nothing we saw was unique or vintage. It was basically like going to Walmart and telling everyone it was a farmers’ market.

Despite the fact that World Market is not the one-of-a-kind boutique business that I had initially thought, I still love it! And my favorite part is the vibrant and extensive food section. Here’s the best food you can purchase at World Market.

And, as always, this is not an ad. I just like World Market!

Instant Noodles

If you don’t live near an Asian grocery store, World Market has a great selection of instant noodles from all over the world available in stores and online. I regularly find my favorite Kimchi Buldak noodles on sale at the World Market near me. Looking to mix up your quick and easy meal options? World Market’s instant noodles section is for you!

Olives

World Market is to olives what DSW is to shoes. They have a wide variety of different types of olives, including brands you already love (like Mezzetta, maker of our favorite green olives) and their own line of interesting flavors. My girlfriend and I are hooked on these jalapeno garlic stuffed Halkidiki olives. Whatever you’re looking for in an olive, you can find it at World Market.

Beer

The beer section at World Market is surprisingly affordable and features bottles from all around the world. You can buy beers individually or in six-packs. They also have a cool feature where you can grab an empty six-pack holder and fill it with different beers. I often get a miscellaneous six-pack of weird or interesting beers as a gift for friends that are fans of drinking. It’s super affordable for the gift giver and really fun for the recipient.

Candy

The candy section really puts the “world” in World Market. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for chewy or chocolate. They have it! This is such a fun place to stop before a movie date (if you’re the type of person who sneaks snacks into the theater, which we certainly aren’t). This would also be the perfect place to shop if you’re looking to stuff a Christmas stocking or fill an Easter basket with both common candies you’re already into and new sweets to try for the first time.

Seasonings

World Market’s seasoning section puts the actual grocery store to shame. They have everything from fancy truffle salt to complex curry powder to schnitzel seasoning mix.

Baking Mix

Meyer lemon scones, banana caramel pancakes, buttermilk biscuits. This may sound like the selection at a local bakery, but it’s actually just a few of the baking mixes that you can buy at World Market. They even have baking mixes for regional specialties, like beignets and Hawaiian butter mochi. If you’re a fan of baking but don’t have time to do everything from scratch (because, honestly, who does?), hit up World Market.