Alisa Booze Troetschel/Adelante Columbia resident Kirsten Maakestad peruses the displays of cheeses and olives as she shops at World Harvest for the first time.

global market

World Harvest offers a cornucopia of tastes from around the world

By Cristina García
Adelante staff writer

No matter where you are from, World Harvest International and Gourmet Foods can provide a little bit of home or a culinary excursion to your choice destination. Next to Gerbes supermarket on Nifong Boulevard, the market provides specialty items and hard-to-find delicacies.
An 8-foot stretch of one aisle is filled with every imaginable type of olive oil. Beyond the oils, aged balsamic vinegars from France call out to customers. Section upon section of ethnic foods lines the shelves.

if you go Where: 3700 Monterey Road Suite K; 442-3833 (next to Nifong Gerbes) www.worldharvestfoods.com Open: Monday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free samples every Saturday www.adelanteonline.com

For the chef looking to add a Russian flair to his kitchen or the foodie who must have the chocolate bar from her last trip to Switzerland, World Harvest is the answer.
Owner Shakir Hamoodi opened the market last year after seeing his friends succeed in opening the first World Harvest in Champaign, Ill. His friends helped provide the financial backing for the Columbia store, which opened in December.
“I knew the diversity of the city, I knew the people,” Hamoodi said. “Why not in Columbia?”
Customers are raving.
“We just happened to cross it; it was a pleasant surprise,” said Barbara Janis of Marceline, Mo. “I loved it because I have lived before where I could get all of these things very easily, and it was nice to see this store here close enough to where I live.” Janis buys harder-to-find Italian products for her catering business.
For Hamoodi, owning the store is about more than the food; it is about the connection to culture that people can experience after tasting food from another hemisphere. Outreach has always been a part of Hamoodi’s life.
“This kind of business was, in my mind, a tool to bring people together and also to bring the bulk of society to see and appreciate what other countries eat,” said Hamoodi, who is from Iraq.
When the store first opened, Minnetta O’Neil and her fiancé perused the shelves and bought a variety of products. O’Neil calls most of her purchases convenience foods from other countries.

What's in your basket? Click here to read about some of the foods available at World Harvest www.adelanteonline.com

Foods from Central and South America are prevalent, and they take up multiple aisles. Cajeta de leche, guava paste, coconut milk and boxes of frozen fried plantains are just a few of the items available. There is a large selection of spices indigenous to the countries of Latin America. Goya products also fill the shelves; employee Alain Yalaoui says Goya is to Latinos what Kraft is to Americans.
Yalaoui has been working at World Harvest since its conception.
“I’ve been here in Columbia 17 years; I’ve been in this store four months. I’ve met more people in four months than in 17 years,” Yalaoui said. “It’s amazing.”
Yalaoui speaks seven languages and has an instant rapport with each of his customers. He points to a package of yerba mate tea, a popular drink in Argentina, and the history of the tea rolls off his tongue.
“This tea is so fine that you need to drink it using a pipe,” Yalaoui said. He points to the pipe-like straw. He explains that it is also popular in Syria and points to a slightly different straw.
Hamoodi tries to bring in exactly what his customers want. He brought in various different types of Mexican cheeses, but when they didn’t sell, he discontinued them. Now that people are asking for the cheeses, he plans to bring them back.
“The business is new and there must be some risk — I accept that,” Hamoodi said. “Now Latin American people know that we are here.” Aside from the Mexican cheeses, World Harvest offers hundreds of fresh cheeses daily. Customers can also shop on-line for their favorite products. The Web site is constructed so searches can be done by food type or ethnicity.
The customer base has been growing, but it’s a challenge, he said, because of the store’s specialty nature. Based on his first four months, Hamoodi is optimistic. “I think it’s going in the right direction.”

What’s in your basket?

Minnetta O’Neil Calpico water from Japan with soy fiber, in peach and plain Greek pita bread Liquid honey menthol eucalyptus centers (cough drops) Rajma Masala (red Kidney beans in spiced gravy — Indian vegetarian delicacy) Tea biscuits Yan Yan (chocolate snack with roasted sesame seeds)
Adam Bickford Aged Basmati rice Ballycashel (Irish cheddar cheese) Chapati (Indian tortillas) French roast coffee Paneer Hariali (Indian TV dinner) Vegetable Haka Noodles (Indian TV dinner) Samosa (crispy triangles filled with spicy potatoes and peas) Vegetable Jaipori
Ann Roland Andrulis (Baltic style farmer’s cheese) Lithuanian rye bread Polish rye bread Pumpernickel rye bread
Tracey and Philip Atwood Anchovies Black and green olives Black tea from England Capers in balsamic vinegar Chickpea squares Chickpea dip Cocoa D’Arriba (orange-flavored chocolate) Goya bitter orange marinade Lightly smoked sardines in olive oil Pita bread Port Salut French cheese Red dragon with mustard seeds, British cheese Tunain olive oil Wasabi mayonnaise Water chestnuts (diced and sliced) White crab meat (canned) Salonica peppers