• Health
• Nutrition and Healthy Living
• Healthy Living and Nutrition

Where can I find ethnocultural foods?

You can find ethnocultural foods in certain neighbourhoods, grocery stores and farms across Ontario. They are often easier to find in big cities than in small towns.

Ethnic Neighbourhoods

Most cities have ethnic neighbourhoods or areas where large numbers of people from specific cultures or ethnicities live. You are most likely to find ethnocultural foods and groceries in these areas. A few examples of these neighbourhoods include:

• Chinatown (Ottawa) - This historic part of Ottawa has Chinese restaurants and small ethnic grocery stores.

• Little Finland (Thunder Bay) - Little Finland in Thunder Bay has Finnish cafes, food and saunas.

• Corso Italia (Toronto) - This area in midtown Toronto has many Italian shops, bakeries, restaurants and butcher shops.

• Koreatown (Toronto) -  Located in both downtown and north Toronto, Koreatown has many Korean grocery stores, restaurants and bakeries.

• India Bazaar (Toronto) - This part of downtown Toronto has many South Asian restaurants, specialty food stores, and ethnic grocers.

• Plaza Latina (Toronto) - This food court is in the North West end of Toronto, and you can find foods from all different parts of Latin America. 

Ethnic Grocery Stores

In addition to smaller grocers, there are a few very large ethnocultural grocery stores in Ontario. Some examples include Adonis (Middle Eastern), T&T (Asian), PAT (Korean), Nations (Asian) and Denninger's (European).

A few smaller ethnocultural grocery stores include Khorak Supermarket (Iranian) and New City Supermarket (Vietnamese/Asian).

You may also be able to find ethnocultural foods at regular grocery stores. They sometimes have “ethnic foods” aisles. The type of food available in these aisles often reflects the ethnic communities that live and shop in that neighbourhood.

Farms & Farmers’ Markets

If you live in or around the Greater Toronto Area, there are a number of farms and farmers’ markets in this area that grow and sell ethnocultural produce. Find specific kinds of locally-grown ethnic food near you.