Food and home are so closely tied together, and as an expat, sometimes I just crave a "gringo food", which I loosely define as anything hard to find in Managua. For me, that might mean a nice big jar of peanut butter, but everyone's food-that-feels-like-home is different - for some, it's a case of Dr. Pepper, while for others it's a New York-style bagel or a Pad Thai that tastes like it's from the take out place back home.
Luckily, in Managua access to different foods has increased substantially over the past few years. There are still some foods and dishes that are impossible to find - I still haven't tasted a decent Pad Thai in Managua, nor good Indian food, for example. But compared to a decade ago, it's easier to find a wider range of ingredients and restaurants that serve different types of dishes.
This post is mainly about grocery stores and providers of raw ingredients. Stay tuned for another post about restaurants coming soon!
Know Before You Shop
As a general word of warning, none of this food comes cheap. You are usually paying for imported products, and prices will reflect that cost.
However, I should also note that there are some Nicaraguan entrepreneurs who are starting to produce "trendy" foods, especially in the green/healthy eating vein, and I highly recommend supporting these businesses.
Here are a few recommendations of places to check if you are craving food that isn't typically found in Nicaraguan grocery stores or markets:
1. Hiper La Colonia
If you are looking for an ingredient that isn't typically found in Nicaragua, Hiper La Colonia is a good first place to check. With products like quinoa and spinach regularly in stock, La Colonia is the most expensive chain of grocery store in Managua (and also not connected to the Walmart franchise). The largest store, called Hiper La Colonia, is located on Carretera a Masaya next to Galerías shopping mall, and it offers the widest variety of products compared to other La Colonia locations. La Colonia also has a decent selection of foods for cooking Asian cuisine, such as sesame seeds, miso paste, rice vinegar, and wasabi paste.
There is plenty of parking and a bathroom in the store. There are also fun shopping carts that look like cars where kids can ride in style while helping their parents shop. La Colonia also offers an app and delivery, although I have never personally tried it.
2. PriceSmart
The Costco of Nicaragua, PriceSmart offers bulk shopping and lots of items that are not found in typical grocery stores. Many of the items are Kirkland Signature brand and can be found in Costcos in the United States. A small sample of the items that are sold at PriceSmart include: pesto, peanut butter, La Croix seltzers, tofu, prepared frozen foods like pizzas and dumplings, various types of cheeses such as goat cheese, and Oxyclean. There are also some items for kids that can't be found in other locations. For example, I bought a nice Fisher Price floor mat and a three-pack of pajamas. Diapers (Pampers and Huggies brands), wipes, and formula are also all sold in bulk. PriceSmart is a great place to buy affordable Graco car seats. (See my full post on Car Seats in Nicaragua for more info on car seats in Nicaragua and options for purchasing).
The PriceSmart website is usually up to date, and you can see which products are in the two stores, one near Bolonia and one by km 11 Carretera a Masaya. Each location also has a food court, in case you want to pick up a pizza, fried chicken, or calzone while shopping.
PriceSmart also has two types of shopping carts for kids, one with a bassinet-type plastic seat on top for the littlest babies, and a double-wide shopping cart with seats for two children who can sit up. I've also frequently seen kids riding in the large carts themselves, although that's not the safest approach.
3. Super Porta's
Porta's may look small, but it offers many hard-to-get grocery products and is a staple of the expat community. This is really the best place in Managua to get gringo foods! Porta's has an app called "PORTAS DELIVERY", available in the app store, that shows what is in stock.
Warning! Porta's can be pretty expensive. I had a lot of sticker shock the first time I visited. For example, a large box of Fruity Pebbles was priced at C$ 435, or over $12 (not that this was on my list!). However, if you do some digging there can be decent deals available.
Here is a sampling of some of the products available at the time of writing in September 2022:
Jarred sauces like Korma Curry Sauce and Boticelli Alfredo Sauce
Nutella, Hershey's Cocoa Powder, and various syrups, as well as yeast, baking powder, frosting, and other baking supplies - this is a good place to check if you're a baker
Snacks like Cheetos, Chex Mix, Cheez-its, and Pop Tarts
Sodas like Cherry Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew, and Orange Crush
Beers like Budweiser, Sierra Nevada, Blue Moon, Kirin Ichiban, and Guiness Stout
Seasonal favorites for Thanksgiving and Christmas, like canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie, the real stuff!) and canned cranberry sauce
4. Mini Super Korea
The Korean Market is an awesome spot for Asian cooking ingredients, Korean snacks, and lots of other fun foods to browse. There are entire aisles of instant ramen noodles! Again, prices are pretty high, but that is to be expected given the importation costs.
5. PrimaEvo
PrimaEvo offers groceries sold entirely via delivery and app. The service also offers prepared foods. PrimaEvo offers delivery in Managua, but also has a booming business serving the beach communities of San Juan del Sur, Tola, and Guasacate.
PrimaEvo is great for organic vegetables and fruits, as well as finding produce that is less common in Nicaraguan supermarkets, such as bok choy, basil, and quality greens for salads. There is also a nice variety of hummus, salsas, and other sauces. Some of the prices are, in my opinion, a bit exaggerated (C$100 for 16 oz of papaya cut into chunks... or you could just buy a whole papaya from the nearest street vendor and cut it yourself for less than half of that), but I love the farmer to consumer model that they are promoting.
It's definitely worth exploring their site - and delivery is free!
The search is on
It can be tricky to find foreign and unusual foods in Managua, but these stores are good places to look. Happy shopping (and eating)!
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