Often referred to as a Russian market, this northwest Baltimore store actually carries food, beverages and sweets from many Eastern European countries. Russia, Belarus, Latvia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine and others are amply represented on the shelves and bins. So, its name — International Food Market — is quite apt.

Boris Shklyar, born in Siberia, is the owner and manager. He is a third-generation food purveyor, and has been in business at this Reisterstown Road location for 10 years, after starting a bit smaller just down the road.

As Shklyar tells the story, he had been visiting his grandmother in D.C. and ventured up to Baltimore and liked what he found: a welcoming community, Russian and international, with a taste for a wide regional variety of prepared food, as well as packaged, frozen and preserved items.

My guide through the aisles was Ella Khoussain, a young woman from Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan and a food enthusiast. She has been working at the store both full and part time for 10 years and knows the “front of the house,” as well as what goes on behind the scenes.

The varieties of bread the market sells come from different, and often distant, sources. One of the most interesting of these is baked on the premises from Russian-style frozen dough, imported from Germany. (The only other place that sells this bread is in Brighton Beach, in Brooklyn, so you know it’s a real treat.) Their assortment of dark and light grains and hard and soft crusts will make you give up low-carb thoughts for the week.

The sandwich fixings are also diverse and unusual. There’s a cow’s milk white cheddar from Ukraine, and cold cuts, such as smoked and gently spiced cervelot as well as many salamis and bolognas. The cold counter has smoked and pickled fish, salmon, white fish, mackerel and herring, some of which also come shrink-wrapped, such as Matias Herring from Belarus, in the refrigerator section.

Behind the prepared food counter are many ready-to-heat-and-eat dishes, of beef roasts, chicken, grilled fish slices, stuffed cabbage, stuffed peppers, meatballs, and stuffed bread rolls.

“Siberian tortellini”

Pelmeni, a signature food in Russian cuisine, are here in great abundance. Sometimes described as  Siberian tortellini, they are  small squares of pasta filled with ground chicken, veal or pork, or a combination, folded into a triangle and the flat end curled to meet point-to-point. Pelmeni are a favorite in Siberia, where they originated, because when made in a large batch, they can be put outside on a tray to freeze. Wrapped securely and kept outside, they can be brought in, to cook as needed. Luckily, here it couldn’t be easier to enjoy them.

Bring a large pot of water, salted if you like, to a rapid boil. Gently add the pelmeni. (A slotted spoon is a good tool for this.) Boil for 7 to 9 minutes, depending on how crowded the pot is. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain in a colander. Then, comes the fun. You can use a bit of butter, sour cream, dill, minced green onions as a topping. Often vinegar, hot mustard and or hot sauce is served alongside. I have had them topped with sautéed onions like pierogi, or in chicken soup. Little children seem to like them with ketchup. (Who am I to say?) They can also be fried in olive oil and served as appetizers. Go wild!

The assortment of prepared food varies from day to day, but some favorites such as the pelmeni and cheese blinchkis (blintzes), are available daily until they are sold out. Hand-rolled, this crepe wrap is very delicate and the cheese blend creamy, and slightly sweetened. A nice accompaniment is the smetena (sour cream) imported from Riga, Latvia. There is a large assortment of imported kefir, butter, sour cream, creamed cheese and cottage cheese in the dairy case.

The case also holds several kinds of halva, including one made from sesame seeds. The assortments of pickled items (cucumbers, cabbage, beets peppers and onions), in addition to relishes, vinegars, mustards and dressings, add to the variety of savory flavors. There are also jars and cans of chicken, vegetable and various beet and cabbage soups, including a red beet borscht concentrate.

Turning to the sweet side of their offerings, there are fruit preserves and honeys here in abundance and almost irresistible labeling. (Can you tell I was having a good time here?) The same can be said for the teas. There are plenty of interesting fruit juices and sodas and a drink from Tashkent known as kvass. Originally made at home from stale rye bread, yeast, sugar and water, it is now bottled commercially and competes with popular brands for the local soda of choice. (It’s non-alcoholic.) The market has a small fresh produce department, as well as conventional milk and bottled water.

There are cookies and cakes, both packaged and fresh, and some creamy ones in the refrigerator section. The hundreds of individually-wrapped and packaged candies and chocolates are all some people talk about, and they are terrific, but to me the real food is the main attraction. If you go here, readers, tell me how you fare.

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INTERNATIONAL FOOD MARKET

Open seven days a week:

Monday through Saturday 9 A.M. – 8 P.M

Sunday 9 A.M. – 6 P.M.

7004 Reisterstown Road Baltimore, Maryland 21215
Telephone: 410-358-4757

(The market has no website, as yet.)