Rachael Barnes grew up with Arabic people. A Jewish woman, she realized different cultures have delectable foods. And civilizations adjacent to one another may be far apart externally, but at the dinner table the meals are allied.
“We grew up with the Arabs and they have a lot of good foods,” said Barnes, who with her husband recently opened Renaissance International Produce Market, across from University Town Center at 8535 Towne Centre Drive, Suite 107. “We have Russians, Farsi, Indians, Asians and many different groups. It’s interesting because each different culture brings its different food.”
Barnes found that neighboring cultures, no matter how politically divided, tend to have comparable cuisine.
“For example, food from Yemen would be similar to Iraqi foods,” she said.
Barnes’ zest for international goods stems from the challenge her customers pose when they ask her for an item. She said she’ll try to locate anything for anyone. She keeps a list at the register, filled with items to find.
“It’s like a challenge to get it,” Barnes said. “It’s nice when they come and they see that I got it for them. The excitement really pumps me up.”
The international produce market, which Barnes and her husband Sam opened about a month ago inside the Renaissance Shopping Center, has had some unexpected results, said clerk Carolina Torres.
Torres said once customers step through the front door, food is the only thing on their minds.
Just inside the door, fresh bread is delivered daily. The slightly sweet, braided, egg-washed Jewish Challah sits next to Arabic bread. Torres said she watches customers from all different cultures shop for products inside the store.
Some of the customers that come through the doors are hesitant at first because they see Jewish food next to food from Turkey or Greece or Arabic food, Torres said. But all customers set aside their differences or those of the outside world because the idea behind the market is for people from the neighborhood to get to know one another, she added.
And the market is a great place to do just that. Although most of the food is imported, the items are comparable to those found in the grocer’s aisle. Like other fruit stands, Renaissance offers a quick in-and-out approach, with 15-minute parking spots in front.
Because she claims to have the biggest international market in La Jolla, Barnes has a fruit stand and a grab-and-go feature, where her husband cooks different ready-made dishes, such as hummus and tabouli with cous cous, cilantro, tomato, onions and lemon.
The market features foods imported from Israel, Turkey, Greece, Asia, Russia, the Middle East and other cultures. Customers can find many exotic imports, from Russian cola to Turkish coffee. For $1.50, shoppers can purchase homemade baklava.
Renaissance also has food ready for holidays, Torres said. A table set-up contains kosher foods.
For more information, call (858) 452-3700, or visit www.renaissanceproduce.com.