Eastern European specialty store keeps old country flavour

By Anna-Grae York

EDMONTON — A west end specialty European grocery store is providing imported goods from all across Europe to Edmontonians.

European Market and Produce, located at 6607 177 St. in the Callingwood neighbourhood, imports food products from Russia, Ukraine, Poland and other countries in eastern Europe.

Larisa Styrt, the owner of the market, says the shop is popular among immigrants from the above countries, as well as from Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria, Croatia and other eastern European countries. According to a Statistics Canada census done in 2006, there were over 19,000 eastern European immigrants living in Edmonton.

When asked what her most popular products are, she didn’t even have to think about it.

“Candies!” Styrt said. “Candies, candies, ginger cookies and caviar, for sure.” She also said the products that are imported from Russia and Ukraine seem to be particularly popular.

The store itself is a homey, charming little space of no more than 300 square feet that features shelves full of boxes of sweets with un-readable foreign labels. They also provide fresh produce and a European deli. When you enter, all you hear is loud chatter in what could be any indo-European language.

Styrt opened up shop 14 years ago in October. The daycare she was working at had gone out of business and she decided she wanted to provide Edmonton with a different, more exotic shopping experience.

A list of Russian recipes to inspire the European chef in you can be found here.