West Palm Beach's President Supermarket: A Spanish Shopping Experience

Our search for Mexican Chocolate and a tortilla press was proving fruitless in our normal shopping places. There are certain Spanish food items not found in regular super markets that must be bought in specialty stores. After talking with a few friends, we discovered West Palm Beach had a Spanish supermarket, President, just off the corner of Military Trail and Gun Club Road. The store is privately owned and in business since 2005.

The store has a variety of food items available and all in great quantity for purchase. Our first stop was the fresh produce aisle where we discovered yucca, cactus, and boniato used in making flavorful side dishes. At the end of this area was the Pilon espresso sampling booth. Many Hispanics enjoy a cup of this brewed beverage early in the morning, black and strong.

As we continued onward, we found rows of rice, beans and other grains in large twenty - thirty pound bags. It's a little too much for our needs, but larger families benefit from the larger size for at least a couple of weeks. Nearby was the fish market, which displayed fresh varieties packed on ice for patrons to view and purchase, and it was interesting to observe customers making their selection.

President's does have some common grocery items available, but the majority of the grocery items are Spanish or Caribbean. Rows of cookies, crackers, breads, soups, household items, etc., were all of Spanish origin and printed in the language. We discovered organic foods and "green" products were also a good find.

Our favorite part of the trip was the bakery. The fresh pastries were so soft, fresh and truly Spanish in nature. Here you can purchase guava, yam and mango cookies and pies. At the end of the bakery is a cafe selling fresh made tamales, rice and empanadas. Many shoppers took time to stop here and enjoy a cup of espresso before heading home.

This supermarket is an enjoyable cultural experience in West Palm. Be aware that the associates and cashiers are bilingual but primarily speak Spanish. All the store signs, public speaker announcements and store-assistance is in Spanish and one can get quite a cultural flavor of the area as they browse the aisles. We plan to make a trip there more often, especially when we get a craving for fresh tamales and rice

(video produced by teaches12345, music source: I KA Barra, Habib Kaite& Bamada, 1995)

I have posted one of our favorite spreads used on sandwiches, over tacos, enchiladas, and as a simple dip for tortilla chips. It is quite versatile so feel free to improvise to your taste. We use tofuttii sour cream instead of milk-based sour cream for health reasons, but regular sour cream can be substituted. This spread is quickly made and livens up any sandwich, however use it within a couple of days for the best flavor experience. When your long day of shopping is through, it is nice to assemble a cuban sandwich, top it with this spread, add a small salad and enjoy a complete meal.