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Flavours of the world

All in One City

Leeds is known for being a diverse city in terms of

culture, attracting visitors from all over the county, all in search of something different. With the variety of international food the city has to offer becoming increasingly popular they have come to the right place.

The city centre is home to Leeds’ very own China Town which is the third biggest in the UK. The city is home to over 4000 Chinese residents all regularly visiting the main arcade to buy traditional Chinese food from the supermarkets, visit the Chinese barbers and browse a range of stores such as video shops and herbalists. China Town is also popular with people from many other nationalities who visit the restaurants in hope to find some authentic Chinese flavours.

The popularity of China Town has led other businesses with similar themes to open. Chaophraya is a Thai restaurant chain that opened its first restaurant in Leeds.

With the owners originating from a small village called Maenum Bon, in a remote part of Northern Thailand, they were overwhelmed by the success and popularity of their first restaurant, which offered something different to what was already in the city, such as their Thai curries and rich in flavour stir fries. Their popularity led them to branch out, creating a chain of other Chaophraya restaurants in Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and Glasgow.

There are also many independent restaurants in the city

that are becoming increasingly popular. Salvos restaurant in Headingley is an award winning family owned Italian restaurant that has been running for over 35 years, attracting customers from all over the region for its fresh authentic taste. Michael Diguado, who is Italian but lives in Leeds, frequently visits the restaurant stating, “It’s the only Italian restaurant that I’ve been to in Leeds where the food actually tastes like it’s been made in Italy. The chefs know what they’re doing and know how to deliver fresh traditional Italian food.” Headingley is also home to Dare Café, which specialises in Mexican food such as fajitas, enchiladas and burritos. The café has been running since 1993 developing a loyal following in the area.

However, nowhere in the city can offer as big a range of international food than Leeds Kirkgate Market, located in the city centre. It is the biggest covered market in Europe, being home to over 800 different shops and stalls offering something for everyone, whether it’s the Indian Spice corner, supplying hundreds of authentic herbs and spices or the Turkish café offering sweet crepes.

Malgorna Czerwiec owns a small polish supermarket in the market, which sells fresh produce from cheese and fish to packaged goods, such as sauces and biscuits. Malgorna said “I think people are now more travelled then they used to be, so a lot of the food they may have tried in different countries they now want to be able to find here.”

Throughout the year Malgorna’s store attracts a mixture of customers, but in the Winter, her busiest time, she sees a rise in Polish customers. “It is tradition

in Poland to eat fish in the winter time and with many English shops focusing more on turkeys and chicken, we offer a change, such as herring and eel.”

Crossing continents at the other side of the market is Junior Cuffy’s Caribbean café and grill, which offers traditional Caribbean food to eat in or take away. Junior stated that the Winter months are definitely his most popular, “Caribbean food, such as curry goat, jerk chicken and rice and peas are heavy dishes which people want in the winter to fill them up and keep them warm. “ Junior also thinks the festive atmosphere attracts visitors to the market which subsequently makes his cafe buisest in the winter. He says “Importing spices direct from the Caribbean is one of the reasons why my café is popular, as people are looking for the real deal and I can offer that to them.”

Close by Val Nortje runs a South African stall in the market after recently returning to the city after living in South Africa for over 20 years.

She sells a range of snacks, from rusks, which are popular for dunking in tea and coffee to spices and chutneys, such as Misses Bulls Chutney range, which are all imported from Zimbabwe.

Val has a massive following in winter and in the summer saying “I sell something for everyone, from South African Dairy Milk chocolate to maze, which is used in

traditional South African cooking. I often attract a lot of people around Christmas time all looking for something different to put under the tree, rather than the ‘normal’ chocolates and treats that you can buy in most stores.”

The most popular products that Val sells are biltong, which are similar to beef jerky. Biltongs are a type of meat, usually beef, that is marinated in vinegar, coated in spices and then left to dry.

Once the meat is dry it is cut in to relatively thick strips and served as a popular snack due to its strong flavours. Chilli Bites are relatively similar to biltong, being made in the same way. However, chilli bites are cut in to much thinner strips and are much spicier, with them being coated in chilli powder.

They are not recommended for the faint hearted.

When Val first opened her shop she had 64 line items, now a year on due to the shops popularity she has around 500, forming not just a following with South African people but also with English people who are looking to try something new.

Malgorna, Val and Junior all admitted that in recent years they have received much more custom, despite the recession. This shows that there isn’t just a taste for international food in the city but that the taste is growing.”

Alexandra Browne