The very first thing that comes to our mind when we receive an offer to relocate to South Korea is about food.

Will I get food from my home country?

Will I get the necessary spices if I have to cook my food at home?

What if I staying outside Seoul, in some remote place in Korea – will I be able to procure these grocery on a regular basis without travelling much?

But now with the emergence of various eCommerce (Online) Grocery Shops in Korea, buying Asian grocery has become more convenient. These online grocery shops mainly cater to Asians from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Middle East, Mauritius etc. who have relocate to Korea.

So there are two ways of buying your regular household grocery in South Korea.

1. Physical Stores

Foreign Mart in Itaewon is popular among expats for their regular grocery shopping. You get variety of Indian spices, ready to cook sabjis and parathas, oil, ghee, chakki atta, pulses, rice, snacks, sweets, hair oil, ginger-garlic paste, ground coconut, paneer, pickles, papad, pain -relief balm, isaphgol and many other items.

2. Online Stores – Indian Shop Korea and Expat Mart Korea

Indian Shop Korea is a popular online grocery store in South Korea. They do home delivery all over Korea. They stock everything from

Flour – chakki fresh aata from classic and pillsbury, sooji, cornflour, besan

Rice – Basmati Rice from Kohinoor and Jasmine, Thai Rice, Poha

Pulses – Urad Dal, Masoor Dal, Toor Dal, Chana Dal, Nutrela, Green peas, Black Channa, Moong, Rajma

Spices – Chicken Masala, Hing, ajwain, sambar masala, anar dana, chilli powder, haldi (turmeric) powder, cumin seeds (jira), curry powder, garam masala, cardamom, fenugreek (methi) seeds, fennel (saunf) seeds, dalchini (Cinnamon), dry curry leaves

Pickle – Mango pickle, Mixed pickle, Garlic Pickle, Satranga pickle

Ready To Eat Food – Dal Makhani, Chole, Navratan Kurma, Dal tadka, Shahi Paneer, sarso ka saad, mutter paneer, butter chicken, pav bhaji, rajma masala, shahi paneer, bhindi masala, punjabi kadhi, aloo paratha,

General Groceries – isabhgol, hajmola, curd (Dahi), sabudana, chandan, mango powder, chyawanprash, kayam churna, agarbatti, face cream, hair oil, Milo, Horlicks, pasta and noodles

Dry Fruits – badam (almonds), pista, cashew, kismis (raisins), khajur (dates)

Frozen Meat (Halal) and Frozen vegetables

Sweets and Namkeen – soan papdi, gulab jamun, rasagulla, jalebi, haldiram snacks

Tea Leaves – Taj Mahal, Lipton, Everest tea masala

Cooking Oil/Ghee – amul ghee, aslee ghee, olive oil, canola oil, corn oil

Hair Oil and Beauty Product – Navratan Oil, Parachute Oil, Dabur Amla Oil, Keokarpin Oil, Vatika Oil, Rogan Badam Shirin Mehendi, Henna, Bindi, Eyebrow thread

Balm/Toothpaste/Facecream – Amrutanjan, Iodex, Zandu Balm, Vicks Inhaler, Fair & lovey Cream, Emami Fair n Handsome cream for men

Expat Mart Korea is a new entrant in Korea. It is a venture of Chakraa Group.  Chakraa is an authentic Indian restaurant chain acclaimed as one of best Indian restaurants in Korea with branches in Hannam-Dong, Itaewon, Songtan and Suwon. As per their website, they are the one stop online grocery store for shopping fresh fruits, vegetables, frozen food and daily use essentials. They are committed to deliver outstanding value, personalized services and exceptional quality to their customers. To keep their promise, they keep sourcing the best products for the best prices on a daily basis. They do home delivery all over Korea. They stock everything from

Home Care – room freshener, phone card, cleaning spray, scotch brite and other items

Personal Care for Men and Women – henna powder, hair oil (dabur, navratna, parachute), tooth paste, after shave, shaving foam, razor, sanitary napkins, hand wash, soap, tissue paper, tampax, petroleum jelly, deo stick and other items

Grocery - Ready to Eat Food, Canned Food, Frozen Food, Lentils & Dals, Masala & Curry Powder, Oil & Vinegar, Pasta & Noodles, Herbs and Spices, Pickles and Sauces, Soups, Jam, Spreads, Honey, Rice, Flour (chakki fresh aata), salt and sugar, ajinomoto, hing, anar dana, pure ghee, tamarind (imli) paste, dosa batter, garam masala and other masala powders, sweets, snacks, jaggery(gur), dry fruits, rajma, ajwain, saunf, coconut milk, kasuri methi, fresh cream, poha and many more items.

Dairy – Cheese, Butter, Ghee, Spread, Fresh Sour Cream, Yoghurt, Condensed Milk and many other items.

Beverages – Boost, Horlicks, Tea, Coffee, Sherbats, Juices, Soda, Carbonated Drinks and many other items.

And last but not the least – Gol Gappas or Pani Puri

If you know of any other Grocery Shop in Korea (online as well as physical) then please let me know in the comment section below and I will update the post accordingly.