Jungle Jim's International Market

My husband and I just got home from a week long business trip to Columbus. Cincinnati is on the way back home, so we stopped at Jungle Jim's International Market. Words can not express the wonder of this store. If you're a foodie living under 3 hours drive from Cincinnati, this place is worth the pilgrimage. Honest. If you're a world traveler with a craving for anything from fresh Thai Durian fruit to German RitterSport Cornflake Chocolate, then you can not resist the siren song of this massive warehouse of imported, rare, and just darn tasty foods. I don't make it often, so when I do go, I try to limit myself to a theme. Otherwise, it's just too easy to pick up $300 in fascinating imports and find yourself with no money left for staples the rest of the month. This visit, I was in bean heaven. In addition to my usual beloved chick peas, I brought home Gula Artor beans from Sweden, Vatana white peas, Val Dal, and the far more common Toor Dal and Yellow Split Peas one can find at any good Indian grocery. I've already got plenty of ordinary red, green, and brown lentils at home. To be honest, I don't have a clue what Vatana white peas or Gula Artor taste like, but I can't wait to find out.