So you moved here from a land of milk and honey compared to Carbondale’s anime scene. You don’t really need to worry too terribly much about getting your anime/manga thanks to Netflix, the net, and Barnes and Noble (Walden Books had the best selection of manga in the area, along with acetates and action figures but they’re no longer open).
What about snackage and associated beverages? If your tastes are old school American, I’m sure Lay’s and Pepsi has you covered.
What about you others out there who miss Pocky (pronounced poe-key) for whatever reason, or who dream of popping down the ball on a bottle of Ramune? Are you screwed? Not necessarily. We have our own International Grocery store right here in Carbondale in the Murdale Shopping Center next to Cristadau’s. Yay!
Mohan’s International Grocery has all sorts of goodies for all your snacking and international cooking needs. They carry a variety of Pocky, shrimp crackers, Kasugai gummies (Japanese gummy fruit candy), Ramune-esque drinks, wasabi peas, rice cracker mixes, mochi, and a ton of other treats I’ve been either too timid or too broke to try.
My personal favorite is the Maze Maze Ichiban. It’s a rice snack mix like no other, with rice crackers, cracker covered peanuts and lil’ anchovies flavored with a hint of nori. Pocky, to me, isn’t that great. In fact, I think it’s overrated and more fans of Japanese treats need to think outside the Pocky box. But to show that I still care, here’s an interesting link to all you out there who think Pocky is superstar #1: take the Pocky Peronality Quiz.
The staff at Mohan’s is friendly and knowledgeable and if they don’t have what you’re looking for, they’ll order it. It might take a while to get there though, but it beats driving somewhere far away or ordering it off the net and paying shipping.
One other option is to drive to St. Louis. While this might seem a bit drastic to some, it’s a good idea every now and then to get out of Carbondale. St. Louis has two International Grocers that I’ve been able to find who carry Japanese grub:
- Global Foods: 421 N Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, MO. Phone: (314) 835-1112
- Jay’s International Food: 3172 S. Grand Boulevard, St Louis, MO. Phone: (314)772-2552
I haven’t been to either grocer’s due to the fact that every time we go to St. Louis I get horribly lost. This is especially sad since I spent my high school and early college years 15 min. away from St. Louis. I think living in Carbondale has drained my Big City smarts and navigation skills. I think it’s the water- “one of us, one of us…” No offense to those that choose to live here. I imagine they’re immune, or wouldn’t notice either way.
One final way of getting your treats is by ordering them via the net or out of a magazine. Here are some links:
Don’t get mad at me if you can’t find what you’re looking for. I never order food off the net if I can drive somewhere to get it. There’s something to be said about interactions with fellow humans.
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