From Polish sausages and Lithuanian cottage cheese to Armenian brandy and the wines of Georgia, Anna’s Gourmet is a larder dedicated to the delicious bounty of Central and Eastern Europe.
Epicureans, take note. Anna Gourmet, located along Sam Leong Road in Singapore’s colourful district of Jalan Besar, is a newly-opened specialty grocer dedicated to products from countries in Central and Eastern Europe.
Anna’s Gourmet is opened by Anna Jaeger, a well-travelled Azerbaijan native who is keen to introduce the vibrant flavours and rich cultural heritage of Central and Eastern Europe to Singapore. Indeed you are looking at an expansive selection here, a veritable treasure trove of products sourced from countries such as Hungary and Poland to former Soviet bloc states like Georgia and Lithuania, with delicacies that range from pantry staples and deli products to all manner of artisanal produce.
For example, you’re looking at various processed meat products that range from Polish kabanos sausages to the less common Salam de Sibiu, a much beloved Romanian delicacy that even has its own protected PGI status.
Keen turophiles looking to explore beyond the usual cheeses should check out the selection here, which run from Romania’s Telemea – a cheese traditionally made from sheep’s milk – and Slovakian feta-style brynza to cottage cheese from Lithuania.
And while our household is generally more predisposed to sardines from Portugal when it comes to canned fish, I’m particularly attracted to the wide assortment of canned herring available here, which come in an assortment of preparations. There’s also a selection of dried and smoked fish here, the kind you need to prepare Lithuanian ruchki or Ukrainian forshmak.
Then there are dumplings. You can’t mention Central or Eastern Europe cuisines without mentioning their beloved dumplings. Here at Anna’s Gourmet dumplings are the star of their frozen selection, with a wide selection that comes with a variety of fillings that range from all kinds of meat to vegetarian options such as cabbage and potato.
It will be remiss of me if I didn’t mention wine. Central and Eastern Europe is home to many countries with a long tradition of making wine. While the wine selection at Anna’s Gourmet is small, it carries possibly the widest range of Georgian wines in Singapore. If you’re looking at trying varietals indigenous to Georgia, such as Rkatsiteli, Saperavi or even the rare Kisi, here is your best bet.
Also, spirits and liqueurs. Premium vodkas from Poland, for example. Or Azerbaijan brandy. The one you need to try? Ararat Five Stars Brandy from Armenia. Intensely fruit-forward with notes of ripe stone fruit and summer berries, this makes for great sipping but also in cocktails such as a Sidecar. Interesting fact – Armenian brandy is sold as cognac in Russian-speaking countries, but brandy everywhere else.
There’s a whole lot more at Anna’s Gourmet.
For those of you who hail from that part of the world, Anna’s Gourmet is going to be a god-send. For the rest of us who are hankering for a taste of that part of Europe, we owe ourselves a trip there – or check out its online site – to discover the rich bounty of Central and Eastern Europe.
Anna’s Gourmet
Address 11 Sam Leong Rd, #01-01, Singapore 207903 (Google Maps link)
Opening Hours 12pm to 7pm daily
Tel (65) 8184 1575
Web annasgourmet.sg
Instagram @annasgourmet.sg
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