El Izalco

696 Sargent Ave.

El Izalco Market is located at 696 Sargent Avenue (204 779-7092). This fun little market is owned by Sarah Esparanza and features Mexican and South American grocery items and more.

Candy!

For such a little place there is an astounding variety of goods. If you are serious about this kind of food and want to make your food from scratch, there is everything you need. Masa flour for tortillas, pupusas and tamales, dried black and red beans and herbs like epazote.

The selection of chiles includes guajillo, arbol, ancho, pasilla and chipotle. There are more. She even has dried hominy corn for the posole lover.

There is also a wide assortment of delicious packaged items. The Ducal brand of refried beans are my personal favourite and there are all kinds of tortillas.

The hot sauce selection is huge and cheap. Cholula is my go to sauce, but they're all good.

Sarah stocks all kinds of South American sodas and juices, along with snack items and candy that are very unique. I particularly like the sweet sour burst of the tamarind candies.

Homemade beans

One of the best things about shopping at El Izalco is that you can go home with pre-made items and sample some of Sarah's cooking. She has tamales, pupusas, chile rellenos and more. She has a variety of salsas and hot sauces of her own and curtido (sort of a South American coleslaw) she makes with homemade vinegar. It goes on top of pupusas and also makes a great taco filling.

Get me a stick!

The pinata selection is a fun addition and livens the little market up nicely.

Whether you want to cook from scratch or just have some great prepared food around for those busy days, El Izalco has what you need for a delicious feed!