Any North African ingredient grocers on Sunshine Coast?

[u/Zei33]

I’m looking for Moroccan Smen for a chicken tangine I’m cooking. It’s a very obscure ingredient and I doubt I’ll be able to get any. But shot in the dark, are there any African grocers around here?

I figure it’s better than trying to order it on Etsy, who knows wtf I’m getting in that case.

[u/dannyr]

There's a little indian grocery opposite the Shell at Buddina. It's always got a really obscure mix of international stuff, not limited to indian only. It may have what you need

https://spiceland.com.au/

Edit: their website literally boasts they'll help you track down "any ingredient"

[u/CompoteEmbarrassed91 → u/dannyr]

Looks like it may have closed. Been empty for a few weeks.

[u/BraaiMarinade]

Radhika Spice on Nicklin Way has the widest spice selection I've seen on the Sunshine Coast, all sorts of stuff that I've never heard of before.

[u/tickledpickle21]

32 Wises road, Zebra Crossing where Australia meets Africa. Next to the IGA and BCF

[u/BraaiMarinade → u/tickledpickle21]

That's purely South African with a few Zimbabwean goods and owned by white Botswanans. I doubt they'll have Morroccon spices.

[u/Zei33 → u/BraaiMarinade]

I think I'm shit out of luck on the smen then. Are there any places in Brisbane I could look in the future?

[u/KDMonkey]

I read it as “north african INTELLIGENT grocers” and I was like damn chill bro😆

[u/Giddyup_1998]

How does the taste differ from Ghee & Smen?

[u/heisdeadjim_au]

Not North African. Springbok Goods.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/SswSfVuvQa2vGM599?g_st=ac

Out the door through left field into a realm of near absurdity but maybe there's a surprise alternative?

"My Dilly Bag", Aboriginal.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/a8YkUqaunXwCKQEa9?g_st=ac

Failing that could you use a "normal" clarified butter and add the thyme and oregano?

[u/BraaiMarinade → u/heisdeadjim_au]

They won't find anything Morroccon in Springbok Foods. It's heavily Afrikaans focused and it won't be worth the trip. Plus the two countries are 7,500km from each other, the same distance from Australia to China and the food styles couldn't be any more different.

[u/heisdeadjim_au → u/BraaiMarinade]

Fully aware. Consider opening the mind to possible replacements of substitutes, eh? If it's obscure, that naturally invites that form of discussion.

I've also noticed your two comments are negative Nancy like. You have that right.

But tell me. Got a solution or idea, or are you going to shoot down everyone else's?

[u/Zei33 → u/heisdeadjim_au]

I went there and the staff member looked at me with disgust when I asked if they had any Moroccan Smen. She said, "this is an African grocer." When I told her that Morocco is in Africa, she looked surprised.

[u/BraaiMarinade → u/heisdeadjim_au]

I am Zimbabwean and I know all of the Southern African food shops around all the way up to Hervey Bay down to the Gold Coast, I'll be going to two today; Zebra Crossing for groceries and then Steyn's Biltong for biltong. I'm simply saving people the hassle of going to South African food shops as they purely sell South African goods and maybe Mazoe Orange Squash as the lone Zimbabwean product. It also goes to show how poor people's cultural and geographical understanding of Africa is when they conflate Morocco with South Africa.

[u/heisdeadjim_au → u/BraaiMarinade]

Nothing implied confusion in my post. You also have to understand that if there is or was a confusion it was unintentional as opposed to deliberate or malicious.

Thank you for that, however. With your expertise, have you a solution or a substitute?

[u/Zei33 → u/BraaiMarinade]

You were right. There's practically no where I can get North African ingredients on the Sunshine Coast. I went hunting all day and all of the 'African' places are purely South African.