Sahel Bazar Is the Happy Person’s Market

The words honey, sweetie and dear are rarely directed at me without a scowl in return. The only exclusion was my hubby, until I met Nasrin Amini, owner of Sahel Bazar (yes, the extra a is missing) at 7467 Cuvier St.

Sahel Bazar is a Middle Eastern market tucked, for the last 12 years, into a shopping center triangulated by it, a Persian rug shop and Persian restaurant. Haven't been? You're missing out.

The place is a find for those with an eye for the exotic or simply a palate for pita. Some delicacies, such as Shirazi figs, cookies and select nuts, are shipped all the way from Iran, homeland of Amini, who operates the shop like some kind of fairy godmother, eager to make good all your wishes.

"I like La Jolla and I like La Jolla's people," says Amini, also a La Jolla resident. "In the beginning it was tough for Americans and people from other countries—the European countries—but now everybody knows me and they love this shop."

On my first visit, I wandered in with my 15-year-old niece in search of flat bread and left with a jar of fig preserves, said bread and a you-know-what eating grin—similarly worn by dear niece, who had her first taste of Turkish baklava.

This isn't one of those trendy ethnic places that springs up when the zeitgeist ripens a community's adventure gene. Quite possibly mistaken for esoteric, the place is anything but. Think: fresh hummus, dried nuts and fruits, fresh fruit and vegetables and Persian ice cream a la rosewater; pistachio and faloodeh, a sort of sherbet made with white noodles and rose syrup.

"It's very tasty with fresh lemon on it or sour cherry syrup," says Amini. "It's refreshing."

Like her shop. It really is a breath of the fresh stuff to see a place with goods the owner, in most cases, has clearly hand-selected.

Spices and seasonings, such as za'atar, are big winners here. Dip bread in a fine mix of za'atar and olive oil and you'll never be the same. Shop high-quality rices, such as basmati; dried herbs; spices such as cardamom, seeds, other goodies, all at prices much lower than your big-box store or patently pretentious specialty market. Did you say 33 cent cilantro?

La Jolla residents Cheryl and Richard Passer happened upon the place one day and now make shopping it a ritual.

"My hubby loves ethnic food of all kinds," says Cheryl, who appreciates the deli case and reasonably priced spices, among other things.

You'll also find a fine selection of teas and, excuse me while I cry with glee, lebni (aliases: Kefir and Greek yogurt). I made fast friends with lebni at tantalizing Mama's Bakery in North Park years ago and Amini's six variety selection shows she's not fooling around.

"Some people, they know the brand they like," she says.

A true crowd pleaser, Amini pleases health-seekers with her Mediterranean selections. Snacks like Shirazi figs (from Iran) and a Turkish varietal, dried garbanzos and green raisins are at your beck and call.

In some ways, Sahel Bazar also plays apothecary, with herbal water said to help with systemic issues. For instance, fenugreek is long thought to be a natural anti-inflammatory and, some believe, an anti-aging marvel. Sold also are chicory water, chicory endive water, rosewater for the skin, orange blossom water and hedysarum, another natural anti-inflammatory and antibacterial which, according to Amini, helps combat kidney stones.

Not to be overlooked is Amini's background—as interesting as the market.

Raised in Iran, she left to attend college in Germany, where she studied sociology and, subsequently, came to the states in 1985, learning English while acclimating to life in America. She speaks three languages and has two brothers and five sisters; some live nearby.

And she highly recommends trying her Persian saffron, shipped from Iran. If eaten in abundance, she says, it may cause excessive giggles. In fact, in Nicholas Culpeper's 1649 tome, The Complete Herbal, the author insists "the use of it ought to be moderate and reasonable, for when the dose is too large, it produces a heaviness of the head and sleepiness. Some have fallen into an immoderate convulsive laughter which ended in death." Deadly in high quantities or not, the stuff is clearly potent and, if Amini says it's good, you can bet it's good. This is a woman who you trust with your stomach, palate and, in the case of Persian saffron, your life. And you do it with a you-know-what eating grin.

Amini's "musts" that you won't find anywhere—or almost anywhere—else:

1)  Rosewater: Used in cooking and on the skin, for a healthy complexion.

2)  Pomegranate molasses: As thick as maple syrup, it adds depth to sauces and stews.

3)  Sour cherry or mint syrup: Either go great on ice cream. Sour cherry syrup is also fantastic on pancakes and waffles.

For directions or queries:  858-456-9959