Where to Go When You're Homesick in NYC

New York City is home to many people from around the world. And even though NYC is one of the best cities in the world, we know that everyone gets homesick from time to time.  So we wondered...where would ex-pats go when they wanted a piece of home?

While researching for our United Nations-inspired dinner, we came across a few places that we thought would bring fond memories for both world travelers and ex-pats alike.

The U.K.: Myers of Keswick is the place to go for bottles of Ribena, bags of Walkers crisps, and jars of Marmite. We love the Scotch Egg ($3.25) which is a hard-boiled egg covered in sausage and deep fried, as well as the Pork Pie ($3.25). These are great with a can of Ginger Beer ($1.75) or Shandy ($1.75)

Australia: The Tuck Shop is a small restaurant which features delicious homemade meat pies, Australian coffee, and Coopers beer.  We couldn't resist trying an Australian Shepherd's Pie ($5, the mashed potato topping was wonderful!) with Ginger Fizz ($2, house- made ginger simple syrup with seltzer water).  It's also the spot to grab packages of addictive Tim Tam biscuits ($6) and interesting jars of Vegemite.
Spain: Despana features many tasty Spanish cheeses, olive oils, and spreads.  This is the spot to grab a can of Kas soda pop that goes well with a delicious, made-to-order, sandwich made with ingredients like pressed pork and serrano ham.
Japan: We wandered about Sunrise Mart and marveled how so many unfamiliar goods were packed into this small, but manageable, space.  This place is great for both those who have visited or lived in Japan as well as those who love to eat new things.  We've bought something new and different every time we've visited - sushi-grade salmon, mochi cakes, sliced pork belly, Hitachino Nest Espresso Stout beer, Korean hot green peppers, seaweed, and cold Kona coffee.  

India:  When you walk into Dual Specialty Shop, you are immediately hit with the wonderfully fragrant smell of various spices.  There are tons of bags filled with organic lentils, spices, curries, dried fruit, beans, etc.  We cannot wait to return to buy more chutneys, grains, and herbs to liven up our home cooking!
Various countries:  For these countries and many others (still hoping for a Canadian store to pop up in NYC!), there's Economy Candy on the Lower East Side.  Less glitz than Dylan's Candy Shop, this family-owned shop has been around since 1937 and features all the treats you remember from your childhood.
Economy Candy features international favorites like Coffee Crisp & Smarties (Canada), Milka (Austria), and Curly Wurly & Wispa (UK).  We love that we can find childhood treats like Popeye sticks, Razzles, and pixie sticks in addition to finding new sweet treats from different countries.

Myers of Keswick - 634 Hudson St (btwn Horatio and Jane Sts.)

Tuck Shop - 68 E 1st St. (btwn 1st and 2nd Aves.)
Tuck Shop (new 2nd location) - 115 St. Mark's Place (btwn 1st Ave and Ave A)
Despana- 408 Broome St. (btwn Lafayette and Cleveland Pl)

Sunrise Mart - 4 Stuyvesant St. (at 3rd Ave)
 Sunrise Mart (larger location) - 494 Broome St. (btwn Wooster and W Broadway)
Dual Specialty Store - 91 First Ave. (btwn E5th and E6th Sts.)

Economy Candy - 108 Rivington St. (btwn Ludlow and Essex Sts.)