Feature > Short Stories > THE SUPERMARKET IN IRAN BY SHABNAM REZAEI
Not A Baghaali Anymore
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Used to be a time when I would run down to the cornerstore Baghaali and get some gum and pofak namaki from Ali Agha with less than 1 toman. Maybe the equivalent of 10 cents or so those days.
Not anymore. Tehran's cornershops and mom and pop deli's have made way for American-style superstores the size of K-Mart and they are all over town.
We visited a big supermarket to see what was on sale and I can assure you, it looks like any supermarket in America. The kind where you think it would be great if you had a golf cart to get to the other side.
The store we visited had two other superstores next to it, one selling furniture, the other electronics. It also had a huge parking lot which was filled to the brim and so naturally people just parked in front of the emergency exit of a nearby hospital because their grocery shopping would only take a minute.
A look inside and we found aisles of rice, pasta, shampoos, tea, packaged spices, cereals, non-alcoholic beer, chips, deli stand, dairy section, meats, fruits, veggies and more. There were many brand name items, mostly European brands but also some American ones like Hershey's and Dove. For some reason, there was no pofak namaki in the pofak aisle. What gives?
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My favorite was what you couldn't find in America: the super sour aisle! Here you find all the lavashak, albaloo khoshkeh, aloo, ghareh ghoroot, limoo amaani and zoghal akhteh you desire. And sadly, the items are sanitary, vacuum-sealed and very un-darband like!
Another interesting stall within the store, which looked like a mini-Starbucks sold 'Lebanese delicacies' which were mostly fine Baghlavaa filled with pistachios and drenched in honey.
The checkouts were fully automated with scan machines and even store credit cards were available for use. Payments could also be made with various bank ATM cards, which are as close to a credit card as Iran has been able to get to.
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I guess with an ever growing population, and massive boom in residential and commercial units, highway construction and more, Tehran has had to give in to this kind of mass service. But like any big city, Tehran also wants to offer convenience, which may still be the niche Ali Agha can play up.
Because I can tell you, there is no reason to fight traffic and park in front of the hospital, if I just want some gum and pofak namaki!
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This article is dedicated to Dustin Ellis, a person who has inspired me since I have known him, and someone who enjoys going to supermarkets in every corner of the world as much as I do.
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