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| - The UYE to shop at Bulk Barn[1] marked my first visit to the largest bulk food retailer of The Great White North. Like everyone else at the UYE, your head probably just exploded and you're asking, "You've never been to a Bulk Barn??" Well, I grew up in the States where they don't exist, and I currently don't live near one. Now here's some suture glue so you can put your head back together.
With no basis for comparison to other Bulk Barns, I'll say I'm a fan of this place! They have the standard hippy-dippy stuff like nuts, dried fruit, spices, granola ingredients, nut butters, and spelt.
The sections for snacks and candy are huge, including notables such as:
- Finnish Fish which are the darker, brooding knockoff of Swedish Fish® - A Friend You Can Eat
- "Fake Teeth"--freaky gummy candy that look like dentures for babies
- Yogurt-covered pretzels ($5.99/lb + taxes); my fave![2]
The store is a boon for bakers. They have dozens of varieties of specialty flours, sugars, sprinkles, decorating supplies, birthday candles that look like mini cans of beer, and novelty cake pans for rent (in case you wanted to bake that special someone a cake in the shape of bowling pins or Spider-Man; $2/day + deposit).
Then they have things you never imagined you could by in bulk:
- Individually-wrapped fortune cookies
- Orange "cheez" powder for making mac 'n' cheese when you need to feed an army or you lost the packet that comes in your box of KD[3]
- Powders for making chicken soup, gravy, and other instant foods they are probably serving to school kids or old people in senior citizens' homes
- Fruit-flavored drink crystals similar to Kool-Aid
- Corn syrup from a soft-serve type dispenser
- Pie fillings
- Pet food and treats
- Piñatas for your next fiesta
The cashier I had was new and couldn't identify my organic palm sugar or jasmine rice but she got the six other items correct. I kind of bought too much and totally bulked up at Bulk Barn!
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1] http://www.yelp.ca/events/toronto-uye-bring-in-da-noise-bring-on-da-bulk
2] Kat F. and sarah l. say that everyone from NYC loves yogurt-covered stuff. Do you agree? I've never noticed.
[3] U.S. translation of KD (Kraft Dinner) = Kraft Macaroni & Cheese; here's why http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kraft_Dinner#Marketing
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