One of my hobbies/interests is ethnic food/food from around the world. Name a region and I'll tell you what they eat and I've probably tasted it.
So of course I noticed the African/carribean market on Anderson Street. Bought some "chin chin" (never heard of it) and some palm oil, gonna fry some plantains in it eventually. I was surprised, they had everything, kenkey, instant fufu mix. Everything except for african yams, but those you can get in the anderson street grocery, the red one right near the tracks.
But I'm surprised. Hackensack has a West-African population? Or the area in general? Since when? How lond has this been going on? Are they more nigerians or ghanaians, or both? Or something else entirely? How about religion? Maybe it's one of those things it's usually one religion coming over here because back in the home country they face strife.
Is there more in the area? I'd guess the dense areas around Hackensack, like as far as Clifton. But I honestly don't know.
It just seems weird/funny/interesting to me. Growing up I'd heard of Greeks, Armenians, Iranians, Koreans, Chinese, Japanese, Italians in the area, but not Africans.
Not that I'm complaining. As far as I'm concerned immigrants are our greatest natural resource in New Jersey, because they make such varieties of tasty food.
