EAT DRINK PLAY:

Finding exotic spices can be challenging, but the Bay Area is brimming with specialty stores.

TTrinethra Super Market

THE VIBE » This clean, large and well-organized Indian market is split between two sections. One side is produce, dairy and ready-to-eat items; the other is devoted to grains and spices, as in aisles and aisles of lentils, rice, exotic flours and more. Staffers are friendly and helpful, providing explanations on taste profiles and basic recipes for produce and more.

THE FIND » Fresh vegetables, like bitter melon/gourd (peeled and stuffed with masala and cooked in the pan), tindora (sliced and sauteed) and guvar beans (treat them just like green beans). Also: Preservative-free masala and other spice packets by MDH and Aachi to make everything from chutney podina to karahi gosht.

DETAILS » Open from 9 a.m. daily at 4436 Pearl Ave., San Jose. Also in Sunnyvale and Cupertino. www.trinethra.com

ALSO » East Bay lovers of Indian food flock to Vik’s Chaat & Market, 2390 Fourth St., Berkeley; vikschaat.com.

Oaktown Spice Shop

THE VIBE » Exotic aromas float right out the door of this sensational new spice shop on Albany’s Solano Avenue (an offshoot of the original shop near Oakland’s Lake Merritt). Wooden shelves line the walls of this sleek, airy space, holding jars of every spice and herb imaginable, from dulce, za’atar and nigella to esoteric peppercorns — not just Telicherry extra bold, but kampot and quang tri, too.

Shelves are divided by collections — masalas, for example, Middle Eastern and North African spices, specialty salts and peppercorns, and drinkable blends, like golden milk and chai masala. Looking for gentian root, yarrow and wormwood? You’ll find it all here.

THE FIND » Baharat, ras-el-hanout and other North African spices you’d find in the medinas of Marrakech, not Vons. Staffers will tuck tagine and chermoula recipe cards into your bag, too, so you can put those spices to good use.

DETAILS » Open from 10 a.m. daily at 1224 Solano Ave. in Albany and 546 Grand Ave. in Oakland; oaktownspiceshop.com

H Mart

THE VIBE » Shiny, upscale and new, Korea-based H Mart has been referred to as the “Asian Whole Foods” since it opened a year ago in San Jose, and the nickname is well-suited. Shopping there is an eye-opening gourmet experience. We spent two hours in the 28,000-square-foot store, and felt like we didn’t cover everything.

What we did see was fantastic, including an ultrasleek seafood counter with a variety of wild and farmraised fish and one of the most diverse and impressive fresh produce selections in the entire South Bay. Look for large cold case walls and long aisles devoted to not just Korean, but also Japanese, Chinese and Thai must-haves, from freshly prepared banchan to mochi.

THE FINDS » Whole branzino, marinated ribeye for making bulgogi, fried curry buns from the on-site bakery and sizzling bimbibap clay pot from the fast-casual restaurant.

DETAILS » Open from 8 a.m. daily at 1179 S. De Anza Blvd., and 1710 Oakland Road, both in San Jose.

THE VIBE » Aromas of chef Saeed’s sizzling kebabs, herb-filled rice dishes and Persian stews draw you from the corner of Walnut Creek’s North Main Street into this Persian market and counter-service deli. Inside, brass bins overflow with fresh walnuts and skinny, light green golden raisins, and a glass case holds more varieties of Turkish delight than you could ever imagine.

The aisles are neat and orderly with an impressive variety of teas, spices, sacks of basmati rice and locally made Persian pastries and cookies. Service varies, and there’s often a short line at checkout and at the halal butcher in the back of the store.

THE FINDS » Warm, baked-on-site barbari bread plus sumac, Darjeeling tea, hard-to-find sheep’s milk feta cheese and an impressive variety of gaz, or nougat. Gaz is most commonly studded with pistachio, but here you’ll find it with chocolate, dried pomegranate and rose. To-go: Kebab with salad and cucumber-yogurt dip.

DETAILS » Open from 8:30 a.m. Monday-Saturday, from 9 a.m. Sunday at 1512 Sunnyvale Ave., Walnut Creek.

ALSO » International Gourmet Foods, 2052 Curtner Ave., San Jose, next door to Honey Bakery and Cafe, which specializes in fresh-baked sangak and barbari breads.

Las Montañas

THE VIBE » Pinatas are strung across the ceiling at this big family-owned Mexican market in Concord and San Pablo. At least a quarter of the store is taken up by fresh produce, including barrels of dried chile peppers, as well as fresh garbanzos, chayote, epazote, nopal and xoconochtle, a small guava-shaped cactus fruit. A carniceria runs across the back of the store, offering marinated meats, as well as a to-go counter for prepared foods.

THE FIND » Serious quantities of chile guajillo, chile de arbol and other dried peppers reside in those big wooden barrels.

DETAILS » Open from 7 a.m. at 2691 Monument Blvd. in Concord, with additional locations on 1725 Willow Pass Road in Concord, and 13901 San Pablo Ave. in San Pablo, which opens at 6:30 a.m. www. lasmontanasmarkets.com

ALSO » Cardenas Market has 46 locations across California, including half a dozen in the Bay Area, from Oakland to San Jose. Check out the tres leches cake at its Mexican bakery, as well as the prepared food in the to-go and dining areas. www.cardenasmarkets.com.

Roong Jing Jing

THE VIBE » Tucked into an El Cerrito strip mall, this Thai grocery store is so tiny and so packed, it’s best to navigate it clockwise, starting with the Thai basil by the door, then down the long aisle of curry pastes, Golden Mountain Sauce and ramen-like packets of dried shrimp-spiked noodles. Once you hit the durian-infused instant coffee, circle back to the checkout stand where prepared food and friendly answers — and translations — await for all your pressing questions. What’s in this? How do I use that?

THE FIND » A reader tipped us off to the glories of Roong Jing Jing’s Saturday tradition. From 10:30 a.m. to about 2 p.m., Thai vendors arrive with all sorts of specialty foods, from spicy condiments to pork-filled dumplings and thong yip — a Thai eggyolk dessert that looks like little flowers.

DETAILS » Open at 10 a.m. daily at 10164 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito.

GARY REYES — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Customers check out the produce section at H Mart international grocery store in San Jose. The Koreabased market has been nicknamed the “Asian Whole Foods.”

GARY REYES — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Fresh abalone can be found in water tanks at H Mart international grocery store in San Jose.

JESSICA YADEGARAN — STAFF Trinethra Super Market offers fresh vegetables commonly used in Indian cuisine, including bitter gourd.

LAURA A. ODA — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER John Beaver and Erica Perez are the owners of Oaktown Spice Shop, which carries every spice and herb imaginable.

LAURA A. ODA — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER At Oaktown Spice Shop in Albany you’ll find cardamom pods and star anise, top left, caraway, above, parsley, top right, and lemon zest. The shop sells a variety of ingredients for cooking Thai, Korean, Jamaican, Mexican and Indian fare.

JACKIE BURRELL — STAFF Thai vendors arrive at Roong Jing Jing on Saturdays with specialty foods, including thong yip, a Thai egg-yolk dessert that looks like little golden flowers.

JESSICA YADEGARAN — STAFF A medley of nuts, raisins and other Persian treats await you at Bazar Tajrish in Walnut Creek.

JACKIE BURRELL — STAFF The produce section at Las Montañas market in Concord brims with chayote, epazote and nopal, as well as barrels of dried chiles.