Why not try topping that pig's foot with some rose petal jam?

This is the second installment of a bi-weekly feature on specialty stores in the Boston area. This week, the Daily looks at specialty markets.



Kotobukiya

Given the high prices at sushi restaurants, it's no wonder that few people can afford to eat the delicacy regularly. With a little help from this Japanese specialty store, however, one can be dining on himachi and tako every night. Located in a Porter Exchange just down the street from Porter Square, the Kotobukiya market sells reasonably priced cuts of fish and octopus that are ready to be eaten upon slicing, right out of the package.

Kotobukiya specializes in Japanese food imports, carrying everything from rice crackers and curry mixes to pickled fruit and Pocky. The imported products (which range from Japanese yogurt to frozen tempura) are fairly affordable, and the myriad of different brands means picky shoppers will have plenty of choices. Beyond fish, they have everything you'll need for a multi-course sushi dinner: rice, seaweed, soy sauce, salmon roe, and chopsticks are available for purchase. The case full of frozen tofu will delight health-food buffs and the ready-to-eat mochi ice-cream balls are the perfect on-the-run dessert.



Sessa's Cold Cuts and Italian Specialties

The small, cluttered store on Highland Avenue might not look like your stereotypical small-town market, but a quick step inside will make you think you're back in Tuscany. As its name might suggest, Sessa's Italian Specialties sells exclusively imported Italian products. For a store so located in Davis Square, their selection is extremely impressive. Everything from gnocchi to pasta can be purchased here, as well as imported fruit juices (which cover the more normal flavors to things like blood orange and peach), Italian cookies, and high-quality chocolate. If you're in the mood for pizza but don't feel up for Domino's, Sessa's not only sells the ingredients necessary to make your own authentic Italian pie, but also has all the pans and cooking materials you'll need.

The prices here are a bit on the expensive side, but as everyone who has ever craved real European orange soda can tell you, the nagging desire for Italian aranciato knows no dollar limit. Items like flavored coffee syrups, Italian jams (selection varies from more normal varieties to gooseberry and banana, and as far as eggplant, rose petals, and chocolate cream), and frozen tiramisu are hard to find in the States, especially with a college student's limited free time. The market's close proximity means that students no longer need to live without satisfying their craving for real Tuscan bread.

Sessa's also features a butchery sporting all sorts of Italian meats (including, of course, prosciutto), and they sell cheeses and olives as well as real brick torrone (an Italian dessert made of honey, almonds, and albumen which is sweeter -- and much harder to find -- when sold in blocks). It might not be Italy, but judging from the size of their selection, it has to be close to the next best thing.



McKinnon's Choice Meat Market

Even on a busy weekday afternoon, the aisles of McKinnon's Choice Meat Market in Davis Square are packed with anxious customers looking to pick up something for dinner.

Though it offers a small selection of cheeses, olives, bread, and different kinds of fruit that might otherwise be difficult to find so close to Tufts, McKinnon's clearly targets those with more carnivorous tastes. The market is packed from wall to wall with all sorts of cuts of meat, ranging from various kinds of hot dogs and marinated sirloin steaks to tripe and appetizing-looking pigs' feet, and its attached deli slices cold cuts and various other sandwich necessities to order. All the meat is understandably fresh, with a butchery located in the back, and the prices are reasonable enough that having steak for dinner can become a weekly event.