Going gourmet on the Web

With a dime-a-dozen bazaars on the Web, the gourmet food chain is going to face some serious competition. Moeena Halim walks you through the aisles of the e-supermarkets

What do you do when your local veggie vendor doesn’t bring the napa cabbage he’d promised to source for you? Rush to the nearest supermarket, even if takes you half the day to get there and back? We say, turn to the web.

The Internet is abuzz with e-commerce portals willing to deliver gourmet products — some even send across fresh breads, veggies and cheeses. Here’s a quick guide to the best, most reliable sites out there, and what they have on offer.

One-stop-shop: Foodesto
Specialising in all things gourmet, this two-year old website claims to be a one-stop shop solution to all your food needs.

While we’re still hunting for a store that stocks karo syrup, gelatin sheets and Korean rice, we must admit, this e-store is pretty inclusive. From zucchini blossoms to the smoked paprika and goat cheese a chef friend has been looking for across Mumbai markets, Foodesto stocks it all. Of course, the store has cold cuts and cured meats (chorizo too!), sauces and cheeses as well. 
www.foodesto.com

Bargain hunter: Yzury
Look to this Bangalore-based e-store for some of the best prices. A 200-gm block of Parmesan cheese, for instance, will set you back by a mere R339; R42 buys you half a kilo of avocados! You needn’t worry about shipping risks either. They ship perishable food in a gel-cooled thermal container, and promise a refund if the food is spoilt. 
www.yzury.com

Veggie delight: Godrej Nature’s Basket
Just like their offline counterpart, Nature’s Basket isn’t about offering the best rates. What we did like about the site is that it allows you to shop by recipe. Also a plus for veggies is their mock meats selection, which includes Veg Mock Duck, Veg Chicken Meat and Veg Prawns. 
www.naturesbasket.co.in

Coming soon: Foodhall
This newbie joined the e-bandwagon about two months ago. Currently serving as a sort of community for food lovers, with a fair collection of recipes, it retails only a select number of products. You can buy their cheese platters or breads and accompaniments, but will have to pay on delivery as their payment gateway is still being worked on. If all goes as planned, their e-commerce integration will be complete and all of their products will be available online by March-end. 
www.foodhallonline.com

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