When it comes to trying new, exciting cuisine, few foods hit the spot like a deliciously fresh Mediterranean meal. However, we know that it can be very difficult to find authentic Mediterranean grocery wholesalers in Portland, OR. Having lived in metro Atlanta for years, we realized that our customers needed an easy way to find quality wholesale Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food in bulk. That is why we created Nazareth Grocery Mediterranean Market - to give everyone a chance to enjoy tasty, healthy food, desserts, and authentic Mediterranean gifts at wholesale prices.
Founded in 2009, Nazareth Grocery has become one of Portland's leading international wholesale grocery stores. We are very proud to serve our customers and do everything in our power to give them the largest selection of high-quality wholesale goods available.
If you're looking for the freshest, most delicious Middle Eastern wholesale products and ingredients, you will find them here at the best prices in the state. We encourage you to swing by our store in Marietta to see our selection for yourself. We think that you will be impressed!
At Nazareth Grocery Mediterranean Market, our mission is simple: bring you and your family the largest selection of wholesale Mediterranean products in Portland. When coupled with our helpful, friendly staff and authentic Middle Eastern atmosphere, it's easy to see why we are the top Middle Eastern grocery wholesaler in Portland, OR. We're proud to carry just about every kind of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern product that you can think of, from prepared meals and hookahs to fine seasonings and sweets. We're here for our customers and want each one of them to have a unique, one-of-a-kind experience when they shop with us.
Our loyal customers love our selection of the following wholesale foods and gifts:
There is so much more to Mediterranean food than pizza and pasta. The perfect climate combined with delicious foods and amazing wine makes the Mediterranean incredibly irresistible. That's why our customers absolutely love to buy this kind of cuisine in bulk. Every country in this region has its own set of specialties and delicacies, each with its own flavors and styles of preparation.
Mediterranean countries include:
So, when it comes to the most popular wholesale Mediterranean products in Portland,
what are we talking about?
Feta cheese is a classic Mediterranean dairy product that is often enjoyed on its own, in Greek salads, on bread, or mixed with zucchini. Depending on where the feta is sourced and produced, the cheese can be made from cow, sheep, or goat milk, or even a combination of the three. Regardless of the animal it comes from, this delicious cheese is a crowd favorite.
This Levantine dish is one of the most well-known Mediterranean dishes to eat in the United States. It typically comes in the form of a dip, served with pita or another kind of dipping bread. Commonly served before dinner as an appetizer of sorts, it usually features tahini, eggplant, garlic, spices, and sometimes yogurt. This tasty cuisine works great as a spread on a sandwich, or you can even eat it with a spoon, all on its own.
If you have never tried authentic baklava before, get ready to have your mind blown. This dessert is a traditional Mediterranean food that will have your taste buds craving more and more. Once you open a box of baklava from our Mediterranean grocery wholesaler in Portland, OR, you won't want to stop eating! Baklava is made with layers of thin filo dough, which is layered together, filled with chopped nuts (think pistachios), and sealed with honey or syrup. Baklava is so good that its origins are debated, leaving many wondering which country invented the dessert. Everyone from the Turks to the Greeks and even Middle Easterners hold unique takes on baklava. Try each one to discover your favorite!
Fresh, healthy, aromatic, rich: it's no wonder that the popularity of Middle Eastern cuisine and products has skyrocketed in the United States. This genre of cuisine features a large variety of foods, from Halvah to Labneh. If there were one common theme throughout all Middle Eastern food, it would be the bright, vibrant herbs and spices that are used. These flavorings help create rich, complex flavors that foodies fawn over. Typically, Middle Eastern food is piled high for all to eat, with enough food for an entire republic to put down.
This refreshing, healthy dish is chock-full of greens, herbs, tomatoes, and bulgur (or cracked wheat), creating a memorable, bold flavor. This dish may be eaten on its own or paired with a shawarma sandwich or helping of falafel. It's best to buy your ingredients in bulk to make this dish because it tastes best freshly made with family around to enjoy. Just be sure to bring a toothpick to the tabbouleh party - you're almost certain to have some leafy greens stuck in your teeth after eating.
We mentioned shawarma above, and for good reason - this dish is enjoyed by men and women around the world, and of course, right here in the U.S. Except for falafel, this might be the most popular Middle Eastern food item in history. Shawarma is kind of like a Greek gyro, with slow-roasted meat stuffed in laffa with veggies and sauce. The blend of spices and the smoky meat mix together to create a tangy, meaty flavor that you will want to keep eating for hours. For western-style shawarma, try using beef or chicken. For a more traditional meal, try using lamb from our Middle Eastern grocery distributor in Portland, OR.
Traditionally used as a dip meant for fresh pita, hummus is a combo of chickpeas, garlic, and tahini, blended together until silky, smooth, and creamy. You can find hummus in just about any appetizer section of a Middle Eastern restaurant menu. That's because it's considered a staple of Middle Eastern food that can be enjoyed by itself, as a spread, or with fresh-baked pita bread. Hummus is also very healthy, making it a no-brainer purchase from our grocery store.
If there's one diet that is most well-known for its health benefits, it has got to be the Mediterranean diet. In 2019, U.S. News & World Report listed the Mediterranean diet as No. 1 on its best over diet list. This incredible diet has been cited to help with weight loss, brain health, heart health, diabetes prevention, and cancer prevention.
Whether you already love Mediterranean food or you're looking to make some positive changes in your life, this "diet" is for you. Eating cuisine like Greek food, Persian food, Turkish food, and Italian food is healthy and tastes great. Even better than that? At Nazareth Wholesale Grocery, we have many staples of the Mediterranean diet for sale in bulk so that you can stock up on your favorites at the best prices around.
So, what exactly is the Mediterranean diet?
It is a way of eating that incorporates traditional Greek, Italian, and other Mediterranean cultures' foods. These foods are often plant-based and make up the foundation of the diet, along with olive oil. Fish, seafood, dairy, and poultry are also included in moderation. Red meat and sweets are only eaten in moderation, not in abundance. Mediterranean food includes many forms of nuts, fruits, vegetables, fish, seeds, and more. Of course, you can find at them all at our wholesale Mediterranean grocery store!
Here are just a few of the many benefits of eating a healthy Mediterranean diet:
Many studies have been conducted on this diet, many of which report that Mediterranean food is excellent for your heart. Some of the most promising evidence comes from a randomized clinical trial published in 2013. For about five years, researchers followed 7,000 men and women around the country of Spain. These people had type 2 diabetes or were at a high risk for cardiovascular disease. Participants in the study who ate an unrestricted Mediterranean diet with nuts and extra-virgin olive oil were shown to have a 30% lower risk of heart events.
In addition to the heart-healthy benefits of a Mediterranean diet, studies have shown that eating healthy Mediterranean and Middle Eastern foods can reduce the chances of stroke in women. The study was conducted in the U.K., which included women between the ages of 40 and 77. Women who stuck to the Mediterranean diet showed a lower risk of having a stroke - especially women who were at high risk of having one.
First and foremost, purchase your Mediterranean and Middle Eastern wholesale foods from Nazareth Grocery - we're always updating our inventory! Getting started on this healthy, delicious diet is easy.
1.
Instead of unhealthy sweets like candy and ice cream, try eating fresh fruit instead. It's refreshing, tasty, and often packed with great vitamins and nutrients.
2.
Try eating fish twice a week, in lieu of red meat. Fish is much healthier and doesn't have the unfortunate side effects of red meat, like inflammation.
3.
Try planning out your meals using beans, whole grains, and veggies. Don't start with meats and sweets.
4.
They're tasty, but try to avoid processed foods completely.
5.
Instead of using butter to flavor your food, use extra virgin olive oil instead. Olive oil contains healthy fats and tastes great too.
6.
Try to get more exercise and get out of the house. The Mediterranean lifestyle is an active one, best enjoyed in the beautiful sunshine when possible.
Buying wholesale and retail are quite different. When you buy products from a wholesaler, you're essentially buying from the middleman between a retail establishment and the manufacturer. Wholesale purchases are almost always made in bulk. Because of that, buyers pay a discounted price. That's great for normal buyers and great for business owners, who can sell those products to profit. This higher price is called the retail price, and it is what traditional customers pay when they enter a retail store.
Free EstimateVacancy ordinances are being embraced by multiple cities and towns in Maine with the aim of keeping downtown economies thriving.PORTLAND, Maine — After a recent string of businesses flocking their storefronts, city leaders in Portland are weighing in on a recent proposal to keep local economies thriving.Kate Sykes, a city councilor, says the nail in the coffin was the announcement of ...
Vacancy ordinances are being embraced by multiple cities and towns in Maine with the aim of keeping downtown economies thriving.
PORTLAND, Maine — After a recent string of businesses flocking their storefronts, city leaders in Portland are weighing in on a recent proposal to keep local economies thriving.
Kate Sykes, a city councilor, says the nail in the coffin was the announcement of chain department store Renys plans to close its Portland location.
"We recognize that there is a problem here, and we're seeing larger storefronts starting to pull away," Sykes said. "That means that we need to do something immediately."
City councilors on the Housing and Economic Development Committee have been discussing the idea of implementing a vacancy ordinance to address the long stretches of empty storefronts.
If passed, the ordinance would require that empty commercial properties be registered with the city after 90 days. Landlords would also have to pay a $250 fee, which increases yearly.
"Vacancies drag neighborhoods down. It's kind of a spiral, where you have empty storefronts that are sitting idle, not as many people are coming in," Sykes explained.
She says the goal is to discourage vacancies by finding solutions to fill those spaces, like offering temporary leases for pop-up shops.
A handful of other cities and towns have also implemented similar ordinances.
Biddeford is now in the early stages of implementing its own vacant building registry after voting on the idea in April 2025. Sanford also has a similar ordinance in place, according to its municipal website.
Maine Chamber of Commerce President Patrick Woodcock says although ordinances to address vacant buildings can protect from devaluations of properties, finding the root cause of long-standing vacancies should be explored.
"You do recognize that a lot of these communities are being challenged right now," Woodcock said. "I think fundamentally, you just really have to focus on creating a safe corridor downtown that businesses see that's their future."
Sykes explains the ordinance will likely only apply to District 1 and 2 of Portland. Both council members representing those districts tell NEWS CENTER Maine they're on board with the idea.
The Housing and Economic Development Committee voted Tuesday night to move the proposal to the full council.
For more local stories continue with us on our NEWS CENTER Maine+ streaming app.
Published 10:31 am Tuesday, June 17, 2025Watershed councils like those that cover Oswego Lake and Tryon Creek try to counteract what has become an increasingly challenging environment for fish to thrive.The councils, which are nonprofit organizations made up of small staffs and community volunteers, work on projects like replacing small culverts with more wide open fish passages, enhancing stream habitats by adding deadwood, planting native species and removing invasive ones on the edge of creeks, conducting e...
Published 10:31 am Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Watershed councils like those that cover Oswego Lake and Tryon Creek try to counteract what has become an increasingly challenging environment for fish to thrive.
The councils, which are nonprofit organizations made up of small staffs and community volunteers, work on projects like replacing small culverts with more wide open fish passages, enhancing stream habitats by adding deadwood, planting native species and removing invasive ones on the edge of creeks, conducting education and workshops in the community, provide grants for private property restoration and much more.
Most of Oregon is covered by a watershed council, but there are a few remaining gaps including parts of Portland, West Linn and Wilsonville.
This is why the Oswego Lake and Tryon Creek watershed councils are beginning an effort to explore expanding council coverage to those areas and potentially combining the Lake Oswego, parts of Portland, West Linn and Wilsonville councils into one. However, they want to hear from the communities before selecting a path.
“We are not in the business of telling the community what is best. We want to bring people together and hear from them,” Tryon Creek Watershed Council Executive Director Alexis Barton Castro said.
The salmon population has declined significantly in the Pacific Northwest in the last couple hundred years in Oregon due to hydroelectric dams, urban development and warming temperatures, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Addressing challenges that are also seen globally might not be something watershed councils do on their own, but they can help fish on their journey by reducing barriers and making ecosystems healthier. They also conduct assessments and collect data to identify what problems exist and how to fix them.
“The projects happening on the ground are helping and are science based,” said Oswego Lake Watershed Council Executive Director Jack Halsey. “We do studies within watersheds to figure out what is most effective for them to do.”
The Oswego Lake Watershed Council has expanded its staff capacity in recent years while the Tryon Creek council has reduced staff and struggled a bit with fundraising, Barton Castro said. However, they both say they struggle with capacity.
“Our watershed council would not be able to function without donors who support the work we do, and volunteer time goes into the projects to keep costs down,” Halsey said.
The councils are two of the smallest in Oregon and are therefore not eligible for certain state funding sources, but Halsey and Barton Castro are hopeful they would be if they combined forces and expanded to the areas not currently covered. The executive directors also believe working together on tackling bigger challenges, particularly related to helping salmon, could be easier in tandem.
However, they understand there could be reticence from community members and volunteers, who might want to keep efforts focused locally, and said the community engagement efforts they plan to undergo will inform the direction moving forward.
“People don’t want to lose the projects they care about. We are going about this in an intentional way,” Halsey said.
The groups have received support from the cities of Lake Oswego, West Linn and Wilsonville as well as members of Portland City Council and plan to discuss their plans in front of local government boards. They said community engagement could begin this summer.
For more information on the Oswego Lake council, visit www.oswegowatershed.org. For more information on the Tryon Creek council, visit www.tryoncreek.org.