If you’ve ever tried to recreate authentic Asian or Indian food in your own kitchen, chances are you gave up rather quickly. This is not to slight your culinary skills, here, but rather to point out that some indigenous cuisines require ingredients and seasonings that you don’t find in the big chain stores.

(For that matter, I can’t even find Beer Nuts or my fave toothpaste in our local chain stores, but that’s for another time.)

What IS important is that, basically a block from one another in Groton, in separate strip centers, are two wonderful and valuable resources. There’s the New Asia Market, featuring hundreds of items to help you enrich your skills with Asian fare. And across and just down the street is Raj Cash & Carry, which similarly offers a wealth of requisite foods, spices, utensils and even native clothing.

Raj Cash & Carry, 764 Long Hill Road, 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Mon. and Wed.-Sat., 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Tues., closed Sunday, (860) 445-4455

New Asia Market, 505 Long Hill Road, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun., (860) 449-9177