Students tired of fried American foods are turning to exotic varieties from State College's international grocery stores.

The International Market nestled in a house on 328 S. Allen St. offers a wide variety of foods from all over the world.

Customers entering the store immediately can smell the strong aroma of herbs and spices.

The store is separated into sections. The right side of the store contains shelves of food from the Middle East, Africa and South America, owner Clara Wang said.

"This community needs this type of store," Wang said.

Recently, Wang added a section of Turkish food requested by some customers.

The central section of the store contains foods from countries such as China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Korea and Japan, Wang said.

Customers also can find international snack foods on one shelf in the central section of the store. The shelf holds items such as mango chips from the Philippines and Japanese rice crackers.

Refrigerators in the back of the store are stocked with imported Bulgarian cheeses and Caribbean drinks.

A small section on the left side of the store holds large bags of rice, one of the more popular items sold. Wang stocks rice from multiple countries, including Japan, Korea, Turkey and India.

The International Market provides more than food to its patrons. If customers question their own cooking abilities, they can pick up one of many cookbooks located in the front of the store.

Many of the customers at the International Market are graduate students with families, Wang said.

The International Market supplies an extensive amount of international food, but the Krishan Indian Grocery Store, 230A W. College Ave., focuses on Indian food.

This small store welcomes customers with the sounds of Indian music playing softly in the background. Hunger-creating aromas from spices linger in the air of the entryway.

The most popular items in the store are the pickles, spices and lentils, owner Kamlesh Bhatia said.

"The items come from different places," Bhatia said, explaining that many of the products are shipped from distributors in New York and Chicago.

As customers walk down the first isle, the scents change from spices to tea, which is displayed in the back of the store. The back shelf also holds Indian soaps and temporary tattoo henna kits.

Krishan Indian Grocery Store also sells snack food. The middle isle holds items such as rock candy and fennel candy.

Bhatia sells incense sticks and Indian jewelry in the front of the store, along with recipe books, gift packs, frozen food and Indian CDs.

Located a few blocks away from campus, Ciao Italia Italian Market, 111 N. Butz St., supplies State College with authentic Italian food.

An entire isle in the small store shelves oil and vinegar. Large tubs of olives are places in the center of the store along with fresh baked bread.

"The olives are very popular," owner Zina Rhoades said. Rhoades said the prosciutto and meatballs are also popular.

The store also sells pasta and sauces on the far end of the store.

A wide variety of meats and cheeses are cut fresh at the store's deli. Customers who do not enjoy cooking or who are in a hurry also can purchase homemade frozen meals, such as ravioli, tortellini and stuffed shells, Rhoades said.

Marisa Gianvito (junior-psychology) said she enjoys shopping at Ciao Italia Italian Market.

"They have a wide selection of ethnic food," Gianvito said. "It's hard to choose between everything."