Do you hanker for guacamole or enchiladas with salsa verde?
If you want to make your own, you can almost always find the ingredients at the large supermarkets in Jefferson and Berkeley counties. Along with the Americanized canned salsas and frozen enchiladas, the stores routinely carry a small selection of fresh and dried chilies, tomatillos, cilantro, 100 pack bags of fresh corn tortillas,  and several varieties of fresh white cheeses, testimony to the areas burgeoning Hispanics community from Central and South America and Mexico.
Census takers agree that it is almost impossible to know just how many Hispanic immigrants there are in the area but that the numbers have been increasing rapidly in the past few years. By some accounts, there are far more Latinos than the official estimate of five percent of the population in Jefferson and Berkeley counties.
The terms “Hispanic” or “Latino” describe a tremendously diverse group of people with distinct regional tastes, customs, and languages. On the main streets in Charles Town and Martinsburg, small grocery stores—more like mini-department stores—serve this community, selling an incredible variety of specialty foods, jewelry, clothing, cooking equipment, toys, CDs, and religious objects. They are also community centers where you can find international phone cards, money transfer services, a church flyer, or job opportunity posted on the window and business cards from a Spanish speaking insurance agent on the counter.
Cooks and food lovers will discover hard-to-find ingredients from Mexico, Central America, the Andes, Colombia and the Caribbean. Often there are delicious, freshly made tamales (Mexican or Salvadoran depending on the store) available for takeout, and green and ripe plantains, yucca, white sweet potatoes, tamarind, and Jamaican sorrel. Refrigerators contain green nopales (cactus), fresh poblano chilies, chorizo sausages, numerous types of fresh white cheeses, and tropical juices. Fifteen or more varieties of dried chilies used in Mexico’s regional cuisines share the shelves with culinary and medicinal herbs, Haitian millet meal, rice flour, quinoa, toasted barley, Peruvian corn, Jamaican jerk seasoning, Brazilian manioc, and many varieties of beans from Mexico on down through Colombia.
The next time you want to duplicate the unforgettable Oaxacan mole you want to taste again, or buy some orchata, passion fruit juice, or guava paste, the following stores will have exactly what you need.
Amaya International; 113 West Washington St.; Charles Town; 725-6026.
Rincon Latino; 133 West Washington St.; Charles Town; 724-2283.
Las Americas Supermarket; 531 Winchester Ave.; Martinsburg; 260-4046.
Lupita’s Grocery Store; 149 North Queen St.; Martinsburg; 260-4007.
Pork with Red Chilies
Serves 8
Pork shoulder is an inexpensive and flavorful cut to use in this simple northern Mexican dish of braised pork with a  red chili sauce. I buy dried chilies from one of the family-owned Latino stores mentioned above and purchase pork from Danny Rohrer, a Boonsboro farmer who raises beef, lamb, pork, poultry and goat. Danny writes evocative portrayals of farm life that he sends by email to his customers along with the list of items he has for sale at the Shepherdstown Farmers Market.
The milder ancho and New Mexican chilies are specified for this dish, though I have had excellent results using the somewhat hotter guajillo and pasilla chilies. The flavor improves if you let the stew sit for a few hours. Re-heat before serving.  
Serve with corn or flour tortillas, rice, and simply cooked pinto beans. A crisp green salad makes a refreshing accompaniment.
6 pounds boneless pork shoulder, or pork butt, cut in 1-1/2 inch chunks
4 bay leaves
2 tsp. salt
1 3-oz. package ancho chilies
2 3-oz. packages New Mexican chilies
1 heaping Tbs. oregano
8 large cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2-inch piece cinnamon, crushed
Put the pork in a pot large enough to hold the meat in two layers. Add the bay leaves, salt, and enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a bare simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes until the pork is just barely tender.  Drain the broth and measure 2 quarts. Return the meat to the pan and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the fat sizzles and the meat browns slightly. 
Meanwhile, break the chilies open and remove the stems and seeds.  Put in a bowl and add boiling water to cover.  Cover and let sit for 15 minutes until softened.  Put the cinnamon in a mortar and pestle and break into small pieces.  Add the garlic and oregano and crush lightly.  Combine with the chilies in a blender jar and add 2 cups of the broth.  Blend until smooth, adding a little more broth if needed.  Rub through a strainer, discarding the tough skin, or through a food mill (food mill works best) to make a silky puree.