Standing next to the largest mosque in South America is an equally enormous “big box store.” The Jumbo and Easy, both Chilean imports, are the South American answer to Target and Wal-Mart. For those expatriates who yearn for fluorescent lighting, crowded aisles and everything you could ever need under one roof - Jumbo is calling your name.

Located in the Jumbo Palermo Commercial Center, at the intersection of Avenida Bullrich and Cerviño, the Jumbo on weekends is a hub of activity. The store is actually part of a larger shopping center, with a mini food court and clothing and shoe stores. The Easy anchors one end of the center with its Ikea-like inexpensive furniture, garden center and home-improvement supplies.

And Jumbo looms at the other end. The store carries everything from food to electronics, kitchen supplies and kitschy picture frames, books and magazines, toiletries and its own clothing line. Aisles are crowded with shoppers piling their carts high with as much as they can buy, some even hauling along an extra cart for their bounty.

Like other grocery stores in Buenos Aires, the Jumbo makes home deliveries, although it’s surprising that out of the impressive line of checkout counters, only a handful accept customers wanting envío a domicilio. This means if you plan to stock up, be prepared to wait. And wait. Pick up an overpriced paperback in English to entertain yourself; buy it if you can handle the $32 pesos for a John Grisham thriller.

And stock up you will when presented with the tempting array of delicacies. The frozen foods section has frozen blackberries and raspberries nestled among the ice cream. The cheese aisle has an impressive selection that surpasses the local supermercado’s offerings. The Jumbo will never run out of particular yogurt flavors, or leave a picked-over produce section with only a few mangy lettuce heads. The sheer amount of food available is a little overwhelming, and it gets tiring pushing the cart up and down the aisles, searching for some treat.

Then, on the absolute last aisle in the grocery section is the treasure trove for expatriates craving a little taste of home: the imported foods section. There is German and Spanish and Asian food, alongside regional Argentine specialties, Mexican food and, of course, American food.

Even if you’re not craving a little wasabi or spicy salsa, it’s interesting to see what items made the cut as representatives of their country. For example, American cuisine has been reduced to Pringles, peanut butter (phew!), Uncle Ben’s rice, Tabasco sauce, ramen noodles, Busch’s baked beans and sweet potato pie filling. Wouldn’t pumpkin pie filling have been a little more authentic? Ah well, at least they have peanut butter.

Deliveries arrive promptly and in good condition, but a Jumbo expedition is better saved for once a month (or even every two months). The crowds and lines just aren’t worth the stress, so stack your cart high. Maybe do like the bustling couples out for a Saturday’s shopping and grab two carts. Just in case.