For several years I lived down the street from a weekly farmers’ market in Brooklyn, New York, surrounded by a multitude of organic and natural food stores, yet I never gave much thought to buying organic groceries. My main reason for this was the price.

Organic produce is more expensive and often doesn’t “look” as plump, or bright, or as beautiful as many nonorganic fruits and vegetables (probably thanks to all those pesticides and preservatives used to grow them). Then I moved to China and now I frequently go out of my way – across town when necessary – and fork out the extra RMB for that bag of organic strawberries or pine nuts – and I’m not the only one.

Many people in China, especially expats, have grown concerned about buying food in the country after multiple food safety scandals have come to light in the past several years, including the infamous melamine tainted milk scare, the tainted pork incident in Guangzhou, the widespread production and use of fake peas and reusable cooking oil, and the tainted steamed bread scandal in Shanghai among others.

Another concern is if foods labeled as “organic” in China are really up to international standards and free of growth stimulants and chemical fertilizers. Last year the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) drastically toughened their import regulations for “organic” foods produced in China and retailers like Whole Foods Market (the world’s largest supermarket specializing in natural and organic products) cut back on the number of organic products from China that they shelve.

The up-side to all of this is that the need for organic produce in China has led to more shopping options for locals, especially in the major cities, and Beijing is no exception. Here are a few of the best stores around town that stock organic foods and products (many of them imported).