To the Dutch, milk and cheese are staples, as essential a part of the weekly shop as rice is for a Chinese shopper or teabags are for an Englishman.
This is a sentence from an article on CNN. I don't understand why it is not "an essential part of the weekly shop".
Can you tell me about any rules or grammar in this phrase, please?
Answer
I've posted an answer to a related question once. Let me quote the related part again here:
14 adjectives (3): position after as, how, so, too
After as, how, so, too and this/that meaning so, adjectives go before a/an. This structure is common in a formal style.
as/how/so/too/this/that + adjective + a/an + noun
I have as good a voice as you.
...(Practical English Usage by Michael Swan)
It's a normal as ... as pattern as Stephie said.
What's probably not normal for many learners is the pattern adjective + a/an + noun.
But if we think about it, it's probably not that strange. For example, I'm sure that you're fine with this one: I have as many books as you (have). It could be a little tricky for learners when the noun inside of as ... as is singular, but It's just that we don't hear it as often as as + adjective + as (e.g., This book is as good as that book).
(To the Dutch, milk and cheese are) as essential a part of the weekly shop as rice is for a Chinese shopper or teabags are for an Englishman is perfectly grammatical in English.
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