by Marie | May 25, 2013 | Thoughts | 19 comments
I love my local Asian market. It’s closer than any other grocery store, and it’s like a treasure trove. The shelves are loaded with things I’ve never heard of, and things I love that are so cheap they’re practically free compared to what I’m used to paying. I always get something new every time I go, and make something fun and delicious for dinner. With the shelves loaded with so many bottles, bags, and cans, it can be hard to know what to start with. Here are the things I’ll never buy at the grocery store again.
Thai Curry Paste
This stuff is potentially the biggest rip-off in the tiny Asian section of your grocery store. You’ll pay $5 for a 40mL jar of curry paste. Head to the Asian market and you’ll get 400mL for $3.
Coconut Milk
Asian markets usually have at least half a dozen kinds of coconut milk, and I find they’re usually better than the gentrified versions available at your regular grocery store. They’re also cheaper! You can except to pay $1–$2 a can instead of $4–$5 a can at the regular grocery store. I especially love stocking up on coconut cream, which is so thick you can spread it on things.
Soy Sauce & all other Asian Condiments
You can find at least 10 different kinds of soy sauce, and up to a gallon of it.
I think all of this was about $15.
Rice
Ok, so this one is kind of a no-brainer. But there are just so many kinds, and they’re so cheap! I love getting Thai red rice by the kilo without paying exorbitant health food store prices for it.
Sesame Oil
Less money, more selection.
Funky Whole Grains
I was blown away by the selection (and the low prices). I’ve now got a great stash of things like buckwheat (aka kasha) in my pantry, and I didn’t have to go to my local health food store and pay out the nose for them.
Tofu
The tofu is so much better. More kinds, more flavours. Fried, dried, pressed, puffed, and more. So tasty, and so awesome!
Noodles—Ramen, Soba, & Rice
Stock up on packages of nests of ramen noodles, without the MSG loaded broth packages that come with pre-packaged instant noodles. You can do whatever you like with them—I like to make my own instant noodles.
Cashews
I got a pound for about $5, and they’re raw (and they’re great)! Buy those at the health food store and you’ll be looking at twice as much.
Canned Bamboo
I love bamboo for Thai curries. It’s a great low-cal veggie—super filling, with maybe 2 dozen calories per cup. I love having a few cans on hand for quick weeknight dinners.
Canned Baby Corn
Just like bamboo, canned baby corn is great to have on hand for quick weeknight curries.
Thai Basil
It’s delicious, and easy to have on hand for a while if you keep in a glass of water in the fridge, like flowers.
Nori & everything else you need to make sushi
If I ever need a bit of motivation to head to T&T, I just check out the prices for nori, wasabi, rice vinegar, and pickled ginger at Safeway. OUCH! You can walk away from T&T with all your sushi staples for $5, and you’d be lucky to get the nori for that anywhere else.
Candied/Crystallized Ginger
Buy it in the baking section of your grocery store and it will come in a small glass jar and cost $5. Grab it at your Asian market and it might be $2 for a nice, big bag of it! I love it as a snack and for my Christmas baking.
Rice Paper
Not only is it less expensive (noticing a pricing trend here?), but you can also get it in different sizes, so you can make appetizer sized spring and salad rolls if you like.
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Nicci Lion May 26, 2013 at 7:15 am
Okay, so I have to admit that my “grocery store” happens to be a Chinese market (I live near Pacific Mall), so this doesn’t necessarily apply to me, but I love your food posts. 😀
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Lucky you! I live fairly close to a couple Asian markets, but I find I don’t often get to them when the weather is iffy as the parking is so terrible that walking is pretty much the only option. I love it when I can get out to our massive T&T market and just go bananas—so many treasures and goodies there! What are your favourite things to grab?
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Nicci Lion May 28, 2013 at 5:41 am
Yeah, T&T is pretty good. There are three or four near my house…guess that’s the advantage of GTA. As a non-Asian American married to a Chinese Canadian, I’m still getting used to it.
At the moment my favorite thing to buy is Korean grilled seaweed snack. It’s like sushi nori but it’s cut into bite-sized sheets and is grilled until crispy. They also brush it in sesame oil and a little salt for taste. It’s intended as a drinking snack and is absolutely divine. Have you had it before?
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Marieon May 31, 2013 at 7:18 pm
I lived in Toronto for a couple years when I was in school, and it was awesome for my food loving self! That’s where I first discovered Bulk Barn as they hadn’t moved all the way out west yet 🙂 And the St. Lawrence Market, and this fantastic Italian farm called GP Farm that’s at Steeles & Keele. Sigh. I miss the Toronto food scene!
I have eaten more than my fair of wasabi roasted seaweed—SO CUTE!
Gui Penicheon May 26, 2013 at 9:59 pm
Hey Marie, how are ya?
So, did you know that some of the “asian” stuff um mentioned we have in regular markets here in brazil: coconut milk (we produce freak loads of coconuts in our land), cashews (we have the biggest cashew tree in the world here… and at the market you find: roasted and salted, just roasted, grounded, the whole fruit, the juice, fruit jelly).
But… add to your list some wasabi root… amazing for food and health 😉Brazilian hugs
GuiReply
Marieon May 27, 2013 at 9:01 pm
Hey, Gui! We have many of these things, like coconut milk, in our regular markets as well, but since we are not blessed with palm trees everywhere, they really rip you off for it 🙁 I am so jealous of all your cashews! I love them but they can get so expensive. I bought some nice cashew butter yesterday, I’m really excited to work it into some recipes soon 🙂 What is cashew jelly? I’ve never seen that here! And a big YAY (and ow, haha) for wasabi, it’s fantastic stuff!
Cheers 🙂
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Gui Penicheon May 27, 2013 at 10:31 pm
Cashew jelly… easy!! Get the whole fruit, rip the nut off. Pill the fruit, cut in big pieces, put in a blender and make it turn into kinda of pureé. Strain it.
Take that juice into a pan and add sugar and than the fire!!!!
The trick to know when is done is easy too: Take a little bit with a spoon and put it in a glass of water: if goes right to the bottom of the glass it is done… if stain the water… not.P.S. you need frech fruits https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSUHBaZ6BCk8yW_P8avw7O1Ef8b_9joAzB-6fbiF0NkqeVyMZvl8Q
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Gui Penicheon May 29, 2013 at 5:24 pm
ops… miss spell: fresh
Marieon May 31, 2013 at 7:00 pm
Problem #1… we don’t get the cashew fruits up here, just the nuts 🙁 But it sounds awesome!
pamelaon May 28, 2013 at 9:54 am
Saving this. I have a HUGE asian market near my work. It’s not so bad once you get used to the sorting, which mine sorts by country instead of item, except the tea isle. You also forgot to mention lentils and peas. I get my yellow split peas here and red lentils.
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Marieon May 31, 2013 at 7:31 pm
Yes! You are so right, the lentils section is AWESOME! This list could be 20x longer 😛
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Rebecca Silenceon May 28, 2013 at 4:47 pm
What a great post and a good reminder to stock up on things that I spend way too much for at the health food store! I’m a librarian and I’m sharing your post with the teens in my library’s Anime Club. They love the Pocky and gummi candies, spicy crackers and mango juice that I bring to our meetings from our local Asian market, but they also are interested in all things Asian, like learning how to make sushi and noodle dishes.
Another great find at Asian markets? Mushrooms!! Amazing selection and the best prices by far.
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Marieon May 31, 2013 at 7:37 pm
I didn’t mention it in the entry, but you are so right, the junk food aisle is where it’s AT! I love the crunchy Pocky and the funny little chocolate goo-filled koala cookies. I also loooove making homemade sushi—as a vegetarian it is not worth paying for it!
I can’t believe I forgot about the mushrooms! My market literally has bins and bins of mushrooms I have never heard of, and they are SO cheap!
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Sadieon May 29, 2013 at 8:35 am
I just recently discovered an Indian grocery store right down the street and it’s amazing! In addition to everything you listed, I discovered a fantastic (and cheap) selection of wheat-free flours, rose syrup, a great tea masala blend, and fresh paneer. It’s really incredible what you can find if you venture away from your usual grocery. 🙂
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Marieon June 1, 2013 at 10:46 am
Yes, Indian grocery stores are amazing! When I lived in Toronto there was a great one nearby that sold saffron for incredibly low prices and always had the most incredible selection of spices. And, whenever mango season rolled around I could buy a flat of them for $10. Mmmm. Lebanese grocery stores are also an awesome place to shop—you can easily find rose water and other great DIY body ingredients that are very expensive elsewhere.
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Shayon May 31, 2013 at 7:09 pm
this is great! i’ll definitely be checking out the Asian market when i go back to college. cheap, healthy.. sounds perfect! 🙂
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Marieon June 1, 2013 at 5:14 pm
When I lived in Toronto for school I loved trips to the Asian market… I felt so rich, lol!
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Kirstenon June 4, 2013 at 9:48 pm
Yay! I live a block from the Asian Market, and can’t drag my friends to the market…. I’m overwhelmed with excitement to see some many others with the same food exploration
+++++++++++Lemongrass Curry++++++++++++
1 Lemongrass coarse chopped
1 bunch of cilantro
1 tsp shrimp paste
1 tsp turmeric powder
dash of fish sauce
3 shallots, coarsely chopped
2 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
2 garlic cloves (I use whatever garlic I have on hand, minced, powdered… but, ‘fresh’ is always best)
2 chili peppers (I use whatever is ripe from the garden)
***If needed, and depending on what the curry is going to used for, add water or olive oil to help the food processor.Directions: Add all ingredients into the food processor, until a smooth paste.
It can be used as a chicken marinade or a condiment.Anyone have recipes for Teff Flower (from the Ethiopian Market)…. I had high hopes to make some Ethiopian Injera Bread, and purchased a 20lb bag, and have been unsucessful, so I’m looking for other Teff Flour uses.
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Marieon June 10, 2013 at 9:20 pm
I’ll be your Asian market friend! We can team up to carry the kilos of canned goods back home 😛 Your lemongrass curry paste recipe sounds delicious—I am such a sucker for lemongrass, it’s such a fantastic flavour 🙂
I can’t say I have any recipes for teff flour, though I have read it is fantastically nutritious. Have you tried replacing small amounts of all-purpose flour with teff flour in standard bread recipes?
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