Asian Market Faves?

[roadfix]

For me, they would be my childhood snack favorites.....rice crackers, dried squid, and a bunch of others....

 

[grumblebee]

For me, they would be my childhood snack favorites.....rice crackers, dried squid, and a bunch of others....

Oh yeah! I forgot about dried squid. To those that haven't tried it, it sounds horrid. But it is basically like a jerky... seasoned, chewy, delicious and salty/sweet. Love it! Think I will get some tomorrow as I'm heading to the big Asian Market anyway... Thanks for the reminder of this snack! Totally forgot about it...

 

[Addie]

I love rice cakes. Put creamy peanut butter on them, zap it for a minute or so and let it melt down into the cake. Like eating hot roasted peanuts.

 

[FabulousFoodie]

I absolutely hate most seafood, but realised I'd accidentally been enjoying some strange, crispy shrimp balls. They were weirdly sweet and very addictive.

I'm a massive fan of garlic peas, if you haven't tried them and you're a garlic fan, you will absolutely love them. Not exactly a social snack though...

 

[Dawgluver]

I absolutely hate most seafood, but realised I'd accidentally been enjoying some strange, crispy shrimp balls. They were weirdly sweet and very addictive.

I'm a massive fan of garlic peas, if you haven't tried them and you're a garlic fan, you will absolutely love them. Not exactly a social snack though...

Welcome to DC! Are garlic peas like wasabi peas, dried and crunchy? I love wasabi peas.

Will have to check out dried squid and shrimp balls.

 

[FabulousFoodie]

Welcome to DC! Are garlic peas like wasabi peas, dried and crunchy? I love wasabi peas.

Will have to check out dried squid and shrimp balls.

They're very similar to wasabi peas in texture, apparently they're a common bar snack in Asia.

I think the balls were made by Orion and had a peanut in the centre, they're definitely up there with some of the strangest things I've ever eaten

 

[Kylie1969]

I love rice cakes. Put creamy peanut butter on them, zap it for a minute or so and let it melt down into the cake. Like eating hot roasted peanuts.

That is an interesting way to have rice cakes Ads

I like rice cakes but started finding them bland, but your way is not bland at all

 

[Kylie1969]

This is my favorite. Na Rog. Roasted chilis in oil. I love the smokey, hot flavor with any kind of eggs, noodles or veggies....very addictive..

They look good, sounds good with the noodles

 

[Kylie1969]

I have never tried dumplings...we actually have a dumpling/chinese takeaway shop opening up in our local shopping centre called Red Panda...may have to try some

 

[Addie]

That is an interesting way to have rice cakes Ads

I like rice cakes but started finding them bland, but your way is not bland at all

If you think of the plain white rice cakes, you can treat them as if it were white bread and put anything you would put in a sandwich. I love it with the PB. I often just eat the PB right out of the jar. But when heated in the micro on a rice cake, it melts down into the rice cake and tastes like hot roasted peanuts. A favorite food of mine. The cakes have minimum calories and the PB is a great protein food. I buy natural PB. You have to always stir the oil back into it before you use it. The only additive is the salt. No sugar in it.

I have also put tuna salad on it and zapped it. Rice cakes with added foods on top are a quick snack or a food for on the go.

 

[4meandthem]

Golden Pampano fish. Freshest fish and largest variety for that matter.
Beef tenderloins at 6 bucks a pound
Fresh rice noodle with green onions and shrimp in them.
Baby octopus
dried fried shallots
fresh noodles
button mushrooms at half price
variety of fresh mushrooms
Baby bok choy
Soy and ponzu sauces
red and black vinegars
seaweed snacks and sheets
tapioca flour
cheap produce
asian basil
big tins of sesame oil for the price of a bottle
Sake and Mirin
ribs cut anyway you want.
Salmon heads for eating or fishing if your squeamish.
Greens you have never seen before.

 

[Kylie1969]

If you think of the plain white rice cakes, you can treat them as if it were white bread and put anything you would put in a sandwich. I love it with the PB. I often just eat the PB right out of the jar. But when heated in the micro on a rice cake, it melts down into the rice cake and tastes like hot roasted peanuts. A favorite food of mine. The cakes have minimum calories and the PB is a great protein food. I buy natural PB. You have to always stir the oil back into it before you use it. The only additive is the salt. No sugar in it.

I have also put tuna salad on it and zapped it. Rice cakes with added foods on top are a quick snack or a food for on the go.

I love the sound of the tuna on them too, thanks Ads

 

[Andypants]

As people have mentioned:

Na Rog (Laoganma chili sauce AKA Mean Woman Sauce). I actually haven't tried it yet but everyone on the web raves about it.

Kadoya sesame oil

Gochujang chili paste


Also:

Sesame paste (buy in small jars because it will harden on you, although I guess you could heat it to soften it)

Broad bean paste (I buy Union Foods brand)

Fermented hot bean paste (I buy a brand with a cartoonish smiling peasant in a straw hat on the label); almost any hot bean paste or chili bean paste really

Samjaeng (Korean bean paste, comes in plastic tubs)

Hoisin sauce (I like Koon Chun. I like all their products I've tried except for their soy sauce, too salty, and shrimp paste, not for this Westerner's palate)

Black bean sauce

Pearl River Bridge soy sauce

Wei Chuan sauce in jars if you can still find any, especially the Kung Pao

Maesri Thai chili paste (canned), especially the red varieties (goes well with La Choy sweet and sour sauce)

Tom yum paste (also goes well with La Choy sweet and sour)

Maesri Ta Dang chili paste in jars (avoid anything with 'pla' in the name, too fishy)

Crab paste (to be used in tiny amounts. I dip a spoon in the jar, hold it vertically, and whatever doesn't fall back into the jar is enough for me...) This one isn't really a must-buy.

Huy Fong sambal oelek (chili paste) and sambal bajak (chili garlic paste)

Lee Kum Kee char siu sauce, or their chili garlic sauce; almost any chili garlic sauce

Korean bulgogi or kalbi marinade (I personally can't tell the difference) - the labels are almost entirely in Korean so I don't know the brand name. The labels are red and say that they contain Korean pear or apple.

Korean BBQ sauce, same brand, which is reddish and spicier than the two above

Yeo's chili sauces (Hot and Sweet)

Kikkoman garlic and green onion marinade

Kikkoman stir fry sauce or pork cutlet sauce - purplish brown in color

Kokohu Rose rice


At a South Asian market, Patak's chili relish or garlic relish, or mango relish (Patak's or SWAD)

 

[Andypants]

At a South Asian market, Patak's chili relish or garlic relish, or mango relish (Patak's or SWAD)

Or SWAD mixed relish. I liked all the Indian pickles/relishes I've tried except for Patak's lime relish (too much anise flavor).