Buying Asian sauces/spices/ingredients tips ?

[taxlady]

It's a ground seed - it's food, no different from ground wheat or corn. If you want to avoid it for whatever reasons, go ahead. I was responding to the OP. The point here is that it's not unhealthy.

I don't like when they thicken foods, that shouldn't need thickening, with wheat or corn. It's a way of being cheap on the ingredients and it is usually reflected in the flavour.

 

[GotGarlic]

Fine. I give up. You win. Congratulations.

 

[toyopl]

GotGarlic when I read about Guar Gum to figure out what it is, I found out lots of ppl had upset stomach that they diagnosed to be caused by Guar Gum.

Here's a first link from google that I clicked on describing Guar Gum:

Guar gum

The other potential problem with canned coconut milk is guar gum. Guar gum is a galactomannan, which is a polysaccharide consisting of a mannose backbone with a galactose side group. It’s primarily the endosperm of guar beans.
Beans and legumes have a variety of compounds in them that make them difficult to digest, especially for people with digestive problems (1 in 3 Americans, from the latest statistics). In my clinical experience, many patients with gut issues improve when they remove guar gum from their diet—including canned coconut milk.

Edit:
I did make Yellow curry yesterday with coconut milk with Guar Gum in it and all 4 ppl were ok, no upset stomach. But when I finish these cans I can just buy the one that does not have emulsifiers in it. Might aswell buy healthier variation of it, since they're on the same shelf and I'm guessing are the same price.

 

[cave76]

Here is a substitute for soy sauce that you can make yourself. (I haven't tried it and probably won't so I can say how good it is.)

Soy Sauce Substitute Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Here is another way to go---- I've tried it and it's not too bad.

Recipes, Cooking Products and More for Home Cooks - Kikkoman : Gluten-Free Soy Sauce

And yet another:

Bragg Live Foods, Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar, Bragg Liquid Aminos,Systemic Enzymes, Bragg Live Organic Food Products, Patricia Bragg, Paul Bragg, Bragg Organic Olive Oil, Bragg Salad Dressings, Bragg Seasonings, Bragg Health Products

I used Bragg's for a while when on a certain diet and it wasn't bad.

 

[cave76]

Coconut without guar gum (using Google)

Natural Value Coconut Milk, 13.5 Ounce Cans (Pack of 12): Amazon.com: Grocery & Gourmet Food

Or, and I used to do this all the time---MAKE YOUR OWN COCONUT MILK.
It's really simple and you have control over what goes in it.

Homemade Coconut Milk from Shredded Coconut

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Coconut without guar gum (using Google)

Natural Value Coconut Milk, 13.5 Ounce Cans (Pack of 12): Amazon.com: Grocery & Gourmet Food

Or, and I used to do this all the time---MAKE YOUR OWN COCONUT MILK.
It's really simple and you have control over what goes in it.

Homemade Coconut Milk from Shredded Coconut

That's the one I bought!

 

[cave76]

That's the one I bought!

Then there are two great minds working in concert.

I figure if something is worth saying, saying it again doesn't hurt. Not everyone will read all the posts in a thread and repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition
(SMACKS HEAD ) ----- now where was I---- Oh,yeah. Great Minds.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Then there are two great minds working in concert.

I figure if something is worth saying, saying it again doesn't hurt. Not everyone will read all the posts in a thread and repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition
(SMACKS HEAD ) ----- now where was I---- Oh,yeah. Great Minds.

ROFL!!

 

[NAchef]

My friends parents own an Asain market not too far from me. I asked him that question about oyster sauce one time. His answer was "Look at the ingredients, If the main ingredient is oysters (Oyster Extractives) then its good." With oyster sauce some of them the main ingredient is water.

So I use that when looking at sauces, find one with quality ingredients. If you don't know ask them what they like.