How Do You Learn About Exotic Ingredients?

[GB]

While on vacation this week we took a trip into Boston. We live about an hour outside the city and while that is not far we find we just don't get into Boston very often anymore now that we are no longer going to clubs and bars like we did when we were younger.

One of the things I wanted to do was go to Chinatown as I had not been there since I had become as interested in cooking as I now am. I wanted to find some new ingredients that I had never tried before and expand my horizons. Well I found a Chinese herb shop that was fascinating. The workers spoke next to no English so I could not ask them what anything was and nothing was written in English. Some things were easy to figure out like the mushrooms and fungi. I did not know exactly what they were, but I knew they must be some sort of fungi. Other things I had absolutely no idea what they were or how to use them.

We then found a large Chinese market. This was a blast and I could have spend hours there. Of course my wife had to find a bathroom and it was time to eat dinner so I did not get to pend a lot of time in this market, but I will be going back for sure. There were row after row of jars and cans of things that I just had no idea what they were or how I could use them. There were other things I was familiar with. I found lechee nuts (one of my favorite things) and bought some cans of those. I had ironchefs Spicy Lychee and Mango Relish in mind for those. I also bought a few other things I had heard of, but never tried. The produce section was amazing. There were all sorts of veggies that I did not know what they were, but they looks great. All the signs were in Chinese and no one I saw spoke English.

OK here is my question. How do I go about learning what these things are? I don't know what they are called or what they are used in. I don't have any Chinese friends who I could take with me to translate. I know what some things look like (some of the produce I might be able to describe), but other things like the stuff in jars might just look like a black liquid or something nondescript. I want to lean about all these interesting things, but don't know where to start.

 

[Ishbel]

GB
I learned a lot about Chinese food when I was living in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Many of the vegetables look 'similar' (but not the SAME) as English veggies - eg Bok Choi is obviously from the cabbage family and I cook it in the same manner - quickly and with only a little water to add 'steam' to the dish!)

It's the sauces..... that's the killer! Most of the Chinese at the market would probably be able to speak a little English - just ask.... they LOVE to tell you what the foodstuffs are...

 

[Andy M.]

We have a Chinese market in our town and most often the clerks don't or won't speak English. Once in a while, there's someone ther who can help.

Sometimes I'll take a product name off a jar and google it. Often, there is no English on the jar, just pictograms-so I can't even do that.

The same is true of some of the fresh produce - they have signs in Chinese telling the customers what they are! Lot of help that is!

 

[Constance]

I found this website that has an A-Z glossary with pictures. Perhaps it will help.

http://www.chinesefood-recipes.com/glossary_of_ingredients/glossary_ingredients.php

 

[marmalady]

GB, The Herb shop you stumbled on was probably a traditional Chinese herbal medicine store. You can find some wild and wonderful (and not so wonderful ) things in there, but I think most of them are used in combination as a tea, or to be ground into a powder for medicinal purposes.

 

[ironchef]

I found this website that has an A-Z glossary with pictures. Perhaps it will help.

http://www.chinesefood-recipes.com/glossary_of_ingredients/glossary_ingredients.php

That's a pretty good site. GB I've also seen books that have the different types of herbs, fungi, tubers, etc. that you've probably seen. I'm sure that a Borders or Barnes and Noble will carry something like that.

 

[GB]

Constance that site is great! Thank you so much. Within 2 seconds I found one of the things I was looking at and now I know what it is and how to use it (Bitter melon). I will be referring to this site often I am sure

 

[jennyema]

GB!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

I would have loved to show you around the Super 88 in South Bay, which is the best asian market in Boston. You could spend hours there and they have EVERYTHING. Except fresh galangal :-(

Actually I went there on Saturday, too. Was contemplating a Penzey's run, but it was hot and I got lazy.

I learn about asian ingredients mostly by reading cookbooks (I have a ton of them) and eating at good and authentic asian restaurants. You get to know both the ingredients and how they are prepared as well as how they are supposed to taste and smell.

Side note: they did a story in the Sunday Globe magazine on the folks who run the Super 88 and the story suggests that they are going to start carrying more and more American food and less of the really authentic (read: strange to westerners) stuff.

Also, I think the Globe food section did a feature on bitter melon recently. It's become a pretty popular ingredient in mainstream, non-asian restaurants this summer.

 

[GB]

Jenny I am going to take you up on that one of these days! The store I went to was a market on Lincoln St (I think). I can't wait to go back.

That stinks about the Super 88 carrying less authentic stuff. We have enough regular American markets. We need more authentic ethnic markets!!!

 

[Claire]

Many Asian cookbooks have a sort of glossary section, sometimes complete with pics or diagrams. I've bought many for pretty cheap at discount tables in bookstores over the years. I buy and use a wide variety of Asian ingredients. Some of the fungi are a bit weird, but husband loves anything I try, so .... The worst that has ever happened is that occaisionally something is more fishy than I care for, but even so, we have fun trying. I love foreign grocery stores, and don't hesitate to try a new condiment or product ..... gotten some weird results over the years. The fungi are the easiest. You pour boiling water over them, let them reconstitute, then decide if you like the flavor (my favorite is tree ears ... love that crunch) and use accordingly.

 

[GB]

my favorite is tree ears

Mine too. I love those. I used to hate mushrooms (still do for the most part, but I am trying hard to like them), but tree ears are so great.

 

[jennyema]

Bread and Circus used to carry fresh tree ears!!

 

[htc]

GB, have you cooked the bittermelon yet?? How did you like it? I have a soup recipe for it, or you can stir fry it, if you need general directions, let me know.

 

[Haggis]

My first stop is probably my Larousse Gastronomique (if I could be bothered picking this heavy tome up), otherwise its straight to foodsubs.com.

Failing that its good ole' Google.

 

[Constance]

I'm glad the site helped you all. I thought it was very interesting. I'd have to travel about 50 miles to get to an Asian Market, but if I ever do, I'll know what I'm looking at.

 

[GB]

GB, have you cooked the bittermelon yet?? How did you like it? I have a soup recipe for it, or you can stir fry it, if you need general directions, let me know.

Actually I did not buy it. It was just one of the things I recognized seeing once I looked at that website. Next time I am at that market though I will be sure to buy one so I will be looking to you for recipes

 

[htc]

GB, just a forewarning, it's REALLY REALLY bitter. Though people still love it!

I think there is references to it on DC as well. Remember a discussion a while back. GB, if you make a soup out of it, make sure to drink the broth as well, since you'll be simmering the veggie/meat for a long time, all of the vitamins and medicinal stuff to make your body "cool" will be in the broth too.

 

[GB]

That is good info to have. Thanks HTC!

 

[Ron Hay]

"The 'Asian Grocery Store Demystified."

Hello, friends,

This is a very useful little book by Linda Bladholm, published by Renaissance Books, L.A., in 1999.

Ron

 

[GB]

Ron that sounds exactly like what I needed last week
I will have to check out my library to see if they have it. Thanks!