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Asian Grocery Finds

From China, India, Japan, Korea, South East Asia, and beyond; a curated list of pre-packaged snacks, spices, sauces, condiments, and mixes that you'll find at your local Asian grocery, with notes on how to use them – authentically or not!

Sohan Murthy

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22

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Items

Last updated:

4/6/2022

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Bachan's Japanese Barbecue Sauce

Like teriyaki sauce but sweeter and smokier. Or put another way, like BBQ sauce but WAY more umami and soy flavors.

Chili Bamboo Shoot

A little sweet and sour with huge pieces of bamboo inside. Pour it on anything and it gives the food a really good texture. Really good with steamed dumplings.

Chitale Bakarwadi

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bakarwadi

Cocktail Samosas

Really addictive. Imminently dippable. Dip it with all the other things on this list.

Fried Dace with Salted Black Beans

"Eat it right out of the can with lots of warm rice. Be absolutely sure to pick the variety that comes with salted black beans."

-Leela Punyaratabandhu⁠

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Fukujinzuke

Pickled vegetables typically used in curry dishes. Has a mild savory flavor that works well on burgers and tacos.

Furikake

Adds crispy, salty, fishy, umami-ness to rice. Try adding it to tacos or enchiladas for something different.

Gochujang

Its spicy, but not too spicy. And it has an awesome savory, fermented aftertaste. Try eating it with kettle style potato chips.

Java Curry

A little less sweet than vermont curry. I mix vermont & java curry whenever I make a batch in my instant pot.

Kam Yen Jan Chinese Style Sausage

"This plus scrambled eggs, plus Lao Gan Ma, in a banh mi is the ultimate breakfast."

-Soleil Ho⁠

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Kewpie Mayo

The platonic ideal of mayonnaise. Extra egg yolk plus MSG equals more flavor. Try it on literally anything that calls for mayo, but especially french fries and tacos.

Lao Gan Ma Black Bean Chilli Sauce

Like the spicy chilli crisp but with black beans. Great in stir frys or with fried rice or potstickers!

Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp

Crispy, spicy, umami - you could eat it straight out of the jar. Try it on peanut butter toast!

Maesri Thai red curry

Makes a killer spicy Thai curry

Mango Pickle

Spicy, sour, tangy and salty. A classic condiment in South Indian food. Mix it with extra virgin olive oil and used it as a dip for focaccia bread! Try it on a bagel w/ cream cheese!

Puliogare Mix

Of course you can make puliogare (a classic South Indian tamarind rice dish) with this mix. BUT you can also add this powder to basically any sauce, soup, or marinade to instantly add tangy spiciness.

Red Boat Fish Sauce