Life

Chinese Grocery Favorites

Sale PSA: a slouchy sweater from Free People, now up to 50% off, a wool/cashmere shawl collar jacket from Theory, now just $179 (for the color Thyme, a good number of sizes still in stock!), an excellent (!!) plaid open sweater jacket from J.Crew, now $45 with code SHOPSALE, and the classic day boot from Everlane is now under $100.

My blog is evolving. I used to travel and be interested in luxury goods, now all I do is walk around and buy groceries. I know one day my life will go back to “normal” but another part of me is like, okay, no, this is all you will do. Who knows what it’ll be? So this week I decided to share some of my grocery favorites with you. Yes, the grocery! The only indoors place I have gone besides one very depressed visit to the bagel shop.

I get the most questions about Asian grocery picks so today I’m sharing some of my mainstays, the items I buy the most – this is a topic I’d LOVE to hear your comments on so please at the end please share your thoughts too! I know there are some GREAT cooks on here.

Okay, here we go:

Tomoshiraga Somen noodles: These are my favorite noodles, my mainstay which I always have in my pantry. They are really popular in a lot of Chinese households (and obviously Japanese too as they are Japanese). I’ve been eating them since I was a little kid and and they’ve always been in the same packaging. These noodles heat up super quickly (just a few minutes in boiling water) and are super easy for kids to eat with chopsticks or a fork. And for me to eat too. They really absorb the flavor of any soup you put them in (sometimes a little too much, so I don’t boil the soup with them in it, I instead boil these separately in water and add to the soup at the last minute). Yum!

Lao Gan Ma Chili flakes in oil. These are like the OG of Chinese spices and I love it very much. You can find it this (and the whole Lao Gan Ma line – I know that this is technically a COMPANY but I still think of it as a very stern Chinese LADY) at basically any Asian market. I use these chili flakes for all kinds of things – soups, stir fries, with some rice, anything. Super versatile and great for adding a bit of heat to dishes with a whole lot of taste.

Rice Vinegar. This is my favorite kind (I also have the green bottle which is salt and sugar free but honestly rarely use it). I use this to make sushi rice (detailed instructions/explanation here) but also to make Chinese dishes like hot and sour soup. If you don’t have rice vinegar regular vinegar works or even apple cider vinegar (for soups only, I’ve never tried it for rice).

Yu Shang Cooked Chicken: This is an item that some of you might find strange – it’s a cooked whole chicken that is packaged up and available in the refrigerated section. My kids really like this chicken, and they aren’t huge meat eaters so anytime they like something meat I try and remember. It’s basically a game hen cooked in a bunch of spices – the meat is super tender and I basically shred it off the bone all at once and then use the carcass to make a yummy chicken stock.

I figured some of you would be interested in the ingredients so here they are. I know I could probably do it myself but it’d never taste as good and I’m lazy. The chicken costs around $12 which isn’t cheap but also not expensive. Remember, it’s not like a Costco chicken size – more a small game hen.

Mochi cake mix. OK, I know these aren’t technically available at the Chinese market. But these are my favorite cake mixes to get from Trader Joe’s. I’ve been waiting over a year for them to return!! They are so, so good! BUT I do have to warn that this cake is not for everyone – it’s not really a cake but more like a dense kind of mochi brownie? If you’ve ever had mochi cake from Hawaii or Japan you would know what it tastes like. And the calorie count is truly horrendous (I want to say like a little under 400). BUT I love these. I like to add coconut flakes on top.

Okay – now I must hear from you, what are some of your grocery mainstays? Bonus if it is from an “ethnic” (ugh is there a better word I can use) market!

You Might Also Like

16 Comments

  • Reply
    Girlfrom LA
    February 8, 2021 at 9:09 am

    OMG, this sounds like me. With Covid, my shopping habits have changed drastically. Gone are the days of socializing, travel plans, etc. Now I find myself poring over supermarket flyers and sharing updates (unwanted) on random bargains with the patient husband. I visit supermarkets an hour before closing by myself and relish this precious time when I can ogle various noodle options. I love Asian supermarkets but they are so busy even on weekdays.

  • Reply
    Susan
    February 8, 2021 at 9:24 am

    Hands down gochujang! I also buy enough Japanese curry blocks to last me 10 years. And let’s definitely not forget frozen dumplings one can find in the freezer section at a Korean, Japanese, or Chinese grocery store. This is fun and I can’t wait to read what others have been buying.

  • Reply
    Sharon
    February 8, 2021 at 9:45 am

    We always have soba noodles in our pantry…not the same brand though. We love them! And that rice wine vinegar is my vinegar of choice…I use it for marinades, to make cucumber and onion salad (guess that is also a marinade). It is much more flavorful than white vinegar and I like it better than ACV! I will have to try that TJ cake mix…next time I go. Can’t for a while…still have to wait in line, and I just had knee surgery!

  • Reply
    Amy
    February 8, 2021 at 9:49 am

    Just want to say, I love love LOVE Monday posts – even with the pivot to grocery store staples!! My only grocery-related excitement is my new found interest of prepping my own vinaigrettes as salad dressings. But I have nothing to add on that front.

  • Reply
    Marisa
    February 8, 2021 at 10:23 am

    I hoarded boxes of that mochi mix last year and still have one more left! It’s one of those things where you have to just avert your eyes from the calorie count haha! And even though I didn’t grow up eating these (since I’m Chinese) I now always stock up perilla leaves at the Korean market to add to salads and to eat with rice and meat! And Lee Kum Kee oyster sauce!

  • Reply
    Nina
    February 8, 2021 at 10:25 am

    I love this post! Would love to see more of your favorite recipes or take out/delivery options. I feel like I need some inspirations because I’m so sick of my own cooking and even food delivery is getting redundant for me.

  • Reply
    Olivia
    February 8, 2021 at 10:55 am

    Big fan of your blog here, but I confess to being more of a lurker! However, I love talking about favorite food products, especially Asian ones. I’ve been buying a lot of my Asian goods from Yamibuy, which is an app that basically gives you access to tons of Asian pantry items (including Lao Gan Ma stuff). One of my favorites is the Luo Si Fen (snail rice noodles), especially if you like spicy. Sodium count is super high though! But very yummy. I also love the Haidilao Fish with Chinese Sauerkraut Soup Base — just add your favorite fish and it’s a great cold-weather meal! Finally, a pantry staple is the Lee Kum Kee Black Bean and Garlic sauce. This can be found at regular supermarkets, it’s very versatile and lasts forever. Just a little bit goes a long way.

  • Reply
    J
    February 8, 2021 at 11:37 am

    This is my favorite topic the past year! My favorites are Jay Chou brand puff pratha (I don’t actually though the brand but it’s the one where Jay Chou is on the wrapper). They need to kept frozen but is quick to heat up on a hot pan. I also like Kewpie sesame dressing. Super easy to throw on cold noodles or salad for a quick lunch. I also always keep my pantry stocked with food for a quick miso soup (hondashi, dehydrated seaweed, tofu, miso).

  • Reply
    Leslie
    February 8, 2021 at 5:54 pm

    What a fun idea for a blog post! I have gotten very into trying to be more authentic with my Chinese cooking during Covid, and my new favorite condiments are Shaoxing rice wine and Chinkiang black vinegar – game changers when making Kung Pao and many other sauces! Love your blog and so happy you have decided to continue to post on both Mondays and Fridays!

  • Reply
    Linda C.
    February 8, 2021 at 6:29 pm

    802 vermicelli noodles (mainly for bun thit nuong or goi cuon, but you can use for stir-frys and noodle soups!), oyster sauce (I put in almost every stir-fry), ABC dark sweet sauce, and Kewpie mayo!

  • Reply
    Val
    February 8, 2021 at 7:30 pm

    +1 for the Mochi Cake from TJ’s!!! I was just about to put it in my cart last week but then I made the mistake of looking at the calorie count and grudgingly put it back on the shelf. Sadly (but not for my waistline), it’s sold out again at my local TJ’s.

    Another commenter mentioned the Japanese curry blocks. Those are great for making Keema Curry. Even my son, who prefers blander food, is a fan.

  • Reply
    Anonymous
    February 9, 2021 at 12:01 am

    Love love furikake! Not only imparts flavor but also a nice garnish on Asian meals. Also love the shakshuka starter from Trader Joe’s for breakfast. So yummy with eggs and toast. Also love the Del Real Mexican posole from Costco. My kids love the udon noodles – the Shirakiku brand in the frozen section of Asian markets. So thick and chewy. Yum.

  • Reply
    S in HK (now USA)
    February 9, 2021 at 6:52 am

    Kat, I love your food posts and the resulting discussion.

    There is a fascinating story behind Lao Gan Ma (I found it here – https://www.whatsonweibo.com/lao-gan-ma-story-chinas-spicy-godmother-tao-huabi)

    What I am eating is all over the place! Especially like these frozen hargow (shrimp dumplings) I found at my local Asian grocery and Ajinomoto shumai, For some reason this brand makes them really well!

    Japanese noodle soup aficionadas – have you ever tried adding tenkasu (little tempura bits)? So good! There is a good brand for these, Otafuku.

  • Reply
    taota
    February 9, 2021 at 8:39 am

    I love the mochi cake! I replace the water with coconut milk and it comes out amazing! Sometimes I will bake them in muffin tins for more crusty edges!

  • Reply
    Drifter
    February 9, 2021 at 9:00 pm

    Recent favourites: peach gum for Chinese dessert soups. I feel like my skin has improved so much after eating it twice a day! I was constantly hunting for red fermented bean curd during lockdown but i haven’t cooked with it yet. Delicious as a marinade for pork/chicken

  • Reply
    Anna
    February 11, 2021 at 6:52 am

    My three year old daughter is a huge fan of Lao gan ma as well. She demands it on noodles, dumplings, and toast. You name it ?

  • Leave a Reply

    <

    /html>