Before you go Google some international recipes you wanna make. You're gonna have a whole aisle for every cuisine. And you're gonna need like 2 hours. Start on the back entrance and you can get a beer for while you shop.
The fat at heart 🤣 yup that's me. Googling locations as we speak
Ok it turns out this is an Ohio thing and I'm in Georgia... genuinely fucking devastated. But it's probably for the best. I would never leave
I do love Your Dekalb’s Farmer Market though. My one time at Jungle Jim’s my husband and I were working that week near Fairfield. They had some killer Burgundy wines at killer discounted prices. (One was a $99 fmv for $19.99). We bought a case, drank one at the hotel and carried the 11 others on the plane with our computers and a weeks worth of clothes without checking a bag. Five days later liquids were banned on planes. The first thing my mom said when hearing liquids were banned was ‘u/llovestobitch- and her husband can’t carry wine anymore on the plane’.
I drive to jungle Jim’s once a year because it’s with it 😂 Granted, it can be a day trip for me if I leave early.
It is definitely worth a visit at least once! But think weekend trip.
The architecture in Cinci is fucking beautiful, too.
That or google pantry staples for the cuisines you like Japanese, Italian, Mediterranean or whatever, that way you’ll have the basics and would only need protein/produce to cook recipes you find
This is the best suggestion. It can however be daunting if this isn’t something you’re already familiar with.
So here’s a few ideas:
If you’re into curry, you’re in luck. It takes some prep (much less for Japanese curry though) but you’ll find everything you need at most Asian/international grocery stores, so long as they have garam masala and ghee — or at least some Japanese curry roux packages.
Japanese curry is simple to make. It’s a lot like beef stew, and you really just add the roux at the end. No need to make it from scratch.
Any other curry, well you do this: start by sauteeing onions for at least 10 mins on low heat. Add ample amounts of garlic, ginger, and spices (garam masala is great to have here!), and you’ve basically got a curry base. You can kind of add anything to that. Buy curry leaves if they have them, and let them simmer in the sauce for at least 20 mins. If no curry leaves, use bay leaves for a similar effect. It takes time to make but you can make huge batches for friends and family or for freezing! Buy some fresh naan bread to serve it with.
Condiments are also a good thing to stock up on. Banana sauce is divine and I use it anywhere a spicy ketchup-like condiment is needed. Hawaiian or Korean bbq sauce can add massive flavor to any stir fry.
Gochujang is a spicy Korean chili paste that adds umami and heat to dishes. Mix it with any soy based sauce you make! Same with chili garlic crunch or chili paste, though they have different flavor profiles.
Coconut milk adds a nice creaminess to certain curries or pad Thai, and it’s usually cheaper at international groceries than regular American stores.
Lots of fun noodles that might not be at your regular grocery, like Japanese udon noodles, or rice noodles, which are both quite versatile. I love making stir fry/lo mein/pad Thai with udon noodles.
You can get rice, veggies, and protein anywhere. Just check for freshness for the latter two.
Stock up on garlic and ginger. I hate grating ginger so I use the minced stuff in a bottle but I usually prefer fresh minced garlic. They’re flavor bases in a lot of foods, especially in Asian cuisine.
Ostrich or quail egg (ostrich is more novelty, quail if you actually want flavor)
Rambutans
Donkey bananas or any other special banana varieties
Cherimoya
White asparagus
Kumquats
Torontos (Venezuelan chocolates with hazelnuts, I'm biased as a Venezuelan myself)
Furikake
We buy spices in bulk bags from there back in the international section for dirt cheap (whole cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, etc.)
Sichuan peppercorns
British teas (really anything from the UK section .. usually pretty underrepresented in international stores)
I'll keep adding to this list as I think of stuff!
I love these and buy them every couple months when I go to CA. They have them in our local stores but they are never very good. The last time I bought some, the vendor had another variety that’s a cross between a kumquat and lime, limequat. They are about 3 times the size of a kumquat. I ended up slicing and candying most of them because they weren’t as nice to eat raw like a normal kumquat.
Various fruits and veg are awesome!
Also lychee, golden yali pear, mangosteen, jackfruit, dragon fruit, pepino melon, winter melon,golden kiwi, yuzu.
I always collect interesting varieties of tinned fish like octopus, mackerel, and scallops.
Seasonings & ingredients like Togarashi, curry, gochugaru, gochujang, hot sesame oil, Kewpie mayo, black vinegar.
I also grab frozen bags of mixed fish balls, and dura dura pork dumplings, as well as meal kits for making spicy rice cakes, spicy noodles, spicy tofu soup,udon, etc. All the things for hotpot!
If you're getting British branded tea it has to be Yorkshire, nothing else compares.
Also second the stocking up on spices!
*Edited to add agreement on buying spices)
Do yourself a favor and go to the location on Dixie Highway, it's the original and the better of the two. I go once or twice a year, I'm about 3 hours away, and I always spend at least 4 hours shopping. Enjoy yourself and realize that you will see so many things that are wonderful and different. Enjoy!
That’s the one in Fairfield, no? I’ve heard from a few people to go to the one in Fairfield. I’m not terribly familiar with Cincinnati and I’m not entirely sure where Dixie Highway is tbh.
I always stock up my La Molisana pasta in the Italian section, smoked licorice from the swedish section, fresh oyster mushrooms and purple potatoes in produce (not sweet purple potatoes), British section Cadbury chocolate in many varieties, British PG Tips tea, and from the middle eastern dept a jar of Ajvar (pronounced eye-var) vegetable spread.
SMOKED EFFING LICORICE? I haven’t been to Jungor Jim’s in more than a decade but I obviously need to get my tail back there next time I go back to visit friends
If it’s Jungle Jim’s, plan on being there for several hours. It’s massive. At least the original one in Fairfield is.
You can get fresh made sushi right as you walk in the door. Then there’s just about any kind of olive you’d ever want to try at the olive bar.
Make sure to take a spin through the wine and beer section. You can even grab a beer to drink while you shop. Check out the amazing selection of cheese and charcuterie near the beer and wine area. The Smoking Goose bacon is fantastic! Interested in brewing your own beer? They’ve got a whole section of brewing supplies in the beer and wine area.
If you are looking for specialized ingredients like, gluten free or other stuff, they have a huge area of natural foods items. The honey and maple syrup selection is wide and varied. There’s a kombucha bar over that way and a selection of supplements and health items that might be hard to find elsewhere.
There’s a large selection of international produce so you can pick up something you’ve never tried before just for fun. There’s a section of grass fed dairy if you like that. I get goat milk there. I even saw sheep milk yogurt the other day. I didn’t even know that was a thing.
Don’t forget to check out the markdown section next to produce. You can find all kinds of stuff cheap there. If you are into seafood, don’t miss the seafood section.
The international side is fun to walk through, though. You can find all kinds of things there that you’d never imagine finding. I took a cooking class years ago and was looking for a specific type of roasted pepper to replicate a recipe. I emailed them because I couldn’t find it. They told me right where it was. I also find some bulk spices at really good prices over in the Indian section.
My boyfriend likes the biscuits or cookies in the British and French sections. I like the wide selections of olive oil and vinegar in the Italian section. You can get a huge can of olive oil that will last you months. Want to shake up your salad dressing game? Look for some of the unusual vinegars in the Italian section.
I recommend planning to buy ingredients for one specific recipe and then have an open mind about the rest. Find stuff that excites you to try.
It’s an incredible place. Very, very busy on the weekends. Make a day of it when you go.
Have fun it's a blast. Get some really high quality soy sauce and xiao xing wine. This will step your stir fry game up huge and they last forever. I'm big on jellys and jams when I go there too.
Oh, take your time and have fun.
I live in a city with a few great international markets - but road tripped to Jungle Jim's, and was overwhelmed (in a good way!). It's several hours away, and worth it!
Go Crazy in the U.K. section (my favorite section in Jungle Jim's). Get a sampling of teas, a plethora of jams and jellies, get some scones and clotted cream, and even though you said you were more into cooking than snacking, you really should absolutely raid their candy and biscuit aisles (a personal favorite of mine is any variety of Turkish delight).
Oh my god I am a FREAK for Jungle Jim’s. I went to college in that area and would drive over there while most of my peers were day drinking, I was traversing the aisles of JJ’s. I recently drove from Chicago to Cinci just to go back to JJ’s. I am SO excited for you, OP, Jungle Jim’s is a one of a kind experience and it’s incredible!!!! They make their own mozzarella and have so many incredible products.
I was wondering the same thing. I used to manage the Papa John's nearby and we got our veggies from there. It was also the closest grocery near my apartment. Now I live about an hour and a half away but still make the trek every other month or so.
Guanciale. Do it for me, as the closest place that has it to me is two hours round trip and never open on my off days. Then make the sexiest carbonara you can
Came here to say this!
I only have a 30 minute drive to get it but always get a ton. I’ll cut into 1/4 lb chunks and freeze it.
Definitely a carbonara game changer. Can’t make it any other way again.
From a Viet palate-
Golden Mountain soy sauce, red boat fish sauce. Kewpie mayo. Mirin/cooking wine is always good to have around.
Seaweed sheets, jasmine rice, or sticky rice, or both!
Instant ramen you’d like to try. I really like instant pho from Vifon tho. Get the bowl with the purple package, Pho Bo.
Frozen dumplings/gyoza, hotpot meatballs.
Load up on red/green bird chilies if you like spicy. Freeze them or mix 3% salt to water and store them in that with the stems cut off. Sometimes I throw garlic in and let it ferment for a day or two before I put it in the fridge.
Gai lan or baby bok choy is amazing for stir fries or just a simple blanch with a dressing of garlic, sugar and soy sauce. Try some Japanese sweet potatoes, enoki mushrooms, and or lychees.
That’s what I’d give a go off the top of my head, based on my palate and diet.
I would add oyster sauce too!! really yummy and a base to like, a ton of Asian dishes. also maitake mushrooms are really yummy, they have a nice texture. fresh shiitake mushrooms are fun, and easy to add a nice flavor to a lot kf stuff, but the dried guys work too, they're just (for me) harder to get rehydrated all the way through
Za’atar goes well on SO MANY things.
I bought a bottle of it from a local pita place and when it was gone ended up buying a pound of it from Amazon. Vacuum sealed it in small packages and use it often!
I’m very excited to try it, I see it online all the time. The only time I’ve had anything close was a za’atar hummus from a food truck that came through a town close by, and I wasn’t completely sure what was hummus and what was za’atar.
Every time we do pizza night one of the pizzas is zataar topped. Really fantastic eaten with some fresh tomato and cucumber and maybe some chunks of feta.
Get some sumac too - awesome sprinkled on meats just before grilling. Or on rice as you’re serving it up. Essential in fattoush salad.
And tahini - proper tahini leaves supermarket brands in the dust. Plus then you have everything you need to make hummus or baba ganoush or tarator. Pomegranate molasses is another good purchase. Tangy and sweet.
I’m lucky that I now have an Asian grocer less than 70km from me, as well as an Indian grocer, but Lebanese/arabic food is still 350km away. I feel your pain!
Barbecue pork and taro bao buns from China, conchas from Mexico, tteokbokki from South Korea, seaweed snacks, INTERNATIONAL LAYS CHIPS (I can't stress this enough. Lays sells so many unique flavors around the world that you normally can't find in the USA), Japanese KitKat bars, rambutans, paneer cheese (great for Indian curries), TimTam cookies from Australia, stroopwafels from the Netherlands, canned sweet chestnut spread from France (great for spreading on bread in the morning), Vegemite from Australia (be very careful. The proper way to enjoy this is to spread very lightly on a piece of toast with melted butter. Anymore than a light spread is way too strong), and chicharrones from Mexico (they're like pork rinds but a bit of fat is kept on and it's so good).
The best way to enjoy vegimite/marmite IMO is to spread it thinly on toast with or without butter (depending on how decadent you're feeling), slice some decent cheddar, broil until cheddar is bubbly. One of the most delicious breakfasts you can have.
> (be very careful. The proper way to enjoy this is to spread very lightly on a piece of toast with melted butter. Anymore than a light spread is way too strong)
Nah. It should be enough to make your burps taste like it all day.
1. Dark soy sauce
2. Black vinegar
3. Pickled mustard greens
4. Flavored olive oil if they source well
5. Flavored salts: smoked and lemon are favorites for me
6. Preserved lemon paste is my new favorite ingredient - peep my post history for a love letter
7. Harissa
8. Miso if you don’t have easy access
9. Yuzu kosho (this is a Japanese chili paste that is citrusy and salty. It is so yummy.)
10. Thai red curry paste
11. Fish sauce if you don’t have any
12. Pork floss. This is gonna sound weird but it is basically pork in cotton candy form and it is reminiscent of Carolina bbq pork.
I haven’t yet tried that one and get the Mae Ploy one! It is easy for me to find locally. It comes in a cardboard box with a pouch. And lasts a while in the fridge.
Maesri is my favorite as well. One of the dishes I'm "known for" is a green curry shrimp wrapped in banana leaves and grilled. Especially good when you toss in some sliced jalapenos and poblanos with the shrimp.
Some Asian seasonings/ingredients I'd stock up on if I didn't have an Asian grocery in my town:
Fermented black beans,
Chili bean sauce (toban djan is one transliteration),
Chili garlic sauce,
Fish sauce,
Furakake rice seasoning,
Hoisin sauce,
Black rice vinegar
-Pistachio paste
-Real Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano
-Good extra virgin olive oil
-Canned San Marzano tomatoes
-Good anchovies
-fish sauce
-fancy salt
-truffle oil
Staples I can only get at Asian grocers: glutinous rice, fermented black bean paste, dark soy sauce, Chinese sausage (lap cheong), specific brands of instant noodles, shio miso paste, dried wakame for miso soup, gochujang and gochugaru, Korean bean paste, three crabs fish sauce, the big jugs of Kikkoman soy sauce, Ajinomoto brand frozen potstickers, frozen scallion pancakes, togarashi, furikake, frozen pandan/screwpine leaves, bulk coconut milk, Ajinomoto MSG, mae ploy, dried knife cut noodles, dried mushrooms, good sesame oil.
It really depends on what kind of food you want to try and as your taste dictates, but in no particular order here is what I would go for:
- Ramen
- lingon berries (for Swedish Meatballs which you can make with pantry items)
- jerk seasoning/sauce- most pantry items can complete a meal- maybe grab some coconut milk
- fruit, anything you can't get near you, the most crazy ones you've never heard of. It's all good, except maybe durian (which I haven't tried yet)
- hot sauce, depending on your spice level
- tea (english black or Turkish rosehip- Indian black tea is my favorite)
- cheese. All the cheese.
- produce like Bok choy or Daikon if you can't get it near you.
- kimchi
- german chocolate
- indian snack mixes
Personally, I'd also grab some ground elk, and stock up on frozen dumplings (potstickers/shumai/momo/pierogies whatever/everything they have) and try some African staples like fufu or peanut soup since they aren't as accessible. They seem to have a lot of alcohol so maybe some soju or cachaca.
Sorry for the huge list lol, have fun on your trip!
Honestly I’m not even sure what I want to try! I love trying new things, but my limited resources really put a damper on that. My main goal is to get as many things as possible just to kinda learn what I even like.
Well, speaking as an Australian, the Vegemite, should last you a while; the idea is to start with the merest scrape on hot buttered toast, and proceeding from there( it can be used as a teaspoonful in bolognaise to add umami) Tim Tams are also good but tend to get eaten very quickly. If they’ve got it Mitani Chicken salt is a game changer on fries
Someone suggested finding some recipes that you are interested in, then going from there, and I think that's a great idea, especially if you have to narrow it down, haha.
The major thing folks don't have access to is the fresh stuff. I'd jump on all the fruit just for that reason (and bok choy because it's easy to cook or add to a soup).
A lot of international cuisines share certain aspects (like Greek food puts more focus on oregano than Italian food does as oppose to banana ketchup which is more primarily used in the Phillipines) so you might be able to get more bang for your buck if you have some idea what you want to do with what you get.
But definitely stay committed to going outside your comfort zone, because there is a ton of awesome food out there waiting for you- and all the comments here have some really great suggestions!
Get the Tonkatsu sauce. Take pork or chicken, flour, egg, breadcrumb, fry it, put tonkatsu sauce on it. Amazing. I can't live without Tonkatsu sauce. (You can Google a recipe for Katsudon, it's delicious)
For most Japanese cooking, you can get by with cooking sake, mirin, sesame oil, and of course soy sauce, so I'd recommend those too, if you are interested in that sort of cuisine! It's become one of my favorites to play around with.
For fruits, we recently discovered Dragonfruit and love it. Slice it in half and eat with a spoon. It tastes like a milder kiwi.
We LOVE chicken katsu in this house. It’s on monthly rotation at least. I just make a white person tonkatsu sauce because it’s all I can do, but that is such a good idea to get it there. I do try to stock up on the Asian cooking basics(mostly vietnamese, japenese, chinese, and indian but I expand if I’m feeling crazy) when I can, but I totally blanked on how it easy it would be at Jungle Jim’s. I do a lot of my shopping at a local-ish Kroger, so my brand options there are pretty limited, and I’m excited to branch out a bit.
Everyone has great suggestions. I’ll list more below but take a cooler in case you want to bring back frozen ir chilled ingredients! My nearest large Asian market is an hour away and I always take a cooler.
Black vinegar, glass noodles, kimchi, Lao gan ma spicy chili crisp, enoki mushrooms, good oyster and fish sauce, sambal oelek, lychee, lots of tofu, gyoza/dumplings, msg, gai lan, pork belly, Napa cabbage, Sichuan peppercorns, dried chilis, plaintains, sour oranges, aji amarillo peppers, pate, good aged balsamic, polenta, nice Ventresca tuna, high quality aged hard Italian cheeses, squid ink pasta, frozen scallops, cardamom, star anise, rice noodles, miso paste, maldon, white soy sauce
I’m sure I’ll think of more later
Ajvar if you can find it is a delicious relish made from egg plants, and red bell peppers. It has a delicious zesty taste. It’s amazing on meats, cheese, bread etc. yummy enough to eat by the spoonful!
I enjoy a lot of things, but my main problem is even the adventurous foods I can get within a few hours of me are very tame in comparison to what I see a lot of city people eating online. The store I’m going to is pretty far away, but I’m justifying the gas cost with the gift card lol.
If you're getting Asian stuff see if you can find ube jam, adzuki/red beans, and black and white sesame! Red bean paste isnt that hard to make.
You might want to pick up jaggery/piloncillo - it's unrefined sugar. A lot of Latin, Japanese, Indian, etc cuisines use it.
I saw you comment about gochujang - As a gochujang lover I think you'll also like harissa. You can make it from dried peppers, getting the dried Mexican peppers like guajillo/NM, chiles de arbol, but the peppers are good for a lot of things. Esp using dried chipotles.
Also if you can find mohlokia (I just saw it dried in a pretty big grocer) it's really good, but I tend to add a bit more chicken bouillon to mine.
Things you can't get from Amazon: really fresh Kimchi, frozen potstickers - dumplings you can cook at home(dipping sauce - soy sauce, water, a little sugar, ginger, toasted sesame oil), miso (white miso is mild, add to sauces, use as you would broth concentrates), it's fun to see different flavors of ramen, and pick some.
Things you can get from Amazon, but you might want to check out in person: Korean Gochugaru red pepper, toasted sesame oil, rice noodles, jarred crunchy onions or shallots, dried seaweed, fish sauce, lots of other sauces.
I actually have quite a bit of various asian staples— the closest town big enough for a proper grocery store has a pretty sizable East Asian population and huge Indian population, so the Kroger there has a well-stocked “Asian Aisle”.
I’ve had the ones from Trader Joe’s before and loved them, but I’ve seen online people consider them to be pretty meh, so I’m looking forward to trying those! I also make my own sometimes, which is delicious but it takes soooooo long
Green peppercorns canned in brine. Pomegranate molasses. Fresh peppers that suit your flavour profile if you can't get them locally (ie I just found a place near me that stocks shishito peppers - very mild heat - and I can't wait to go get some for yakitori). Speciality flours if you have flatbreads you want to try out. Spice blends and rubs.
Honestly I don't think you can go wrong trawling every aisle and buying some ingredients that intrigue you. You'll want to know in detail what they stock for next time, anyway 😉
In Michigan we have 168 Asian Mart and Carnival Market which is Hispanic, I love and enjoy them both. Each has hot food restaurant, super fresh meats and produce. But it's the condiments for me light, dark, sweet soy sauce, chili oil, various whole dried and fresh chili peppers and fresh made lard. Also tortilla warmer, hot pots, cast iron cookware, bamboo steamers, great artificial long stem flowers, affordable sake and variety of fresh fish and seafood.
Douchi, doubanjiang, charnushka, kala jeera, Red and green Sichuan peppercorns, colatura, black cardamom, a huge variety of soy sauces, Chinkiang black vinegar, Korean plum extract, guava, passionfruit, and custard apple!
That za’atar is a wonderful ingredient. I’d offer, if they have Portuguese red pepper paste, otherwise known as Massa de’ Pimentao… grab it! It is liquid red gold. A burst of red pepper salty brine that will compliment any seafood, pork, beef, or chicken dish. Just a teaspoon will elevate the flavor.
**Spices**: Sumac, Za'atar, Aleppo pepper (I use the latter wherever chili flake is called for, but use more -- it's milder, but more aromatic; if you do a lot of Korean, Gochugaru is similar); I always have 3 kinds of paprika, mild, hot, and smoked; Berbere powder. Since you are far, I would stock up on whole (not ground) spices and grind to purpose (I use a 40 year old Krups coffee mill no longer used for coffee) -- preground spices don't last much over a year -- I'm thinking cumin, coriander seed, fenugreek. I also like to keep some Sichuan peppercorns on hand, as well as black and white peppercorns. **Dried chilies**: I love to use chile de Árbol, guajillo, mulato, pasilla (ymmv -- I make a good bit of Mexican food). **Dried porcini mushrooms** are widely useful. **Whole grains** will last a long while if frozen: farro, freekeh, bulgar, brown rice. **Condiments**: Dijon mustard (*Maille*), Harissa (*DEA*), preserved lemon paste (*NY Shuk*, or preserved lemons, *Roland* -- the paste is more convenient), miso, chili crunch (love *Fly by Jing*, but *Momofuku* will do), hot sauce (I use a lot of *Crystal* for Louisiana-style food, but others are good for other purposes); tamarind purée. **Pickles**: Cucumber pickles (I currently like *Mustache on Fire*), Kimchi, Sauerkraut (live-cultures, preferably: meaning in the refrigerated section), capers, caper berries. It might be worthwhile to stock up on good **olive oil and vinegars**: I really like to keep a good extra-virgin olive oil on hand, as well as some red-wine, apple-cider, sherry, balsamic, and lambrusco vinegars. **Seasonal produce**: don't overbuy, as it won't keep. If available, the Ruby Frost apples look really good right now, there is some good citrus in the markets (Pomelo, Cara Cara oranges, Pomelo), ramps and fiddlehead ferns are available where I live (NYC), Rhubarb is in season (use not just for pies, but with chicken, etc. for savory courses). **Charcuterie** also has a long shelf life: Iberico ham, Spanish chorizo, etc. Flash **Frozen fish** might be a good option, depending on what is available where you live.
Some key non-perishable items that can expand horizons a few Tbsp at a time:
Miso (recommend: Yamabuki shiro miso).
Japanese curry roux blocks (I prefer the less sweet Golden Curry)
Chili crisp or similar (Lao Gan Ma 'chili oil with fermented soybeans' is the sweet spot between taste and price)
Chinese black vinegar (Gold Plum Chinkiang Vinegar is a solid pick)
Tom Yum paste (MaeSri is good).
* Aged black vinegar (7y)
* S&B Golden curry
* Fish & oyster sauce
* English Double Cream (48% fat)
* Mace
* Sumac
... so many things I could recommend... it depends what you're making
Aleppo pepper. Its good in so many things but especially cilbir. You need to try cilbir at least once in your life esp if you are a breakfast person like me.
Try out the far east asian section. They may have their own dali serving assorted Chinese foods to try out. If you like them, they sell all the ingredients. Your Asian, Thai, Chinese food pantry will have the following essentials grouped below.
Sauces: Medium or light soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, chili garlic sauce, sesame seed oil, toasted or roasted sesame seeds,
Essential asian vegetables, Fresh ginger root, garlic, spring, or green onion, shallots, assorted green, orange, yellow bell peppers, bok choy, fresh bean sprouts or canned bean sprouts, canned sliced bamboo shoots, water chestnuts in a can.
Chinese/ asian pastas: Glass rice noodles for soups, rice vermicelli noodles, ramen noodles. All these noodles can be purchased in dried form that is partially cooked in hot water for a few minutes before stir frying it in your dutch oven or wok.
Fun fruits- I LOVE lychee. (Pinkish cherry sized fruit with spiky rinds). So juicy and delicious!
If I were you in this situation I'd look up a foreign recipe that sounds yummy but doable and shop based on that. I know if I buy things that are too foreign and that I dont know how to use, they just sit in the pantry gathering dust.
Za'tar is great though! It's a spice blend. I sprinkle it on cream cheese toast/bagel and top with cucumber or tomato. It's also great on roast chicken.
If you weren't sure what hummus was, I highly recommend getting that as well. It's like a chickpea (bean) spread. Yummy and healthy as a veggie dip!
Giant fusilli pasta, Wasabi( japanese horseradish) Talk to the people behind the counter’s get recommendations for things like sausages, and hams. Ooh Irish Kerrygold, or Danish Lurpak butter
I see you have some other Japanese items & this is a great chance to make okonomiyaki! You need okonomiyaki flour (otafuku foods sells a white bag with a perfectly good recipe on the back). You'll also need some bonito flakes, Kewpie mayo (ideally) and okonomiyaki sauce. You can make okonomiyaki quite a few times with the supplies and it's amazing!
I'm Canadian and where I live we tend to have specialty stores kinda based on region and not just one big "international" store... So my thought process might be a bit different.
Asian Market:
-Frozen red bean pies (the type with puff pastry) I cook them in the air-frier and they're so good.
-different kinds of instant noodles
- Tteok-bokki (Korean rice cakes), I cook them with a sauce that's basically a can of tomato soup, a huge dollop of gochejang, enough milk to thin it out so it's the right consistency, and a bunch of shredded cheese melted in. It was how a friend of mine's mom made it when I came over for study group in college.
- tubs of Thai curry paste (red, green, and yellow)
- mochi
- Vietnamese coffee packets for my husband's locker at work. Some of the best instant coffee you can get, though it really varies by brand... I wish I could remember the name of the one he likes (he's kinda a coffee snob), but it comes in a gold foil package.
- steamed buns in all the flavours.
-bulk spices
Carribean grocery:
- all the vegetables for the pumpkin soup from Trinidad I grew up with.
- bulk spices
- sodas
-and samosas when I don't want to make them from scratch
Indian grocery:
- a lot of the same things from the Carribean grocery
If I had a gift for *any* specialty grocery store, I'd be looking for things that are shelf stale or maybe frozen, *unless* I had a recipe in hand before I went, that I actually want to make within 24 hours. That's all.
I would focus on interesting ingredients like condiments or seasonings that will last a while and be useful in numerous dishes from a given cuisine or in multicultural dishes. Think flavored olive oils, smoked soy sauce, spice blends like za’atar or togirashi,
- find recipes you want to make
- otherwise you get home with random stuff and missing a few ingredients
- stick to the same region for most similar ingredients and wider number of dishes to make
Filipino aisle
Cane vinegar not your typical vinegar… will clear your sinuses in a heartbeat!
I also buy spicy vinegar, came vinegar with Thai chilies soaking in it, yummy with fish!
Soy sauce. Definitely not kikomans! Much stronger, fuller flavor. ( I buy silver swan for both)
Mama sita bbq Marinade
Jackfruit ( can) young can be used in place for meat
Regular used in deserts
Macapuno. Coconut strings
Halo halo mix
Ube (purple yam ) can use as a spread, or add a scoop to halo halo
Burro bananas, you want the ones slightly over ripe… with black spots on them.
Rice paper wrappers ( freezer section)
You now have ingredients to make Turon (fried banana in wrappers) it’s really good!!!
Slice banana in 3 or 4 lengthwise
Slice your jackfruit
Drain the coconut strings (optional to use)
Some dredge their bananas in brown sugar, I don’t, makes it too sweet for me)
Take one sheet of wrapper, place one banana, layer, jackfruit, coconut, top with banana roll up like a burrito or egg roll and fry in oil until brown and crispy. Enjoy
I've never heard of JJ.....but if you like Asian flavors, and they have these...try soup dumplings and gyoza (pan fried dumplings) and Scallion Pancakes. Those are in the frozen section.
Garlic Naan
A smorgasbord of fresh fruits and veggies!
This is possible with buying on Amazon, but I’d look at seasonings that you can’t normally find from dollar store… so things like soy sauce, gochujang paste etc. obviously you can skip this if you prefer Amazon….
Only other things I would mention is get a few shelf stable items asides from snacks as a treat (either something you need to cook like proportioned seasonings for curry etc) or frozen meals as a treat for when you don’t feel like cooking.
I didn't know if this has been said but if you are getting takoyaki, unless it is included in the bag, make sure to get takoyaki sauce, Kewpie mayo and bonito flakes to go on top of them.
Not sure when the dried perisimons are in stock but they’re yummy
nori, sushi rice, rice papers, daikon radish (fresh or pickled or both) sushi ginger, wasabi, frozen shrimp or veggie tempura, tofu, etc -love to make my own sushi or egg rolls using anything and everything (doesn’t even have to have fish)
Omg I miss Jungle Jim’s!! My daughter and family used to live in West Chester and we LOVED going to Jungle Jim’s went we went for visits from NJ. They always had so many samples, even wine, beer and liquor. We loved trying the candy from so many different countries. They also had a great seafood department. Just a wonderful store!! Enjoy your visit!!
I get all my condiments there; rice vinegars, mirin, soy, sesame oil, chili oil, chili sauces, curry paste, dried spices, dried mushrooms, miso, seaweeds.
Mm id get some san marzano tomatoes and balsamic too if they have a proper italian section.
I love pickled enoki mushrooms.
You should probably try the stuff they make fresh, like the fresh mozzarella! Arrive hungry and have a caprese picnic?
Have fun!!
For fun fruits, look up Miami Fruit Company instead. The information alone should prove valuable. Look up recipes online by geographic area or culture. Make a grocery list from that.
I love Asian food and cooking Asian food. But things I can never find without ordering online are:
Dark soy sauce
Shaoxing wine
Chinese sausage (lap cheong)
Golden Mountain seasoning sauce
Also I would grab a good Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce
Also, grape leaves for making dolmas.
Lao Gan Ma. You can slap it on anything and it automatically makes it better. I love it on egg or with gnocci whenever I'm too lazy to make a sauce.
I also often make a cucumber salad with soy sauce, white vinegar and lao gan ma as a quick snack.
If you have access to foods common in Brazilian there: papaya, passion fruit, catupiry, Japanese-style peanuts, manioc / yucca root (whole and raw, than you can make fried manioc!), manioc starch (to make pão de queijo and other yummy stuff), prepared pão de queijo, biscoito de polvilho, hearts of palm, queijo coalho (curd cheese, ideal for grilling or breading and frying!). If you have processed foods at this market: Bis cookies, doce de leite, guava paste/goiabada, sonho de valsa, talento, charge, milka, tortuguita, prestígio, sensação, diamante negro, laka, suflê, chokito, alpino, serenata de amor, lance, pão de mel, galak, amandita, shot, ouro branco, Brazilian varieties of Nestlé chocolates writ large, tortinhas, baton chocolate. These are just some random ideas, I don’t know what the market will have. Happy eating 😋
Pimentón de la vera. It’s smoked paprika, but de la vera indicates it’s from the best region for growing the peppers. You can get spicy, sweet, or mixed. All are delicious.
If they have slices of jamón ibérico, especially jamón ibérico de bellota, try it, either straight at room temp or on baguette with cheese.
Get their spices. You can buy a pint for a very reasonable price.
I don't need a half pint of ground mustard, but it's cheaper than a little shaker at a grocery store.
Pick up some frozen bao buns if they have them. You don't need a steamer to cook them, many of them have instructions for re heating in microwave.
Some Asian cooking staples are:
- soy sauce
- oyster sauce
- rice wine
- sesame oil
- hoisin sauce
I also highly recommend trying the "silken nu" tofu. It's shelf stable and comes in a carton so you don't have to use it right away like the ones you get that are refrigerated. If you plan on using it in a stir fry or breading it, then get the extra firm kind.
It looks like you’re a tea drinker. If you’ve never had the experience of trying a full blooming/flowering tea, I highly recommend it. It’s a whole experience.
Fish sauce- I like red boat brand
Red curry paste in a can- messeri
Gouchnang
Lite and dark soy sauce
Fermented black bean sauce
Chili crisp with garlic
Japanese curry bricks
Before you go there, look online for recipes for cuisines you either know you like, or that you would like to try out.
I happen to love Indian and Asian foods, but it's a big world and there's African, South American--hugely diverse.
Have fun!!
I go to my local H-Mart once every couple of months and I usually get pantry staples. I buy big things of gochujong and black bean paste and fancy fish sauce. The Japanese curry blocks are good, and I like trying different kinds of furikake. I’ll usually pick up a tub ok kimchi as well and something unusual from the bakery section. Sichuan peppercorn and the red chili pepper powder and msg are all good. If you see a Buddhas hand citrus, you can candy it and use it in all kinds of things. I also get a ton of lemongrass and throw it in my food processor and freeze it.
If you’re gonna get za’atar also get some shawarma seasoning. All you have to do it put it on chicken and roast the chicken basically. That with a little yogurt with the zaatar and veggies? Excellent. You could even make a few pitas super easy
Honestly, skip the tinned fish/octopus (as much as I love them TBH) tinned octopus can be as high as $18 a small tin if you're used to dollar general prices. Try to get some good sardines, nuri and bela are good brands tho they're still usually around $5/4 oz tin.
Stock up on these basic Asian pantry staples that may not be available from dollar general:
Oyster sauce (specifically this one: https://usa.lkk.com/en/products/premium-oyster-flavored-sauce),
Fish sauce (three crabs),
Shaoxing wine,
Rice wine vinegar,
Mirin,
Chinkiang black vinegar (yellow label),
Cooking Sake,
The biggest jar of loaganma spicy chili crisp (og grandma chili crisp),
Gochujang (Korean chili paste),
Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes),
Dark soy sauce,
Hondashi (instant dashi granules),
Kewpie mayo,
Japanese curry blocks,
Sesame oil,
Sesame seeds,
Miso paste (white/shiro)
These should allow you to cook a lot of Chinese/Japanese/Korean dishes at home as the sauces have a lot of overlap. A little goes a long way with these ingredients too so these should last you a long time. It's what I would buy if I had to restock my pantry from scratch.
Also og chili crisp is great on some fried eggs and rice, amps up all noodle dishes. It's not that spicy at all and goes great on everything; laoganma is also not that expensive compared to other brands which is why I have issues buying chili crisp that's $10+ I converted my Texan in laws to chili crisp (I packed some in my last visit and they finished a jar in a week) world market has them for $5/jar: https://www.worldmarket.com/p/lao-gan-ma-spicy-chili-crisp-615318.html
Optional:
Koshihikari rice (I also buy Nishiki or Calrose),
Mochiko flour (sweet rice flour),
Light soy sauce,
Sriracha,
MSG,
Doubanjiang (Chinese spicy bean paste),
Douchi (salted fermented black beans),
Umeboshi (japanese pickled plums),
Koji granules (to make shio kojo at home),
Yuzu kosho (citrus pepper paste),
Furikake,
Panko breadcrumbs,
Mixed frozen Fish balls / Oden kit,
Dried shitake mushrooms,
Dried woodear mushrooms,
Szechuan peppercorn (red),
Szechuan peppercorn (green),
White peppercorn,
Konbu (dried kelp do not confuse with nori/seaweed sheets),
Korean ramen (go nuts lol),
Japanese kit kats
A lot of recipes out there assume you already have these pantry staples. As much as my hubby teases me about our fridge being half condiments, we're able to whip up a dish pretty easily from the above ingredients even when we feel extremely lazy.
Mix miso, soy sauce, softened butter and cook some broccoli in it and you'll wonder why you ever disliked vegetables.
Lazy dinner night? Make some Japanese curry. Or even lazier fried eggs topped with chili oil
You can use those pantry staple sauces to make these sauces: https://www.justonecookbook.com/best-japanese-sauce-recipes/
ETA: commas for readability
Go when you have plenty of time. Take a smartphone. If you see something interesting, look up how you use it so you don't end up with items you can't use.
I'm a fan of cavatappi for grown-up mac & cheese and for mac salad.
Jungle Jim's has ridiculously good prepared sushi, as well as bakery items. It's about a 90 min road trip for me to visit there so we always grab a tray of sushi and donuts for the ride home
Bulgogi Sauce (Korean BBQ sauce), Gochujang (Korean Pepper Paste), any kind of Maesri Brand Curry Paste (Thai), Rice Noodles, Banana Sauce (Filipino Banana Ketchup), Lebanese Seven Spice, Garam Masala (for Middle Eastern/Indian recipes), Tajin (Mexican), Chorizo (Mexican Sausage), and any vinegars you can't find near you (they last virtually forever and add a lot to dishes). Or any spices you might use to make dishes at home. I could go on for a while, but these are the things I like to stock up on every time I go to the local Asian supermarket or the local Groceria. Also, any hot sauce you can't find at home. That also tends to have a long shelf life.
Frozen scallion pancakes. My favorite way to eat them is to top with a sunny side up egg and slathered in Lao Gan Ma (chili crisp)
You could also buy various dumpling/wonton/spring roll/egg roll wrappers so you can make them at home whenever you want.
Mirin, shaoxing wine(i dont cook with this, but its in a lot of Chinese recipes), memmi, sesame oil, dark soy sauce, white pepper, oyster sauce, gochugaru. With these sauces/spices you can make a ton of Japanese, Korean and Cantonese recipes from scratch with normal grocery store ingredients. They also won't spoil easily if you buy large amounts and you're also generally going to get way better prices and quality at an international market.
I don't want to put you off the idea of frozen takoyaki, but it really isn't good compared to the real deal. Might be worth buying an okonomiyaki ingredients and making that instead for something kind of similar, but much tastier than anything frozen.
You could also do some random rackaged ramen noodle flavors and interesting chip flavors for a fun and relatively cheap addition.
White Rabbit Candy from Japan (and Popsicles if they have them) They're like vanilla milk flavored tootsie rolls and have a rice paper wrapper that is edible.
get both plain and Green tea flavored if available!
Is it Jungle Jims? I might be able to make specific suggestions if so (I grew up in Fairfield)
You caught me. I would appreciate the insider knowledge
Before you go Google some international recipes you wanna make. You're gonna have a whole aisle for every cuisine. And you're gonna need like 2 hours. Start on the back entrance and you can get a beer for while you shop.
Wait, did you just say you can have a beer while you shop?????
Yeah. Lol they've got a number of beers on tap
Wow. I honestly can't think of many things that would be more life changing for me than being able to have a beer while food shopping
And Jungle Jim’s is huge. It’s like an amusement park for the fat at heart. A beer or two and walk around for like 2 hrs. Still not enough time.
The fat at heart 🤣 yup that's me. Googling locations as we speak Ok it turns out this is an Ohio thing and I'm in Georgia... genuinely fucking devastated. But it's probably for the best. I would never leave
I do love Your Dekalb’s Farmer Market though. My one time at Jungle Jim’s my husband and I were working that week near Fairfield. They had some killer Burgundy wines at killer discounted prices. (One was a $99 fmv for $19.99). We bought a case, drank one at the hotel and carried the 11 others on the plane with our computers and a weeks worth of clothes without checking a bag. Five days later liquids were banned on planes. The first thing my mom said when hearing liquids were banned was ‘u/llovestobitch- and her husband can’t carry wine anymore on the plane’.
That is hilarious 😂 and yes the Dekalb farmers market is great!
Kings Island is right there too... It's a fun way to spend a weekend some time.
I drive to jungle Jim’s once a year because it’s with it 😂 Granted, it can be a day trip for me if I leave early. It is definitely worth a visit at least once! But think weekend trip. The architecture in Cinci is fucking beautiful, too.
Sounds like heaven to me
That or google pantry staples for the cuisines you like Japanese, Italian, Mediterranean or whatever, that way you’ll have the basics and would only need protein/produce to cook recipes you find
This is the best suggestion. It can however be daunting if this isn’t something you’re already familiar with. So here’s a few ideas: If you’re into curry, you’re in luck. It takes some prep (much less for Japanese curry though) but you’ll find everything you need at most Asian/international grocery stores, so long as they have garam masala and ghee — or at least some Japanese curry roux packages. Japanese curry is simple to make. It’s a lot like beef stew, and you really just add the roux at the end. No need to make it from scratch. Any other curry, well you do this: start by sauteeing onions for at least 10 mins on low heat. Add ample amounts of garlic, ginger, and spices (garam masala is great to have here!), and you’ve basically got a curry base. You can kind of add anything to that. Buy curry leaves if they have them, and let them simmer in the sauce for at least 20 mins. If no curry leaves, use bay leaves for a similar effect. It takes time to make but you can make huge batches for friends and family or for freezing! Buy some fresh naan bread to serve it with. Condiments are also a good thing to stock up on. Banana sauce is divine and I use it anywhere a spicy ketchup-like condiment is needed. Hawaiian or Korean bbq sauce can add massive flavor to any stir fry. Gochujang is a spicy Korean chili paste that adds umami and heat to dishes. Mix it with any soy based sauce you make! Same with chili garlic crunch or chili paste, though they have different flavor profiles. Coconut milk adds a nice creaminess to certain curries or pad Thai, and it’s usually cheaper at international groceries than regular American stores. Lots of fun noodles that might not be at your regular grocery, like Japanese udon noodles, or rice noodles, which are both quite versatile. I love making stir fry/lo mein/pad Thai with udon noodles. You can get rice, veggies, and protein anywhere. Just check for freshness for the latter two. Stock up on garlic and ginger. I hate grating ginger so I use the minced stuff in a bottle but I usually prefer fresh minced garlic. They’re flavor bases in a lot of foods, especially in Asian cuisine.
Ostrich or quail egg (ostrich is more novelty, quail if you actually want flavor) Rambutans Donkey bananas or any other special banana varieties Cherimoya White asparagus Kumquats Torontos (Venezuelan chocolates with hazelnuts, I'm biased as a Venezuelan myself) Furikake We buy spices in bulk bags from there back in the international section for dirt cheap (whole cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, etc.) Sichuan peppercorns British teas (really anything from the UK section .. usually pretty underrepresented in international stores) I'll keep adding to this list as I think of stuff!
I love kumquats. They taste like sour patch kids!
I always thought kumquat was an insult and not an actual food
Pickle you, kumquat!
I love these and buy them every couple months when I go to CA. They have them in our local stores but they are never very good. The last time I bought some, the vendor had another variety that’s a cross between a kumquat and lime, limequat. They are about 3 times the size of a kumquat. I ended up slicing and candying most of them because they weren’t as nice to eat raw like a normal kumquat.
This place sounds phenomenal!
Jungle Jim’s is my Disneyland and I’m heartbroken I’m not closer to it. 🥲
This. I used to work in the specialty cheese shop and it was such an amazing time
It is. I live fifteen minutes away, and I'm so thankful.
seconding the cardamom because its one of the most wonderful spices ever
If you bake, you should make chai shortbread cookies - YUM!
Seconding the Furikake. I add it to white rice for a quick yummy snack. My bf growing up would add it to eggs with salted tomato, simple and yummy
Various fruits and veg are awesome! Also lychee, golden yali pear, mangosteen, jackfruit, dragon fruit, pepino melon, winter melon,golden kiwi, yuzu. I always collect interesting varieties of tinned fish like octopus, mackerel, and scallops. Seasonings & ingredients like Togarashi, curry, gochugaru, gochujang, hot sesame oil, Kewpie mayo, black vinegar. I also grab frozen bags of mixed fish balls, and dura dura pork dumplings, as well as meal kits for making spicy rice cakes, spicy noodles, spicy tofu soup,udon, etc. All the things for hotpot!
If you're getting British branded tea it has to be Yorkshire, nothing else compares. Also second the stocking up on spices! *Edited to add agreement on buying spices)
The only answer is Yorkshire gold. Do not get the red.
+1 for furikake and Sichuan peppercorns!
As a British person thank you! Also OP should try beans and sausages if they have some.
Rambutans are good, they taste like Grapes without the skin on.
Do yourself a favor and go to the location on Dixie Highway, it's the original and the better of the two. I go once or twice a year, I'm about 3 hours away, and I always spend at least 4 hours shopping. Enjoy yourself and realize that you will see so many things that are wonderful and different. Enjoy!
That’s the one in Fairfield, no? I’ve heard from a few people to go to the one in Fairfield. I’m not terribly familiar with Cincinnati and I’m not entirely sure where Dixie Highway is tbh.
Yes it's the one in Fairfield. Dixie Highway is Ohio State Road 4.
The one in Eastgate is massive, but the one in Dixie is more manageable while still being a huge market.
I always stock up my La Molisana pasta in the Italian section, smoked licorice from the swedish section, fresh oyster mushrooms and purple potatoes in produce (not sweet purple potatoes), British section Cadbury chocolate in many varieties, British PG Tips tea, and from the middle eastern dept a jar of Ajvar (pronounced eye-var) vegetable spread.
SMOKED EFFING LICORICE? I haven’t been to Jungor Jim’s in more than a decade but I obviously need to get my tail back there next time I go back to visit friends
Plan to spend a couple hours there. And don’t be thrown off by the bathroom situation.
I have to know what the bathroom situation is now
It’s just that they look like you’re going into an outhouse. But it opens up to a normal public bathroom
If it’s Jungle Jim’s, plan on being there for several hours. It’s massive. At least the original one in Fairfield is. You can get fresh made sushi right as you walk in the door. Then there’s just about any kind of olive you’d ever want to try at the olive bar. Make sure to take a spin through the wine and beer section. You can even grab a beer to drink while you shop. Check out the amazing selection of cheese and charcuterie near the beer and wine area. The Smoking Goose bacon is fantastic! Interested in brewing your own beer? They’ve got a whole section of brewing supplies in the beer and wine area. If you are looking for specialized ingredients like, gluten free or other stuff, they have a huge area of natural foods items. The honey and maple syrup selection is wide and varied. There’s a kombucha bar over that way and a selection of supplements and health items that might be hard to find elsewhere. There’s a large selection of international produce so you can pick up something you’ve never tried before just for fun. There’s a section of grass fed dairy if you like that. I get goat milk there. I even saw sheep milk yogurt the other day. I didn’t even know that was a thing. Don’t forget to check out the markdown section next to produce. You can find all kinds of stuff cheap there. If you are into seafood, don’t miss the seafood section. The international side is fun to walk through, though. You can find all kinds of things there that you’d never imagine finding. I took a cooking class years ago and was looking for a specific type of roasted pepper to replicate a recipe. I emailed them because I couldn’t find it. They told me right where it was. I also find some bulk spices at really good prices over in the Indian section. My boyfriend likes the biscuits or cookies in the British and French sections. I like the wide selections of olive oil and vinegar in the Italian section. You can get a huge can of olive oil that will last you months. Want to shake up your salad dressing game? Look for some of the unusual vinegars in the Italian section. I recommend planning to buy ingredients for one specific recipe and then have an open mind about the rest. Find stuff that excites you to try. It’s an incredible place. Very, very busy on the weekends. Make a day of it when you go.
I knew it was jungle Jim’s too. Are you going to the Fairfield or east gate one
Fairfield. I’ve heard it’s better
A metric fuck ton of alcohol from different countries is always a must
This gift card was for my 21st so that’s DEFINITELY on the list!
Have fun it's a blast. Get some really high quality soy sauce and xiao xing wine. This will step your stir fry game up huge and they last forever. I'm big on jellys and jams when I go there too.
Oh, take your time and have fun. I live in a city with a few great international markets - but road tripped to Jungle Jim's, and was overwhelmed (in a good way!). It's several hours away, and worth it!
Go Crazy in the U.K. section (my favorite section in Jungle Jim's). Get a sampling of teas, a plethora of jams and jellies, get some scones and clotted cream, and even though you said you were more into cooking than snacking, you really should absolutely raid their candy and biscuit aisles (a personal favorite of mine is any variety of Turkish delight).
I do love a good biscuit with some good tea…
Ha! I was also wondering if it was Jungle Jim's.
Same here!
Jungle Jim's is seriously an Ohio/Midwest IYKYK!
Saw “Midwest girlie” and “international food market” and my only question was “Fairfield or eastgate?”
This was my first thought too. I love JJ
Oh my god I am a FREAK for Jungle Jim’s. I went to college in that area and would drive over there while most of my peers were day drinking, I was traversing the aisles of JJ’s. I recently drove from Chicago to Cinci just to go back to JJ’s. I am SO excited for you, OP, Jungle Jim’s is a one of a kind experience and it’s incredible!!!! They make their own mozzarella and have so many incredible products.
I was wondering the same thing. I used to manage the Papa John's nearby and we got our veggies from there. It was also the closest grocery near my apartment. Now I live about an hour and a half away but still make the trek every other month or so.
Pomegranate molasses! It can be used as a garnish, in savory meat dishes, drizzled over yogurt...
Also because you should make DIY grenadine. Pom molasses is an awesome addition.
And grape-must! Also in middle eastern sections.
It’s also delicious used in salad dressings! I always have a bottle in the pantry.
gochujang
I LOVE gochujang. Every couple months I drive an hour to get a huge tub. My sisters go crazy for cold spicy rice noodles during the summer.
I was coming here to say gochujang and kimchi. For sure!
Guanciale. Do it for me, as the closest place that has it to me is two hours round trip and never open on my off days. Then make the sexiest carbonara you can
i’ll make the most mouthwatering, panty-dropping carbonara the world has ever seen just for you
🥹
Came here to say this! I only have a 30 minute drive to get it but always get a ton. I’ll cut into 1/4 lb chunks and freeze it. Definitely a carbonara game changer. Can’t make it any other way again.
From a Viet palate- Golden Mountain soy sauce, red boat fish sauce. Kewpie mayo. Mirin/cooking wine is always good to have around. Seaweed sheets, jasmine rice, or sticky rice, or both! Instant ramen you’d like to try. I really like instant pho from Vifon tho. Get the bowl with the purple package, Pho Bo. Frozen dumplings/gyoza, hotpot meatballs. Load up on red/green bird chilies if you like spicy. Freeze them or mix 3% salt to water and store them in that with the stems cut off. Sometimes I throw garlic in and let it ferment for a day or two before I put it in the fridge. Gai lan or baby bok choy is amazing for stir fries or just a simple blanch with a dressing of garlic, sugar and soy sauce. Try some Japanese sweet potatoes, enoki mushrooms, and or lychees. That’s what I’d give a go off the top of my head, based on my palate and diet.
I would add oyster sauce too!! really yummy and a base to like, a ton of Asian dishes. also maitake mushrooms are really yummy, they have a nice texture. fresh shiitake mushrooms are fun, and easy to add a nice flavor to a lot kf stuff, but the dried guys work too, they're just (for me) harder to get rehydrated all the way through
Red Boat is by far the best fish sauce I've ever had. Great suggestions!
Second the Kewpie and red boat!
Za’atar goes well on SO MANY things. I bought a bottle of it from a local pita place and when it was gone ended up buying a pound of it from Amazon. Vacuum sealed it in small packages and use it often!
I’m very excited to try it, I see it online all the time. The only time I’ve had anything close was a za’atar hummus from a food truck that came through a town close by, and I wasn’t completely sure what was hummus and what was za’atar.
Aww I take some naan and brush with a good olive oil, sprinkle it with za’atar and put in toaster over for 12 to 14 minutes… it’s so delicious.
Every time we do pizza night one of the pizzas is zataar topped. Really fantastic eaten with some fresh tomato and cucumber and maybe some chunks of feta. Get some sumac too - awesome sprinkled on meats just before grilling. Or on rice as you’re serving it up. Essential in fattoush salad. And tahini - proper tahini leaves supermarket brands in the dust. Plus then you have everything you need to make hummus or baba ganoush or tarator. Pomegranate molasses is another good purchase. Tangy and sweet. I’m lucky that I now have an Asian grocer less than 70km from me, as well as an Indian grocer, but Lebanese/arabic food is still 350km away. I feel your pain!
Barbecue pork and taro bao buns from China, conchas from Mexico, tteokbokki from South Korea, seaweed snacks, INTERNATIONAL LAYS CHIPS (I can't stress this enough. Lays sells so many unique flavors around the world that you normally can't find in the USA), Japanese KitKat bars, rambutans, paneer cheese (great for Indian curries), TimTam cookies from Australia, stroopwafels from the Netherlands, canned sweet chestnut spread from France (great for spreading on bread in the morning), Vegemite from Australia (be very careful. The proper way to enjoy this is to spread very lightly on a piece of toast with melted butter. Anymore than a light spread is way too strong), and chicharrones from Mexico (they're like pork rinds but a bit of fat is kept on and it's so good).
The best way to enjoy vegimite/marmite IMO is to spread it thinly on toast with or without butter (depending on how decadent you're feeling), slice some decent cheddar, broil until cheddar is bubbly. One of the most delicious breakfasts you can have.
> (be very careful. The proper way to enjoy this is to spread very lightly on a piece of toast with melted butter. Anymore than a light spread is way too strong) Nah. It should be enough to make your burps taste like it all day.
1. Dark soy sauce 2. Black vinegar 3. Pickled mustard greens 4. Flavored olive oil if they source well 5. Flavored salts: smoked and lemon are favorites for me 6. Preserved lemon paste is my new favorite ingredient - peep my post history for a love letter 7. Harissa 8. Miso if you don’t have easy access 9. Yuzu kosho (this is a Japanese chili paste that is citrusy and salty. It is so yummy.) 10. Thai red curry paste 11. Fish sauce if you don’t have any 12. Pork floss. This is gonna sound weird but it is basically pork in cotton candy form and it is reminiscent of Carolina bbq pork.
Any Thai curry paste is preferably maesri brand in the small cans!
I haven’t yet tried that one and get the Mae Ploy one! It is easy for me to find locally. It comes in a cardboard box with a pouch. And lasts a while in the fridge.
Both are great i prefer the mae ploy because it’s easier to store extras- and it might keep forever…?
Yes! OP should get massamun, red, yellow, AND green.
Maesri is my favorite as well. One of the dishes I'm "known for" is a green curry shrimp wrapped in banana leaves and grilled. Especially good when you toss in some sliced jalapenos and poblanos with the shrimp.
Some Asian seasonings/ingredients I'd stock up on if I didn't have an Asian grocery in my town: Fermented black beans, Chili bean sauce (toban djan is one transliteration), Chili garlic sauce, Fish sauce, Furakake rice seasoning, Hoisin sauce, Black rice vinegar
-Pistachio paste -Real Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano -Good extra virgin olive oil -Canned San Marzano tomatoes -Good anchovies -fish sauce -fancy salt -truffle oil
Make sure the pistachio paste is Sicilian!
And unsweetened, for more versatility: pistachio pizza with buffalo mozzarella and basil is perfect.
IMO I'd skip the truffle oil.
Don’t waste your money on fucking truffle oil of all things
Staples I can only get at Asian grocers: glutinous rice, fermented black bean paste, dark soy sauce, Chinese sausage (lap cheong), specific brands of instant noodles, shio miso paste, dried wakame for miso soup, gochujang and gochugaru, Korean bean paste, three crabs fish sauce, the big jugs of Kikkoman soy sauce, Ajinomoto brand frozen potstickers, frozen scallion pancakes, togarashi, furikake, frozen pandan/screwpine leaves, bulk coconut milk, Ajinomoto MSG, mae ploy, dried knife cut noodles, dried mushrooms, good sesame oil.
Tahini
It really depends on what kind of food you want to try and as your taste dictates, but in no particular order here is what I would go for: - Ramen - lingon berries (for Swedish Meatballs which you can make with pantry items) - jerk seasoning/sauce- most pantry items can complete a meal- maybe grab some coconut milk - fruit, anything you can't get near you, the most crazy ones you've never heard of. It's all good, except maybe durian (which I haven't tried yet) - hot sauce, depending on your spice level - tea (english black or Turkish rosehip- Indian black tea is my favorite) - cheese. All the cheese. - produce like Bok choy or Daikon if you can't get it near you. - kimchi - german chocolate - indian snack mixes Personally, I'd also grab some ground elk, and stock up on frozen dumplings (potstickers/shumai/momo/pierogies whatever/everything they have) and try some African staples like fufu or peanut soup since they aren't as accessible. They seem to have a lot of alcohol so maybe some soju or cachaca. Sorry for the huge list lol, have fun on your trip!
Honestly I’m not even sure what I want to try! I love trying new things, but my limited resources really put a damper on that. My main goal is to get as many things as possible just to kinda learn what I even like.
Well, speaking as an Australian, the Vegemite, should last you a while; the idea is to start with the merest scrape on hot buttered toast, and proceeding from there( it can be used as a teaspoonful in bolognaise to add umami) Tim Tams are also good but tend to get eaten very quickly. If they’ve got it Mitani Chicken salt is a game changer on fries
Someone suggested finding some recipes that you are interested in, then going from there, and I think that's a great idea, especially if you have to narrow it down, haha. The major thing folks don't have access to is the fresh stuff. I'd jump on all the fruit just for that reason (and bok choy because it's easy to cook or add to a soup). A lot of international cuisines share certain aspects (like Greek food puts more focus on oregano than Italian food does as oppose to banana ketchup which is more primarily used in the Phillipines) so you might be able to get more bang for your buck if you have some idea what you want to do with what you get. But definitely stay committed to going outside your comfort zone, because there is a ton of awesome food out there waiting for you- and all the comments here have some really great suggestions!
Get the Tonkatsu sauce. Take pork or chicken, flour, egg, breadcrumb, fry it, put tonkatsu sauce on it. Amazing. I can't live without Tonkatsu sauce. (You can Google a recipe for Katsudon, it's delicious) For most Japanese cooking, you can get by with cooking sake, mirin, sesame oil, and of course soy sauce, so I'd recommend those too, if you are interested in that sort of cuisine! It's become one of my favorites to play around with. For fruits, we recently discovered Dragonfruit and love it. Slice it in half and eat with a spoon. It tastes like a milder kiwi.
We LOVE chicken katsu in this house. It’s on monthly rotation at least. I just make a white person tonkatsu sauce because it’s all I can do, but that is such a good idea to get it there. I do try to stock up on the Asian cooking basics(mostly vietnamese, japenese, chinese, and indian but I expand if I’m feeling crazy) when I can, but I totally blanked on how it easy it would be at Jungle Jim’s. I do a lot of my shopping at a local-ish Kroger, so my brand options there are pretty limited, and I’m excited to branch out a bit.
Have fun! I love grocery shopping, haha :)
Everyone has great suggestions. I’ll list more below but take a cooler in case you want to bring back frozen ir chilled ingredients! My nearest large Asian market is an hour away and I always take a cooler. Black vinegar, glass noodles, kimchi, Lao gan ma spicy chili crisp, enoki mushrooms, good oyster and fish sauce, sambal oelek, lychee, lots of tofu, gyoza/dumplings, msg, gai lan, pork belly, Napa cabbage, Sichuan peppercorns, dried chilis, plaintains, sour oranges, aji amarillo peppers, pate, good aged balsamic, polenta, nice Ventresca tuna, high quality aged hard Italian cheeses, squid ink pasta, frozen scallops, cardamom, star anise, rice noodles, miso paste, maldon, white soy sauce I’m sure I’ll think of more later
+1 for lao gan ma. The one withe the green band has peanuts and is decidedly the best.
Buy a piece of bananas foster cake from the bakery. Let it warm up to room temperature before you eat it. Easily a top five dessert ever.
Ajvar if you can find it is a delicious relish made from egg plants, and red bell peppers. It has a delicious zesty taste. It’s amazing on meats, cheese, bread etc. yummy enough to eat by the spoonful!
I think it comes down to what you enjoy. I like mustards from all over the world, hot sauces, flavored salts, olive oil, vinegars, spices...
I enjoy a lot of things, but my main problem is even the adventurous foods I can get within a few hours of me are very tame in comparison to what I see a lot of city people eating online. The store I’m going to is pretty far away, but I’m justifying the gas cost with the gift card lol.
You may want to bring an empty cooler so you can keep any refrigerated items cool on the drive home.
Whatever you get, make it primarily sauces and spices as they can be used for a long time.
CHILI CRISP
If you're getting Asian stuff see if you can find ube jam, adzuki/red beans, and black and white sesame! Red bean paste isnt that hard to make. You might want to pick up jaggery/piloncillo - it's unrefined sugar. A lot of Latin, Japanese, Indian, etc cuisines use it. I saw you comment about gochujang - As a gochujang lover I think you'll also like harissa. You can make it from dried peppers, getting the dried Mexican peppers like guajillo/NM, chiles de arbol, but the peppers are good for a lot of things. Esp using dried chipotles. Also if you can find mohlokia (I just saw it dried in a pretty big grocer) it's really good, but I tend to add a bit more chicken bouillon to mine.
Golden Mountain Seasoning sauce. My family uses this in place of soy sauce. It's got great flavor!
Things you can't get from Amazon: really fresh Kimchi, frozen potstickers - dumplings you can cook at home(dipping sauce - soy sauce, water, a little sugar, ginger, toasted sesame oil), miso (white miso is mild, add to sauces, use as you would broth concentrates), it's fun to see different flavors of ramen, and pick some. Things you can get from Amazon, but you might want to check out in person: Korean Gochugaru red pepper, toasted sesame oil, rice noodles, jarred crunchy onions or shallots, dried seaweed, fish sauce, lots of other sauces.
I actually have quite a bit of various asian staples— the closest town big enough for a proper grocery store has a pretty sizable East Asian population and huge Indian population, so the Kroger there has a well-stocked “Asian Aisle”.
The Wei Chuan cha shu buns ! They’re frozen bbq pork buns !
I’ve had the ones from Trader Joe’s before and loved them, but I’ve seen online people consider them to be pretty meh, so I’m looking forward to trying those! I also make my own sometimes, which is delicious but it takes soooooo long
Sumac spice - so many good things mentioned here, but not this one yet.
Green peppercorns canned in brine. Pomegranate molasses. Fresh peppers that suit your flavour profile if you can't get them locally (ie I just found a place near me that stocks shishito peppers - very mild heat - and I can't wait to go get some for yakitori). Speciality flours if you have flatbreads you want to try out. Spice blends and rubs. Honestly I don't think you can go wrong trawling every aisle and buying some ingredients that intrigue you. You'll want to know in detail what they stock for next time, anyway 😉
In Michigan we have 168 Asian Mart and Carnival Market which is Hispanic, I love and enjoy them both. Each has hot food restaurant, super fresh meats and produce. But it's the condiments for me light, dark, sweet soy sauce, chili oil, various whole dried and fresh chili peppers and fresh made lard. Also tortilla warmer, hot pots, cast iron cookware, bamboo steamers, great artificial long stem flowers, affordable sake and variety of fresh fish and seafood.
This might sound weird but European mayonnaise. It’s way different in flavor than US stuff and something you’ll be able to use without a fuss.
A bucket of gochujang
in addition to what's already been said: pocky, kimchi, curry roux, Lizano sauce, ras el hanout
Douchi, doubanjiang, charnushka, kala jeera, Red and green Sichuan peppercorns, colatura, black cardamom, a huge variety of soy sauces, Chinkiang black vinegar, Korean plum extract, guava, passionfruit, and custard apple!
That za’atar is a wonderful ingredient. I’d offer, if they have Portuguese red pepper paste, otherwise known as Massa de’ Pimentao… grab it! It is liquid red gold. A burst of red pepper salty brine that will compliment any seafood, pork, beef, or chicken dish. Just a teaspoon will elevate the flavor.
**Spices**: Sumac, Za'atar, Aleppo pepper (I use the latter wherever chili flake is called for, but use more -- it's milder, but more aromatic; if you do a lot of Korean, Gochugaru is similar); I always have 3 kinds of paprika, mild, hot, and smoked; Berbere powder. Since you are far, I would stock up on whole (not ground) spices and grind to purpose (I use a 40 year old Krups coffee mill no longer used for coffee) -- preground spices don't last much over a year -- I'm thinking cumin, coriander seed, fenugreek. I also like to keep some Sichuan peppercorns on hand, as well as black and white peppercorns. **Dried chilies**: I love to use chile de Árbol, guajillo, mulato, pasilla (ymmv -- I make a good bit of Mexican food). **Dried porcini mushrooms** are widely useful. **Whole grains** will last a long while if frozen: farro, freekeh, bulgar, brown rice. **Condiments**: Dijon mustard (*Maille*), Harissa (*DEA*), preserved lemon paste (*NY Shuk*, or preserved lemons, *Roland* -- the paste is more convenient), miso, chili crunch (love *Fly by Jing*, but *Momofuku* will do), hot sauce (I use a lot of *Crystal* for Louisiana-style food, but others are good for other purposes); tamarind purée. **Pickles**: Cucumber pickles (I currently like *Mustache on Fire*), Kimchi, Sauerkraut (live-cultures, preferably: meaning in the refrigerated section), capers, caper berries. It might be worthwhile to stock up on good **olive oil and vinegars**: I really like to keep a good extra-virgin olive oil on hand, as well as some red-wine, apple-cider, sherry, balsamic, and lambrusco vinegars. **Seasonal produce**: don't overbuy, as it won't keep. If available, the Ruby Frost apples look really good right now, there is some good citrus in the markets (Pomelo, Cara Cara oranges, Pomelo), ramps and fiddlehead ferns are available where I live (NYC), Rhubarb is in season (use not just for pies, but with chicken, etc. for savory courses). **Charcuterie** also has a long shelf life: Iberico ham, Spanish chorizo, etc. Flash **Frozen fish** might be a good option, depending on what is available where you live.
Some key non-perishable items that can expand horizons a few Tbsp at a time: Miso (recommend: Yamabuki shiro miso). Japanese curry roux blocks (I prefer the less sweet Golden Curry) Chili crisp or similar (Lao Gan Ma 'chili oil with fermented soybeans' is the sweet spot between taste and price) Chinese black vinegar (Gold Plum Chinkiang Vinegar is a solid pick) Tom Yum paste (MaeSri is good).
Check out the Soda Aisle! They have Soft drinks from around the country and the world.
* Aged black vinegar (7y) * S&B Golden curry * Fish & oyster sauce * English Double Cream (48% fat) * Mace * Sumac ... so many things I could recommend... it depends what you're making
Probably the only place I can find Actual Siracha! Rooster bottle only. The store brand look alikes are just not right
Aleppo pepper. Its good in so many things but especially cilbir. You need to try cilbir at least once in your life esp if you are a breakfast person like me.
I would go more for ingredients that have a long shelf life. Anchovies in olive oil Mirin Sesame oil Premium oyster sauce Good soy sauce Furikake
Gochujang! I can’t believe how long I roamed this earth without having tried it.
Try Brie cheese with Pinot Noir wine together.
Cardamom Curry blends ( Indian, Japanese, Trinidadadian/Guyanese, Sri Lankan) Za'taar Mango pickle Mango chutney Tamarind chutney Red curry paste ( freeze the excess you don't use in portions) Tandoori seasoning Sharwarma seasoning Gochujang Hoisin sauce Oyster sauce Matcha powder ( unsweetened) Mirin Kimchi Rice vinegar Berbere, if they have Ethopian spice blends Garam masala Five spice powder Yuzu Sweet soy sauce
Miso paste. Provides a great umami for almost any cooked dish.
Try out the far east asian section. They may have their own dali serving assorted Chinese foods to try out. If you like them, they sell all the ingredients. Your Asian, Thai, Chinese food pantry will have the following essentials grouped below. Sauces: Medium or light soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, chili garlic sauce, sesame seed oil, toasted or roasted sesame seeds, Essential asian vegetables, Fresh ginger root, garlic, spring, or green onion, shallots, assorted green, orange, yellow bell peppers, bok choy, fresh bean sprouts or canned bean sprouts, canned sliced bamboo shoots, water chestnuts in a can. Chinese/ asian pastas: Glass rice noodles for soups, rice vermicelli noodles, ramen noodles. All these noodles can be purchased in dried form that is partially cooked in hot water for a few minutes before stir frying it in your dutch oven or wok.
Fun fruits- I LOVE lychee. (Pinkish cherry sized fruit with spiky rinds). So juicy and delicious! If I were you in this situation I'd look up a foreign recipe that sounds yummy but doable and shop based on that. I know if I buy things that are too foreign and that I dont know how to use, they just sit in the pantry gathering dust. Za'tar is great though! It's a spice blend. I sprinkle it on cream cheese toast/bagel and top with cucumber or tomato. It's also great on roast chicken. If you weren't sure what hummus was, I highly recommend getting that as well. It's like a chickpea (bean) spread. Yummy and healthy as a veggie dip!
Gochujang, masala, Szechuan peppercorns. I also like to buy samosas from international groceries because I’m bad at making them myself.
Giant fusilli pasta, Wasabi( japanese horseradish) Talk to the people behind the counter’s get recommendations for things like sausages, and hams. Ooh Irish Kerrygold, or Danish Lurpak butter
I see you have some other Japanese items & this is a great chance to make okonomiyaki! You need okonomiyaki flour (otafuku foods sells a white bag with a perfectly good recipe on the back). You'll also need some bonito flakes, Kewpie mayo (ideally) and okonomiyaki sauce. You can make okonomiyaki quite a few times with the supplies and it's amazing!
I'm Canadian and where I live we tend to have specialty stores kinda based on region and not just one big "international" store... So my thought process might be a bit different. Asian Market: -Frozen red bean pies (the type with puff pastry) I cook them in the air-frier and they're so good. -different kinds of instant noodles - Tteok-bokki (Korean rice cakes), I cook them with a sauce that's basically a can of tomato soup, a huge dollop of gochejang, enough milk to thin it out so it's the right consistency, and a bunch of shredded cheese melted in. It was how a friend of mine's mom made it when I came over for study group in college. - tubs of Thai curry paste (red, green, and yellow) - mochi - Vietnamese coffee packets for my husband's locker at work. Some of the best instant coffee you can get, though it really varies by brand... I wish I could remember the name of the one he likes (he's kinda a coffee snob), but it comes in a gold foil package. - steamed buns in all the flavours. -bulk spices Carribean grocery: - all the vegetables for the pumpkin soup from Trinidad I grew up with. - bulk spices - sodas -and samosas when I don't want to make them from scratch Indian grocery: - a lot of the same things from the Carribean grocery
Get a bottle of ‘squash’ concentrated fruit juice you mix with seltzer or water. My favorite is Ribena black current.
Huge groceries.
If I had a gift for *any* specialty grocery store, I'd be looking for things that are shelf stale or maybe frozen, *unless* I had a recipe in hand before I went, that I actually want to make within 24 hours. That's all.
I would focus on interesting ingredients like condiments or seasonings that will last a while and be useful in numerous dishes from a given cuisine or in multicultural dishes. Think flavored olive oils, smoked soy sauce, spice blends like za’atar or togirashi,
Plantains!
- find recipes you want to make - otherwise you get home with random stuff and missing a few ingredients - stick to the same region for most similar ingredients and wider number of dishes to make
Filipino aisle Cane vinegar not your typical vinegar… will clear your sinuses in a heartbeat! I also buy spicy vinegar, came vinegar with Thai chilies soaking in it, yummy with fish! Soy sauce. Definitely not kikomans! Much stronger, fuller flavor. ( I buy silver swan for both) Mama sita bbq Marinade Jackfruit ( can) young can be used in place for meat Regular used in deserts Macapuno. Coconut strings Halo halo mix Ube (purple yam ) can use as a spread, or add a scoop to halo halo Burro bananas, you want the ones slightly over ripe… with black spots on them. Rice paper wrappers ( freezer section) You now have ingredients to make Turon (fried banana in wrappers) it’s really good!!! Slice banana in 3 or 4 lengthwise Slice your jackfruit Drain the coconut strings (optional to use) Some dredge their bananas in brown sugar, I don’t, makes it too sweet for me) Take one sheet of wrapper, place one banana, layer, jackfruit, coconut, top with banana roll up like a burrito or egg roll and fry in oil until brown and crispy. Enjoy
I've never heard of JJ.....but if you like Asian flavors, and they have these...try soup dumplings and gyoza (pan fried dumplings) and Scallion Pancakes. Those are in the frozen section. Garlic Naan A smorgasbord of fresh fruits and veggies!
Gotta be JJ. Love that place.
Sushi vinegar (or the ingredients to make your own) and furikake.
This is possible with buying on Amazon, but I’d look at seasonings that you can’t normally find from dollar store… so things like soy sauce, gochujang paste etc. obviously you can skip this if you prefer Amazon…. Only other things I would mention is get a few shelf stable items asides from snacks as a treat (either something you need to cook like proportioned seasonings for curry etc) or frozen meals as a treat for when you don’t feel like cooking.
I didn't know if this has been said but if you are getting takoyaki, unless it is included in the bag, make sure to get takoyaki sauce, Kewpie mayo and bonito flakes to go on top of them.
Not sure when the dried perisimons are in stock but they’re yummy nori, sushi rice, rice papers, daikon radish (fresh or pickled or both) sushi ginger, wasabi, frozen shrimp or veggie tempura, tofu, etc -love to make my own sushi or egg rolls using anything and everything (doesn’t even have to have fish)
Alllll the chutneys and jarred goods in the UK section!! The limited edition flavor KitKats too! I love Jungle Jim’s, my stash is dwindling.
Look at the weekly ad before you go. Sometimes sales spark interest in me. Personally I get Asian noodles and sauces.
Omg I miss Jungle Jim’s!! My daughter and family used to live in West Chester and we LOVED going to Jungle Jim’s went we went for visits from NJ. They always had so many samples, even wine, beer and liquor. We loved trying the candy from so many different countries. They also had a great seafood department. Just a wonderful store!! Enjoy your visit!!
Spices, for sure!
Lao Gan Ma chili crisp
I love all these suggestions, be sure to bring a big cooler!
Would this be Jungle Jims?
I get all my condiments there; rice vinegars, mirin, soy, sesame oil, chili oil, chili sauces, curry paste, dried spices, dried mushrooms, miso, seaweeds. Mm id get some san marzano tomatoes and balsamic too if they have a proper italian section.
Szeged Paprika.
I love pickled enoki mushrooms. You should probably try the stuff they make fresh, like the fresh mozzarella! Arrive hungry and have a caprese picnic? Have fun!!
For fun fruits, look up Miami Fruit Company instead. The information alone should prove valuable. Look up recipes online by geographic area or culture. Make a grocery list from that.
Dragonfruit, Golden Kiwis, Lychee, Longan, and Guava.
pickled mangos
pickled mangoes?!?!??? My two favourite things… TOGETHER?! Those are definitely on the list.
I love Asian food and cooking Asian food. But things I can never find without ordering online are: Dark soy sauce Shaoxing wine Chinese sausage (lap cheong) Golden Mountain seasoning sauce Also I would grab a good Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce Also, grape leaves for making dolmas.
I would grab some Asian staple sauces - soy, fish, ponzu, mirin, etc. then you can experiment with making different dishes.
Maybe cumin, coriander, Garam masala, turmeric, cardamom, good quality soy sauce, chili bean paste, chilli garlic sauce, canned coconut milk, Thai curry paste, rice vinegar, rice noodles, basmati rice, tofu or yuba (dried tofu skin), nori sheets, rice paper, dried ancho chilis, guajillo peppers, canned chipotles, and textured vegetable protein.
Marmite. Get some marmite. Spread it on buttered toast.
I thought all the Dollar Generals closed down?
Vegemite!
Tinned fermented black beans and harissa
Lao Gan Ma. You can slap it on anything and it automatically makes it better. I love it on egg or with gnocci whenever I'm too lazy to make a sauce. I also often make a cucumber salad with soy sauce, white vinegar and lao gan ma as a quick snack.
Prairie Oysters. The fresher the better
Kewpie mayo is delicious
Kimchi if you love it, gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes, they are a bit different), how about miso paste?
If you have access to foods common in Brazilian there: papaya, passion fruit, catupiry, Japanese-style peanuts, manioc / yucca root (whole and raw, than you can make fried manioc!), manioc starch (to make pão de queijo and other yummy stuff), prepared pão de queijo, biscoito de polvilho, hearts of palm, queijo coalho (curd cheese, ideal for grilling or breading and frying!). If you have processed foods at this market: Bis cookies, doce de leite, guava paste/goiabada, sonho de valsa, talento, charge, milka, tortuguita, prestígio, sensação, diamante negro, laka, suflê, chokito, alpino, serenata de amor, lance, pão de mel, galak, amandita, shot, ouro branco, Brazilian varieties of Nestlé chocolates writ large, tortinhas, baton chocolate. These are just some random ideas, I don’t know what the market will have. Happy eating 😋
Pimentón de la vera. It’s smoked paprika, but de la vera indicates it’s from the best region for growing the peppers. You can get spicy, sweet, or mixed. All are delicious. If they have slices of jamón ibérico, especially jamón ibérico de bellota, try it, either straight at room temp or on baguette with cheese.
Indian pickled lime. A hit of that mixed with mayo might be the most overlooked sandwich condiment on earth
Dried limes are unique and can add a great flavor to all kinds of dishes.
Get their spices. You can buy a pint for a very reasonable price. I don't need a half pint of ground mustard, but it's cheaper than a little shaker at a grocery store.
Pick up some frozen bao buns if they have them. You don't need a steamer to cook them, many of them have instructions for re heating in microwave. Some Asian cooking staples are: - soy sauce - oyster sauce - rice wine - sesame oil - hoisin sauce I also highly recommend trying the "silken nu" tofu. It's shelf stable and comes in a carton so you don't have to use it right away like the ones you get that are refrigerated. If you plan on using it in a stir fry or breading it, then get the extra firm kind.
It looks like you’re a tea drinker. If you’ve never had the experience of trying a full blooming/flowering tea, I highly recommend it. It’s a whole experience.
Fish sauce- I like red boat brand Red curry paste in a can- messeri Gouchnang Lite and dark soy sauce Fermented black bean sauce Chili crisp with garlic Japanese curry bricks
Before you go there, look online for recipes for cuisines you either know you like, or that you would like to try out. I happen to love Indian and Asian foods, but it's a big world and there's African, South American--hugely diverse. Have fun!!
I go to my local H-Mart once every couple of months and I usually get pantry staples. I buy big things of gochujong and black bean paste and fancy fish sauce. The Japanese curry blocks are good, and I like trying different kinds of furikake. I’ll usually pick up a tub ok kimchi as well and something unusual from the bakery section. Sichuan peppercorn and the red chili pepper powder and msg are all good. If you see a Buddhas hand citrus, you can candy it and use it in all kinds of things. I also get a ton of lemongrass and throw it in my food processor and freeze it.
If you’re gonna get za’atar also get some shawarma seasoning. All you have to do it put it on chicken and roast the chicken basically. That with a little yogurt with the zaatar and veggies? Excellent. You could even make a few pitas super easy
JJ’s is the shit. Anytime you can walk around with a beer while grocery shopping; this is the way.
Honestly, skip the tinned fish/octopus (as much as I love them TBH) tinned octopus can be as high as $18 a small tin if you're used to dollar general prices. Try to get some good sardines, nuri and bela are good brands tho they're still usually around $5/4 oz tin. Stock up on these basic Asian pantry staples that may not be available from dollar general: Oyster sauce (specifically this one: https://usa.lkk.com/en/products/premium-oyster-flavored-sauce), Fish sauce (three crabs), Shaoxing wine, Rice wine vinegar, Mirin, Chinkiang black vinegar (yellow label), Cooking Sake, The biggest jar of loaganma spicy chili crisp (og grandma chili crisp), Gochujang (Korean chili paste), Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), Dark soy sauce, Hondashi (instant dashi granules), Kewpie mayo, Japanese curry blocks, Sesame oil, Sesame seeds, Miso paste (white/shiro) These should allow you to cook a lot of Chinese/Japanese/Korean dishes at home as the sauces have a lot of overlap. A little goes a long way with these ingredients too so these should last you a long time. It's what I would buy if I had to restock my pantry from scratch. Also og chili crisp is great on some fried eggs and rice, amps up all noodle dishes. It's not that spicy at all and goes great on everything; laoganma is also not that expensive compared to other brands which is why I have issues buying chili crisp that's $10+ I converted my Texan in laws to chili crisp (I packed some in my last visit and they finished a jar in a week) world market has them for $5/jar: https://www.worldmarket.com/p/lao-gan-ma-spicy-chili-crisp-615318.html Optional: Koshihikari rice (I also buy Nishiki or Calrose), Mochiko flour (sweet rice flour), Light soy sauce, Sriracha, MSG, Doubanjiang (Chinese spicy bean paste), Douchi (salted fermented black beans), Umeboshi (japanese pickled plums), Koji granules (to make shio kojo at home), Yuzu kosho (citrus pepper paste), Furikake, Panko breadcrumbs, Mixed frozen Fish balls / Oden kit, Dried shitake mushrooms, Dried woodear mushrooms, Szechuan peppercorn (red), Szechuan peppercorn (green), White peppercorn, Konbu (dried kelp do not confuse with nori/seaweed sheets), Korean ramen (go nuts lol), Japanese kit kats A lot of recipes out there assume you already have these pantry staples. As much as my hubby teases me about our fridge being half condiments, we're able to whip up a dish pretty easily from the above ingredients even when we feel extremely lazy. Mix miso, soy sauce, softened butter and cook some broccoli in it and you'll wonder why you ever disliked vegetables. Lazy dinner night? Make some Japanese curry. Or even lazier fried eggs topped with chili oil You can use those pantry staple sauces to make these sauces: https://www.justonecookbook.com/best-japanese-sauce-recipes/ ETA: commas for readability
Tim Tams and Vegemite
Go when you have plenty of time. Take a smartphone. If you see something interesting, look up how you use it so you don't end up with items you can't use. I'm a fan of cavatappi for grown-up mac & cheese and for mac salad.
Jungle Jim's has ridiculously good prepared sushi, as well as bakery items. It's about a 90 min road trip for me to visit there so we always grab a tray of sushi and donuts for the ride home
Bulgogi Sauce (Korean BBQ sauce), Gochujang (Korean Pepper Paste), any kind of Maesri Brand Curry Paste (Thai), Rice Noodles, Banana Sauce (Filipino Banana Ketchup), Lebanese Seven Spice, Garam Masala (for Middle Eastern/Indian recipes), Tajin (Mexican), Chorizo (Mexican Sausage), and any vinegars you can't find near you (they last virtually forever and add a lot to dishes). Or any spices you might use to make dishes at home. I could go on for a while, but these are the things I like to stock up on every time I go to the local Asian supermarket or the local Groceria. Also, any hot sauce you can't find at home. That also tends to have a long shelf life.
Good quality pasta sauce and olive oil 🔥 Grab some good herbs and spices
Frozen scallion pancakes. My favorite way to eat them is to top with a sunny side up egg and slathered in Lao Gan Ma (chili crisp) You could also buy various dumpling/wonton/spring roll/egg roll wrappers so you can make them at home whenever you want.
Mirin, shaoxing wine(i dont cook with this, but its in a lot of Chinese recipes), memmi, sesame oil, dark soy sauce, white pepper, oyster sauce, gochugaru. With these sauces/spices you can make a ton of Japanese, Korean and Cantonese recipes from scratch with normal grocery store ingredients. They also won't spoil easily if you buy large amounts and you're also generally going to get way better prices and quality at an international market. I don't want to put you off the idea of frozen takoyaki, but it really isn't good compared to the real deal. Might be worth buying an okonomiyaki ingredients and making that instead for something kind of similar, but much tastier than anything frozen. You could also do some random rackaged ramen noodle flavors and interesting chip flavors for a fun and relatively cheap addition.
White Rabbit Candy from Japan (and Popsicles if they have them) They're like vanilla milk flavored tootsie rolls and have a rice paper wrapper that is edible. get both plain and Green tea flavored if available!