Trip to the Asian supermarket, aka Stuff I Miss Eating

[nanila]

Living in the UK for so long, and in a rural English village for the past five years, has caused me to forget about a lot of the food I grew up with, because it's so uncommon.

Whenever I visit the US, I try to go to an (East) Asian supermarket just so I can have a happy trip down memory lane, and also get some tasty food to eat. The closest one to my parents' house is Vietnamese.


Me with a guava-flavoured soda.

Guava is such a common flavour in Hawai'i, as are the fruits themselves. I guess they don't export well from the tropics. Whenever I have it, I'm reminded of how much I miss it. I used to eat them fresh every day from the tree in our garden.


This is a sticky sweet rice dessert wrapped in a banana leaf. The black/purple things are sweet beans (optional; my aunties usually didn't put anything but sugar in theirs.) I don't know what the Vietnamese name is, but the Filipinos call it suman. It is usually served warm. I would behave like a little angel all day as a child if I was told I would be given suman for dessert that evening.


Here's another thing that doesn't seem to be popular with those from temperate climes: Jackfruit. It's very sweet. The Filipinos put this in halo halo (a dessert).


Anyone who tries to tell me that Spam (or any other tinned meat) is gross is likely to get a bop on the nose, or at least a stern look with raised eyebrow. Spam is fine. Spam belongs in saimin (noodle soup), and in fried rice. SO THERE.


Coconut cream, coconut milk, coconut gel, coconut flakes, and of course...coconuts. COCONUT. YESSS.


Ube, or purple sweet potato, is used as an ice cream flavour included in halo halo and also as a spread (jar on the left). My dad has promised to make halo halo with the fruit mix and coconut gel (jars on the right) before I leave. The ube jam is coming back to England with me.

Comments

[angelofthenorth]

I used to love getting some of them in London and Cardiff

[nanila]

Yes, I really need to make the time to get off at Earls Court on my way westward in the evening when I'm in London so I can visit the Filipino supermarkets.

[purplecthulhu]

That guava nectar tin says 'observing at Mauna Kea' to me so much! There's a fridge full of those and similar delicacies, alongside more tradition coke, mountain dew etc. to keep us hydrated and caffeinated overnight.

I'm heading back to Hilo and up the mountain at the end of the month in case you need any more supplies.

[nanila]

A fridge full of guava nectar: Now there's a happy thought. :D

I wouldn't want to make your suitcase too heavy, or cover it in jam. But if you happened across a jar of ube spread, I would be very grateful indeed!

[purplecthulhu]

Don't think I've ever seen ube spread/ Will keep en eye out though!

[purplecthulhu]

While working out what it looks like we found this link to where you can get it online in the UK!

http://raanthai.co.uk/shop/Ube-Halaya--Purple-Yam-Jam----MONIKA-7652.html

[worlds_of_smoke]

JACKFRUIT IS THE BEST.

They were selling whole jackfruit at one of the local stores at some point. I would've gotten one, but even I can't eat an entire jackfruit before it goes off. ;_;

[nanila]

Heh, it is a bit much if you don't have any help eating it! Although I know my dad can manage a whole jackfruit, because he has an insatiable sweet tooth. :D

[st_aurafina]

So cool! I have never had jackfruit but I love guava. Your suitcase is going to be heavy on the way home!

[nanila]

Mmmm guava.

Yes, yes it is. I have lovingly wrapped up and stashed the ube jam already.

[cosmolinguist]

You've made me appreciate that I can get guava soda and coconut everything within a minute's walk from my house. :)

[nanila]

*blink* *blink*

*blinkblinkblink*

I'M MOVING TO MANCHESTER

[cosmolinguist]

Yay!

There's a (mostly South) Asian supermarket almost across the street from me. And even the corner shops sell guava soda. I can send you stuff between trips to the U.S. :)

[meepettemu]

We have a decent amount of jackfruit here (midlands- high Chinese populations). I buy it in brine- pulled jackfruit burgers are popular with vegans! I battered some and deep-fried it recently. It was good :)

[cmcmck]

Love Vietnamese food- one of the few things we miss about down south.

You'll find guava juice at least in multi ethnic groceries in the UK.

[telegramsam]

If you're ever in the Atlanta area, swing by the Dekalb County Farmer's Market.

I know that sounds unpromising but it's actually a massive, sprawling international market that has basically everything. It's the one thing I really miss now that I don't live in Georgia anymore, their bakery used to have the best fresh french bread....

[ironed_orchid]

I LOVE guava. Here it's a fairly occasional seasonal overpriced fresh fruit. But I can get a guava jam, and for one glorious summer I lived in a house with where the neighbour's tree had a few branches hanging over our fence.

[mysterysquid]

Yuuum. :)

I do love living in a big multicultural city. Although I can't find the gado gado I used to get any more. :(

[ayebydan]

My family had me have jackfruit in Australia. It is lovely and so refreshing! It was like nothing I'd ever had before but I enjoyed it a lot for sure!