Asian Groceries for the Newbie

Walking into an Asian supermarket for the first time can be an overwhelming experience. Who knew that there were so many varieties of soy sauce? What am I supposed to do with some of these herbs? And what is natto? Relax. Take a deep breath. Here is a guide to help newcomers to Asian cuisines negotiate shopping for ingredients.

• Start off small. Arm yourself with a recipe that requires just one or two unfamiliar ingredients. For example, maybe it’s a stir-fry that uses yard-long beans instead of regular green beans or an herb you’ve never tried before. That way you’re not out too much money if you don’t like the result. Alternately, you can try a sack of frozen potstickers or other item that you’ve enjoyed at a restaurant before.
• Get advice from a friend. If you have coworkers or friends who do more cooking in a particular cuisine than you do, ask them where and for what to shop.
• Pay attention to the store’s specialty. Even a large store may not carry all ingredients in a particular cuisine. For example, Uwajimaya in the International District of Seattle doesn’t carry the tapioca starch noodles I like. I have to go up the street to Little Saigon to get them.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions of the staff. In this respect, a small Asian grocery can be advantageous. I used to frequent a tiny Asian grocery run by a friendly Cambodian woman when I lived in Greensboro. She offered samples and gave advice on ingredients and their use. Taking along a cookbook with pictures can be helpful to communicate with staff who may not speak much English.
• Try an unfamiliar food. Last week I bought some purple sweet potatoes to include in my Christmas Eve roasted vegetables. They worked well, and added some color to the dish.
• Keep notes. Maybe you prefer one brand of fish sauce over another, or your family thinks one herb is nasty-tasting. I remember trying a brand of instant dashi (Japanese fish broth) that was awful. I also learned that Vietnamese-style fish sauces were less salty than Filipino brands. Keeping track can be helpful to avoid future mistakes.