We've talked about grocery stores and I'm one of those who admits to spending too much time there locally and always visit the grocery store when I travel.

I'm planning a different kind of Easter dinner and most of the menu will be Asian. I can rely on Walmart for only the basics. When I venture beyond the everyday, I have a few small ethnic markets in town I shop at. I visited the Emanuel Oriental Market this afternoon for: chili oil, black vinegar, noodles, fresh bean sprouts, 5 spice powder and peanut oil (only in the 5 gallon bottle at Walmart).

In addition, I bought those lychee gel candies (almost like a jell-o shot), sour dried plums, bulk crushed sesame seeds & a big jar of plum sauce. I could have spent a couple hours there just looking at the mysterious cans and jars. The only thing I couldn't find was sesame paste (I'll mix sesame seeds and sesame oil to approximate it, I guess).

I have no idea where the owners are from. My guess is Korea. The clientele was a mixture of Asian ethnicities. At checkout, I noticed an open jar within reach of the cashier. The label had some English so I looked closely: Pollock Entrails! I will not be trying this product.

The only thing I couldn't find was sesame paste (I'll mix sesame seeds and sesame oil to approximate it, I guess).
You'll need to crush the sesame seeds first!

It's easy work with a pestle and mortar (you must toast the sesame seeds in a hot dry pan first though - crushing is particularly easy when they are still warm.)

The simple way is to buy Greek 'tahini' (also called tahina)- this is essentially the same stuff.

I needed some tahini the other day as I had some leftover chickpeas I wanted to make into hummus. A couple of minutes at the pestle and mortar yielded a beautiful paste and the resulting hummus was delicious. I have a sesame grinder I always keep topped up with toasted sesame seeds, we use it as often and in similar ways to a pepper mill. I use a pestle and mortar to grind sesame when I want large quantities of 'grated' or ground sesame (you can't digest them when they're whole).

The Japanese have the perfect utensil for this, it's called a suribachi and is similar to a mortar but with a 'serrated' basin which makes grinding a doddle.

this is a pretty good list of korean markets:

http://www.google.com/firefox?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official

both h-mart and lotte are major chains. sort of like safeway and kroger.

this one has many indian markets:

http://thokalath.com/grocery/index.php

i do not know of any large chain operating in usa.

the hispanic markets in the dc sms are not too good compaired to the korean markets, even though some are very large.

do not try to shop hmart or lotte on a last minute basis. particularly on weekend, in our area, the lines sometimes extend outside the store to get in.

You'll need to crush the sesame seeds first!

It's easy work with a pestle and mortar (you must toast the sesame seeds in a hot dry pan first though - crushing is particularly easy when they are still warm.)

The Japanese have the perfect utensil for this, it's called a suribachi and is similar to a mortar but with a 'serrated' basin which makes grinding a doddle.

Thanks, LapLap. I found a recipe that calls for ground toasted sesame seeds, salt, sesame oil and water. I bought a very big container of ground toasted sesame seeds, already had the oil salt and water. Any reason I can't make it up in my mini food processor?



this one has many indian markets:

i do not know of any large chain operating in usa.

the hispanic markets in the dc sms are not too good compaired to the korean markets, even though some are very large.

do not try to shop hmart or lotte on a last minute basis. particularly on weekend, in our area, the lines sometimes extend outside the store to get in.

Your post reminds me of the crossover factor. When I lived in MA, we had quite a few hispanic markets serving the Puerto Rican population. A co-worker from India told me he could find over half the exotic ingredients he needed for his native cuisine in one.

Whenever I get around to visiting an Asian country, I will bring an empty suitcase just to fill with food items. :D

Thanks, LapLap. I found a recipe that calls for ground toasted sesame seeds, salt, sesame oil and water. I bought a very big container of ground toasted sesame seeds, already had the oil salt and water. Any reason I can't make it up in my mini food processor?

I've never owned one so can't say (they seem like too much of an ordeal to wash up, and there's nothing I can't manage without sharp knives and my huge Thai pestle and Mortar)

If the sesame seeds are already ground (are they a golden colour already? If not, you might still have to toast them) you should just be able to combine them with some oil. When you buy Chinese sesame paste the ground sesame and sesame oil tends to separate in the jar anyway, you need to give it a shake first. If you just put sesame and oil in a jar and shake them you should get the same result.

Word of warning, and that's that sesame seeds do go rancid after a while. I buy big packs of untoasted sesame seeds and will keep a pack in the freezer. Periodically I toast a portion in a hot pan and either grind it immediately for short term projects, or let it cool and load it into the sesame seed mill (for use within 2 months). Watch out for your ground sesame seed so that it stays tasting fresh. Suspending in oil is very likely to help too.

I've no scientific proof that raw seeds stay fresher in the freezer, but it works for me.

Since I just bought my first Asian cookbook, I imagine I'll be using up the crushed sesame seeds pretty fast. They feature in a number of recipes I'm going to try. The label says they're toasted. What do you season with your sesame mill?

For paste, I modified an internet recipe: 2 tbsp crushed seeds (pestled the heck out of them since they turned out to be semi-crushed out of the jar), 2 tsp sesame oil, 1/2 tsp sea salt & 1/8 cup tepid water. A little watery, but part of a larger recipe for dressing - going on Chengdu Noodles. I have a mini food processor that holds maybe a cup of material. Paid $10 and it cleans up easily in the dishwasher. ^

Since I just bought my first Asian cookbook, I imagine I'll be using up the crushed sesame seeds pretty fast. They feature in a number of recipes I'm going to try. The label says they're toasted. What do you season with your sesame mill?

I make a lot of Japanese and (lately) Korean inspired dishes. Half the stuff we eat tends to taste good with some ground sesame on top. You already know how aromatic the stuff is and it's a great way to help cut down on salt.

If you have a pepper mill to spare, just load it up with some toasted sesame and give an experimental grind on a mouthful of potentially suitable food first to see if it 'goes'.

Ground sesame tastes particularly good on salads.

In the http://www.umamiinfo.com website there's a recipe for "Sesame-Dressed Seaweed and Cherry Tomatoes" - I can't get you a direct link - which is a particularly good showcase for sesame flavoured salads.
The dressing itself can be used for any number of salad combinations and is made up of:
1/2 a measure of honey, 2 measures rice wine vinegar (cider vinegar will do), 2 measures of soy sauce, and one measure of sesame oil. Add loads of ground sesame when mixing your salad.
But if you can get wakame from an ethnic market, do try the wakame and cherry tomatoes combination, it's stunning (yet incredibly simple)

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One day... one day eventually I'll get to have an automatic dishwasher. :sighs:

___
forgot to add - asparagus goes beautifully with sesame. Divine together.

The Japanese have the perfect utensil for this, it's called a suribachi and is similar to a mortar but with a 'serrated' basin which makes grinding a doddle.

Hey, I just realized that's what my mortar looks like. I didn't realize the regular ones had smooth bottoms. So I have a suribachi! The box says mortar and pestle. It also says made in China. :D

Hey, I just realized that's what my mortar looks like. I didn't realize the regular ones had smooth bottoms. So I have a suribachi! The box says mortar and pestle. It also says made in China. :D

Mine was made in Sardinia. Lovely and hand painted.

In the http://www.umamiinfo.com website there's a recipe for "Sesame-Dressed Seaweed and Cherry Tomatoes"...

Wonderful site, LapLap, thank you! I see lots of recipes there I'd like to try.

One question for anyone who can answer: There's a recipe for Vichyssoise there with a lovely photo, and my question is what are those small bits they used to garnish it?

One question for anyone who can answer: There's a recipe for Vichyssoise there with a lovely photo, and my question is what are those small bits they used to garnish it?

Those look like little pieces of sliced chives to me. I'm quite certain they are.

If chives are hard for you to get hold of, you can just cut shards of the green part of a scallion (spring onion) and arrange them in the same way.

They are chives - last step in the recipe says to garnish with chives ;)

They are chives - last step in the recipe says to garnish with chives ;)

:o

They are chives - last step in the recipe says to garnish with chives ;)

Well, sheesh, I completely missed the last line in the recipe--I was looking up at the ingredient list! That's what I get for rolling out of bed early in the morning and heading straight for FlyerTalk before my eyes are even open. :D Thank you both, Jenbel and LapLap.

My eyes are watering with pleasure having just tried my first experimental batch of a mystery vegetable I picked up just off London's Chinatown yesterday.

From what I can tell, having scrutinised my Japanese books and decided it wasn't rape blossom, I've just tried 'Yu Choy' for the first time.

A hot pan, a little canola oil, some sliced garlic and chilli flakes and a dash of fish sauce with the yu choy and the results have been delicious. I have some more I want to prepare later and am very open to suggestions (not sure if I should boil/blanche them for a couple of minutes next time - the top leaves and the buds were perfectly cooked, but the rest of the stalk could probably have done with a little longer cooking time.)

both h-mart and lotte are major chains. sort of like safeway and kroger.



There is also Grande Mart (just like H-mart) and a couple of others in the DC area.


The Super Hmart closest to me is open absurd hours (like from 6 am to 11pm. Do they think they are a SFWH or something? ;))

I enjoy taking out of town visitors to H-mart simply for the shopping experience, especially if they are at all familiar with an east asian grocery.

Anyway, the H-marts and Lottes carry ingredients for pretty much any ethinc food you can think of! Most of the customers are east asian, but there a quite a few gaijins like me. People who have some experience with east asain culture/food and enjoy shopping there.

I will point out, if you buy your produce from a grocery store, buy it here. The produce is fresher, tastier and cheaper than the traditional american supermarkets.

Just my $.02.