I need to know more about everything I'm also going to check Google to find out where the closest Asian supermarket is to me I don't think I've saw one on the west coast of Scotland 🙈🙈 xx
Used to live with friends who insisted they did not like pepper in their food. Whenever I made homemade mashed potatoes, I added a little bit of white pepper to the potatoes so my friends couldn't see it. And they always said my mashed potatoes were the best they ever had. 😄
Just goes to show that maybe you should give something a try more than once, especially when it comes to spices. Perhaps it was just the way an ingredient was added that made you think you didn't like it.
If you've never tried it, put some Chipotle Chile Pepper on your foods & enjoy the Smokey, sorta sweet, & definitely spicy flavor! Goes great in or on mashed potatoes, too. Your friends would see it, so you can't sneak it in theirs, but you'll probably love it! We buy large bags of it & fill our containers that we use everyday. Try it on eggs cooked any way you like, spaghetti, soups, Curries, meats, etc. We put it on nearly everything. Love the flavor it adds to foods. Well, not desserts, though, lol.
I’m Asian myself. That was an awesome straight forward Chinese’s market walkthrough. Makes me wanna go to my local Asian market and get stuff to cook now....
Thank you SO SO much! I've lived directly across the street from a Chinese centre all my life but have limited myself to the same few items (melona included) because as a young black woman, I can't read anything on the shelves! You've definitely expanded my palate. Thanks again :)
Things I take to the Asian supermarket: A friend who can read Chinese and a friend who can read Korean. I read enough Japanese to get by, so by our powers combined, we can read most of the labels.
@@huisi0___053 They probably live anywhere else that isn't Asia. I'd imagine a common Asian supermarket in America like 99 Ranch or Hong Kong Supermarket. A supermarket in Asia doesn't need to be called an Asian supermarket, it's just called a market. Are Mexicans in Mexico eating Mexican food? No they're just food. You'll never hear someone say "Japan has the best Japanese food".
@@huisi0___053 they didn't mean it in a racist manner smh american/Canadian Asian super markets consist of Chinese/Japanese/Korean foods, very rarely they have the west Asian foods
@@huisi0___053 The original commenter is probably Japanese/another Asian culture themselves, and if not, just know that most Asian markets in America and Canada consist of mainly Chinese, Japanese, and Korean items, with less items from other Asian cultures. This is due to the fact that the "Main 3" Asian countries have more publicity (Anime, Kpop, ect) and a greater population. Also, they said "we can read *most* of the labels," which means there are items from other cultures that they cannot read the labels of.
Black vinegar is everything. Before I moved to China I though balsamic was the best but black vinegar is so much more versatile and adds a tang without being too acidic. I literally have two bottles in my house right now, he wasn't lying.
@TravelerPat I will often mix it with soy and chili and use it as a dip, mix it into my fried rice, stir fries, and definitely noodles. I would take black vinegar over white vinegar in noodles and sauces for sure. I also add it to black bean stew for some tang and will put it in my dal sometimes as well when I make it at home to cut the richness a bit. I tend to like food tangy and I find often times when things I order for delivery are very savory or salty a little black vinegar makes them a bit more balanced.
I felt weird the first few times I went to H-Mart, then I realized they didn't care who I was... just go! I visit all the time now. Great veggies and things you will NOT easily find anywhere else.
fdwyerSDMM I was just there a few days ago, you are so right. Even better when you’re in an aisle trying to decide on a product or read labels and someone just points and says “This one, try this, it’s good, I use this”! LOL
Hey Mikey, Just wanted to say thank you so much for all of your videos. We are still in shut down mode in Gresham, Oregon and being immuno-compromised means I can not go any where safely. Your videos allow me to see the world and be apart of your magical experiences. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making each day more meaningful.
I'm a pastie white girl from Michigan and I think I buy more stuff from Asian grocery stores than I do at traditional ones. I go there so much, they know me by sight, and are always showing me new stuff they've gotten in to try. I'm making galbi jjim (I know, it's Korean) on my day off from work on Sunday. I'll be getting everything from there.
My mouth is watering now. Melona is my favorite frozen treat! So So good! If anyone loves melon, they're in for a treat. It's rich honeydew ice cream on a stick. Thanks for the tips, this is a great channel.
The hot mustard sauce: I get the powder and mix it up for us. I've never found the jar sauce to be as potent, but we don't have but two Asian grocery stores here. Wish we did. That mustard will take your breath away if it gets into the back of your nose and throat. Ask me how I know this. Love it with egg rolls, with sweet sauce of some kind together. Dip the egg roll into the mustard and then into the plum sauce, or other sweet sauce and be prepared to cry. Love it.
You guys, I’ve watched this video a couple of times and LITERALLY purchased almost everything off the list!! GET EVERYTHING, if you love Asian cuisines like me, you’ll need it all! Excellent video 🙌🏿
Agree, my parents had a restaurant and we would buy that premium with the lady on it in big cans. I remember buying the panda version once, and immediately knew it wasn’t the same.
You just listed all the reasons I love going to all the diff grocery stores (not knowing what things are, toms of options, things I haven’t seen before, etc). When I moved the Bay Area I explored all the random markets I could find!
A thousand thanks!!! I have been cooking Chinese for many years (and loving it), but this video solved some mysteries for me. I would love to see more discussion of various ingredients used in Chinese cooking. His descriptions of the various flavors is valuable. It is so true that a Chinese Grocery store is a fascinating place, but to a Westerner - also very mystifying.
You could play a drinking game with how many times he says "one thing that I love" LOL. But I could watch an hour-long video going through and explaining every item in there.
I've wandered around several chinese stores, not knowing what most of the bottles say or are used for exactly... then again that is part of the attraction. It doesn't get old, there is always something new. May your wok be magical ;-)
Brand also matters, ask your asian elders or friends which one they like best! Try different brands of the same food to find your favourite. The black vinegar and sauces he showed were pretty legit tho.
Please make a Part 2 Video. This gave me so Much information. After this Quarantine is over I will go shopping at my Neighborhood Chinese Market. I will be using this Video. What about fruits and vegetables Mike. I Want to Learn it all and cook Chinese food every day. Seriously!❤😄😃😁
The first time I entered a large Chinese supermarket, I was overwhelmed. I strolled the aisles for a very long time that day. I returned again and again screen shots in hand of products you recommended. That helped me tremendously. Now, I’ve accumulated many bottles of sauces , but I’m not certain how to best use them. This video is perfect! Thanks.
I tried laoganma hot oil, the one with peanuts. It's the tastiest thing I have ever tasted in my life, nothing comes close to it. I would even spoon it, it was that good.
@@viviannguyen9430 That's what I mean with spooning it. I would put it on literally everything, even plain bread. I had to stop buying it because I could (and did) easily finish a jar within a week
I live in a small rural town in Canada. There's not much access to a specialized store like this. Still....I enjoyed the video and found it very informative!!! 😊
Hey Heath i live up in the bruce peninsula in ontario and ive been ordering from amazon and you can get everything except the fresh and frozen stuff. Not sure what part of the country youre in but if youre in ontario go check out a T&T supermarket, theyre are none where im at but whenever i go to the city i make a huge order and thats maybe twice a year at best, its like disneyland for me lol... Happy hunting :)
Thanks. This is great. I have 2 tiny Asian grocery stores. Nobody speaks English. It used to be so difficult to find what I wanted - only chinese/korean on the bottles. So my secret now is to screenshot the ingredient from your video & show it to the clerk. She smiles & goes get it for me. So easy now to shop.
Chinese markets are the best to get the key ingredients for authentic asian cuisine! Chicken powder is a must have, my mom loves to stock up on those when they are on sale😂
@Jorn Navarre msg is monosdoium glutamate....chicken powder is reduced chicken broth, where the ingredients in the broth include vegetables, chicken and it may include msg, salts, sugar etc. It's not necessarily pure msg
What a great video! Very informative. One thing I will point out; in America as a kid we were taught that there were four tastes. Sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. I believe that umami (savory) was added at some point. Hot / spicy is arguably another one. However, I’m glad you mentioned Sichuan Peppercorns and that they are numbing. I believe that Sichuan Peppercorns are a taste that doesn’t fit any of the above categories. The “numbing” taste is not used in Western food and having lived in China, it took me time to get used to. But since then, I use Sichuan peppercorns often and I think they are extremely underrated and under utilized in America. But in time, I think we will see them used more and more.
This video is super useful because normally I just go on Asian supermarket adventures where I just randomly grab stuff like **I'll never know what it is unless I try it** but now I'll know some things to look for.
I loved this Mikey! I really enjoy going into Asian grocery stores just to look around, I don't even have to buy anything, but I usually almost always do when I go. I have never tried fermented bean curd before. Sriracha is a must.. I put that stuff on almost everything.
Tell people about the snacks. That’s a super important one that could in fact use it’s own video. I’ve grown up with so many different snacks, chips, candies, sweets, drinks, and different brands of great things so I would love if you made a video on the best ones. I think people need to know about it.
Hello from Texas hey Mike thanks for taking us shopping. My son has spent a lot of time in South Korea and he ate a lot of dishes . He bought a HotPot too so this going to come in handy. I sent him your video much love ❤️
Be careful choosing the black vinegar. You actually want Chinkiang vinegar. The Gold Plum version is good. Some other black vinegars are way too sweet.
I am so happy you made this video because I always wondered about your opinion on brands and types of stuff you prefer. It gives me a good understanding of what to get. I also appreciate that you explain each and different ones and the results it gives.
I can definitely relate to the ice cream section! I’ve tried all the ones you’ve mentioned and prefer them over Ben & Jerry’s. I have a Chinese supermarket next door and love going there as I’m always able to find really cool, unknown stuff to make delish food. Definitely don’t wanna miss it
I use to have hot pots and they were good but my parents never get the time to no more. We would have soup, corn, meat, fish balls, shrimp balls, beef balls, vegetables, and tofu. Wish I could have some now, I once had it in a long time and all the things bought me back to childhood even though I am not from China, mostly everyone in my family is so they cook Chinese food and man hot pots are great food for rainy days.
As a Filipino, Mama Sita’s marinade sauce makes your meat/poultry taste like barbeque, I really suggest getting it if you want to make Filipino style bbq at home!
My take is being a Chinese what condiments you own in your kitchen depends on which province your are from. Basic are dark soya sauce, light soya sauce, oyster / hoisin sauce, sesame oil, black vinegar.
@@RS-ti7bz Hmm.. Let me think how to break this down. Northern China cuisine are more noodles based, heavier in taste and more spices and sauces used, chili oil. Even the spice level and type of dried chilies differ. It can varies from more mala (hot & spicy, numbness) to less spicy with more fragrance (extract from scallion, onions, cloves, cinnamon, herbs and spices). If I remember correctly, Mikey from Northern China. Southern China more rice based. Condiments also can be determined by cooked rice or porridge for that meal. 2:15, like he mentioned fermented tofu with rice will do a good meal. For me, I will top up with an sunny side up and more sesame oil or the lao gan ma chili oil. Provinces near sea will consume more seafood. Ingredients are fresh, condiments required to enhance or bring out the dishes will be simpler like salted sour plum, light soya sauce, salted soy bean, vinegar, together with garlic, fresh chili. Lesser oil and spice like cumin, cloves are used in dishes. Cooking technique will be more on steaming and quick stirred fried. In some, their starter are sweets instead of savory tapas.
My family loves to watch you cook, eat and travel. Got a bigger television to watch you on. We video with grandparents to make sure they watch as well. Feels as if it helps with culture diversity. We love Asian food!
I went to a Korean store a few years ago. My friend was looking for those nasty poppin kitchen sets. I ended up buying two sets of chopsticks and some candy and chatting with the owner's daughter. It was a nice experience. I wish I could have gotten some bowls or soup spoons :)
Im so happy i found your channel 😂 because i never know what to cook for my boyfriend who is Chinese. He is going to be so impressed with my spice cabinet now 😅
I come from an island in Greece,and cumin is front and center in our cooking. People even put it on toast with some olive oil (usually done with oregano elsewhere)..It is such a meaty,smoky flavor..mmmm... And now I'm hungry.
I have followed you for years. I've copied multiple recipes and have made many, many trips to multiple Asian markets and Chinatowns in NYC and Philly. I always have problems with the sauces even with help from the workers. It does not pay to shop Amazon all the time, with shipping, the price is usually double that of a Chinese store. A list of sauces and great brands for each would be wonderful. Personally, I prefer to purchase those from other than from the Mainland for safety reasons. Also, please explain the Chinese sausages. I have not bought them because I can not tell the difference between the multiple piles. I was spot-on with the sesame oil, same brand and, bottle, extra-large, Extremely good.
Lee Kum Kee sauces are pretty good all around. There's definitely specific brands that are better for some sauces, but everything across the board for them is pretty good from my experience. As for Chinese sausages, the main difference is what goes in them. For most people, you want the pure pork type, which is Lap Cheong or La Cheong. The shorter fatter sausages have other spices mixed in to make it sweeter or spicy. The others have varying degrees of liver or blood mixed into them, which are not as popular in the west and flat out banned in some places due to the use of blood in them.
@@ohnosmoarlulcatz except their hoisin sauce sucks the kind in the jar with the purple and yellow label is much better. And kimlam or wanjasan spy sauce are my go too
@@ohnosmoarlulcatz I have a few of their sauces. I liked them but when I shopped and asked for help, I was told "that company is Chinese for Americans". I will now take a second look at them.
@@patriciafrancis9134 Yep. But if you don't know your sauces, it is a good place to start because everything is "passable". It's better than taking a risk on an unknown. Koon Chun is another major sauce manufacturer you can look at, but I only use them for shrimp paste.
Its like mikey knew I was peeping what he had on Amazon prime. I was missing how he is able to share products on UA-cam. Annnd BOOM this oddly specific episode pleasingly interrupted my viewing. Thanks for great content mikey 😊
Mike, so happy to see you do a video of what I do on many occasions!! I go to our local Chinese Store, just so I can adventure and discover new flavors!! Thank you again for taking us all on this flavor tour!! Stay Well!!
Omg my dad used to eat fermented tofu on rice with some scallions for breakfast. He always made it sound like it was a “peasant” thing to do bc his family was from a really rural area.
@@rolanddrew6026 Exactly! Investment is the quickest path to financial freedom,Starting early in stock and Crypto marketing is the best way of getting ahead to build wealth, and investing I believe Should remain a top priority to everyone.
Yeah the stock & crypto market has plentiful opportunities to decent payout. so with the appropriate right skill and proper understanding, of how the market works, you did be Great.
I think 🤔 Crypto is highly profitable. But you don't just buy it and store. You have 70% opportunity of loosing if you just store your Crypto without investing it.. IT like having Goods and Services without marketing IT..
You have no idea how useful and amazing this video was ..Thank you for this Mikey you are the best ..I need everything you showed us and I have a better understanding of Chinese sauces and food ..xx❤️🥰💋💗
My pantry/fridge rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, gochujang, gochugaru, black vinegar, that cooking wine, miso, doenjang, homemade kimchi, sriracha, fresh noodles, dried noodles of all kinds Korean rice cakes 😆 I am not any type of Asian just really appreciate these culinary ingredients.
I currently live in a part of the UK not close to Oriental supermarkets. I found one last month about an hours drive away. Literally spent over £100 on snacks, sweets, noodles, drinks, hot pot ingredients. Needed boxes to pack it all up :) think I now understand girls how love shopping
Hey Mikey, since you are in the Seattle have you been to Uwajimaya? We have one here in Beaverton, or and its great. It has all the foods from Hawaii that I love. Also the quality of meat is way better for hotpot.
Uwajimaya is great for Hawai'ian but kind of expensive. I prefer Hmart and 99 Ranch in Kent. You have the best Vegan place near Portland...Homegrown smoker...which I realize is not asian, nor Hawai'ian but you got me on the subject...lol
This was a great episode on your channel. Thank you so very much for sharing this with us. I'm looking forward to a follow up video, there are so many other product items that you could explain what and how to use them. Thanks again, I really enjoyed this.
Like one describing the fresh vegetables, particularly all the different types of greens, the fresh and dried mushrooms and the dried seafood and sausages
I have all those spices in my kitchen so I am very Chinese. Jokes aside Mike is dead on with ALL of the spices. I especially recommend salted black beans, adding just a few of them into your stir-fried meat makes it so much better.
I love star anise. It not only have aroma it has it's own flavor profile and if too many are used it will overtake the dish. Really educating video, thank you for taking time to walk us through the store.
I've found family favorites that way! We now go weekly sometimes depending upon what we ran out of. This time with everything going on we ran out of rice!
Is it only me notice that the whole entitle video in the Asian supermarket have no one there... what kind of Asian supermarket is that...?? only Mikey in the supermarket 🤣 VIP!!
I have sunset supermarket, lion, two pacific supers, and 99ranch all within ten minutes of each other. Plus the small mom and pop places. The joys of living in the sunset of San Francisco!
Melona is SO good! My brother introduced me to it years ago. Used to buy it in Asian markets in Toronto long before it became widely available. Just wish we had all the flavors here.
@@XzhiTBK I've had original melon (best!), banana, coconut, mango and strawberry, which is all the current flavors, and like them all. Maybe some of the other flavors mentioned on the box in thr past just took a while to get here. (can't find info on worldwide flavors now) I've also had their red bean bar called B-B-Big, and they make a taiyaki ice cream sandwich called Samanco.
We have an awesome China Town here in Houston and I used to go there weekly just to get a few favorites as well as try new things . My mom has a list for me now these days . I had her try the stuff I bought and created a monster lol. Love it.
I moved into my own place last year which forced me to started cooking for myself, and found out I really enjoy it and create some really good dishes. Been expanding my spice and sauce arsenal slowly but surely. Few days ago I finally got fish sauce and cumin which have been on my list. When I smelled the cumin, its funny how familiar it smells, yet I never knew that was what cumin was. This video just makes me wanna go get more sauces and spices!
Yes continue to do this, go through the whole store, I need to know more about noodles
Agree completely
Yessss
I need to know more about everything I'm also going to check Google to find out where the closest Asian supermarket is to me I don't think I've saw one on the west coast of Scotland 🙈🙈 xx
Must know MÖRE 😊
Used to live with friends who insisted they did not like pepper in their food. Whenever I made homemade mashed potatoes, I added a little bit of white pepper to the potatoes so my friends couldn't see it. And they always said my mashed potatoes were the best they ever had. 😄
Just goes to show that maybe you should give something a try more than once, especially when it comes to spices. Perhaps it was just the way an ingredient was added that made you think you didn't like it.
Who doesn’t like pepper?? You don’t need people like that in your life, Karen 😂
@@GoodGolly.MissLolly That's right
@@GoodGolly.MissLolly😂😂😂
If you've never tried it, put some Chipotle Chile Pepper on your foods & enjoy the Smokey, sorta sweet, & definitely spicy flavor! Goes great in or on mashed potatoes, too. Your friends would see it, so you can't sneak it in theirs, but you'll probably love it! We buy large bags of it & fill our containers that we use everyday. Try it on eggs cooked any way you like, spaghetti, soups, Curries, meats, etc. We put it on nearly everything. Love the flavor it adds to foods. Well, not desserts, though, lol.
I’m Asian myself. That was an awesome straight forward Chinese’s market walkthrough. Makes me wanna go to my local Asian market and get stuff to cook now....
Thank you SO SO much! I've lived directly across the street from a Chinese centre all my life but have limited myself to the same few items (melona included) because as a young black woman, I can't read anything on the shelves! You've definitely expanded my palate. Thanks again :)
I use google translate, camera mode. It really helps.
Things I take to the Asian supermarket: A friend who can read Chinese and a friend who can read Korean. I read enough Japanese to get by, so by our powers combined, we can read most of the labels.
that's why I use google translate. For the most part, it can translate everything I've come across
@@huisi0___053 They probably live anywhere else that isn't Asia. I'd imagine a common Asian supermarket in America like 99 Ranch or Hong Kong Supermarket. A supermarket in Asia doesn't need to be called an Asian supermarket, it's just called a market. Are Mexicans in Mexico eating Mexican food? No they're just food. You'll never hear someone say "Japan has the best Japanese food".
@@isPOOThoovy Canadian/American Asian supermarkets here consist of Chinese/Japanese/Korean and that very rare bit of Philippine food
@@huisi0___053 they didn't mean it in a racist manner smh american/Canadian Asian super markets consist of Chinese/Japanese/Korean foods, very rarely they have the west Asian foods
@@huisi0___053 The original commenter is probably Japanese/another Asian culture themselves, and if not, just know that most Asian markets in America and Canada consist of mainly Chinese, Japanese, and Korean items, with less items from other Asian cultures. This is due to the fact that the "Main 3" Asian countries have more publicity (Anime, Kpop, ect) and a greater population. Also, they said "we can read *most* of the labels," which means there are items from other cultures that they cannot read the labels of.
Black vinegar is everything. Before I moved to China I though balsamic was the best but black vinegar is so much more versatile and adds a tang without being too acidic. I literally have two bottles in my house right now, he wasn't lying.
I'm Asian myself and I use black vinegar a lot as with soy sauce and oyster sauce but really good aged balsamic on strawberries is divine.
@@rumblefish9 Very true. Balsamic serves a different purpose because of its sweetness. Balsamic with tomato and basil is amazing too.
@TravelerPat I will often mix it with soy and chili and use it as a dip, mix it into my fried rice, stir fries, and definitely noodles. I would take black vinegar over white vinegar in noodles and sauces for sure. I also add it to black bean stew for some tang and will put it in my dal sometimes as well when I make it at home to cut the richness a bit. I tend to like food tangy and I find often times when things I order for delivery are very savory or salty a little black vinegar makes them a bit more balanced.
@emma Ikr!?!
I felt weird the first few times I went to H-Mart, then I realized they didn't care who I was... just go! I visit all the time now. Great veggies and things you will NOT easily find anywhere else.
Depending where you are, but look up Mitsuwa. They are a Japanese chain based out of Southern California, but with a few locations across the US.
Idk when I went to a Korean store ppl stared at me for some reason..maybe because I’m not korean😂idk
fdwyerSDMM Ahhh, Hmart is paradise for Asian cooking, and 99ranch Market as well
fdwyerSDMM I was just there a few days ago, you are so right. Even better when you’re in an aisle trying to decide on a product or read labels and someone just points and says “This one, try this, it’s good, I use this”! LOL
I love HMart and Lotte. My buddy was so intimidated until I took her and now it’s where we do our weekly shopping trip.
Hey Mikey,
Just wanted to say thank you so much for all of your videos. We are still in shut down mode in Gresham, Oregon and being immuno-compromised means I can not go any where safely. Your videos allow me to see the world and be apart of your magical experiences. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making each day more meaningful.
I had just said the other day how I wished someone would walk me through these ingredients and, lo and behold! Mike Chen delivers!! Thanks, man!
I'm a pastie white girl from Michigan and I think I buy more stuff from Asian grocery stores than I do at traditional ones. I go there so much, they know me by sight, and are always showing me new stuff they've gotten in to try. I'm making galbi jjim (I know, it's Korean) on my day off from work on Sunday. I'll be getting everything from there.
My mouth is watering now. Melona is my favorite frozen treat! So So good! If anyone loves melon, they're in for a treat. It's rich honeydew ice cream on a stick. Thanks for the tips, this is a great channel.
Sonja Ortiz my fave as well ❣️
Why am I watching Mike telling me which sauce should get while I'm Asian myself
i was just thinking this haha. im like: I already do all these things and completely agree what am i doing on this video
Agreed.. I was thinking the same too!
cause its always good to get information :3
Hahaha same! And there's always something new to learn from him even I'm Asian lol
Same. Lol
The hot mustard sauce: I get the powder and mix it up for us. I've never found the jar sauce to be as potent, but we don't have but two Asian grocery stores here. Wish we did. That mustard will take your breath away if it gets into the back of your nose and throat. Ask me how I know this. Love it with egg rolls, with sweet sauce of some kind together. Dip the egg roll into the mustard and then into the plum sauce, or other sweet sauce and be prepared to cry. Love it.
You guys, I’ve watched this video a couple of times and LITERALLY purchased almost everything off the list!! GET EVERYTHING, if you love Asian cuisines like me, you’ll need it all!
Excellent video 🙌🏿
When Mikey keeps picking up brands you already buy it really makes you feel like less of a stumbling oaf.
When I was young I used to eat fermented bean curd with my grandmother it was delicious with white rice! Yumm nostalgic
7:40 Skip the panda brand oyster sauce, get the one with the girl on it! It's also made by Lee Kum Kee, but tastes much better!
Cost much more
trueeee
Lee Kum Kee is the only one I’ll buy. So good.
Panda brand is too salty
Agree, my parents had a restaurant and we would buy that premium with the lady on it in big cans. I remember buying the panda version once, and immediately knew it wasn’t the same.
You just listed all the reasons I love going to all the diff grocery stores (not knowing what things are, toms of options, things I haven’t seen before, etc). When I moved the Bay Area I explored all the random markets I could find!
Is it just me or is Mike salivating as he's describing the dishes each sauce is used for? Lol
This video is an enormous help. Thank you
Watching from Ghana. You should come through after rona passes.
Would LOVE to
Lol we're just calling it rona now? Nice
Narrator: rona never passed.
Cook With Mikey Yes! I recommend trying “Waakye” when you go. To die for
@@Donttalktomeifyoureabot lmaoooo
A thousand thanks!!! I have been cooking Chinese for many years (and loving it), but this video solved some mysteries for me. I would love to see more discussion of various ingredients used in Chinese cooking. His descriptions of the various flavors is valuable. It is so true that a Chinese Grocery store is a fascinating place, but to a Westerner - also very mystifying.
You could play a drinking game with how many times he says "one thing that I love" LOL.
But I could watch an hour-long video going through and explaining every item in there.
James King he definitely needs a thesaurus. If I hear juicy or numby one more time, I’ll scream
I've wandered around several chinese stores, not knowing what most of the bottles say or are used for exactly... then again that is part of the attraction. It doesn't get old, there is always something new. May your wok be magical ;-)
Mikey's mouth is literally watering while taking about
these things
Shrimp paste is also a necessary sauce in Cantonese cooking as well as Southeast Asian.
Chili soybean sauce is a must for mapo tofu.
Minnie C. Cause Mickey does not know how to use Shrimp paste in cooking that is why he did not talk about it.
@@cece354 I know. Northern Chinese do not use shrimp paste. That is why I mentioned it. Also, soybean paste.
Unless you're from Southern China and do not like the flavor of shrimp paste. ; )
One of your better videos to me. Having an informative tour through an Asian market is most appreciated. Can you do more of these?
Brand also matters, ask your asian elders or friends which one they like best! Try different brands of the same food to find your favourite. The black vinegar and sauces he showed were pretty legit tho.
Please make a Part 2 Video. This gave me so Much information. After this Quarantine is over I will go shopping at my Neighborhood Chinese Market. I will be using this Video. What about fruits and vegetables Mike. I Want to Learn it all and cook Chinese food every day. Seriously!❤😄😃😁
Every aisle verdict: "overwhelming"
Thanks for the great tour!
The first time I entered a large Chinese supermarket, I was overwhelmed. I strolled the aisles for a very long time that day. I returned again and again screen shots in hand of products you recommended. That helped me tremendously. Now, I’ve accumulated many bottles of sauces , but I’m not certain how to best use them. This video is perfect! Thanks.
If you don't know how to use them, start google-ing.
I tried laoganma hot oil, the one with peanuts. It's the tastiest thing I have ever tasted in my life, nothing comes close to it. I would even spoon it, it was that good.
Stirfry a little bit in fried rice, game changer. Heck, add it in everything LOL
Yo I straight up eat it on its own sometimes it’s so good!
With fish balls too
@@viviannguyen9430 That's what I mean with spooning it. I would put it on literally everything, even plain bread. I had to stop buying it because I could (and did) easily finish a jar within a week
I sometimes use doubled up wonton wrappers, for quick perogies. They also work well for deep fried various soft cheese and fruit rolls/dumplings.
I live in a small rural town in Canada. There's not much access to a specialized store like this. Still....I enjoyed the video and found it very informative!!! 😊
Hey Heath i live up in the bruce peninsula in ontario and ive been ordering from amazon and you can get everything except the fresh and frozen stuff. Not sure what part of the country youre in but if youre in ontario go check out a T&T supermarket, theyre are none where im at but whenever i go to the city i make a huge order and thats maybe twice a year at best, its like disneyland for me lol... Happy hunting :)
Superstore in Canada has most of this stuff...I’m from small town Alberta 😊
Black Sheep72 if you like T&T try Nations next time you’re down...the one in Mississauga is ginormous.
Mail order!
@@gingerkid1048 Cool thanks!
Thanks. This is great. I have 2 tiny Asian grocery stores. Nobody speaks English. It used to be so difficult to find what I wanted - only chinese/korean on the bottles.
So my secret now is to screenshot the ingredient from your video & show it to the clerk. She smiles & goes get it for me. So easy now to shop.
Mikey you’re wonderful energy and happy attitude always makes my day thank you for the lovely content!
Thank you Mikey. I learned so much that will impact my cooking from now on. You are an excellent teacher and seem so personable.
Chinese markets are the best to get the key ingredients for authentic asian cuisine! Chicken powder is a must have, my mom loves to stock up on those when they are on sale😂
So anytime i see chicken powder in a recipe, its the powdered chicken bouillon?
Also chicken stock in cube forms
@Jorn Navarre I dont think thats true. MSG is different.
@Jorn Navarre msg is monosdoium glutamate....chicken powder is reduced chicken broth, where the ingredients in the broth include vegetables, chicken and it may include msg, salts, sugar etc. It's not necessarily pure msg
You cute
What a great video! Very informative. One thing I will point out; in America as a kid we were taught that there were four tastes. Sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. I believe that umami (savory) was added at some point. Hot / spicy is arguably another one. However, I’m glad you mentioned Sichuan Peppercorns and that they are numbing. I believe that Sichuan Peppercorns are a taste that doesn’t fit any of the above categories. The “numbing” taste is not used in Western food and having lived in China, it took me time to get used to. But since then, I use Sichuan peppercorns often and I think they are extremely underrated and under utilized in America. But in time, I think we will see them used more and more.
When Mike talk about food, it’s like he is talking about the love of his life 😂♥️
This video is super useful because normally I just go on Asian supermarket adventures where I just randomly grab stuff like **I'll never know what it is unless I try it** but now I'll know some things to look for.
I loved this Mikey! I really enjoy going into Asian grocery stores just to look around, I don't even have to buy anything, but I usually almost always do when I go. I have never tried fermented bean curd before. Sriracha is a must.. I put that stuff on almost everything.
really needed a video like this
Tell people about the snacks. That’s a super important one that could in fact use it’s own video. I’ve grown up with so many different snacks, chips, candies, sweets, drinks, and different brands of great things so I would love if you made a video on the best ones. I think people need to know about it.
I really enjoyed watching. I’m kinda a beginner at Chinese cooking and your video helped a lot. Plus you’re funny. Thanks for sharing.
Haven't had the jarred fermented bean curd cubes since I was a kid. And the mustard is the best with cold chicken feet.
I moved to this area a little bit ago and I’m a few mins from this market, but still haven’t gone. Thank you for the 411 on it !
Hello from Texas hey Mike thanks for taking us shopping. My son has spent a lot of time in South Korea and he ate a lot of dishes . He bought a HotPot too so this going to come in handy. I sent him your video much love ❤️
I absolutely love ethnic food markets. They are so fun and some times ya get some amazing new finds and other times you get well... surprises!!!
If you can't find Shao Xing wine, substitute with a medium dry sherry -- it's exactly the same flavor profile! =)
This is the best Chinese spice & sauce guide I have ever encountered on UA-cam even though I am a Singaporean Chinese
Be careful choosing the black vinegar. You actually want Chinkiang vinegar. The Gold Plum version is good. Some other black vinegars are way too sweet.
I am so happy you made this video because I always wondered about your opinion on brands and types of stuff you prefer. It gives me a good understanding of what to get. I also appreciate that you explain each and different ones and the results it gives.
I can definitely relate to the ice cream section! I’ve tried all the ones you’ve mentioned and prefer them over Ben & Jerry’s.
I have a Chinese supermarket next door and love going there as I’m always able to find really cool, unknown stuff to make delish food. Definitely don’t wanna miss it
This was epic! I’m African American living in Vietnam. This is soooo helpful! Thank you!
I use to have hot pots and they were good but my parents never get the time to no more. We would have soup, corn, meat, fish balls, shrimp balls, beef balls, vegetables, and tofu. Wish I could have some now, I once had it in a long time and all the things bought me back to childhood even though I am not from China, mostly everyone in my family is so they cook Chinese food and man hot pots are great food for rainy days.
i am Caribbean and we use star anise in tea also! plus added cinnamon sticks. I go straight to the ramen and frozen dumpling aisles first!
“Old dry mom” hahahaha Mike it means old godmother! This is a great video
Thank you for this!!!!
As a Filipino, Mama Sita’s marinade sauce makes your meat/poultry taste like barbeque, I really suggest getting it if you want to make Filipino style bbq at home!
YES! We definitely need MORE videos like this!
Could you please also cook with some of these ingredients, simple things.
My take is being a Chinese what condiments you own in your kitchen depends on which province your are from. Basic are dark soya sauce, light soya sauce, oyster / hoisin sauce, sesame oil, black vinegar.
Interesting. Could you elaborate a bit on what province uses what types of flavours?
@@RS-ti7bz Hmm.. Let me think how to break this down.
Northern China cuisine are more noodles based, heavier in taste and more spices and sauces used, chili oil. Even the spice level and type of dried chilies differ. It can varies from more mala (hot & spicy, numbness) to less spicy with more fragrance (extract from scallion, onions, cloves, cinnamon, herbs and spices). If I remember correctly, Mikey from Northern China.
Southern China more rice based. Condiments also can be determined by cooked rice or porridge for that meal.
2:15, like he mentioned fermented tofu with rice will do a good meal. For me, I will top up with an sunny side up and more sesame oil or the lao gan ma chili oil.
Provinces near sea will consume more seafood. Ingredients are fresh, condiments required to enhance or bring out the dishes will be simpler like salted sour plum, light soya sauce, salted soy bean, vinegar, together with garlic, fresh chili. Lesser oil and spice like cumin, cloves are used in dishes. Cooking technique will be more on steaming and quick stirred fried.
In some, their starter are sweets instead of savory tapas.
My family loves to watch you cook, eat and travel. Got a bigger television to watch you on. We video with grandparents to make sure they watch as well. Feels as if it helps with culture diversity. We love Asian food!
I went to a Korean store a few years ago. My friend was looking for those nasty poppin kitchen sets. I ended up buying two sets of chopsticks and some candy and chatting with the owner's daughter. It was a nice experience. I wish I could have gotten some bowls or soup spoons :)
Im so happy i found your channel 😂 because i never know what to cook for my boyfriend who is Chinese. He is going to be so impressed with my spice cabinet now 😅
FYI for anyone looking for them: you can buy the Melona bars at Costco. They are amazing and they are gluten free :)
I bought a few boxes last summer, but I have not seen any at my local Costco since September 2019.
@@dianad6090 Their website lists more locations they sell at. Maybe try one of those if you can?
They are stocked here in Ohio.
Love Honeydew melons 🍈 thanks
Or at any Asian Supermarkets such as T&T Supermarkets.
I come from an island in Greece,and cumin is front and center in our cooking. People even put it on toast with some olive oil (usually done with oregano elsewhere)..It is such a meaty,smoky flavor..mmmm... And now I'm hungry.
I have followed you for years. I've copied multiple recipes and have made many, many trips to multiple Asian markets and Chinatowns in NYC and Philly. I always have problems with the sauces even with help from the workers. It does not pay to shop Amazon all the time, with shipping, the price is usually double that of a Chinese store. A list of sauces and great brands for each would be wonderful. Personally, I prefer to purchase those from other than from the Mainland for safety reasons. Also, please explain the Chinese sausages. I have not bought them because I can not tell the difference between the multiple piles. I was spot-on with the sesame oil, same brand and, bottle, extra-large, Extremely good.
Lee Kum Kee sauces are pretty good all around. There's definitely specific brands that are better for some sauces, but everything across the board for them is pretty good from my experience.
As for Chinese sausages, the main difference is what goes in them. For most people, you want the pure pork type, which is Lap Cheong or La Cheong. The shorter fatter sausages have other spices mixed in to make it sweeter or spicy. The others have varying degrees of liver or blood mixed into them, which are not as popular in the west and flat out banned in some places due to the use of blood in them.
For chinese sausages (lap cheong) darker colour are usually made from liver
@@ohnosmoarlulcatz except their hoisin sauce sucks the kind in the jar with the purple and yellow label is much better. And kimlam or wanjasan spy sauce are my go too
@@ohnosmoarlulcatz I have a few of their sauces. I liked them but when I shopped and asked for help, I was told "that company is Chinese for Americans". I will now take a second look at them.
@@patriciafrancis9134 Yep. But if you don't know your sauces, it is a good place to start because everything is "passable". It's better than taking a risk on an unknown.
Koon Chun is another major sauce manufacturer you can look at, but I only use them for shrimp paste.
why does this video feels like one of your old videos, huge nostalgic vibes from this one...love it.
Its like mikey knew I was peeping what he had on Amazon prime. I was missing how he is able to share products on UA-cam. Annnd BOOM this oddly specific episode pleasingly interrupted my viewing.
Thanks for great content mikey 😊
Yes, UA-cams AI can read minds, almost literally I find!
Mike, so happy to see you do a video of what I do on many occasions!!
I go to our local Chinese Store, just so I can adventure and discover new flavors!!
Thank you again for taking us all on this flavor tour!!
Stay Well!!
Omg my dad used to eat fermented tofu on rice with some scallions for breakfast. He always made it sound like it was a “peasant” thing to do bc his family was from a really rural area.
That's how I eat fermented tofu, simple with rice and I'm considered a youngster 😂
It is considered that way though, for the whole meal costs almost nothing
Is great to use fermented tofu in stir fry “Morning Glory”. It goes well with rice.
Mikey, much appreciation for imparting your knowledge !
Very educative video 📸
Cryptocurrency is the future, Investing in it now will be the wisest thing to do especially with the current rise
@@rolanddrew6026 Exactly! Investment is the quickest path to financial freedom,Starting early in stock and Crypto marketing is the best way of getting ahead to build wealth, and investing I believe Should remain a top priority to everyone.
Yeah the stock & crypto market has plentiful opportunities to decent payout. so with the appropriate right skill and proper understanding, of how the market works, you did be Great.
I think 🤔 Crypto is highly profitable. But you don't just buy it and store.
You have 70% opportunity of loosing if you just store your Crypto without investing it.. IT like having Goods and Services without marketing IT..
@@jeremybrian9325 But where are the more credible source to learn about forex and Crypto trading?
You have no idea how useful and amazing this video was ..Thank you for this Mikey you are the best ..I need everything you showed us and I have a better understanding of Chinese sauces and food ..xx❤️🥰💋💗
Clicked for the Melona thumbnail, stayed for literally everything else!
But Melona is Korean.. I wish he suggested Chinese ice cream because I want to try them too
My pantry/fridge rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, gochujang, gochugaru, black vinegar, that cooking wine, miso, doenjang, homemade kimchi, sriracha, fresh noodles, dried noodles of all kinds Korean rice cakes 😆 I am not any type of Asian just really appreciate these culinary ingredients.
“Lao Gan Ma” actually means old godmother, not old dried mother lol
😂
haha im chinese and i didnt catch that. I just thought it sounded weird. its too funny when I read your comment and realised how right you are
LMAOO IM DIEING
I currently live in a part of the UK not close to Oriental supermarkets. I found one last month about an hours drive away. Literally spent over £100 on snacks, sweets, noodles, drinks, hot pot ingredients. Needed boxes to pack it all up :) think I now understand girls how love shopping
Hey Mikey, since you are in the Seattle have you been to Uwajimaya? We have one here in Beaverton, or and its great. It has all the foods from Hawaii that I love. Also the quality of meat is way better for hotpot.
Uwajimaya is great for Hawai'ian but kind of expensive. I prefer Hmart and 99 Ranch in Kent. You have the best Vegan place near Portland...Homegrown smoker...which I realize is not asian, nor Hawai'ian but you got me on the subject...lol
This was a great episode on your channel. Thank you so very much for sharing this with us. I'm looking forward to a follow up video, there are so many other product items that you could explain what and how to use them. Thanks again, I really enjoyed this.
Like one describing the fresh vegetables, particularly all the different types of greens, the fresh and dried mushrooms and the dried seafood and sausages
I have all those spices in my kitchen so I am very Chinese.
Jokes aside Mike is dead on with ALL of the spices. I especially recommend salted black beans, adding just a few of them into your stir-fried meat makes it so much better.
I love star anise. It not only have aroma it has it's own flavor profile and if too many are used it will overtake the dish. Really educating video, thank you for taking time to walk us through the store.
I have Chinese market here, sometimes I just like to buy random stuff to taste
I've found family favorites that way! We now go weekly sometimes depending upon what we ran out of. This time with everything going on we ran out of rice!
That's one of my favorite things to do too! I purchased a ginger latte mix and it's so good!
Need a little bit of effort on English Signoré Valencia
Chinese market available every where as I observe!
Amazing video Mikey!!!
I don't like much sweet but except for ice cream haha 😆 I will grab all those yummy 🍦🍦 when I have a chance to go to a market and can find one
Finally found a chinese market that has most all of the items you put up!! Now to begin the Mikey Chen experience!!!
I wish I had seen this earlier as I have JUST GOT HOME FROM A CHINESE SUPERMARKET 😩
Spicy mustard sauce is great because of the price 💝 BUT in a pinch just mix mustard powder with water TADA! Love this video thank you much!!!
Is it only me notice that the whole entitle video in the Asian supermarket have no one there... what kind of Asian supermarket is that...?? only Mikey in the supermarket 🤣 VIP!!
We tried an orange Mochi ice cream for the first time and it was definitely worth it! Thanks for telling us about Mochi ice cream
Me, a Korean looking at the thumbnail: Yes Mikey has big Brain
Thaaank you for listening, because I was just about to hit up the Chinese market!
I wish my Asians markets were clean and organized like the ones you go too. Our H Mart is not as nice as the ones I’ve seen in your videos.
I have sunset supermarket, lion, two pacific supers, and 99ranch all within ten minutes of each other. Plus the small mom and pop places. The joys of living in the sunset of San Francisco!
Melona is SO good! My brother introduced me to it years ago. Used to buy it in Asian markets in Toronto long before it became widely available. Just wish we had all the flavors here.
Don't get your hopes up. The other flavours are pretty odd tasting.
Costco has a variety pack
@@XzhiTBK I've had original melon (best!), banana, coconut, mango and strawberry, which is all the current flavors, and like them all. Maybe some of the other flavors mentioned on the box in thr past just took a while to get here. (can't find info on worldwide flavors now) I've also had their red bean bar called B-B-Big, and they make a taiyaki ice cream sandwich called Samanco.
We have an awesome China Town here in Houston and I used to go there weekly just to get a few favorites as well as try new things . My mom has a list for me now these days . I had her try the stuff I bought and created a monster lol. Love it.
It took me forever to find hot oil at an asian market because I didn't know what it was. Imagine trying to describe it to a clerk 😂
Also try chili garlic sauce. Made from the people that make the original sriracha sauce. I think it is waaaaay better than sriracha.
I moved into my own place last year which forced me to started cooking for myself, and found out I really enjoy it and create some really good dishes.
Been expanding my spice and sauce arsenal slowly but surely. Few days ago I finally got fish sauce and cumin which have been on my list. When I smelled the cumin, its funny how familiar it smells, yet I never knew that was what cumin was. This video just makes me wanna go get more sauces and spices!
Hey mikey, I wish there was a Chinese supermarket near me. I'm needing Chinese vinegar lol 😊🤗
Amazon! LOL
Thanku lol
Black Sheep72 there’s an online Asian grocery site called Yamibuy that has much better prices I think.
@@susie2251 Thanks for sharing, ill check it out!
Thanku muchly susie 😊
I like watching your video. You made my day