12 unusual Asian supermarket finds, and what they taste like
An Asian supermarket is full of snacks, sweets and drinks that are hard to judge from the packet: some are easy favourites, others are an acquired taste. Here are 12 unusual finds, what they taste like, and how adventurous you need to be to try them.
The adventure level is a guide to how unfamiliar a find is likely to be for someone who did not grow up with it.
Snacks
1. Seaweed snacks
Thin sheets of roasted seaweed brushed with oil and salt, sold in small packs. Light, crisp, salty and savoury, with a taste of the sea. Adventure level: easy.
2. Prawn crackers
Puffed crackers made from starch and prawns, sold ready to eat or as small hard chips to fry at home. Airy, crunchy and gently fishy. Adventure level: easy.
3. Wasabi peas
Dried green peas in a crunchy wasabi coating. Crunchy, then a sharp heat that rushes up your nose and fades quickly. Adventure level: medium.
4. Salted egg yolk crisps
Crisps or fish skin coated in a sauce of salted egg yolk, butter and curry leaves, a craze from Singapore. Rich, buttery, salty and savoury. Adventure level: medium.
5. Dried shredded squid
Squid that has been seasoned, dried and torn into chewy strips, a classic savoury snack. Chewy, sweet-salty and fishy. Adventure level: bold.
Sweets
6. Mochi
Soft rice cakes, often filled with sweet bean paste, peanut or ice cream. Chewy, stretchy and gently sweet. Adventure level: easy.
7. Haw flakes
Thin pink discs of pressed hawthorn fruit, a childhood sweet in China. Sweet, tart and fruity, a little like a soft fruit leather. Adventure level: easy.
8. Durian sweets
Sweets, cakes or wafers flavoured with durian, the strong-smelling tropical fruit. Sweet and creamy with durian's oniony note, gentler than the fresh fruit. Adventure level: medium.
Drinks
9. Marble soda (ramune)
A Japanese fizzy drink in a glass bottle sealed with a marble that you push in to open it. Light, sweet and lemony, with plenty of fizz. Adventure level: easy.
10. Melon soda
A bright green, sweet fizzy drink that tastes of candy melon. Very sweet, fruity and fizzy. Adventure level: easy.
11. Aloe vera drink
A sweet drink with soft cubes of aloe vera floating in it. Sweet and light, with chewy, jelly-like pieces. Adventure level: medium.
Bolder finds
12. Century eggs
Duck eggs preserved until the white turns into a dark jelly and the yolk turns creamy. Rich, savoury and earthy, with a sharp smell. Adventure level: bold.
All 12 at a glance
| Find | Adventure level |
|---|---|
| Seaweed snacks | easy |
| Prawn crackers | easy |
| Wasabi peas | medium |
| Salted egg yolk crisps | medium |
| Dried shredded squid | bold |
| Mochi | easy |
| Haw flakes | easy |
| Durian sweets | medium |
| Marble soda (ramune) | easy |
| Melon soda | easy |
| Aloe vera drink | medium |
| Century eggs | bold |
Which of these would you like most?
A packet in a language you cannot read tells you very little. Taste10 tells you what it is, in your language, and how much you will enjoy it. Photograph the packet or the whole shelf, and see what fits your own taste, with the reason why.
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Questions and answers
What should I try first in an Asian supermarket?
Seaweed snacks, prawn crackers, mochi and marble soda are easy first choices: familiar textures with new flavours.
How do you open a marble soda bottle?
Use the small plastic opener in the cap to push the glass marble down into the bottle, and hold it for a moment while the fizz settles.
What do century eggs taste like?
Rich, savoury and earthy, like a very intense egg yolk, with a firm jelly-like white and a sharp smell.