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Old 14-04-2012, 00:46
Victoria Sponge
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Had a really fun day out today with an old friend. We went to Wagamama for lunch and then off to the Chinese supermarket.

I managed to buy the Xaoxing rice wine that I've wanted for ages but couldn't get, the nice famous Chinese chef Ching He Huang says I need it to make nice Chinese food at home.

I also got some veggie 'gyoza' style frozen dumplings which can be steamed or microwaved.

I was happy to see a whole aisle dedicated to instant noodles:http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...1/791448f7.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...1/971b89cb.jpg

with loads of choices of cup noodles:http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...1/f6e6f731.jpg

They even had wildlife!: http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...1/e15c7fa8.jpg

I settled on a collection of cup noodles: http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...1/1d5638b0.jpg

some Victoria sponge, and some ham and cheese buns: http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...1/d38ab21c.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...1/3ad96dca.jpg

What do you like from your local (or not so local) Chinese supermarket?
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Old 14-04-2012, 00:53
queenshaks
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The one we do pop in on the rare occasion (my sister more often as she lives round the corner from it) is Wing Yip.

I just love it. Some sweets that are in there are sweets we had as children in Mauritius like White Rabbit, a milky chew wrapped in rice paper.

I can buy loads of things just for the sake of buying. The Malaysian instant noodles are nice cos it usually has a chilli sachet with it.
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Old 14-04-2012, 00:56
Victoria Sponge
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I used to go to a Wing Yip when I used to live in Croydon. Oh it was great! They had a proper bakery too, and one could have afternoon tea there too. Wonderful. Better than the one I went to today. Chinese style Victoria sponge is lovely, it's so light and it doesn't 'crumb' so much.
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Old 14-04-2012, 01:00
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Never realised there were Chinese style Victoria sponge. I wonder what they put in it to make it so light.
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Old 14-04-2012, 01:02
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I also like the sugar coated tamarinds with chilli, eaten as a snack, usually sold in tubs.

Oh Haw flakes is another nice sweet, an acquired taste.
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Old 14-04-2012, 01:02
Victoria Sponge
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Never realised there were Chinese style Victoria sponge. I wonder what they put in it to make it so light.
I reckon, and it really is just a guess, that maybe it's not so much what they put in, but more like the usual ingredients but in different quantities, or maybe something to do with whipped egg whites. I'd love to know!
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Old 14-04-2012, 01:05
queenshaks
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I reckon, and it really is just a guess, that maybe it's not so much what they put in, but more like the usual ingredients but in different quantities, or maybe something to do with whipped egg whites. I'd love to know!
I just Googled and apparently they are steamed. That would explain it.
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Old 14-04-2012, 01:11
Victoria Sponge
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I just Googled and apparently they are steamed. That would explain it.
Ah yes. That makes sense. It's sooooo damn soft, when you next go Wing Yip, do try the cake!
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Old 14-04-2012, 02:33
doom&gloom
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I'm suspicious about Chinese food since the milk scandal, I know a lot of "traditional Chinese medicines" are actually full of steroids as well.
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Old 14-04-2012, 05:22
c00kiemonster72
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The one thing you will never see in a chinese supermarket is a ginger cake

When I worked for a company a few years back who supplied Chinese restaurants/take aways I got to know the Chinese ladies who ran a take away in Tewkesbury. Everytime I delivered they would always cook me something nice for my lunch, so to return the favour I baked them a sticky ginger cake. The sort of cake you have to leave a week at least before cutting to allow it to go nice n sticky

They loved it, as the Chinese never eat ginger as a sweet thing, or at least as a cake
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Old 14-04-2012, 05:26
kate36
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Never realised there were Chinese style Victoria sponge. I wonder what they put in it to make it so light.
rice flour? i've heard that makes lovely light sponges

sooo jealous re chinese supermarket, as i live in the west country, and they haven't reached this far! and therefore i don't have the luxury of being able to visit one but i've used an online store before, v good!
hope OP enjoyed their goodies!
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Old 14-04-2012, 08:52
Annie1fortennis
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The things I buy usually are packets of 'pancakes' to go with peking duck and wonton wrappers.
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Old 14-04-2012, 09:35
springtimelover
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The one I go to is in Biggleswade on the A1M .. Its not that great to be honest, I go for Coconut oil and milk. But its a bit far out to go to all the time.
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Old 14-04-2012, 10:41
Annie1fortennis
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i haven't been for dim sum for ages. I think I will pop to China town and have a bite to eat and look round a chinese supermarket or two. Yum!
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Old 14-04-2012, 11:33
HazzaGrazza
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I love speciality supermarkets. We have a Hoo Hings near us, and frequent it fairly often. They loads of fresh fish in tanks, that you can pick.
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Old 14-04-2012, 12:06
Joe Blackburn
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Green tea and red bean Swiss roll!
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Old 14-04-2012, 12:51
pugamo
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Chinese supermarkets are scary!
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Old 14-04-2012, 13:24
Joe Blackburn
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What's scary about them?
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Old 14-04-2012, 13:25
jojo01
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I live about 10 minutes away from Wing yip in Croydon. It's a great place full of things, many of which I have no idea what they are!

The freezer section stocks pigs uterus if i remember rightly
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Old 14-04-2012, 14:32
pugamo
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What's scary about them?
I never know what anything is, and its always full of people who know what everything is, and I imagine they are thinking "ha, you don't know what any of this stuff is, you idiot!"
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Old 14-04-2012, 15:01
purplecatz
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I love speciality supermarkets. We have a Hoo Hings near us, and frequent it fairly often. They loads of fresh fish in tanks, that you can pick.
same here, it is fascinating to browse and discover ingredients you have never used before
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Old 14-04-2012, 18:41
degsyhufc
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Had a really fun day out today with an old friend. We went to Wagamama for lunch and then off to the Chinese supermarket.

I managed to buy the Xaoxing rice wine that I've wanted for ages but couldn't get, the nice famous Chinese chef Ching He Huang says I need it to make nice Chinese food at home.

I also got some veggie 'gyoza' style frozen dumplings which can be steamed or microwaved.

I was happy to see a whole aisle dedicated to instant noodles:http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...1/791448f7.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...1/971b89cb.jpg

with loads of choices of cup noodles:http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...1/f6e6f731.jpg

They even had wildlife!: http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...1/e15c7fa8.jpg

I settled on a collection of cup noodles: http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...1/1d5638b0.jpg

some Victoria sponge, and some ham and cheese buns: http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...1/d38ab21c.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...1/3ad96dca.jpg

What do you like from your local (or not so local) Chinese supermarket?
Ah the lovely Ching
You can also use dry sherry as a substitute. No need though if you're at a Chinese supermarket
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Old 14-04-2012, 20:45
Victoria Sponge
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Ah the lovely Ching
You can also use dry sherry as a substitute. No need though if you're at a Chinese supermarket
I got the Xaoxing rice wine from there! Been waiting sooooo long for an opportunity to get it. I had the choice of three
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Old 15-04-2012, 13:44
farmhand
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I have gone through phases of trying out different stuff down the years.

It's odd. I don't particularly like or rate Chinese cooking (add Soy sauce, spring onion, ginger and rice wine to everything ), but alot of the individual products fascinate me.

I've gone through most of the mock meats like "mock duck," which are all made out of gluten. (I've been to vegan gluten restaurants where everything on the menu is simulated meat cleverly made out of gluten!)

Straw mushrooms are good and you can get an excellent price on some dried fungi. I collect wild mushrooms and have noticed you can get dried cauliflower fungus - one of the most beautiful and difficult to find - for peanuts. (However, good fungi is now best supplied by Polish/East European grocers who have amazing ranges and sell things like Penny Buns and Chanterelles.)

Make-your-own Lobster (or prawn) crackers are great fun - ideal if you have a kid over who likes prawn crackers. They come as little dried discs which you drop into hot oil and they instantly puff up and cook.

I get the usual oyster, soy sauce and sesame oil there. I also highly recommend chillie oils...the ones which have some dried shrimp in them. These are, imo, the best of all chillie dipping sauces. I absolutely love that deep, burnt smoky taste the shrimp paste brings. They sometimes serve this stuff straight out the jar in Chinese restaurants to dip your seafood into.

Speaking of which, you can often get very cheap seafood at the Chinese. Check the price of frozen squid and octopus. Years ago in Soho, you used to be able to find dirt cheap fresh Sea Bass.

Another product I like and still use is winter pickles. Chinese pickles can be weird...these ones are very salty and gawd knows what they're made from. I chop them up and add to veggie stir fry as the salty component.

Not forgetting, the Chinese is the only place to buy bean curd, cheap as chips protein for the veggies. The bags of ready fried cubes are handy as they are much tastier and more porous than straight up curd (the porousness allows it to absorb sauces and flavours much more easily), and keep longer.

I rate Chinese greens very highly and the price is great. Try out the different ones.

A mate of mine from Hong Kong once tried to get me into the dried cuttlefish snacks, but it wasn't quite my bag. They seem to go in for quite alot of smelly, chewy fish/meat products out east!

Very exotic those shops, I love to wonder around them. The thing that perhaps fascinates me the most is Lotus Root. It looks so amazing... would make for a stunning plate of food... but I've never figured out what to do with it.

I'm also on the lookout for some Chillie Bean Sauce and Sichan peppercorns to make this...
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Old 15-04-2012, 17:21
queenshaks
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I have gone through phases of trying out different stuff down the years.

It's odd. I don't particularly like or rate Chinese cooking (add Soy sauce, spring onion, ginger and rice wine to everything ), but alot of the individual products fascinate me.

I've gone through most of the mock meats like "mock duck," which are all made out of gluten. (I've been to vegan gluten restaurants where everything on the menu is simulated meat cleverly made out of gluten!)

Straw mushrooms are good and you can get an excellent price on some dried fungi. I collect wild mushrooms and have noticed you can get dried cauliflower fungus - one of the most beautiful and difficult to find - for peanuts. (However, good fungi is now best supplied by Polish/East European grocers who have amazing ranges and sell things like Penny Buns and Chanterelles.)

Make-your-own Lobster (or prawn) crackers are great fun - ideal if you have a kid over who likes prawn crackers. They come as little dried discs which you drop into hot oil and they instantly puff up and cook.

I get the usual oyster, soy sauce and sesame oil there. I also highly recommend chillie oils...the ones which have some dried shrimp in them. These are, imo, the best of all chillie dipping sauces. I absolutely love that deep, burnt smoky taste the shrimp paste brings. They sometimes serve this stuff straight out the jar in Chinese restaurants to dip your seafood into.

Speaking of which, you can often get very cheap seafood at the Chinese. Check the price of frozen squid and octopus. Years ago in Soho, you used to be able to find dirt cheap fresh Sea Bass.

Another product I like and still use is winter pickles. Chinese pickles can be weird...these ones are very salty and gawd knows what they're made from. I chop them up and add to veggie stir fry as the salty component.

Not forgetting, the Chinese is the only place to buy bean curd, cheap as chips protein for the veggies. The bags of ready fried cubes are handy as they are much tastier and more porous than straight up curd (the porousness allows it to absorb sauces and flavours much more easily), and keep longer.

I rate Chinese greens very highly and the price is great. Try out the different ones.

A mate of mine from Hong Kong once tried to get me into the dried cuttlefish snacks, but it wasn't quite my bag. They seem to go in for quite alot of smelly, chewy fish/meat products out east!

Very exotic those shops, I love to wonder around them. The thing that perhaps fascinates me the most is Lotus Root. It looks so amazing... would make for a stunning plate of food... but I've never figured out what to do with it.

I'm also on the lookout for some Chillie Bean Sauce and Sichan peppercorns to make this...
Chilli bean sauce

Szechuan peppercorns from Tesco
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