1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:08,480 Hi everyone, welcome to Pot Luck Food Talks. 2 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:11,440 Today we're going to talk about Asian supermarkets. 3 00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:14,520 So what's your, what are your thoughts on Asian supermarkets? 4 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:19,840 Well, I mean, I love Asian supermarkets, you know, it's like being a kid in a toy store. 5 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:22,280 I feel like every time you go, you find something new. 6 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:23,280 Yeah, man. 7 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:29,600 And I actually, wherever I live, I always have like a go-to Asian supermarket. 8 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:33,840 And it's always a special moment when I go there because it's usually when I want to 9 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:38,640 cook something like in that flavor direction. 10 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:43,160 And you usually end up buying more than what you just wanted because you always find like 11 00:00:43,160 --> 00:00:46,640 something that gives you ideas about doing something new. 12 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:47,640 Yeah, yeah, totally. 13 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:49,880 Like I often like kind of go for like one thing. 14 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:52,840 I'm sort of like, oh, I need more sesame oil. 15 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:55,600 And I stand in front of the aisle and I'm sort of like, what the fuck is this? 16 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:58,200 You know, and then like, you kind of look at it and you're like, what? 17 00:00:58,200 --> 00:00:59,200 Okay, I have to take it. 18 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:00,200 I have to try it. 19 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:02,320 And then you go along, you're trying to find the sesame oil and you're like, oh, what the 20 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:03,320 hell? 21 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:04,320 What is this? 22 00:01:04,320 --> 00:01:08,280 Like weird little fermented fish heads, I'll take you, you know, it's always really fun. 23 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:14,400 I also remember as a kid, not only Asian supermarkets, like I grew up in Caracas, the Chinese food 24 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:16,920 in Caracas for me is the best one I've tried in the world. 25 00:01:16,920 --> 00:01:17,920 Oh, wow. 26 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:23,040 Of course, I haven't been in Asia, but I mean, even in New York, Europe, no question about, 27 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:28,600 I haven't seen like a proper Chinese restaurant in Europe. 28 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:31,760 Peru has good ones, but for me, the best one I've tried is in Venezuela. 29 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:33,960 And it's also something I really crave. 30 00:01:33,960 --> 00:01:37,840 And when I go back, I always go to like a good Chinese restaurants over there. 31 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:42,480 And there is this neighborhood called El Bosque and they had like this Chinese market. 32 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:43,960 This wasn't like a supermarket. 33 00:01:43,960 --> 00:01:49,960 It was more like a market market where there were vendors also selling street food and 34 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:52,560 also all kinds of condiments and ingredients. 35 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:54,920 And I always have like good memories about it. 36 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:59,320 Yeah, I heard that there's like lots of Chinese expats living in like Latin America. 37 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:03,280 I noticed like whole subcultures in like South America, right? 38 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:09,920 Yeah, well, in Peru, they have their own, you know, like Chinese cuisine that is called 39 00:02:09,920 --> 00:02:12,400 xifa or chaufa. 40 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:15,440 I've heard both ways of naming it. 41 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:20,600 And there is like this Chinatown in Lima that is quite big. 42 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:22,840 And it's like, it's like really a Chinatown. 43 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:24,760 Everybody is Chinese inside there. 44 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:31,320 In Venezuela, as I mentioned, I grew up and there were always like a Chinese community 45 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:38,000 in Caracas and also in every every other city, there was always like a Chinese restaurant 46 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:39,000 and it was mostly Cantonese. 47 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:44,760 But of course, with the whole political thing in Venezuela, that this socialism and they 48 00:02:44,760 --> 00:02:50,280 became like very strong allies with China, this has become times 20. 49 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:57,160 Now you go to Venezuela and there are like Chinese that are moved like only 15 years 50 00:02:57,160 --> 00:02:59,720 ago and they already speak fluent Spanish. 51 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:03,600 And it's like a complete new generation of Chinese, you know, like in a complete different 52 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:04,600 thing. 53 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:09,520 And you will see them like in all kinds of public works doing like anything. 54 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:15,040 But yeah, going back to the topic, Chinese supermarkets or Asian supermarkets for me 55 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:21,240 is always super interesting and funny as well, because I've been there with actual Asian 56 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:23,720 people and they laugh about it. 57 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:27,960 It's like, oh, you don't name this like this or and I guess it's the same. 58 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:32,280 I've seen like, I don't know what was it in a supermarket in Germany. 59 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:38,160 There was this mango juice and it was called mango tango, you know, because tango is so 60 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:40,440 Latin American and mango also. 61 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:43,560 It was like, no, man, no, this is so wrong. 62 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:46,840 And so it's not like that. 63 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:50,920 And I guess these kind of names, you will find the same in Asian, but we just don't 64 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:52,320 notice it, you know? 65 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:53,320 Yeah, for sure. 66 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:54,320 For sure. 67 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:58,880 It must be really weird, kind of like, you know, because also I guess like what people 68 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:01,000 want, you know, it's like totally different. 69 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:05,460 Like for one Asian supermarket, it's obviously catered to the immigrated, you know, communities, 70 00:04:05,460 --> 00:04:09,200 but then also like to what the local people want to buy, I suppose. 71 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:16,040 Do you have any standard go-to ingredients that you find in and that you buy in an Asian 72 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:17,040 supermarket? 73 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:20,880 Yeah, I have a couple of things that even if I have some at home, I see it, I kind of 74 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:22,400 still have to buy it. 75 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:28,080 I think my number one thing is, as probably you'll guess already, because you know me 76 00:04:28,080 --> 00:04:36,280 a little bit, is Lao Gan Ma, which is this like brand of chili oil and like preserves. 77 00:04:36,280 --> 00:04:40,400 It's got this like angry looking grandma on the front and I think I'm pronouncing it right, 78 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:44,520 a little Lao Gan Ma and they have a range of stuff, but it's just like, it's usually 79 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:51,080 things preserved in chili oil and it's so addictive and so tasty that even if I still 80 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:54,440 have like a whole jar at home, I might see one and just take it. 81 00:04:54,440 --> 00:04:59,120 Like my favorites are they have fermented black beans in chili oil with this like chili 82 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:04,840 crisp and that's super tasty because the black beans are like salty and funky and sweet and 83 00:05:04,840 --> 00:05:07,400 you have the crunchy chili and garlic and stuff. 84 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:13,160 They also have like fermented tofu and kohlrabi in chili oil, which is also really nice, really 85 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:14,160 weird. 86 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:15,160 I haven't seen that one. 87 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:21,280 Yeah, it's also really good, but I think the best one has to be the like crispy chili oil 88 00:05:21,280 --> 00:05:25,360 that it just has like chicken flavor and I don't know where the chicken flavor comes 89 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:26,360 from. 90 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:28,960 I mean, we know where the chicken flavor comes from, comes from, you know, a little sprinkle 91 00:05:28,960 --> 00:05:33,340 of the good stuff, but it's just so tasty. 92 00:05:33,340 --> 00:05:34,340 You can put it on anything. 93 00:05:34,340 --> 00:05:38,760 Yeah, you introduced me to that one and now it's like a new necessity I have. 94 00:05:38,760 --> 00:05:42,080 I can't live without having it like in my pantry. 95 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:43,080 It's like a must. 96 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:46,400 Yeah, it's dangerous because it's like, because I put it on everything, you know, I'll like 97 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:49,280 make a fried egg and I'll put, you know, chili oil on it. 98 00:05:49,280 --> 00:05:52,040 I'll make like potatoes, roast potatoes. 99 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:53,280 I'll put the chili oil in it. 100 00:05:53,280 --> 00:05:56,720 Then everything like after a while you look back at your week and you're like, man, every 101 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:57,720 day I eat chili oil. 102 00:05:57,720 --> 00:05:58,760 It's not really good for you. 103 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:03,640 My go-to ingredients are usually were of course soy sauce and I usually have like four or 104 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:05,920 five types of soy sauce. 105 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:10,320 Always like one or two Japanese ones and the other one's Chinese. 106 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:15,760 I lately I've been buying one that also has like, it's like a mushroom soy sauce. 107 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:16,760 Pretty good. 108 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:18,360 Then all these fermented soybeans. 109 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,920 My favorite one is one from a brand called Healthy Boy. 110 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:23,240 Oh yeah, Healthy Boy. 111 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:24,400 And that's the one we use. 112 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:28,360 You remember to make this wok of Swiss chard. 113 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:34,000 The Sichuanese Swiss chard that I got from, what's the name of this outdoor? 114 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:35,000 Fuxia Dunlop. 115 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:36,000 Fuxia Dunlop. 116 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:37,000 Yeah. 117 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:38,000 Yeah, exactly. 118 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:39,000 She's pretty cool. 119 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:45,240 Like her books have a way of translating Chinese cuisine to Western audiences and I found it 120 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:46,360 pretty interesting. 121 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:47,360 For sure. 122 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:49,120 Then what else? 123 00:06:49,120 --> 00:06:51,440 I usually get kimchi base. 124 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:52,440 Oh yeah. 125 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:53,680 That's something I use a lot. 126 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:57,480 That's really versatile also because you see the thing with like Asian supermarkets is 127 00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:04,120 that we don't have the like cultural background to know exactly what the things are used for, 128 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:05,120 right? 129 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:08,960 So I feel like often kind of when you find ingredients, you're more free in like using 130 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:09,960 them. 131 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:13,720 So you see like a sauce and you're kind of like, I have no idea what traditionally this 132 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:14,720 is used for. 133 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:17,360 So you taste it and you're like, oh cool, this could be good for this or this could 134 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:18,360 be good for that. 135 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:19,360 Exactly. 136 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:20,360 Like kimchi base, like it makes sense. 137 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:25,200 We all know kimchi but still you can use it for like marinating meats or you know, like 138 00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:27,440 mixing it into a mayonnaise or something like that. 139 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:28,440 It is super nice. 140 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:29,440 Yeah. 141 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:30,440 And that's exactly what I do. 142 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:33,960 Like I would add that just a little bit to anything just to turn it up, you know? 143 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:34,960 Yeah. 144 00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:40,960 Then there is the equipment section and there you will find like woks, Chinese cleavers, 145 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:48,920 chopsticks, cooking chopsticks, baskets to cook ramen, like all kinds of stuff that I 146 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:50,880 also usually have at home. 147 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:52,360 Also steaming baskets. 148 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:53,360 Yeah. 149 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:54,360 Super useful. 150 00:07:54,360 --> 00:07:58,320 I go ham in the sort of place, like even like the spatulas, like usually I have like little 151 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:02,280 baskets with like spatulas and like spoons and stuff. 152 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:07,000 And also like what I really like is like the ceramics, like the little bowls, you know, 153 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:12,560 usually with the like really sort of like cheesy standard like blue painting on it. 154 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:17,080 But I love just having like a stack of those at home for like using as like little like 155 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:19,640 misan blast containers and it's like when I'm cooking. 156 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:22,560 But yeah, I also, I have a huge thing for Chinese cleavers. 157 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:24,720 I think Chinese cleaver is amazing. 158 00:08:24,720 --> 00:08:29,920 It's like difficult to use for me because I'm not a trained Chinese chef, but I find 159 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:31,480 them like, I just love them. 160 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:32,480 Yeah. 161 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:33,480 It's super cool. 162 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:37,120 You have to change your mindset about using a knife because it's different. 163 00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:41,240 Like a pro Chinese chef can peel a garlic clove with those things. 164 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:42,240 Yeah. 165 00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:46,280 And like to do that, you need to understand how to use it because it's not the same as 166 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:47,760 a Western knife. 167 00:08:47,760 --> 00:08:48,800 Yeah, for sure. 168 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:53,400 Like you see the thing is that like often I feel like the stuff that they sell on display 169 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:55,240 is not really the good stuff. 170 00:08:55,240 --> 00:09:00,120 And I experienced this one time when I was in London, where I was living there and Chinatown, 171 00:09:00,120 --> 00:09:05,440 they had a huge row of like really great supermarkets, but like really, really good ones where you 172 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:12,680 would find super top quality ingredients like, you know, Buddha's hand and different types 173 00:09:12,680 --> 00:09:15,740 of like ginger from Thailand and stuff like that. 174 00:09:15,740 --> 00:09:16,740 And it was great. 175 00:09:16,740 --> 00:09:21,040 And one time I was cooking with a chef and he was really into Chinese food and he had 176 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:22,920 this really beautiful Chinese cleaver. 177 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:24,240 And I was like, oh, where did you get it? 178 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:26,880 And he was like, oh, I just got it in Chinatown and this is displaced. 179 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:27,880 And I was like, oh really? 180 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:28,880 I'll have to check it out. 181 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:32,600 He said, yeah, but you have to go to the guy at the counter and you have to ask them for 182 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:36,280 it because they had like five different types of Chinese cleavers on display. 183 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:41,480 But when you ask the guy, he's got two more that are hidden, sort of like you have to 184 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:42,980 unlock it. 185 00:09:42,980 --> 00:09:45,760 They have one for slicing and one for chopping. 186 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:46,760 Right. 187 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:51,760 And he was like, you can try to go there and like ask him about it, but he might not give 188 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:52,760 it to you, you know? 189 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:55,800 And so I went there and I asked the guy, he was sort of like, yeah, I'm looking for a 190 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:56,800 Chinese cleaver. 191 00:09:56,800 --> 00:09:58,760 And he was like, yeah, Chinese cleaver is over there. 192 00:09:58,760 --> 00:10:01,280 I'm like, no, no, I mean like the nice ones. 193 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:02,280 They're nice. 194 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:03,280 They're nice. 195 00:10:03,280 --> 00:10:04,280 They're super nice. 196 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:07,140 Like, but you know, trying to get me into buying it and I was like, man, I know you 197 00:10:07,140 --> 00:10:08,560 have them hidden. 198 00:10:08,560 --> 00:10:10,280 And then he started this whole argument with me. 199 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:11,800 He was sort of like, you don't know how to use it. 200 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:13,540 Like, why do you want to buy the nice cleaver? 201 00:10:13,540 --> 00:10:14,540 You don't know how to use it. 202 00:10:14,540 --> 00:10:17,000 Like, man, just, just let me buy the knife, man. 203 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:19,000 Like I want to give you my money. 204 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:20,000 Yeah. 205 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:21,000 Just, just give it to me. 206 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:22,000 I gave it to me in the end. 207 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:28,480 I remember a long time ago when I was at culinary school, there was a, an article from Wiley 208 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:31,240 to frame, you know, the chef from WD 50. 209 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:32,240 Yeah. 210 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:35,920 And he was talking about Chinese cleavers and how he started using them and also his 211 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:43,040 team and how he started using it also to, to work with poultry. 212 00:10:43,040 --> 00:10:47,800 And that's also something difficult to do, you know, to take the, the, the duck breasts 213 00:10:47,800 --> 00:10:50,800 with that kind of thing and doing it properly. 214 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:55,800 I also remember in the, the only three star restaurant where I worked, the head chef would 215 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:58,120 do the fish also with a Chinese cleaver. 216 00:10:58,120 --> 00:10:59,120 Oh yeah. 217 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:03,220 And I think that's, that's pretty badass to, to do fish with, with that thing. 218 00:11:03,220 --> 00:11:04,220 It's really badass. 219 00:11:04,220 --> 00:11:07,120 Like it reminds me when I was in Japan and they were doing everything. 220 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:11,680 They had these beautiful custom made Yanagi bars, which are like these like long one side 221 00:11:11,680 --> 00:11:14,960 bevel slicing knives, but they would just use them for everything. 222 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:18,560 At one point this guy was like peeling radishes, like breakfast radishes. 223 00:11:18,560 --> 00:11:23,640 And he had this like 33 centimeter long knife just like peeling radishes. 224 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:24,640 That's really badass. 225 00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:29,120 Also talking about the Asian supermarkets, it reminds me one of the most creative and 226 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:35,680 influential Latin American novelists of the last generations, a San Argentinian called 227 00:11:35,680 --> 00:11:37,800 Cesar Aira. 228 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:43,640 And he usually writes only with small publishers, so his books are pretty hard to find, especially 229 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:44,640 in Europe. 230 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:51,200 But he has this novel called Marmón and it's about a guy that enters an Asian supermarket. 231 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:58,120 And then he discovers like there's this whole conspiracy that this is actually like a headquarter 232 00:11:58,120 --> 00:12:02,320 for aliens and all the Asians are actually aliens. 233 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:07,720 I mean that, that sounds borderline racist, but what it sounds like. 234 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:15,040 Basically it sounds kind of racist, I understand, but also like the symbology of it, I can understand 235 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:20,400 it because usually when you go into an Asian supermarket, it's really something like from 236 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:21,400 another planet. 237 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:26,000 I mean, no offense, but I mean everything is completely different. 238 00:12:26,000 --> 00:12:29,920 The products, the alphabet, like everything. 239 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:35,320 So I kind of get it to make that game, you know, and at the end of the day, it's just 240 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:36,320 a novel. 241 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:37,480 Yeah, for sure. 242 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:42,120 I also like, you know, I love the freezer section at Asian supermarkets, you know, because 243 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:43,120 Oh yeah. 244 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:44,120 Oh my god. 245 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:45,120 Do you have any favorites there? 246 00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:50,800 Yeah, like, I mean, I often, okay, so there's obviously different parts in the freezer section. 247 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:55,120 There's the like ready-made stuff, like yodas and dumplings and shumai. 248 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:58,960 I always get the frozen yodas when I go to one of these places. 249 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:00,800 I always stock up because it's so good. 250 00:13:00,800 --> 00:13:04,480 Like, you can just like pop a steam basket on, throw some dumplings in there and like 251 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:07,800 you're done and like, you know, they get really, really delicious. 252 00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:08,800 Yeah. 253 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:09,800 Yeah. 254 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:14,240 But like also, you know, especially in Korean supermarkets, the like frozen meat section 255 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:15,240 is insane. 256 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:16,240 Okay. 257 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:17,240 Yeah. 258 00:13:17,240 --> 00:13:22,000 It's like super nice quality beef and pork, like sliced super perfectly with like really 259 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:23,000 intense marbling. 260 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:27,080 And it's like often you get it like really, really cheap, like really beautiful pork belly 261 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:31,360 because you know, in Korea, they're like obsessed with pork belly and it's like already sliced, 262 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:35,400 I guess for like the sort of grilling that they do because they have just like raw thin 263 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:38,920 slice of pork belly that they grill from raw, which is also something that we don't do in 264 00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:39,920 the West. 265 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:44,120 Like usually pork belly gets braised or you know, steamed or something like that before 266 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:45,120 you cook it. 267 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:47,200 But yeah, that's always really, really good. 268 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:51,200 And often when I'm at the supermarket there, I just take like five, six packets of meat 269 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:52,600 and just have them in the freezer. 270 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:58,240 There's also like the candy section where there are like this non-vegan candies that 271 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:01,560 are like, I don't know, like pork or chicken skin. 272 00:14:01,560 --> 00:14:02,560 Oh yeah. 273 00:14:02,560 --> 00:14:08,080 But sweet like in this kind of super delicious actually, but also something completely different 274 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:09,080 from the West. 275 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:13,240 You won't see any, you know, animals made candies. 276 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:15,040 Yeah, for sure. 277 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:19,720 I remember one thing that I saw, I think it was also in Japan was this like squid candy 278 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:24,040 where they take, they make like beef jerky, but sweet, but with squid. 279 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:27,340 And it's like super, super traditional, you know, it's like, I mean, more than traditional, 280 00:14:27,340 --> 00:14:30,600 but it's like really popular and it's just like a snack that you get like cuttlefish 281 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:31,600 candy. 282 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:32,600 That's pretty cool. 283 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:36,600 I usually also get sushi rice or Korean rice, these kinds of things. 284 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:37,600 Yeah, for sure. 285 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:43,720 I mean, I was, when I was an apprentice, I lived over, I was so poor at one point, I 286 00:14:43,720 --> 00:14:49,040 just went to an Asian supermarket and bought a 20 kilo bag of sushi rice and just lived 287 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:53,280 off that for like a month because the bag was like, I don't know, it was like 30 quid 288 00:14:53,280 --> 00:14:56,480 or something and I just had no money and I would just need something to eat. 289 00:14:56,480 --> 00:15:00,280 You know, since the last time that we had like the sushi episode and you asked me, do 290 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:02,760 you ever make sushi at home? 291 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:04,520 And I had like a sushi rice. 292 00:15:04,520 --> 00:15:09,200 So I started like, you know, doing just like some sushi rice with some nori leaf and putting 293 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:14,280 whatever on top, just as you would do like a sandwich, you know, like something really 294 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:18,160 routine-ary, just to have like a quick snack. 295 00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:20,120 And it's actually pretty cool to do that. 296 00:15:20,120 --> 00:15:21,120 Yeah, totally. 297 00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:27,520 I think I don't have it at the moment, but one of my next buys is definitely like a nice 298 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:32,240 rice cooker, like a Japanese or Korean rice cooker, you know, because I think it's so 299 00:15:32,240 --> 00:15:33,240 nice. 300 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:38,080 I saw it a lot in Japan where people would just make like a donabe style rice pot, just 301 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:43,560 like nice rice, sometimes like a little bit like water that's like maybe seasoned or like 302 00:15:43,560 --> 00:15:49,200 very lightly and then just like seasonal ingredients into it and they just like cook into the rice 303 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:54,240 and then you have this like, for example, like edamame and anchovy rice and it's just 304 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:57,280 like super fresh and oh nice and really, really nice. 305 00:15:57,280 --> 00:16:00,680 And it's just really a wholly kind of convenient cooking. 306 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:01,680 What about the fresh section? 307 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:06,800 I usually get their Chinese cabbage, bok choy, bok choy, those kinds of things. 308 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:09,560 Also mushrooms like shiitakes and okis. 309 00:16:09,560 --> 00:16:11,800 I actually get whatever there is. 310 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:15,160 There is also like this steam and tem salad. 311 00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:17,040 I don't know if you know what I mean. 312 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:23,240 Something that looks like a huge asparagus and tastes like a salad if you would eat like 313 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:25,600 the stem of the salad, but nice. 314 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:26,600 Oh yeah. 315 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:27,600 What else? 316 00:16:27,600 --> 00:16:29,840 Pandanus leaves, those kind of things. 317 00:16:29,840 --> 00:16:34,840 Have you been to Vinloy in Berlin, in Berlin? 318 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:35,840 Vinloy? 319 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:36,840 No, I don't think so. 320 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:41,840 It's a pretty big one, I remember, and they have like lots of things like it's in Vedding 321 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:44,440 and Reinigendorf if I'm not wrong. 322 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:48,600 Oh yeah, and like Kohl, they've got one in Kohlfursen down there, I'm just seeing now. 323 00:16:48,600 --> 00:16:51,100 So they've expanded. 324 00:16:51,100 --> 00:16:52,840 I think they had both already. 325 00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:56,920 I have to go there actually because I've been dying to go to Asian supermarket actually. 326 00:16:56,920 --> 00:17:00,800 You know there used to be this huge like Vietnamese market outside of the city. 327 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:02,560 Ah, that's pretty crazy. 328 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:04,000 They have that in Berlin exactly. 329 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:06,720 It's like a huge market and it's all Vietnamese. 330 00:17:06,720 --> 00:17:07,720 Yeah. 331 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:13,560 Like I went there once and you know when I've been like in Asian markets and other cities, 332 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:16,720 it's usually all Chinese, but all Vietnamese is quite unusual. 333 00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:18,760 Yeah, for sure. 334 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:21,160 It burned down like a couple of years ago. 335 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:24,640 Unfortunately, it was really sad because that was like an amazing place. 336 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:29,160 It's like a big warehouse situation, you know, like roofed over. 337 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:33,040 And yeah, it's just like a culinary wonderland. 338 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:37,080 Yeah, there's a huge Vietnamese community in Berlin. 339 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:41,820 That's probably the reason why the only good Asian restaurants are Vietnamese because everything 340 00:17:41,820 --> 00:17:43,480 else is not so good. 341 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:44,480 That's true. 342 00:17:44,480 --> 00:17:48,080 I mean like back in the day, it was like there was a real cult following of sort of like 343 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:51,200 where you could get the best pho. 344 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:53,240 You know, everybody had an opinion. 345 00:17:53,240 --> 00:17:57,040 I remember there was a good pho place like around where you were living in O'Connor, 346 00:17:57,040 --> 00:17:58,040 right? 347 00:17:58,040 --> 00:18:02,160 Yeah, it was like a super non-pretentious place, but I would go there a lot, man. 348 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:05,600 Yeah, I mean it's a perfect food, you know, it's super fresh, super nice. 349 00:18:05,600 --> 00:18:06,600 What about booze? 350 00:18:06,600 --> 00:18:10,160 Do you get any booze in Asian supermarkets? 351 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:11,400 You know, not really booze. 352 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:14,120 I mean, I get Shaoxing wine for cooking and stuff. 353 00:18:14,120 --> 00:18:15,120 Okay, exactly. 354 00:18:15,120 --> 00:18:19,360 Or Mirin or this kind of stuff or even sake, but to cook, not to drink. 355 00:18:19,360 --> 00:18:21,520 Yeah, I mean, Mirin and sake for sure. 356 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:24,440 Sometimes I also get it for drinking. 357 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:29,800 I mean, but I wouldn't, I usually don't get sake for drinking in an Asian supermarket. 358 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:31,280 I would get it somewhere else. 359 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:32,280 That's true. 360 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:33,280 That's true. 361 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:36,160 It's definitely a much better idea to get it from somewhere else because usually they 362 00:18:36,160 --> 00:18:37,880 only have the cheap stuff. 363 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:42,280 But like I have a soft spot for Atsukan, which is like hot sake. 364 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:43,280 Okay. 365 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:45,360 I think that's how you call it anyway, if I remember. 366 00:18:45,360 --> 00:18:46,360 But yeah, hot sake. 367 00:18:46,360 --> 00:18:50,960 And usually like you don't use the good quality sake for hot sake, but it's just very nice 368 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:52,040 having hot sake. 369 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:54,560 And I have like very fond memories of drinking hot sake. 370 00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:57,000 So sometimes I like buy a cheap bottle and just heat it up. 371 00:18:57,000 --> 00:19:00,720 What about this place that used to be in North Croyd that was like a sake store? 372 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:01,720 Does it still exist? 373 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:02,720 You know what I'm talking about? 374 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:04,180 Oh, I think I do. 375 00:19:04,180 --> 00:19:06,120 Was it like a little bar sort of thing? 376 00:19:06,120 --> 00:19:11,040 Yeah, like a little store, super peaky with super nice stuff. 377 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:16,640 Wasn't it called like the sake, like sake trader or sake import or something like that? 378 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:17,640 Something like that. 379 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:20,320 And they had like just very high quality stuff. 380 00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:21,320 Sake Contour. 381 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:22,320 What's the name? 382 00:19:22,320 --> 00:19:23,320 Sake Contour. 383 00:19:23,320 --> 00:19:24,320 Okay. 384 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:28,520 There's also like, I know a few people making sake in Berlin as well. 385 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:29,520 Oh really? 386 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:30,520 Yeah. 387 00:19:30,520 --> 00:19:38,160 And then this famous techno DJ, actually Xander, our producer interviewed him for another podcast. 388 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:39,160 What's the name of this guy? 389 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:40,160 I don't remember. 390 00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:42,000 Like a super influential techno DJ. 391 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:43,000 Yeah. 392 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:46,240 I mean, it's like, there's a few really interesting things going on in Berlin. 393 00:19:46,240 --> 00:19:52,640 There's this Japanese guy who does like traditional Japanese fermentation and he sells his products 394 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:57,840 to like, I mean, basically all like the top restaurants in the city buy from him because 395 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:00,120 he just makes like really proper stuff. 396 00:20:00,120 --> 00:20:03,000 Like he makes this buckwheat tamari. 397 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:04,760 I think it is. 398 00:20:04,760 --> 00:20:09,200 And it's just like, it's not like the normal tamari that you like buy. 399 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:10,640 It's like really light brown. 400 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:11,640 Yeah. 401 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:13,920 Can you explain what tamari is for the audience? 402 00:20:13,920 --> 00:20:16,360 It's basically a soy sauce. 403 00:20:16,360 --> 00:20:21,440 It's a type of soy sauce and usually it's sort of like sweeter and more intense. 404 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:23,080 Usually also gluten free, right? 405 00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:24,080 Tamari. 406 00:20:24,080 --> 00:20:25,080 Yes. 407 00:20:25,080 --> 00:20:26,080 You're absolutely right, Eric. 408 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:27,680 Tamari is gluten free. 409 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:29,280 Yeah, absolutely. 410 00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:30,280 Yeah. 411 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:34,800 And so he makes, he makes this with buckwheat and it's really unusual because it's like 412 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:40,640 very light in color and light in flavor also, but it's really like floral and salty and 413 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:45,840 really delicious. 414 00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:48,900 That's it for this week's episode of potluck food talks. 415 00:20:48,900 --> 00:20:52,760 If you like what we're doing, make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss 416 00:20:52,760 --> 00:20:54,000 an episode. 417 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:58,000 You can also find us on Instagram and Tik Tok as potluck food talks. 418 00:20:58,000 --> 00:20:59,360 The show airs every Monday.