Editorial
Front Page - Friday, October 1, 2010
River City Roundabout
Got squid?
Erica Tuggle
At the Asian Food and Gift mart, there are many varieties of foods that cannot be found anywhere else in town. Exotic drinks, meats, produce and desserts are available at low prices for those seeking variety in their cultural food dabbling.
- Erica Tuggle
Trying something different can be fun, and when trying new foods, there is always the possibility for a winning combination or unpleasant surprise. For those who think they have tried every odd edible that Chattanooga has to offer, it’s still possible to venture out in new foods not of this culture, but conveniently located nearby. A small store packed with cross continental goodies is Asian Food and Gifts, located on Hixson Pike beside Blue Ivy Flowers.
In this store, you will find all the ingredients to make homemade sushi and other Asian dishes. Sauces, noodles, unheard of produce and many varieties of curry and candy are available here. Fortune cookies by the bag and preserved duck eggs are on hand at this location as well as many other exotic meats and delicacies. Sweet drinks and strange ice creams are available here too. Even the most seasoned Foodie may find products they have yet to try.
For our visit, we chose a handful of treats from Asian Food and Gifts and prepared our palate to give them a try. Our selections are quick snacks, but anyone with an Internet connection or an Asian cookbook can utilize this shop’s seasonings, sauces, meats and more to make a delicious in-home meal.
Ramune
On our visit, we picked up two carbonated soft drinks. These unique beverages come in several varieties including strawberry and orange, and opening a Ramune is half the fun. After removing the plastic film from the top, you pop out the center from the cap, which you then place at the top of the bottle and press down firmly. This sends the marble stopper down into the bottle where it is trapped inside the bottle’s indention. Then you may enjoy this fizzy and sweet beverage.
Meiji Chocolate
One of the more uniquely shaped chocolate products at Asian Food and Gifts is the Meiji strawberry mushroom chocolates. The package features a bunny-like character holding a strawberry while sitting on a moon. The chocolates themselves are shaped like thumb sized mushrooms with cap and stem included. The tops of the mushroom caps are strawberry flavored and the bottom of the caps are milk chocolate. These are eaten like a lollypop and the strawberry chocolate tastes like the strawberries were freshly pressed into the candy.
Tapioca Pearl
This product is easy to make and can be served hot or cold with sweet soups, milk, tea, coffee, jelly and similar items. These come in the form of multi-colored balls that, once boiled in water become plump. They can be served with sugar or honey, but will become hard if not consumed after cooking. Their consistency makes them a fun edible.
Pineapple Cake (Banh Khom)
These items are tiny golden cakes made by a brand called Flying Elephant. They are great with milk because they are little cakes with a rich pineapple jelly core. These would be perfect with tea as well.
Meiji Yan Yan
Yan Yan is a fairly well known product for those who frequent Asian food culture. Yan Yan and Pocky are in the same family of sweets, as both include the crispy cracker sticks (also called biscuit sticks) and chocolate coating. Yan Yan biscuit sticks are thicker than Pocky, although Pocky comes in much more flavors like green tea and honey. Yan Yan is made with cheese and milk and will remind the ’90s generation of the fun snack “Dunkaroos.” Meiji also produces “Hello Panda,” which are bear shaped biscuits with either chocolate, strawberry or milk flavored filling and are also offered at Asian Food and Gifts.
Botan Rice Candy
This candy comes in printed boxes with the image of a peony blossom with an “inuhariko,” beside it, which is a dog-shaped traditional toy for Japanese children. These candies are soft and chewy with a lemon and orange flavor. Their inner wrapper is made of rice paper, which means it is also edible and will melt in your mouth. There is also a sticker in every package. Mine came with two monkeys playing leapfrog in front of an American flag.
Prepared Squid
This brand of Saki Ika shredded, dried squid came in a small pouch with a smiling squid on the front. Basically, it is seafood on the go. Although, this item may not seem like the ideal snack, in Asian countries it is eaten like chips at parties and for picnics. But like the bag says, “Make sure you have enough!”
Red Bean Ice Cream
Green bean, mango, green tea and red bean ice cream are all available at Asian Food and Gifts, but we only braved the red bean ice cream shaped into circular treats. These cold concoctions came in chocolate and vanilla varieties, and although they didn’t taste or look like traditional ice cream, they were still good in their soft rice coating filled with chilled bean paste.
Email Erica Tuggle at reporter@hamiltoncountyherald.com.
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