On Jun 3, 7:57*am, mkr5000 > wrote:
> I like to hit my local Oriental grocery about once a month and I'm
> familiar with all of the
> 'standard" items like noodles, wrappers, soup broths, teas, chili
> sauce, dried shrimp etc.
>
> But, I was wondering if it might be interesting to start a post where
> others may suggest some things that
> maybe I've overlooked and should be a definite.... "you gotta try it".
> (Items you can't live without).

It's next to impossible to guess what you are familiar with and what
would be new for you. At the risk of offering nothing new, I'd put a
few things on the "essentials" list:

fermented black beans (Yang Jiang Preserved Bean, with or without
ginger)
Chinkiang black vinegar
ShaoXing rice wine (not cooking wine, no salt added, likely only
available if your Asian market can sell wine)
lop cheong sausages

> For example, they have a huge frozen section at my mart with all types
> of seafood, beef and pork cuts and
> I've never ventured into that section. *Cuttlefish? *All sorts of
> names I've never tried.

You might check out the frozen beef pizzle.... -aem