# Buying Asian sauces/spices/ingredients tips ?



## toyopl (Jan 18, 2014)

I thought that I would ask if there are some tips for Asian ingredient ?
Recently I bought Coconut Milk and when I got home I read it has some Guar Gum in it, so reading a bit I found few pointers to buy Coconut Milk from Arroy-D and others that has only pure coconut milk without any emulsifiers and preservatives.

Now when I get into my Asian supermarket there are hundreds of sauces, oils, ingredients.
I'm curious if you have some tips on what to look out for when buying things like soy, sesame, oyster, etc sauces ?


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## Zhizara (Jan 18, 2014)

When I buy oriental sauces, marinades, etc., I find that the most important ingredientt for me is sodium content.  Many of these are extremely high.

I like to use a teriyake marinade, Veri Veri Teriyaki, but it is so very high in sodium, that I add pineapple juice to thin it down.  I like this one, because it tastes exactly as the one I make from scratch, but which is often difficult to recreate exactly.


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## Andy M. (Jan 18, 2014)

You're starting at the wrong end of the process.  Find a recipe for a dish that sounds good and buy the ingredients to make it.


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## CraigC (Jan 19, 2014)

Andy M. said:


> You're starting at the wrong end of the process.  Find a recipe for a dish that sounds good and buy the ingredients to make it.



+1. I have several ingredients acquired by doing this.


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## taxlady (Jan 19, 2014)

Andy M. said:


> You're starting at the wrong end of the process.  Find a recipe for a dish that sounds good and buy the ingredients to make it.


But the OP wrote "ingredients".

I find many Chinese recipes have ingredients like oyster sauce, black bean sauce, soy sauce,...

I have no idea what to look for in in oyster sauce. I just look at the list of ingredients and choose the one with no MSG, and no, or the fewest, weird chemicals. There might be other tips.

I used to find coconut milk in cans that was just coconut milk. I noticed that recently lots of brands have started adding guar gum.


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## Rocklobster (Jan 19, 2014)

It can get pretty confusing. I don't pay much attention to ingredients. I just limit the use of these pre made sauces and try and make my own. I know recipe dish is going to be too harmful.  There are probably a lot worse things we can do.


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## CraigC (Jan 19, 2014)

Rocklobster said:


> I know recipe dish is going to be too harmful.



Say what?


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## toyopl (Jan 19, 2014)

Well I have pretty much all the staple sauces for Asian cooking already in my home, I love to try to cook everything, from Italian to Asian, and I'm Polish 
But the more I need certain ingredients for what I'm cooking the more I find out that given sauce, milk, etc is the wrong variation of it.
That's why I though I would ask, the more someone writes here, the less I have to research each and every ingredient.


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## Rocklobster (Jan 19, 2014)

CraigC said:


> Say what?


Maybe those ingredients I am consuming cause brain farts? I ended up deleting parts of it and didn't proof read before pressing send. I think I meant to say " I don't think a tablespoon of these ingredients in a dish is going to be too harmful" 
Your guess is as good as mine


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## Dawgluver (Jan 19, 2014)

This thread gave a lot of good info:

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f21/asian-market-faves-85635.html


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## cave76 (Jan 19, 2014)

toyopl said:


> Well I have pretty much all the staple sauces for Asian cooking already in my home, I love to try to cook everything, from Italian to Asian, and I'm Polish
> *But the more I need certain ingredients for what I'm cooking the more I find out that given sauce, milk, etc is the wrong variation of it.*
> That's why I though I would ask, the more someone writes here, the less I have to research each and every ingredient.



Perhaps if you could explain what "wrong variation" of a given sauce  means to you?

Do you mean too many "unhealthy" ingredients? Or too expensive? Or not the brand name given in a recipe?

If a recipe gives a particular brand name----- then it might mean that's the absolute only brand to use and any other brand would result in a disaster. *OR it could mean that the writer of that recipe is paid by the manufacturers of that brand.*. 

Maybe a little more explanation of what you mean would help us help you. We're willing to try.


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## toyopl (Jan 19, 2014)

I mean unhealthy and also the right kind.
Two examples from yesterday for me were:
-coconut milk, I found out the one I have has emulsifiers like guar gum, learned to buy specific ones for more healthy
-specific fish sauce for specific region, learned reading yesterday about pad see ew, that you use different fish sauces for thai/japanese/chinese etc.


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## jennyema (Jan 19, 2014)

toyopl said:


> I mean unhealthy and also the right kind.
> Two examples from yesterday for me were:
> -coconut milk, I found out the one I have has emulsifiers like guar gum, learned to buy specific ones for more healthy
> -specific fish sauce for specific region, learned reading yesterday about pad see ew, that you use different fish sauces for thai/japanese/chinese etc.



Concerning fish sauce ...

It's a southeast Asian condiment.  

I have never seen Chinese or Japanese varieties.

Thai or Vietnamese, only.

Choose a good brand like 3crabs, squid or healthy boy and you're good to go.  Most humans cannot discern a huge difference between the good brands.

And there are no legitimate recipes that require a specific brand of fish sauce.


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## GotGarlic (Jan 19, 2014)

I doubt guar gum is less healthy for you than fermented anchovies!  

http://glutenfreecooking.about.com/od/glutenfreecookingbasics/a/xanthanguargums.htm


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## taxlady (Jan 19, 2014)

GotGarlic said:


> I doubt guar gum is less healthy for you than fermented anchovies!
> 
> How to Use Xanthan Gum and Guar Gum in Gluten-Free Recipes


I don't in principal object to guar gum. It is sort of food. I just resent them changing the texture of stuff with it. It is often used instead of a better ingredient, i.e., less real cream in ice cream.


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## GotGarlic (Jan 19, 2014)

taxlady said:


> I don't in principal object to guar gum. It is sort of food. I just resent them changing the texture of stuff with it. It is often used instead of a better ingredient, i.e., less real cream in ice cream.



It's a ground seed - it's food, no different from ground wheat or corn. If you want to avoid it for whatever reasons, go ahead. I was responding to the OP. The point here is that it's not unhealthy.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 19, 2014)

taxlady said:


> But the OP wrote "ingredients".
> 
> I find many Chinese recipes have ingredients like oyster sauce, black bean sauce, soy sauce,...
> 
> ...



I found ONE coconut milk brand in the "whole foods" type store that did not have guar gum.  It was called Natures Value.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 19, 2014)

My problem with guar gum is it increases the carbohydrate count in foods.  I don't need/want artificially increased carbs...


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## Steve Kroll (Jan 19, 2014)

toyopl said:


> I'm curious if you have some tips on what to look out for when buying things like soy, sesame, oyster, etc sauces ?


When I go to an Asian market to buy something I'm unfamiliar with, what I usually look for is someone who works there and knows the products. Then I tell them what I'm making and ask what they recommend. If that's not an option (some mom and pop markets seem to be staffed by kids), I've also been known to strike up a casual conversation with complete strangers who appear to know what they are doing. Sometimes I get blank stares, but most people are very helpful.


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## GotGarlic (Jan 19, 2014)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> My problem with guar gum is it increases the carbohydrate count in foods.  I don't need/want artificially increased carbs...



That's true, and since I don't have a problem with carbs myself, I tend to forget about that. Thanks.


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## taxlady (Jan 20, 2014)

GotGarlic said:


> It's a ground seed - it's food, no different from ground wheat or corn. If you want to avoid it for whatever reasons, go ahead. I was responding to the OP. The point here is that it's not unhealthy.


I don't like when they thicken foods, that shouldn't need thickening, with wheat or corn. It's a way of being cheap on the ingredients and it is usually reflected in the flavour.


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## GotGarlic (Jan 20, 2014)

Fine. I give up. You win. Congratulations.


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## toyopl (Jan 20, 2014)

GotGarlic when I read about Guar Gum to figure out what it is, I found out lots of ppl had upset stomach that they diagnosed to be caused by Guar Gum.

Here's a first link from google that I clicked on describing Guar Gum:

*Guar gum*

 The other potential problem with canned coconut milk is guar gum.  Guar gum is a galactomannan, which is a polysaccharide consisting of a  mannose backbone with a galactose side group. It’s primarily the  endosperm of guar beans.
 Beans and legumes have a variety of compounds in them that make them  difficult to digest, especially for people with digestive problems (1 in  3 Americans, from the latest statistics). In my clinical experience,  many patients with gut issues improve when they remove guar gum from  their diet—including canned coconut milk.

Edit:
I did make Yellow curry yesterday with coconut milk with Guar Gum in it and all 4 ppl were ok, no upset stomach. But when I finish these cans I can just buy the one that does not have emulsifiers in it. Might aswell buy healthier variation of it, since they're on the same shelf and I'm guessing are the same price.


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## cave76 (Jan 20, 2014)

Here is a substitute for soy sauce that you can make yourself. (I haven't tried it and probably won't so I can say how good it is.)

Soy Sauce Substitute Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Here is another way to go---- I've tried it and it's not too bad.

Recipes, Cooking Products and More for Home Cooks - Kikkoman : Gluten-Free Soy Sauce

And yet another:

Bragg Live Foods, Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar, Bragg Liquid Aminos,Systemic Enzymes, Bragg Live Organic Food Products, Patricia Bragg, Paul Bragg, Bragg Organic Olive Oil, Bragg Salad Dressings, Bragg Seasonings, Bragg Health Products

I used Bragg's for a while when on a certain diet and it wasn't bad.


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## cave76 (Jan 20, 2014)

Coconut without guar gum  (using Google)

Natural Value Coconut Milk, 13.5 Ounce Cans (Pack of 12): Amazon.com: Grocery & Gourmet Food

Or, and I used to do this all the time---MAKE YOUR OWN COCONUT MILK.
It's really simple and you have control over what goes in it.

Homemade Coconut Milk from Shredded Coconut


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 20, 2014)

cave76 said:


> Coconut without guar gum  (using Google)
> 
> Natural Value Coconut Milk, 13.5 Ounce Cans (Pack of 12): Amazon.com: Grocery & Gourmet Food
> 
> ...



That's the one I bought!


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## cave76 (Jan 20, 2014)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> That's the one I bought!



Then there are two great minds working in concert.

I figure if something is worth saying, saying it again doesn't hurt. Not everyone will read all the posts in a thread and repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition 
(SMACKS HEAD ) ----- now where was I---- Oh,yeah. Great Minds.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 20, 2014)

cave76 said:


> Then there are two great minds working in concert.
> 
> I figure if something is worth saying, saying it again doesn't hurt. Not everyone will read all the posts in a thread and repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition
> (SMACKS HEAD ) ----- now where was I---- Oh,yeah. Great Minds.



ROFL!!


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## NAchef (Jan 21, 2014)

My friends parents own an Asain market not too far from me. I asked him that question about oyster sauce one time. His answer was "Look at the ingredients, If the main ingredient is oysters (Oyster Extractives) then its good." With oyster sauce some of them the main ingredient is water.

So I use that when looking at sauces, find one with quality ingredients. If you don't know ask them what they like.


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