There are tons of lists going around of the best asian snacks, and if you're asian or grew up in a predominantly asian neighborhood, you're fond of them all. The YanYan sticks. The Koala March cookies. The ever so delicious shrimp crackers.... I was born in Elmhurst, Queens so I pretty much came out of the womb eating all of these heavenly snacks. However, in the past year my eyes have been opened to these amazing snacks that will stay dear to my heart (and stomach) forever.
Here are five snacks that you NEED to get at your local asian market! (No need to order on Amazon, support small businesses, ya'll!!!)
P.S No cats were harmed in the making of this list
1) Mt. Fugi Green Tea Mochi Ice Cream
This changed my life (and my wallet's). Whenever I go to a sushi restaurant or an asian desert place, I love ordering mochi -- especially green tea mochi! However, it is a little pricey but grabbing this box from Mt.Fuji at your local asian market can save you a few extra dollars. It's about $5.00 for eight mochis, which is a decent price point considering it's about $3.00 per mochi at most restaurants. Although this is frozen and not "fresh", it tastes ABSOLUTELY delicious! The ice cream and matcha is very high quality so this will not disappoint! You can also find this brand of mochi in different flavors such as red bean, vanilla, and strawberry! Look out for the variety pack if you want more flavors!
2) Magnolia Ube + Red Bean Ice Cream
I discovered this about a few weeks ago sitting right next to the Mt. Fuji Mochi in the freezer of my market.... After the whole hype of Ube Soft Serve blew up on Instagram, I knew I had to give this a try! This ice cream bar is the perfect blend of cream, ube, and red bean. The Ube taste is very prominent and it's surprisingly not too sweet! It has the perfect amount of sugar to let the Ube shine through. It's about $5.00 for a box of four which is pricey...but the satisfaction is very comparable to getting fresh Ube Soft Serve at an ice cream shop across the city! All of the red bean is concentrated towards the top of bar and since I'm not a huge fan of red bean, I normally cut that part off and give it to my dad (Sh, don't tell him. He thinks I'm just being generous).
3) Kikkoman Pearl Organic Soy Milk
These soy milks are THE BEST ones on the market right now. Forget the Trader Joe's and Whole Food's Brand Soy Milk....these are truly a game changer! They came into stock at my local asian market about three years ago and I don't care how dramatic I sound -- they truly changed my life. As someone who is trying to cut out dairy, it's great to have a tasty and organic alternative! Above are three flavors out of the many that they have and of course, the green tea one is my favorite! Again, it's important that any product marketed as "green tea flavored" uses high quality matcha. This brand of soy milk definitely passes that pre-req! My next favorite flavor in this line is the coffee flavor. If you're trying to put a damper on your coffee intake, I definitely recommend this healthier alternative. All in all, these are amazingly yummy and very satisfying! They normally cost $1.99 so I'd stock up on these if I were you! They do get SOLD OUT at the market a LOT!
4) Green Coconut Kueh Lapis
Kueh Lapis (Layered Cake) is a popular type of cake originated in Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia. This Kueh Lapis is always made fresh with simple ingredients such as coconut flour and palm sugar. They tend to run out very fast at my local market and they do have a steep price point of $4.50 for five pieces. Therefore, these are definitely a once in a while treat! If you love jello-type textured deserts, then I highly recommend this one! Lots of asian markets will sell freshly made foods like sesame balls and creme puffs so be sure to look out for them!
5) Instant Teh Tarik
Hope you all give these a try! Remember to support your local businesses! I can't guarantee that the "International Aisle" at Wegmans will have all of these.
