Secrets of the Asian Market: Fruits and Veggies You’ve Never Seen Before

My trip to the Asian Market

I recently visited the Asian market, which I like to think of as my “toy store” for food. I can literally spend hours there exploring ingredients I’ve never used before. On my recent visit I came across so many amazing fruits: Korean pears, fuyu persimmons, yellow watermelon, pink pineapple, and three types of dragonfruit. I also found tropical favorites like jackfruit, durian, and longan, plus cacao fruit and unusual mango varieties.

I also discovered a huge variety of vegetables and herbs — some familiar, some completely new to me. There was loofah melon, lemongrass, lotus root, aloe leaf, sunchoke, fresh turmeric, galangal, daikon, ube, Chinese chives, and so many kinds of mushrooms. I also found kabocha squash, bitter melon, nagaimo, burdock root, banana flower, sugarcane, and more. I loved learning how to enjoy each one and thinking about how to use them in different dishes.

Culinary Inspiration

Walking through the market reminded me how much fun it is to experiment with new flavors. From the sweet and tart guava to the licorice notes in Thai basil, I’m always inspired to bring global flavors into my cooking and try something I’ve never made before.

If you want to watch me exploring the Asian Market, where I go in-depth on the flavors and the best ways to use all my finds, check out the full episode of Uncharted Flavors here!