Food Lovers' Guide: Asian Specialty Markets

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Fresh fish at Saigon Market in Nashua. Photo by Susan Laughlin.

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Local Markets
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Venison
Bread and Pasta
Herbs and Condiments
Fish

A World of Goods: Look East for Healthy Cuisine

Saigon Asian Market is truly a supermarket of ethnic foods. Set on its own parking lot in downtown Nashua, the market sells a wide variety of produce, fresh poultry and meat, including pork bellies and shank, as well as a selection of fresh produce, noodles, rice, hard-to-find spices and sauces used in a wide variety of Asian cuisine including Vietnamese, Indian, Filipino, Thai, Japanese and Chinese cooking. The seafood section even sells live crabs. The owner drives down to New York City to get the fresh fish. On Saturdays the market imports a variety of fresh Vietnamese sandwiches, or bánh mì, as well as breads and desserts, but you have to be early, they sell out quickly.

Saigon Asian Market
33 Pine St.
Nashua
(603) 521-6171

93 S. Maple St. # 4
Manchester
(603) 644-3555

Tom Yung Kung (Hot and Sour Soup with Shrimp)

A hot and spicy soup and a favorite among Thai people. A clear broth with mushrooms, shrimp and the distinctive scent of Thai herbs such as lemon grass, lime leaves and lime juice.

Ingredients:

9 shrimp

7 ounces halved straw mushrooms

9 Thai chilies, lightly crushed

1 lemon grass stem

5 kaffir lime leaves

1 tablespoon roasted chili paste

2 tablespoons fish sauce

3 tablespoons lime juice

4 cups chicken stock

Garnish: kaffir lime leaves, slices of lemon grass and Thai chilies

Preparation:

Remove the outer layer of the lemon grass stems and wash thoroughly. Cut off stems 2 1/2-inch from base and slice diagonally into 1/4-inch pieces.

Boil chicken stock, add lemon grass and continue boiling until fragrant. Then add straw mushrooms and shrimp until cooked. Add fish sauce, lime juice, chili paste, kaffir lime leaves and chilies. Boil once more. Pour Tom Yum Kung into a serving bowl, garnish with kaffir lime leaves, slices of lemon grass and chilies. Serve hot with fragrant cooked jasmine rice.

Note: If raw spices are difficult to obtain, use Maesri Tom Yum paste.

Hidden Treasure: Nashua's Greek community has beat a path to Liamos Market at 295 Lake St. (603) 882-1381) since 1927 for Kalamata olives, feta cheese, Greek bread and other ethnic staples. The lamb marinating in a tub behind the deli counter, freshly baked baklava and kourabiethes (shortbread almond sugar cookies) in the unpretentious neighborhood convenience store is worth the trip alone.

Ethnic Foods

Gopu Grocery
A small shop that carries various spices, dried beans and boxed foods from India. They also have a small produce section with vegetables and herbs.
295 Daniel Webster Hwy.
Nashua
(603) 888-7521

Lo’s Seafood & Oriental Market Inc.
A family-owned Asian food market that sells hard-to-find groceries and fresh fish. They are always looking for new products, so there is always something new to try.
1976 Woodbury Ave.
Portsmouth
(603) 431-0022
losseafood.com

Uhen Heh Grocery
Korean and Japanese grocery foods .
326 S. Broadway
Salem
(603) 893-8511
uhenheh.com

Spice Center
Lebanese and Middle Eastern foods.
245 Maple St.
Manchester
(603) 626-7290

Dar Groceries
Indian foods.
295 Daniel Webster Hwy.
Nashua
(603) 888-7521

Siberia Food Market
Russian groceries.
259 Main St.
Nashua
(603) 883-4110

100 Willow St.
Manchester
(603) 621-0017

Asian Super Store
Contrary to their name, they mainly sell Indian groceries.
24 Hanover St.
Lebanon
(603) 448-6550

Lanna Asian Market
Groceries from all over the continent of Asia.
495 Amherst St.
Nashua
(603) 578-0438