So I'm going to the local oriental market in a couple weeks,

>>8321451
>Also, I had Unagi (eel) sushi and unagi don at a Japanese restaurant recently and it was god tier, do they sell eel at markets?

Going to depend entirely on the store, but the two I frequent have fairly large frozen seafood cases, and one has a fairly small fresh seafood selection. In fact even my local Kroger's store (mainstream American grocer) has a lot of frozen seafood in their Asian section...it's a non-standard Kroger's, they bought out another grocer, that had a very unusually large Asian foods section (Japanese in particular), catering to university demographics.

In a city with something like a Chinatown or Koreatown or whatever, with dense Asian populations, there would inevitably be more stores, with everything you could imagine.

>I wanna get into real cooking, and also eating somewhat healthier. What are some staples and suggestions?

Really depends on what you like, but...

A simple stir-fry, pick a protein (chicken, tofu), a vegetable (broccoli, bean pods, asparagus), add some basics (ginger, onion, a chili), and make a sauce...or for starting out just buy a bottled sauce of a flavor you like, szechuan or general tso or thai peanut or whatever. Serve with rice, or add some cooked rice noodles toward the end.

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Speaking of Asian markets, I always feel apprehensive shopping at one. I always think that the owners/other Asians are like "hey white bread this is our food go fuck off and buy your Hungry Man get out white boy"

They're not thinking that, are they? Surely they'd just like to make money

What's udon like reheated for luch at work? I've been scared to guy it because I have a feeling it will be mush.

>>8321566
No they're not thinking that, it's all in your head.

Ask for advice from the shopkeeper. They'll likely be excited that a "foreigner" is showing interest in their foods. The staff at my local Azn market is constantly showing me new things they got in, inviting me into the back to share in the employee lunch, etc. It pays to develop a rapport with the staff.

>>8321451
Check country of origin on produce, meats and any off the shelf products. You really don't want to be buying food products from China. A lot of the time the beef will be Mexican which isn't so bad, in fact they're more restrictive on the use of growth hormones than the US, but it will be of a lower grade than your probably used to.

>>8321576
That's good - I'm not normally as autistic as that, I just don't want to piss off Asians

>>8321566
No. They hate you for other reasons.

Get black bean and chilli laoganma, brilliant to liven up a bowl of rice.

>>8321539

My palate has expanded over the last few years, so more meats and veggies and stuff. I'd like to do different meat + veggie + rice combos, I don't wanna get tired of chicken, so I wanna try different stuff with it, and different meats as well (beef, shrimp, fish, other seafoods, ect). And any personal suggestions are cool too, I like trying new things.

>>8321566
I think that sort apprehension is common, but really unfounded; I've never felt the least unwelcomed in any ethnic market, and staff have always been friendly and helpful with any questions.

I think white people in particular (and I say this as a white person) are more apprehensive when they enter a space in which they're the minority. I remember going to an Asian frat party in college, with my Korean-American roommate, and feeling so weirdly out of place, even though people were all perfectly friendly. It's easy as a white person not to realize that that feeling can be an everyday occurrence for many minorities. But at least the places I go, people are always nice and accepting. I would not worry about it at all.

>>8321566
There's a Korean supermarket down the street from where I work and the older women who work the sample booths are always super inviting and will start up a conversation on food without asking, usually insisting you take two or three of whatever they're making
Could be that they work on commission and they really fucking need to push whatever they're advertising but I'd like to pretend they're just friendly people

>>8322433
Wow you're a fucking racist and sheltered. No one thinks about it or feels uneasy. You simply see race and think of people as being minorities when in reality those friendly people don't even think about it when in a reverse situation. White males are a problem.

>>8322532
Wow, and your an oversensitive little timblrina who needs to chill the fuck out.

>>8322618
And you're a white supremacist poltard who should go back to his containment board to bitch about jamal fucking your women.

Chicken with Dijon + melted butter is fucking great. Some add soy sauce too. So experiment and find a combination you enjoy

>that feel when closes asian supermarket is 2 hour drive away

SUFFERING

Recipes I like
Japchae
Mapo tofu
Kimbap
Scallion pancake
Curry rice from blocks
Frozen flat Korean dumplings, usually have clear noodles and kimchi inside, panfry these

Essentials for me
Soba noodles
Random assortment of instant ramen
Random assortment of snacks like rice crackers and calbee seaweed chips
Furikake topping for rice
Kimchi
Korean giant seaweed packs, if it's small and 3 for $1, thats not it.
Chazuke, a soup mix made of leftover rice, seaweed, crunchy things and salty green tea


I'm Japanese but just getting into Japanese food since parents were very americanized. I got into Korean food more recently.