Spice islands: Ethnic markets are hotbeds of flavor & value

HOOKED ON ethnic food and looking for a way to make your favorite stir-fry, curry or mole on the cheap? Why not take a lesson from savvy chefs and shop for specialty ingredients at the many ethnic markets in and around Philly?

While mainstream supermarkets are doing a better job of stocking items like coconut milk, habanero peppers and taro root, exotic ingredients don't come cheap. But buy these same ingredients at ethnic markets, and you can save big.

A nonscientific sampling showed savings of up to 50 percent, and sometimes more, on like items. Take soy sauce, a necessary ingredient for all kinds of Asian recipes. Priced at $2.79 for 15 ounces at Acme markets, the same brand sells for $1.39 for 22 ounces at 1st Oriental Supermarket on Washington Avenue in South Philly.

Something as essential as whole black peppercorns, packaged in a 1.6 ounce glass jar at Genaurdi's for $3.65, run $1.99 for three ounces in a clear plastic envelope at 1st Oriental.

Excellent frozen dumplings with fillings like mushroom and chicken sell for $2.99-$3.69 for 30 pieces at Hung Vuong Supermarket; a 6.4-ounce box sells for $5.19 at Acme. At 1st Oriental Supermarket, you'll also find fresh lobster for $7.99 a pound, five-spice powder for $1.79 for 4.2 ounces, and red snapper for $5.49 a pound.

"You can't beat the prices," said chef Judson Branch, in the kitchen at Thirteen at the Philadelphia Marriott. Branch creates all kinds of ethnic apps at Thirteen, and frequents Asian, West Indian and Indian markets for many of his ingredients. "If I need something in bulk, I just order if from our purveyors. But for something particular, like cassava root or yucca, I don't always need a case of it. And I like to pick it out myself."

"I know the prices are very cheap, but I also shop at ethnic markets for the unusual range of products," said Phil Rowens, chef de cuisine at Savona in Gulph Mills. He loves the pork belly (about $2 a pound), the spices ($3 for a big bag of star anise) and the unusual produce (chive blossoms, basil pods, lychee nuts) at 1st Oriental.

When Xochitl chef Dionicio Jimenez has a taste for Chihuahua cheese and spices from his native Puebla, Mexico, he heads to South Philly, where a spate of taquerias and Mexican food stores are in the mix at the Italian Market. One of his favorites spots is Piedras Negras (translation: "black rock") at 8th and Tasker streets, where he finds great deals on dried fish, chilies, spices and fresh greens.

City tavern chef/proprietor Walter Staib agrees that being able to smell and touch the product is a big reason why he's a frequent shopper at 1st Oriental. "I use a lot of taro root to make our pepper pot soup," said Staib, who travels frequently to China to consult and develop menus for a Chinese cruise company.

He likes the prices and quality of fresh ingredients like chive flowers, green papaya, tofu and watercress. "I'm there [at 1st Oriental] at least once a week. You have to see their pork loin to believe it - completely trimmed, it's beautiful [and $2.99 pound]."

When one of Staib's regular customers calls ahead and asks for red snapper, a fish that isn't always on his menu, he doesn't need to buy 20 pounds from a purveyor. "I go over there and the fish is so fresh, sometimes it's still swimming in the tank."

Once chef Matthew Babbage tastes a new type of ethnic cuisine, he wants to try making it himself. Babbage, executive chef at the World Cafe Live, often creates global menus to reflect the venue's many international musical offerings. "Sometimes it's cheaper to order something and have it brought in. But when I want something like banana flowers, I like to pick it out myself."

Babbage uses banana flowers, available at 1st Oriental, as an ingredient in an easy Thai-flavored chicken salad. He uses the large, dark red outer leaves of the flower as a colorful bowl to hold each serving.

"And it kills me to pay $3 or $4 for one brand of soy sauce, when the Asian grocery has a row of brands to choose from, with a two-litre bottle going for $1.69. And I can't even get lobsters wholesale for $7.99 a pound," said Babbage.

He buys egg roll and wonton wrappers at East Asia Noodle Company in Chinatown, a spot that caters to the wholesale trade but will sell to the public if you know how to find them.

At Hung Vuong Supermarket at 11th and Washington streets, the produce aisle is a global feast of fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables, some you'll recognize, like Asian pears, and some you may not, like the unpleasantly odorous durian, which looks like a giant blowfish.

The vast selection offers a vegetarian's paradise, with unusual and hard-to-find veggies perfect for jazzing up stir-fries and salads. Hung Vuong stocks all kinds of Chinese greens - mustard greens, bok choy and tender stalks with names like tan-o, and yu choy, all grouped together on one side of the aisle.

"Even if you're not sure what it is, treat them all the same," said Twenty Manning chef Kiong Banh. "Blanch for a minute or so, then stir-fry with garlic and ginger. Or dip the greens into hot vegetable or chicken stock for instant soup."

Another discovery is the 99-cent herb section. Small bags of herbs that all look like watercress turn out to be everything from Thai basil to kaffir lime leaves, a lemony Vietnamese herb called rau om, and even fresh cumin leaves. "If you're unsure what it is, open the bag, take a little leaf and taste it. If you're still unsure, just try one of each and make an Asian herb salad," suggested Banh, who is Vietnamese.

Although Carlos Melendez buys in bulk at Restaurant Depot for his Coyote Crossing restaurants in Conshohocken and West Chester, the chef/owner still finds bargains at Los Potrillos Taqueria, his favorite Mexican grocery in Norristown. "Avocados are half the price," he said "And I can get 50 pounds of black beans for what I'd spend on a small box."

With items like dried peppers and spices, Melendez feels that consumers pay extra for unnecessary packaging. "I don't need a little glass jar with a grinder on top for peppers. An envelope of pepper for less than half the price is what I want."

Bundles of cilantro, imported Mexican cheeses and tortillas are also bargain priced at Los Potrillos.

Creating a menu to reflect the right mood for the exotic jam band Animus, Babbage headed to International Foods and Spice in West Philly. "They carry a full line of spices and flours for nan and chapati [breads]. And [Paul] Singh, the owner, is very helpful and happy to answer questions about all the ingredients," Babbage said.

One possible challenge, especially for new shoppers, is that you can't always ask questions at ethnic supermarkets. At the Asian markets on Washington Avenue, it's almost impossible to find anybody who speaks enough English and has the inclination to help. At many Latino markets, Spanish is the prevailing tongue.

When visiting ethnic grocery stores, bring a well-researched ingredient list and a spirit of adventure. When you're saving this kind of money, you can afford to experiment. *