• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cooking with Lane
  • Home
  • Vietnamese Recipes
  • Lao Recipes
  • Thai Recipes
  • About Lane
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Vietnamese Recipes
  • Thai Recipes
  • Lao Recipes
  • Meet Lane
  • Shop Ingredients
  • Shop Cooking Tools
  • FREE Resource Library
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Southeast Asian Ingredients

    40+ Things to Buy at the Asian Grocery Store (with Pictures)

    Last Updated Date: Nov 5, 2023 by Lane Souvannalith

    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • Email

    Learn what you should buy at an Asian grocery store and what you should buy at your local market.

    If you get intimidated when walking into an Asian grocery store for the first time, don't be. What awaits you at your neighborhood Asian grocer is not only some of the same stuff you would find at your local supermarket, but a larger variety of products with a vast array of brands to choose from, as well as cheap prices.

    In our household, we cook American, Thai, Vietnamese, and Laotian food. I've been going to Asian grocery stores in Chinatown since immigrating to the United States in 1982. I've taken my now grown kids to the grocery store since they were little, and I'm writing this post to share with them Grandma's favorite brands so when they get old enough, when they get nostalgic and want to recreate one of my dishes from their childhood, they can with the right ingredients!

    bags of rice - what to get at an asian grocery store 097

    Table of Contents

    Toggle
    • Before Your First Visit to an Asian Grocery Store
    • General FYI About Shopping at an Asian Grocer
    • Snacks to Buy at Asian Grocer
    • Seasonings, Flavorings, and Spices to Buy at Asian Grocery Store
    • Dry Goods to Buy at Asian Supermarket
    • Canned and Preserved to Purchase at Asian Supermarket
    • Produce to Get at Asian Supermarket
    • Refrigerated Section of an Asian Grocery Store
    • Frozen Section of Asian Grocery Store
    • Beverages to Buy at Asian Grocery Store
    • Meat and Seafood at the Asian Grocery Store
    • Home Goods to Buy at Asian Grocery Store
    • Near the Check Out Aisle
    • Conclusion of What to Buy at the Asian Grocery Store
    • Other Posts You Might Like

    Before Your First Visit to an Asian Grocery Store

    For your first visit, you'll want to make sure you know what to expect. Going in blindly will only cause you more angst. Read my definitive list on what to get at an Asian grocery store before you go into the store. If you don't, you may find yourself picking up products and realizing they are not in English (or even with labels misspelled), getting overwhelmed by the sheer volume of product options, and not knowing where everything is.

    Once you know what to look for, you can save a ton of money and also know what brands and products that are tried and true.

    I'm here to guide you through an Asian grocery store aisle by aisle and share with you my favorite products that I use for my family.

    Are you ready to tour the market with me and allow me to share with you my recommended brands?

    General FYI About Shopping at an Asian Grocer

    Produce is generally less inexpensive along with a larger variety of exotic foods. 

    You can also get some of the things on your regular grocery list at the Asian grocery store as well. It doesn't mean that you have to only be serving up Asian cuisine if you stop there!

    To calm your worst fears, I just want you to know there is no crazy underhanded vegetable smuggling or black market conspiracy going on. Asian grocery stores don't follow the middleman business model like most American grocery store chains do. They order directly from the manufacturer. 

    From a freshness perspective, the clients of these Asian grocery stores shop and cook differently than most Westerners. They are often making trips to the stores multiple times per week rather than how Westerners shop in bulk once a week. Often, product turnaround is fairly quick and that means that the food that you buy will often be fresh.

    [thrive_leads id='3103']

    Snacks to Buy at Asian Grocer

    I've written about popular Asian snacks that you should pick up before, but I wanted to highlight some of my favorites below as well.

    Jelly Cups

    Jelly cups are delicious, and your kids will absolutely love them. They come in all different types of cannisters, including cute little animals.

    portable jelly

    Pocky 

    These snack foods are delicious and your kids will love them. You will find this at your local grocer, but they are in larger variety at the Asian grocer (and less expensive too).

    Shrimp Chips

    Shrimp chips are absolutely addictive. They are a great alternative to a regular chip.

    shrimp chips - what to get at an asian grocery store 111

    Wafer Sticks

    The sheer amount of wafer sticks dwarfs what you'll find any any local grocer.

    wafer sticks

    Soft Flour Cake

    There are delicious sour flour cakes that are individually wrapped, sweet, and chewy that your kids will love snacking on.

    soft flour cake

    Seasonings, Flavorings, and Spices to Buy at Asian Grocery Store

    Spices are a lot less expensive at the Asian supermarket and they come in large quantities that you can just refill your empty containers at home with. I would recommend getting roasted rice powder, which is normally not found at your local grocer.

    spice packets - what to get at an asian grocery store 083

    Pure Sesame Oil

    You'll find pure sesame oil at ⅓ of the price that you would at a normal grocer.

    Sesame Seeds

    You won't go wrong picking this up.

    Condiments

    Soy sauce, fish sauce, and oyster sauces can be found aisle after aisle, variety after variety. They'll be less expensive by half the price (and taste better as well).

    sauces - what to get at an asian grocery store 056

    The mountain brand (green top) is my favorite soy sauce brand because it's light:

    soy sauce - what to get at an asian grocery store 067

    Here are filtered fish sauces:

    sauces - what to get at an asian grocery store 060

    My favorite fish sauce brand is the squid brand:

    fish sauce filtered - what to get at an asian grocery store 061

    Unfiltered fish sauce is called padaek in Lao, but you might want to avoid this because it is kind of scary.

    padaek - what to get at an asian grocery store 064

    padaek - what to get at an asian grocery store 065

    Oyster sauces that I love are the Red Panda version.

    oyster sauce - what to get at an asian grocery store 059

    Chili Sauce

    Forget about sriracha (okay, don't forget about it), but explore some other alternatives:

    chinese sausage - what to get at an asian grocery store 073

    Curry Paste

    Curry paste comes in large varieties that are absolutely amazing to see. I personally love the red curry that comes in the small red can.

    curry - what to get at an asian grocery store 053

    Anise Stars

    If you are wanting to make pho, you are going to need these little stars.

    spice packets - what to get at an asian grocery store 083

    Pho Spice Packet

    Instead of getting all the individual spices for pho, you can also get a packet:

    easy authentic vietnamese pho broth

    Dry Goods to Buy at Asian Supermarket

    Dry Noodles

    Noodles are endless. There are a ton of noodles like rice noodles, vermicelli noodles, bean thread, glass noodles, and so much more.

    noodles - what to get at an asian grocery store 085

    dried noodle aisle - what to get at an asian grocery store 086

    noodles - what to get at an asian grocery store 084

    Packaged Noodles

    If you like eating ramen, Asian markets have BETTER ramen noodles than the usual fan fare of Maruchan and Top Ramen that are found at your local supermarkets. 

    ramen boxes - what to get at an asian grocery store 077

    ramen - what to get at an asian grocery store 105

    This is my second favorite ramen:

    ramen - what to get at an asian grocery store 112

    Spring Roll Wrappers

    Spring roll wrappers are an amazing find here. I have a great recipe that you can follow in using these rice roll wrappers that is absolutely delicious.

    spring roll wrapper - what to get at an asian grocery store 108

    Panko Breadcrumbs

    If you love panko over regular breadcrumbs, you'll find it way less expensive at the Asian grocery store.

    Flours

    There are so many flours you can purchase including rice flour, potato starch, sweet rice flour, the list goes on. Flour is so much less expensive at the Asian grocer than at a regular grocer.

    flour packets - what to get at an asian grocery store 080

    Tapioca flour, rice flour and sweet rice flour are amazing milled ingredients that can make absolutely wonderful dishes:

    flour

    Here's a premade mixture for banh xeo, a Vietnamese crepe pancake:

    banh xeo flour pancake

    Rice

    Rice is a great product to buy at the grocery store and there is an amazing variety. Try getting Thai sweet rice, Thai black rice, or jasmine rice. If you buy in bulk 25 lb bags, you can save a ton of money if your family eats a lot of rice.

    25 pound bag of rice - what to get at an asian grocery store 098

    bags of rice - what to get at an asian grocery store 097thai sweet rice - what to get at an asian grocery store 099

     

    rice bags - what to get at an asian grocery store 096

    These stores will also sell smaller bagged versions of this rice as well:

    jasmine rice - what to get at an asian grocery store 100

    Mushrooms

    Dried mushrooms come in a large array of varieties in an Asian grocer. The most popular are the wood ear mushrooms, which are used in egg rolls. 

    dried mushrooms - what to get at an asian grocery store 055

    Canned and Preserved to Purchase at Asian Supermarket

    Fried Shallots, Fried Garlic, and Fried Onions

    Large jars are to had inexpensively. They are absolutely delicious.

    fried shallots and fried onions - what to get at an asian grocery store 082

    Beans

    There are so many types of asian beans, including mung beans. 

    mung beans - what to get at an asian grocery store 079

    Thai black rice (also known as purple sticky rice) is delicious and a great alternative to sticky rice.

    purple rice - what to get at an asian grocery store 101

    Coconut Cream

    There is such a large variety of coconut cream that you may get confused on what to get. These are all normally full fat creams and milks. The blue and brown cans are normally what I would recommend.

    coconut milk

    Premade Sauces

    Premade sauces for some of your favorite dishes are also available, saving you a lot of hassle from finding all the other ingredients:

    premade noodle sauces - what to get at an asian grocery store 054

    sauces - what to get at an asian grocery store 058

    Canned Fruit

    Canned fruits like longan can be found in these aisles.

    exotic fruits longan - what to get at an asian grocery store 052

    There are other fruits that you can pick up as well. Make sure you refrigerate it before serving, because chilled longan is absolutely the best:

    longan exotic fruit - what to get at an asian grocery store 109

    Try rambutan as well, it's just as great!

    rambutan in syrup

    Produce to Get at Asian Supermarket

    Fresh Vegetables

    Fresh vegetables are a great find at your local Asian grocery store. You can buy a larger variety than at your local grocer including lemon grass, snow peas, bok choy, mushrooms, bean sprouts, and so much more. Note: You'll find a larger variety of mushrooms at the Asian grocer that you won't find anywhere else. Grab chinese broccoli and bok choy.

    fresh herbs and vegetables - what to get at an asian grocery store 075

    exotic vegetables - what to get at an asian grocery store 076

    thai egg plant
    thai birds eye chili

    Fresh Herbs

    Herbs are plentiful. You'll find aromatic herbs like Thai basil lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, banana blossom, mint arrow, and so much more here (for cheap).

    banana blossom

    kaffir lime leaves

    Fresh Fruit

    Fruit is cheaper in Asian markets. You can find things like persimmons, lychees, and mango.  Korean pears are something you should get the next time you stop.

    Seeds

    Even if you think you've found an amazing gardening store locally, your Asian supermarket will have seeds for some specialty items:

    seeds - what to get at an asian grocery store 114

    This is my favorite thing to get: Chinese Kale (also known as Chinese Broccoli) is used a lot in stir fry and has a taste between broccoli and cauliflower.

    seeds - what to get at an asian grocery store 114

    Refrigerated Section of an Asian Grocery Store

    Chinese Sausage

    This is the most popular of the Chinese sausages sold because it is oily and used in a lot of fried rice to give it some flavoring.

    chinese sausage - what to get at an asian grocery store 073

    Fresh Rice Sticks and Noodles

    Fresh rice noodles come in bags and are generally used for dishes, for example pho broth.

    vietnamese udon banh canh

    You can also get fresh rice noodle sticks as well:

    fresh noodles

    Wonton Wrappers

    You get so much more wonton wrappers than the ones you get at the local grocer. In addition, there are a variety that you can choose from:

    wonton wrappers wonton wrappers preferred

    Pork Ham Roll (Cha Lua)

    These are great for banh uot and banh cuon.

    pork ham rolls - what to get at an asian grocery store 069

    pork ham rolls - what to get at an asian grocery store 070

    Nam Sausage

    These nam sausages are very popular. If you are not a fan of weird textures, this might not be the right snack for you.

    nam sausage lao

    Fresh Rice Sheets

    If you are short on time and can't make fresh rice sheets for banh uot or banh cuon, you can buy them fresh for a cheater banh uot meal!

    rice sheets

    Tofu

    Tofu is a great thing to get at the Asian grocer!

    tofu and fresh rice sheets - what to get at an asian grocery store 074

    Pork Ham Roll

    Pork ham rolls are delicious, especially in the aforementioned banh uot.

    Asian Breadsticks

    They only take about 5 minutes in the oven, but they are delicious and chewy!

    asian breadsticks

    Frozen Section of Asian Grocery Store

    Frozen Appetizers

    Frozen foods you buy at Asian supermarkets are just as good as the ones you get at your local grocer, but at a lower cost! You can get things like pot stickers, egg rolls, edamame, and steamed buns.

    frozen dumplings - what to get at an asian grocery store 072

    frozen aisle - what to get at an asian grocery store 078

    Here is banh bao, which is hard to make on it's own, but when it's frozen, all you do is heat it up!

    banh bao frozen bun

    Mochi

    Mochi is a type of ice cream that is absolutely delicious. It's a chewy dough on the inside with ice cream on the outside. It has so many different flavors.

    Wonton and Egg Roll Wrappers

    If you want to make your own dumplings and egg rolls, get some frozen wrappers where they are already sliced and ready to peel for you to roll!

    Beverages to Buy at Asian Grocery Store

    Tea

    You are going to be bewildered by the vast array of tea available in loose and bagged varieties. 

    The most famous of these teas is jasmine tea, especially the one in this container:

    jasmine tea

    Coffee

    Forget overpaying for coffee, there are so many varieties available at the Asian market!

    cafe demonte

    Alcohol

    You can find Asian beers and spirits readily available and cheap!

    beer - what to get at an asian grocery store 090

    Flavored Drinks

    There are milk teas in a can, aloe drinks, sweet drinks, coconut juice - there's just a large variety of drinks that you may stay in the aisle mesmerized wondering what all the drinks are. My grandkids absolutely love this one:

    flavored milk drinks

    Soda Creamers - Pandan Hale's

    The green bottle is hands down the BEST and most delicious soda creamer I've ever had.

    pandan cowboy cream soda

    Meat and Seafood at the Asian Grocery Store

    Meat

    You'll find a lot of different cuts, including pork belly which is used in a lot of Southeast Asian foods. They also carry specialty products like oxtail, intestine, tripe, pigskin, duck wing, frog legs if you are more adventurous.

    pork belly - what to get at an asian grocery store 051

    Seafood

    Seafood is a great thing to get at Asian grocery stores because it is the cheapest place to buy super fresh seafood like fish, lobster, crab, octopus, and squid!

    Frozen Meatballs

    These are the best meatballs to use for pho if you are making pho meatballs!

    pork meatballs - what to get at an asian grocery store 066

    Home Goods to Buy at Asian Grocery Store

    Kitchen Utensils

    There are a ton of kitchen utensils that you can get for half the price of your normal home store. Large spatulas, chopsticks, and skimmers, there are a ton to choose from if you spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

    utensils - what to get at an asian grocery store 089

    Woks and Steamers

    Bamboo steamers are awesome for making dumplings.

    pots and pans - what to get at an asian grocery store 091

    Ever wonder how to steam sticky rice? Buy one of these and check out my tutorial on steaming sticky rice at home.

    rice steamer - what to get at an asian grocery store 092

    Mortar and pestles are generally used in a lot of Thai and Lao cooking. For example, papaya salad is one of the recipes that is best known for having a mortar and pestle handy. Learn the differences between Thai and Lao papaya salad here.

    mortar and pestle - what to get at an asian grocery store 094

    Near the Check Out Aisle

    House Plants

    Bamboo plants can be found for sale as well:

    live bamboo plants - what to get at an asian grocery store 087

    Prepared Foods

    Roasted pork belly and whole duck is often sitting in the integrated Asian restaurant. Be sure to grab the pork belly if they are available, it's absolutely delicious (and will but your calorie counting for the day).

    Near the check out aisle, there may be fresh foods ready made like spring rolls, banh uot, banh cuon, banh Tet that are already made if you wanted to take it home!

     

    plates - what to get at an asian grocery store 095

    Premade Snacks

    Premade snacks and foods can also be found close to the checkout aisle.

    premade foods

    banh uot at asian grocery store

    spring rolls premade asian grocer

    Refrigerated Desserts

    This is my absolute impulse buy because refrigerated desserts are simply my favorite way to end a successful Asian market shopping trip.

    dessert snacks - what to get at an asian grocery store 102

    Conclusion of What to Buy at the Asian Grocery Store

    If you've developed a fondness for Southeast Asian cuisine (maybe because of my blog) through restaurant touring, friends, and foodie Instagram accounts, you may now want to start making your own homemade version at home. Instead of forcing yourself to pursuing the single shelf at your local grocer of international foods, an Asian supermarket will allow you to browse a variety of products and brands that you never knew existed.

    With the popularity of Asian food rising across the nation, Asian grocery stores have become a pretty prominent staple in most big cities. I hope this list helps guide you on your next shopping spree as you explore what your local Asian market has to offer.

    If you plan on launching your first expedition to your local Asian grocer, check out my other post on how to navigate an Asian grocery store for the first time.

    Check out my favorite pantry items as well as kitchen utensils.

    Other Posts You Might Like

    • Navigating an Asian Grocery Store for the First Time
    • Asian Grocery Store Haul
    • Popular Asian Snacks to Buy at an Asian Grocery Store

    Many of the links on this blog are affiliate links. CookingwithLane.com receives a small comission when certain items are purchased, but the price is the same for you. CookingwithLane.com is a participant in the Amazon LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.


    [thrive_leads id='3103']
    « Quick & Easy Authentic Vietnamese Pho Broth
    Delicious & Easy Banh Bao - Vietnamese Steamed Pork Buns »

    Primary Sidebar

    Meet Lane

    lane souvannalith
    Hi, I'm Lane! I love sharing my love of authentic Vietnamese, Lao, and Thai food! I moved into the states in the 1980s. During my life change, I brought along with my delicious recipes from Vietnam (my descent), Laos (where I was born), and Thailand (where I was a refugee during the war). I'm passionate about showing how anyone can make these delicious cuisines and how you can make it right at home! Learn more ...

    Recipe Search

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Meet Lane
    • Web Stories
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Contact Me

    Recipe Index

    • Asian Desserts
    • Asian Noodles
    • Asian Seafood
    • Side Dishes
    • Asian Food Comparisons
    • Asian Soups
    • Southeast Asian Rice

    Asian Ingredients

    • Coconut Cream
    • Fish Sauce
    • Kaffir Lemon Leaves
    • Palm Sugar
    • Shallots
    • Sticky Rice

    Copyright © 2021 Cooking with Lane, Sengerson LLC

    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Email
    • Print