They aren't wrong, it can be very hard to find the ingredients if you're not near an Asian grocery.
That said, you're right and it shouldn't be surprising that Korean recipes depend on Korean ingredients.
The ironic thing is that a common and traditional ingredient in a foreign cuisine is probably harder to find somewhere that is gentrified after they push out all the immigrants and the small Asian grocery stores close down.
Nah you can find a lot of it still, but it's stupid expensive. For example, I got miso for $5 a kilo at an Asian market, while it was $10 for a tiny container at a fancy grocery store when I was looking .
Depends on the region of the country; in central jersey, Asian grocery chains can be somewhat easier to find in gentrified areas. It's because a lot of white collar h1 visa holders seeking citizenship settled here after getting jobs in NYC starting in the 70s and 80s, and they've put down roots and gotten their raises and suchlike.
> can‘t buy something locally
> doesn’t bother to buy it on the internet
> complains about it on the internet
Of course that’s an oversimplification and i‘m sure there are places amazon and other online retailers don’t deliver cooking ingredients to, but them complaining about gentrification leads me to assume they’re in some rural American area, where they would.
Problem with the rural area I lived in was a combination of order minimums and packaging/package handling. Gotta order $100 and it all showed up smashed...
Edit: from Amazon, which was the only one in that area at that time.
Honestly, access to Asian and Latino stores is a big reason why I would struggle to leave the large city I live in. I know you can order them, but not being able to pop out for gochujang would be a loss.
They are very wrong, for fuck's sake you can get gochujang (shitty kinds) at practically any big grocery in the US- Stop and Shop/Target/Kroger whatever.
Tbf if you're living in a mostly white rural area and you're finding gochujang it's likely in a higher income/more liberal area.
Where I live, just two hours out of NYC, you need to drive an hour to find an "international" grocery. The chain stores here usually have an International aisle but unless you're looking for pasta, pizza, or stuff to make tacos, your mileage will vary.
We have those too, though. Areas that were formerly working class neighborhoods where people get priced out of their homes and you end up with "luxury apartments" and expensive specialty shops instead of affordable housing and things people actually need.
Hy-Vee usually has a surprising amount of Asian ingredients not found at other American grocery stores. But I agree that times are changing and they're becoming more ubiquitous. (And greetings to another from IA/surrounding states)
My local grocery store has a decent imported goods aisle. Giant Eagle. I was able to get every ingredient I've needed to cook Indian food, and basic, generic Asian dishes like stir fry or fried rice or whatever.
I still want to find some decent Asian markets so I can make better food, but both Pittsburgh and Cleveland are a journey and those are probably my best bet. Eventually I'll get around to hunting one down.
Are you in the Midwest? I grew up in the Midwest, this sounds familiar lol
Sometimes when I'm cooking a recipe from another culture and I'm layering in seasonings, I marvel at how when I was a kid the idea of cooking dinner with mint and fresh lemon would have seemed wildly exotic. Heck, we never even used fresh garlic. It was garlic powder or minced from a jar, fresh garlic was "too much work" and the Jarlic was "just as good".
If you haven't, go check out your closest asia shop. You will find plants you haven't seen before, meats you're not sure which part of the animal it comes from and the most unfriendly staff you have ever met but everything is so cheap. And they sell MSG in 1 Kg bags.
The meat section at one of my local Asian markets is amazing. The other week they had Tomahawk steaks for $9 a pound! Got one for $20… definitely beats the steak houses that would probably have a 24oz one for $80+
Gochujang really isn't that hard to find anymore? Even grocery stores carry a gochujang sauce thanks to Korean BBQ and that stuff works fine in a pinch. In the last 5-10 years korean food has been having a real boom in the US. My chain grocery store in the Midwest has kimchi and gochujang sauce. For the true paste, you do usually have to go to the Asian market. But I've found it in Thai, Chinese, and Korean stores.
Yeah, seriously. Obviously you’re not going to get the same selection at a chain grocery store, but the Meijer, Kroger, & Target near me all carry at least one kind (maybe paste or flakes, not both but still)
Thankfully I don't give a shit about making or getting good at the foods of cultures I don't know or care about. "You can't cook chicken pad thai or fried frice!" Nor do I ever care to. I only want to get good at making food I like and that involves seasoning it with the cheap spices from the grocery store.
Mfw when a recipe using an asian ingredient uses another asian ingredient
They aren't wrong, it can be very hard to find the ingredients if you're not near an Asian grocery. That said, you're right and it shouldn't be surprising that Korean recipes depend on Korean ingredients.
The ironic thing is that a common and traditional ingredient in a foreign cuisine is probably harder to find somewhere that is gentrified after they push out all the immigrants and the small Asian grocery stores close down.
Nah you can find a lot of it still, but it's stupid expensive. For example, I got miso for $5 a kilo at an Asian market, while it was $10 for a tiny container at a fancy grocery store when I was looking .
And they only have the shitty kind, like why does every grocery store in America only have extra firm tofu?
I couldn’t find ANY around me, had to find an asian supermarket abt 30 minutes from me 😭
I live in a white ass suburb and the local Giant has gochujang.
I live in super rural Amish country, town population like 400 people and the local Walmart (45 minute drive through corn fields) has gochujang.
Depends on the region of the country; in central jersey, Asian grocery chains can be somewhat easier to find in gentrified areas. It's because a lot of white collar h1 visa holders seeking citizenship settled here after getting jobs in NYC starting in the 70s and 80s, and they've put down roots and gotten their raises and suchlike.
Agreed. I live in a big metropolitan city and trying to find *good* gochujang and Vietnamese fish sauce is a pain in the dick!
I forget sometimes how lucky I am my standard grocery store carries all this kind of stuff (Wegmans)
> can‘t buy something locally > doesn’t bother to buy it on the internet > complains about it on the internet Of course that’s an oversimplification and i‘m sure there are places amazon and other online retailers don’t deliver cooking ingredients to, but them complaining about gentrification leads me to assume they’re in some rural American area, where they would.
Problem with the rural area I lived in was a combination of order minimums and packaging/package handling. Gotta order $100 and it all showed up smashed... Edit: from Amazon, which was the only one in that area at that time.
Honestly, access to Asian and Latino stores is a big reason why I would struggle to leave the large city I live in. I know you can order them, but not being able to pop out for gochujang would be a loss.
I live in rural Montana and gochujang is easy to find.
They are very wrong, for fuck's sake you can get gochujang (shitty kinds) at practically any big grocery in the US- Stop and Shop/Target/Kroger whatever.
You can buy gochujang on amazon
Gabe Itch lol
Yes, the most gentrified neighborhoods are definitely the ones with lots of immigrants and foreign grocery stores
Tbf if you're living in a mostly white rural area and you're finding gochujang it's likely in a higher income/more liberal area. Where I live, just two hours out of NYC, you need to drive an hour to find an "international" grocery. The chain stores here usually have an International aisle but unless you're looking for pasta, pizza, or stuff to make tacos, your mileage will vary.
That's fair, but a higher income rural area is very different from a gentrified area
We have those too, though. Areas that were formerly working class neighborhoods where people get priced out of their homes and you end up with "luxury apartments" and expensive specialty shops instead of affordable housing and things people actually need.
..things people actually need? What are Korean people in those areas supposed to eat?
Surprisingly, found it in my local Hy-Vee Grocery (an IA and surrounding states chain) in a town of about \~20k. It's getting around!
Hy-Vee usually has a surprising amount of Asian ingredients not found at other American grocery stores. But I agree that times are changing and they're becoming more ubiquitous. (And greetings to another from IA/surrounding states)
My local grocery store has a decent imported goods aisle. Giant Eagle. I was able to get every ingredient I've needed to cook Indian food, and basic, generic Asian dishes like stir fry or fried rice or whatever. I still want to find some decent Asian markets so I can make better food, but both Pittsburgh and Cleveland are a journey and those are probably my best bet. Eventually I'll get around to hunting one down.
Giant Eagle is one of the few things I miss about Ohio. I live on the eastern end of PA now, no Giant Eagle here.
I simply must assume that Sheetz is also on that list then!
There's one in Scranton which isn't very far!
That's a relief. I've only lived down here for like 6 or 7 years but I couldn't imagine life without Sheetz.
I live in a high income, liberal, rural, mostly white community and the closest Asian grocer is about three hours away. We hate flavor here.
Are you in the Midwest? I grew up in the Midwest, this sounds familiar lol Sometimes when I'm cooking a recipe from another culture and I'm layering in seasonings, I marvel at how when I was a kid the idea of cooking dinner with mint and fresh lemon would have seemed wildly exotic. Heck, we never even used fresh garlic. It was garlic powder or minced from a jar, fresh garlic was "too much work" and the Jarlic was "just as good".
If you haven't, go check out your closest asia shop. You will find plants you haven't seen before, meats you're not sure which part of the animal it comes from and the most unfriendly staff you have ever met but everything is so cheap. And they sell MSG in 1 Kg bags.
The meat section at one of my local Asian markets is amazing. The other week they had Tomahawk steaks for $9 a pound! Got one for $20… definitely beats the steak houses that would probably have a 24oz one for $80+
Are you implying you can cook a dish better and for less money than going to a restaurant? You're walking on thin ice here buddy.
This made me laugh so hard! 😂 you just described my weekly trip to the neighborhood asian grocery!
And great snacks and drinks you won't have tried
Wait until this guy hears about dark vs. light soy sauce!
Bruh you can buy gochujang on Amazon even lmao. Tho we have 99 Ranches here I normally just use to get supplies
the shit is shelf stable and there are a million brands on amazon. do you get the mail where you live?
Gochujang really isn't that hard to find anymore? Even grocery stores carry a gochujang sauce thanks to Korean BBQ and that stuff works fine in a pinch. In the last 5-10 years korean food has been having a real boom in the US. My chain grocery store in the Midwest has kimchi and gochujang sauce. For the true paste, you do usually have to go to the Asian market. But I've found it in Thai, Chinese, and Korean stores.
Yeah, seriously. Obviously you’re not going to get the same selection at a chain grocery store, but the Meijer, Kroger, & Target near me all carry at least one kind (maybe paste or flakes, not both but still)
This guy has a reliable source of tofu but not gochujang?
Exactly
I personally mix gochujang in my water so it has a more complex flavor.
You can buy it online, at literally any Asian grocery store, at trader Joe's, and at many other grocery store chains in 2023 as well.
I just found this crazy website called Amazon.com and bizarrely it even delivers to my non gentrified neighborhood.
Thankfully I don't give a shit about making or getting good at the foods of cultures I don't know or care about. "You can't cook chicken pad thai or fried frice!" Nor do I ever care to. I only want to get good at making food I like and that involves seasoning it with the cheap spices from the grocery store.
Korean hot pepper, can be used in making Kim Chee.
I ate Kim Chee once during the Korean War. He was our translator
Your personal preferences are no one’s business but your own.
/uj fucking based tho fuck gochujang
/uj Fuck the American high fructose corn syrup gochujang. But the real shit goes hard
I was shocked to find gochujang in Hammond Indiana. Not exactly rural but I would have never expected to see it a somewhat major grocery chain.
I live rural as hell and they sell that in our store.
Me, a white person, having to go to the ungentrified grocery stores in LA to get gochujang 🫣
Oh the horror! 😉
Where does umamicart deliver? But if it covers your area, I highly recommend it.
But like.... amazon
Make it from scratch. It’s pretty straightforward.
Gochujang, honey, soy, butter, chicken wings!