Much as I hate to heap more misery upon the beleagured Superquinn group, I did promise I’d compare their Chinese New Year offers with those of the Asian Markets. These are from the Oriental Emporium on Middle Abbey St in Dublin, and should form the basis of a Chinese/ Thai storecupboard. I think most ethnic shops would be of a similar price:
- Kikkoman Soy Sauce – 1 litre €5.20
- Mae Ploy Curry Paste 400g – €2.00
- Sweet Chilli Sauce 226g – €1.80
- Jimmy’s (mind-blowingly delicious) Satay Sauce 360g – €3.15
- Chaokoh Coconut Milk 400ml 95c
- Sesame Oil 580ml – €3.20
- Oyster Sauce – €1.80 for 150ml
- Rice Vinegar – €1.90 for 600ml
- 397g Hoisin Sauce – €2.30
So, for around €22.40, these ingredients will see you through quite a lot of Asian dishes. You should only need rice, noodles, veg, and stock. Brown sugar is another important ingredient. If you really want to mark Chinese New Year, there is better choice and value at your local Asian food store than most of the big multiples, such as Superquinn. Over the next few weeks, Jean, Rercy, and I will be posting some delicious Chinese recipes to get in the festive mood.
Thursday 22 January, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Hi there
love the asian shops and they are great value for everything .. noodles and spices especially I find.
However to give Superquinn their due with this offer its not always possible to get the low fat varieties of coconut milk in the asian shops and the offer in S-Quinn of two for €2 is really good at the moment – for those of us that are weight watching!
Love the site, keep it up
SJ
Friday 23 January, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Tesco and the other major chains are usually ridiculously expensive when it comes to coconut milk. The exception is M&S who sell their own brand coconut milk for €1.09 and low-fat version for €1.19.
The asian supermarkets are always good value, especially the one on Drury Street. Another good option is Aldi, when they have one of their Asian food offers. Coconut milk is very cheap in those offers and I usually buy 10-20 tins to have in the press.