Foreign food goods

[halfateabag]

Having recently visited the International Stores in Portswood Southampton I bought a cacophony of different sauces, spreads and marinades. One of the jars is a Guyanan relish (think their tomato sauce) called Shito pronounced Shoe Toe. I have done some Google research and am looking forward to finding ways of using it and combining it in say Mayo to go with a prawn avocado. I have to admit that I bought it because of the name

Do any others here, have a specialist favourite foreign food item that they keep returning to time after time. We discovered Gewurz sauce (both delicate and scharf) decades ago and always have a bottle in store. I am sure Uschi is aware of the product. It is a bit sweet for me but I sometimes mix a bit of it with a few drops of vinegar

[Uschi]

Do any others here, have a specialist favourite foreign food item that they keep returning to time after time. We discovered Gewurz sauce (both delicate and scharf) decades ago and always have a bottle in store. I am sure Uschi is aware of the product. It is a bit sweet for me but I sometimes mix a bit of it with a few drops of vinegar

It depends on which spice dominates your Gewuerzsauce (spicy sauce). Is it like Maggi sauce or something tomato-based?

[Stokey Sue]

One of the jars is a Guyanan relish (think their tomato sauce) called Shito pronounced Shoe Toe. I have done some Google research and am looking forward to finding ways of using it and combining it in say Mayo to go with a prawn avocado. I have to admit that I bought it because of the name

I had to think about that - didn't think it was Guyanese as I have a Guyanese cookbook, but it's Ghanaian it seems, what intrigues me it's another sauce that combines dried fish or shrimp with hot peppers, which many SE Asiana sauces do, but the African twist is tomato; I've seen jars of Shito about but haven't bought any. I do like beluhan
Shito
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_8CG4PZLr0

I do like the SE sauce s such as the Burmese balalchaung and Indonesian sambal udang that are made from dried shrimp and/or fermented shrimp past (balachan), garlic, chilli and cooked in oil

[PatsyMFagan]

Not a sauce, but I do have a tub of a condiment bought when I was in Germany a few years ago. .

It's called FRISCHER KRAUTERGARTEN.
Underneath is written ERLESENES KRAUTER SALZ (presume last word is salt?)

The only English words are LIMITED EDTION written round the top of the tub

It might just be a mix of salt and pepper, but does add something to plain dishes

[Badger's Mate]

I’ve used the ‘unfortunately named Ghanaian chilli sauce’ for a number of years. We had a number of Ghanaians at work who were rather surprised to see me eating the stuff. The brand most commonly seen for sale is Ghana Best, sold in two varieties - mild and hot. I use it as a condiment, like mustard, on the side of the plate.

[halfateabag]

I've got the mild one BM but it is classed as a hot sauce. I will open it soon, I have a feeling that OH is gonna really like it.

I think I have the Polish version of what you have Patsy. It is classed as a soup mix but is salt with minuscule veg and flavourings, and yes, it does liven things up greatly.

Uschi, my sauce is very much tomato based but has a lovely curry flavour too.

Sue, I do use sambal but with care...

[halfateabag]

this gives good detail and info...https://eatwellabi.com/ghana-shito/

[Uschi]

Not a sauce, but I do have a tub of a condiment bought when I was in Germany a few years ago. .

It's called FRISCHER KRAUTERGARTEN.
Underneath is written ERLESENES KRAUTER SALZ (presume last word is salt?)

The only English words are LIMITED EDTION written round the top of the tub

It might just be a mix of salt and pepper, but does add something to plain dishes

It translates to "fresh herbal garden" and "exquisite herb-flavoured salt".
These can contain any dried herbs, but often also flavour enhancers or maybe something acidic for freshness.

Uschi, my sauce is very much tomato based but has a lovely curry flavour too.

Yes, that is probably a more or less fruity curry- Ketchup to use with chips or to make Currywurst with.

[aero280]

We like a kurbiskernöl on green salad. It’s lovely nutty dressing. We discovered it in Austria.

Tesco sell it now, among others. It’s pumpkin seed oil.

[Badger's Mate]

Another imported chilli condiment I like a lot is Lao gan ma, which has been mentioned on this board before. It was PP who enthused about it iirc. Crispy chilli pieces in oil with crunchy soya beans and a hint of Sichuan pepper. I was determined to try some and managed get it in an oriental supermarket in Harlow. I am hooked now.

[halfateabag]

Sounds delish ! I also use roasted pumpkin seed oil, it goes very well with sliced beef tomatoes and mozzarella.

[Pepper Pig]

Me too BM. Difficult to find round here though. I should have sidetracked to Wing Yip when I was in the Central Middlesex area.

[Smitch]

I’ve bought chilli crisp in Tesco but we have a huge Chinese population. Sous chef sell it and Ocado have a fancier version by Woolf’s Kitchen.

I got a cookbook last Christmas just with recipes including chilli crisp. I love it!

[scullion]

we have a thai supermarket in truro that sells a range of lao gan ma offerings. the crispy chilli peanut one is good, too.

[halfateabag]

I too, became a fan of Wing Yip. I spent time and money in that store too PP... Ketjap Manis was one of my discoveries there. Most inexpensive place to purchase prawns of all types - shell on, off etc.

[herbidacious]

I have had to impose a semi-ban on myself regarding Wing Yip. There is a massive one not far away. I used to get so excited when visiting it and I'd buy loads of stuff and not know what to do with it, and it would often end up sitting in the cupboards for years. So, now I have a rule. I have to have a meal in mind. Ditto visiting Tooting for South Asian food. Next time I go to Wing Yip must take some reading glasses. The translations of ingredients, which must be scrutinized for non-vegetarian elements used to be in tiny tiny print.

[halfateabag]

We are all individuals ! I work the other way Herb. I buy a product and then try and work a meal out of it using Lord Google.

OH had 2 slices of cheese and tomato pizza for supper and he tried the Shito sauce in tiny amount dotted here and there on half of one of the bits. He enjoyed it a lot but was glad it was not on all the pizza. Even the mild jar was a bit pokey but with a good all round flavour.

[Badger's Mate]

Yes, it’s very savoury, isn't it Zosh. The hot one is pokier, especially when first opened, but they both mellow a bit.

I love all sorts of chilli-based condiments, depending upon my mood. Sweet, tangy, fruity, nutty, hot or mild. Shito has a smokiness to it, maybe the protein is dried over wood. Another one that reminds me of it is this

https://www.chilli.gold/product-page/ch ... -large-jar

Also (very) pokey, it hasn’t got the big umami hit of shito, but I would have guessed it contained something savoury like fish sauce when it doesn’t. It’s totally unlike any other chipotle product I know. The family that make it are local-ish to us in Herts, which makes this product off topic I guess!

I tend to come back from the chilli festival with too much stuff; always my favourites, plus several new things to try. Sometimes I should rein myself in, but it rarely happens.

[herbidacious]

We are all individuals ! I work the other way Herb. I buy a product and then try and work a meal out of it using Lord Google.

I think the problem is that I used to go mad and buy loads of things. Even at my pre-fatigue peak I only cooked twice a week and wasn't at home for lunch. (I like to make enough to last a few days rather than cook every day.)

[mistakened]

I managed to buy Marmite this morning, hurrah it has been missing for a couple of months.
I am still hunting for Nigella seeds, Spanish Smoked Paprika and poppy seeds. They will turn up

Moira