Thai cooking ingredients in Beijing

[yonitabonita]

Hi folks,

Does anyone know where I could find Thai cooking ingredients in Beijing?

In particular:

- Fish sauce

- coconut milk/cream

- lime leaves

- curry paste (green, masaman, yellow etc)

My local Thai restaurant claim they have all their ingredients flown in directly from Thailand. I'm figuring it's Beijing, and just about everything is available here if you know where to look. Can anyone help?

Thanks in advance,

Y

[zarathustra]

Not sure if you've had any luck finding thai ingredients. I haven't searched throughly yet since I'm still only making Indian food for now.

Fish sauce I've seen at Metro. It's west of Beida and requires a membership (institutional I think). I'm not sure if individuals can get them. I borrowed a card from a university professor.

curries - most of the ingredients to make your own curry you can find. A decent amount at Metro. A market (I think called Indian Kitchen) in sanlitun behind Yashou market (north east corner I think).

coconut milk - I think they also have it at the Indian Kitchen.

lime leaves - maybe also at the above market. Maybe you could grow it yourself or buy a plant. If you've considered this, not sure if you've found places for seeds for this or other herbs?

I found your post since I was looking for whole coconuts. You can grate them an then freeze. Since I haven't yet found frozen grated coconut I was hoping to make it myself.

Here's the site for the only Indian spice company I know of so far.

http://www.indiankitchenspices.com/english/

It's been a while since you've posted; maybe you've had luck finding things elsewhere?

[flameproof]

Metro. It's west of Beida and requires a membership

Just hand in your company name card and they issue you a membership card within 5 Minutes. Alternately, if you are a foreigner you can also get a day pass, that is, they just give you a number to use.

It's not a big problem to get in. And yes, they do have lots of stuff.

I am surprised that you can't find coconut milk, as Hainan is a big producer.

[Rincewind]

I can get coconut milk without any problem. It comes in small thin cans and is usually next to the soft drinks in the supermarket. Usually next to the health and energy drinks. They are cheap too, at just 1.3 yuan each. I can also get whole coconuts. They come with the green husk still on.

[zarathustra]

I haven't tried looking for whole coconuts. Are they easy to find? Maybe carrefour has them? I haven't even looked in my local Chashifa though I doubt they'd have it. I could be surprised. All I need is coconut gratings. In the US, I could go to an Indian market and buy them frozen. If I can find that, then I could skip doing it myself.

Other stuff I'm looking for, if I could find a place closer to Haidian, are:

poppy seeds

mustard seeds

fenugreek seeds

asafetida

thymol

saffron

mango powder - maybe could try subsituting mangos

[Rincewind]

I just came back form the supermarket - Da Fu Yuan 大 副源. They have plenty coconuts. Even the local green grocer stalls have them. I am in Anshan, Liaoning (in the North East), so if I can get them here then I'd expect you to find them where you are - you're in Beijing aren't you? The price today is 3 yuan per 500g for whole coconuts.

I've never heard of 'mango powder' but for Thai and Indian I'd use mango chutney which is basically just mushed up mango with a dash of vinegar. I got mustard seeds in Shanghai last time I visited but french style mustard paste is easy to find anywhere.

[zarathustra]

I wasn't aware of how to get a membership at Metro. Sounds like I should just get my own then. To prove I'm a foreigner, I'm not sure if I bring my passport? Maybe everytime I go there, that's all I need to do for a day pass? Know if there are any fees?

Rincewind, I just haven't looked yet for coconuts. I was thinking my Indian food is starting to taste similar so I need to add more spices and leave more out rather than changing proportions so I asked. It seems they are fairly easy to find in Beijing so I will check it ou in the next few days.

Are you talking about Indian mango chutney? I thought that also included sugar and many of the standard 'curry' spices. It seems that Chinese indian spice company does sell mango powder. I just need to know the indian name amchor. I should probably just buy one of every type of spice and then seek out recipes that use them.

[yonitabonita]

Hi Zarathustra

Thanks for responding to my post.

A friend of mine just approaches her local Thai/Indian restaurants and asks to purchase ingredients directly from them. They don't charge her a bomb and they seem happy to do it. So if you're looking for something obscure, I'd consider this as a possible avenue to explore.

Happy cooking!

Y

[studentyoung]

My local Thai restaurant claim they have all their ingredients flown in directly from Thailand. I'm figuring it's Beijing, and just about everything is available here if you know where to look. Can anyone help?

A friend of mine just approaches her local Thai/Indian restaurants and asks to purchase ingredients directly from them. They don't charge her a bomb and they seem happy to do it. So if you're looking for something obscure, I'd consider this as a possible avenue to explore.

OK, I see.

A.Fish sauce

鱼露

B. coconut milk/cream

椰子奶 / 椰子酱

C. lime leaves

柠檬叶

D. curry paste (green, masaman, yellow etc)

咖喱

For A, B, and D, please check them here. ->

http://cache.baidu.com/c?word=%B1%B1%BE%A9%2C%CC%A9%B9%FA%3B%BD%F0%C5%C6%3B%D3%E3%3B%C2%B6&url=http%3A//detail%2Echina%2Ealibaba%2Ecom/buyer/offerdetail/46818915%2Ehtml&p=9339860e85cc41af08e29575460a8b&user=baidu

专业越南.泰国餐料　泰国农业产品 编号商品名称规　　　格单位价格备注９泰国辣椒粉胶袋５００克/包包 １０泰国甜椒粉胶袋５００克/包包 水果制品类 １大树菠萝铁罐２４罐/箱箱 ２红毛丹铁罐２４罐/箱箱 ３海底椰铁罐２４罐/箱箱 ４糖水龙眼铁罐２４罐/箱箱 ６亚答子铁罐２４罐/箱箱 ７明珠果胶袋１００克/包包 ８海马牌酸子糕胶袋４００克/包包 ９青柠檬汁（酸柑水）胶瓶１０００ＭＬ/１２瓶/箱箱 调味类 １神童咸水蒜头铁罐８磅/６罐/箱箱 ２红虾米袋装５００克/包袋 ３泰国虾糕胶罐300克/罐罐 ４瓦堡标肉骨茶袋装３５克/包包 ５肥儿豆瓣瓶装７００克/１２瓶/箱瓶 ６泰国酸梅酱瓶装７５０克/１２瓶/箱瓶 ７威臣菜油胶罐３.７５公升/６罐/箱罐 ８金山美极瓶装７５０ＭＬ/１２瓶/箱瓶 ９广祥泰鸡饭老抽瓶装６４０ＭＬ/１２瓶/箱瓶 １０ＡＢＣ酱油瓶装６４０ＭＬ/１２瓶/箱瓶 １１蜻蜓牌酱油精瓶装７００ＭＬ/１２瓶/箱瓶 １２主妇牌耗油瓶装６００ＭＬ/１２瓶/箱瓶 １３唐双合味露胶瓶装７５０ＭＬ/１２瓶/箱瓶 １４金牌鱼露瓶装７２５ＭＬ/１２瓶/箱瓶 粉面干货类 １末卡虾片胶袋５００克/２０包/箱包 ２美国红腰豆胶袋１０００克/包包 ３美国三角豆胶袋１０００克/包包 ４泰国绿豆瓣（去衣绿豆）胶袋５００克/包包 ５蕉叶兜胶卷１００个/卷卷 ６泰国锅巴５００克斤 ７泰国黑糯米袋装５００克/袋袋 ８泰国白糯米袋装５００克/袋袋 ９炸鱼粉胶袋１５０克/包包 １０鳄鱼超级薯粉胶袋４８０克/包包

主要经营地点：海淀区锦绣大地批发市场二号馆Ｃ厅10号１1号１２号

公司主页：http://bjjhht.foodqs.com/individual/individual_contact.asp?member=bjjhht

For C, please check it here. ->

http://www.xiaotangshan.com.cn/index.php?&action=productsinfo&pt_id=524

北京天安农业发展有限公司

北京市昌平区小汤山镇大柳树环岛南500米

[联系电话] (86)-10-61781425

[传真] (86)-10-61794275

Good luck and good fortune! (祝你好运，恭喜发财！ )

Thanks!