10 Foods You Can Only Find In An Asian Supermarket
Live Octopus and Frogs
Alive and squirming, shoppers will find buckets of octopi and frogs in the produce section. Octopus is a Korean delicacy that's eaten alive in a dish called sannakji, in which a small octopus is chopped up and served right away so that diners can see the pieces squirming on their plates. And in some eastern countries, mainly China, Vietnam and Japan, live frogs are served up filleted with their hearts still beating and their limbs still moving.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Durain Fruit
Stocked next to the apples and oranges, durian, a tropical fruit that's soft in texture and tastes surprisingly good, smells like a heap of garbage that's been drenched in gasoline. In Southeast Asia, it's known as the "king of fruits."
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Kabocha
The squash of all squash in an Asian market, Kabocha is a round, green variety of Japanese squash with bright orange meat. It's generally steamed, baked, or puréed to thicken soups.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Frozen Rabbit Meat
Cooked rabbit is a popular ingredient in Asian cuisine, and you'll find Peter Cottontail frozen beside chicken, beef, and other common meats.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Green Tea Noodles
There's nothing more iconic of Asian cuisine than noodles and green tea. And, yes, you can find noodles made with green tea in Asian markets, and they're good.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Exotic Canned Fruit
Alongside canned pineapple, peaches, and mandarin oranges, exotic canned fruits (some you may have never even heard of), like rambutan, lychee, banana blossom, and guava are lined up on the Asian supermarket shelves.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Microwavable Buns
Steamed buns? No, these refrigerated buns are microwavable and ready to eat in just minutes.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Mochi Ice Cream in Every Flavor
Green tea, red bean, black sesame, chocolate, vanilla, mango, strawberry... they've got all the mochi flavors you'd imagine in your wildest dreams.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Lychee Gummy Candy
They don't sell this at Walgreens — gummy candy has never tasted as good as it does when it's flavored with lychee.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Asian Beer
A selection of Asia's most popular beers, like Tsingtao and Singha, are ready to crack open in the refrigerated aisle.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Haley Willard is The Daily Meal's assistant editor. Follow her on Twitter @haleywillrd.