Sourcing hard-to-find regional/local ingredients

Z-Cook

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Heres a question... As mentioned a couple of times, I'm in a location that has a noticeable lack of non standard issue ingredients, most noticeably Asian ingredients, but many others, too which I stock up on when travelling and sometimes order online. I also like to DIY.

A good cook and foodie friend in NM who shops at well stocked Asian and other supermarkets is sending a care package and asked for a shopping list.

Which shippable ingredients (either essential or otherwise) would you put on the list?

Also, which regional ingredients or components, adjuncts or condiments do you DIY out of necessity or choice?

I've DIYed doubanjiang, hoisin sauce, black bean sauce, kimchi, Branston pickle, pomegranate molasses, harissa, hot sauce (chili sauce), fermented chile paste, olives, salted anchovies, cystallised fruit and citrus peel, dried fruit and veg, among others for e.g. And do you have fave recipes/methods? Anything goes.
 
OK
I am part of your target audience...

I cannot even get mail order shopping, although I can sometimes manage to convince people to take some items with them in the plane....

So yes, I had to go learn to make a number of things when the craving just got too much
Ketjap (sweet soy)
Bitterballen (just google, everyone likes them, but they never made the world stage)
Drop (no alternative, it needs to be brought in every now and again)
Krupuk and emping (brought in, but I think how to make krupuk. Still gotta try)
Sauerkraut - learned how to make it
Sambal - I make my own most of the time
Belgian beers - I make my own
Sardines are available occassionally, then I buy. Sometimes they come in by air.
Tempeh is on my "to do" list, but quite far down. Love it though.

I use a lot of substitutes, but at least I got access to fresh curry leaves, makrut leaves, lemongrass, ginger, galangal & Thai & lemon basil
 
SandwichShortOfAPicnic has a very similar thread here.

Different thread post:
Packing for Spain, have checked luggage which happens about once a year.
Taking mostly wet ingredients that are over the 100ml allowance and I that can’t get out there. It appears Asian cooking ingredients and mustard are the things I miss most 😂
View attachment 134815
They weren’t all purchase today rather collected up over the last couple of months. There are some dry ingredients not pictured because I realised theres no point taking all the wet ingredients with me if I don’t have some of the dry ones like star anise or szechuan pepper with me as well!

Packing-
Palm sugar
Gochujang
Sushi sauce
Ghee 1kg
Oyster sauce
XO sauce
Hoisin sauce
Sesame oil
Thai fish sauce.
Wasabi
Chinese five spice
Star anise
Szechuan pepper
...
 
I use a lot of substitutes, but at least I got access to fresh curry leaves, makrut leaves, lemongrass, ginger, galangal & Thai & lemon basil
Don't have any of those except ginger 😢 Actually there's an online South Asian store from Houston and Las Vegas that does curry leaves etc but I haven't tried an order yet.

I use ordinary lime or lemon leaves instead of Makrut leaves. Interestingly, lemon leaves are used a lot in Cape Malay cooking, which as you may know, is a adapted hybrid version of Indonesian, SE Asian and South Asian cooking.

Krupuk and emping (brought in, but I think how to make krupuk. Still gotta try)
Made krupuk. Once! Still have some of the tapioca flour!

Belgian beers - I make my own
👍Wow, impressive 😁
 
I'm living in deep South GA where Asian food is an extreme rarity, not counting rice. I have to order online, usually don't anymore with shipping costs what they are, or make my once a year trip to Atlanta, GA. 🙁

Used to live in Las Vegas and it was all locally sourced. 😃

Kimchi - Wife was Korean so I make it.
Sauerkraut - Make it.
Black bean garlic sauce - buy it. (Atlanta)
Korean soy sauce - Order it.
Gochujang - Order it.
Nori / seaweed - buy it. (Atlanta)
Shrimp paste - buy it. (Atlanta)
Palm sugar - buy it. (Atlanta)
MSG - buy it. (Atlanta)
Fermented chili paste - Make it.
Sambal - Make it.
 
Ah, but we can keep this thread going...
I wanna know how to make krupuk, and lots of other things.
I've made several types of Thai curry paste. Mostly make my own spice mixtures (shoarma, tandoori, bumbu nasi goreng (in development stage), jerk seasoning etc

And I've made paprika chips :)
 
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