PRODUCT INFO Pea eggplant are small and round, about the size of a pea and one centimeter in diameter. These tiny fruits are arranged in clusters of ten to fifteen bunched together in a fashion similar to grapes and as the fruits ripen their thin skin will turn from light green to yellow. The fruits grow on shrubs that can reach up to sixteen feet in height. The stems and leaves of the pea eggplant are covered in fine hairs, and small hooked thorns and the flowers of the plant are most often white. Each fruit can contain up to two hundred tiny, flat, brown, and edible seeds. pea eggplant range in flavor from bitter to tart when raw, and their texture is exceptionally crunchy. Once cooked they will take on a soft quality and the bitter flavor is minimized. USES Pea eggplant are used in both raw and cooked preparations. When fresh they are popularly used in nam prik kapee, a chili and shrimp paste blend commonly made in Thailand. They can also be pickled, dried, or served raw with dipping sauces. Pea eggplant can be grilled, braised, added to curries, soups, and stews, or tossed whole or chopped into stir-fries. To cut the bitterness, Pea eggplant can be boiled briefly before use. Pea eggplant pair well with mint, turmeric, cumin, cardamom, curry paste, rice, yams, and meats such as poultry and beef. Pea eggplant will keep up to three days when stored in a cool and dry place. SEASONS Pea eggplants are available year-round with peak season during the summer months.
PRODUCT INFO Thai eggplants can have an elongated, cylindrical shape to a small, globular shape, averaging 2-3 centimeters in diameter. The outer skin is smooth and glossy and ranges from dark green, light green, to white. The vivid green hues begin at the fruit's stem and then fade to a creamy white in a striping pattern. The inner flesh is pale green to white and contains many small, brown, edible seeds. Thai eggplants are crunchy and mild with a slightly bitter taste. USES Thai eggplants can be consumed in both raw and cooked applications such as grilling, frying, baking, pureeing, stewing, stuffing, and pickling. This eggplant is unique because unlike other eggplant varieties that require cooking, it can be used in raw preparations, such as salads and crudite. The seeds are edible but can be difficult to chew. In cooked applications, Thai eggplants are most commonly used in curries, and when cooked they become soft and soak up the sauce with ease. They can also be sliced and added to stir-fries or battered and fried into a tempura side dish. Thai eggplant pairs well with aromatics such as garlic, ginger, and onions, herbs such as basil, oregano, cilantro and parsley, nightshade family members including tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers, as well as coconut milk, soy sauce, shellfish, and poultry. Thai eggplants will keep up to three days when stored in a cool and dry place. SEASON Thai eggplants are available year-round.
PRODUCT INFO Wing beans are lime green and elongated with a square shape and four feathery, winged accents running from tip to end like the tail of an arrow. The pods are straight or curved with a smooth and waxy surface. They can grow up to 30 centimeters long but are usually harvested at 10 and 15 centimeters, before the peas have fully developed. Wing beans are sweet, like many pea varieties, and offer an asparagus-like flavor and crunchy texture. Wing beans are an excellent source of copper, iron, manganese, tryptophan, and the essential amino acid isoleucine. They are also rich in protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates, all of the essential B-complex vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and potassium. The pods, leaves and roots all contain a similar nutrient makeup. USES Wing beans are most often cooked. Young pods can be eaten raw in salads, sliced very thinly, or lightly blanched. They are prepared like French beans or snap peas by pinching off the ends and cutting into bite-sized sections. Use in stir-frys, sautes or add to soups and stews towards the end of the cooking process. The delicate pods pick up the bold flavors of chiles, garlic and spices. Young pods can be pickled. Mature beans are halved, and their seeds prepared and eaten like soybeans. Dried seeds can be ground and used as a flour substitute. Store Wing beans in a bag or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. SEASON Wing beans are available in the late spring and through the fall months.
PRODUCT INFO Garden peas have a large bright green pod which encases plump, round peas or berries. The pods grow on vines and unlike snow and sugar snap peas are too fibrous to be edible. Pods must be shelled first by snapping off the end and pulling the fibrous string along the length of the pod. Each pod contains five to eight emerald hued peas. Peas have a tender yet slightly crunchy texture and a sweet pea flavor. For best flavor prepare or freeze peas soon after they are harvested, the high sugar content of the peas begin to convert to starch as soon as the peas are picked from the vine.Fresh garden peas are rich in vitamin A and vitamin B (particularly folic acid), calcium, iron, zinc, and potassium. In addition they contain protein and fiber as well as lutein which has been shown to promote healthy vision. They also contain phytonutrients which have anti-inflammatory properties and can aid in the prevention of diabetes, heart disease and arthritis. To best preserve nutrients use peas raw or prepare steamed or stir-fried. USES A versatile vegetable, fresh garden peas are sweet and tender enough to be eaten raw but may also be prepared cooked. Shelled peas can be blanched and pureed to make a spread or dip. Add raw peas to green and grain salads. Their sweet, fresh flavor will complement rich pasta and risotto as well as spicy curries and soups. The shells of garden peas can be used to add flavor to vegetable stock. For best flavor and texture wait to shell peas till you are ready to use them. Peas can also be shelled and frozen, dried or canned for future use. Season A peak season in spring through early summer, garden pea are available year-round with sporadic gaps in availability throughout the year.
PRODUCT INFO Eryngii mushrooms are medium to large in size and are easily identified by their thick cylindrical stem and their small, flattened cap. The ivory to white stems can grow up to twenty centimeters in length, five centimeters in diameter, and are firm, dense, and chewy. The small, smooth caps are grey to brown and have rounded, curved edges. Underneath the cap, the stem and cap are joined by off-white, thin, short, gills, though dense and spongy in texture, lack aroma and flavor, but when cooked, the mushrooms have a savory umami flavor, a soft, crunchy texture, and a mild flavor reminiscent of abalone. Eryngii mushrooms contain riboflavin, vitamins B6, C, and D, niacin, potassium, fiber, and folate. They also contain high amounts of a naturally occurring amino acid, ergothioneine, which is an antioxidant. This particular antioxidant is stored in organs like the liver and kidneys and helps reduce the risk of chronic disease. USES Eryngii mushrooms are best suited for cooked applications such as grilling, roasting, baking, sauteing and frying. They can be sliced or torn into thick pieces and simmered or braised to create a crispy texture, or they can be cut into rounds to develop a tender, meat-like consistency. King Trumpet mushrooms are commonly used in stir-fries, soups, stews, tempura, chopped into meatballs or meatloaf, mixed into pasta, or grilled and served on top of barbequed meats. King Trumpet mushrooms pair well with legumes, grains, fish, poultry, scallops, Asian greens, ginger, garlic, chives, chiles, thyme, rosemary, peppercorn, soy, vinegar, dry white wines, blue cheese, grapes, and focaccia. They will keep 1-2 weeks when stored in a paper bag in the refrigerator. Season Eryngii mushrooms are available year-round.
PRODUCT INFO Ear mushrooms are small to medium in size, averaging 3-8 centimeters in diameter, and are curved and wavy with an ear-like or cup-like shape. The fruiting bodies are brown to dark brown with a slippery or gelatinous texture and can be made up of smooth, wavy edges or many folds and wrinkles with some veining. With age, the gill-less and stemless fungus darkens, and the spores range in color from yellow, cream, to white. When cooked, Wood Ear mushrooms are firm, crunchy, and toothsome with a mild, musty flavor. Ear mushrooms contain iron, protein, fiber, and vitamins B1 and B2 USES Ear mushrooms are best suited for cooked applications such as boiling, stir-frying, and sauteing. Before cooking, the fungus should be rinsed, and any tough patches should be removed. Used for their chewy and toothsome texture, they can be added to soups, salads, or stir-fries and readily absorb accompanying flavors. Ear mushrooms are commonly added to Chinese hot and sour soup and to Szechwan and Hunan cuisine to soak up the spicier flavors. Outside of China, ear mushrooms are most commonly found in dried form and can easily be reconstituted. To rehydrate, the fungus should be soaked in water for at least half an hour. Ear mushrooms pair well with potatoes, fermented black beans, green onions, onions, ginger, soy sauce, red wine vinegar, sesame oil, cilantro, parsley, bay leaves, allspice, snow thistle, cucumber, bamboo shoots, green peas, tofu, pork, ham, shrimp, and crab. They should be used immediately and will only keep for a couple of days when wrapped in paper towels and stored in the refrigerator. Season Ear mushrooms are available from early summer through early winter, while the cultivated versions are available year-round.
PRODUCT INFO Lotus root is an oblong, tubular rhizome or stem that grows underground in bodies of water, averaging 5-10 centimeters in diameter and 10-20 centimeters in length. Appearing like underwater sausage links, the rhizomes are connected to other rhizomes via smaller roots creating groupings of 3 to 5 and can grow to be over one meter in length as a whole. When young, Lotus root has a firm texture with light purple to white skin that transforms into a brown-beige hue with darker brown speckling when mature. Underneath the thin skin, the flesh ranges in color from ivory to white and is crisp, light, and starchy. There are also numerous, symmetrical, air pockets patterned into a pinwheel shape in the flesh that extend the entire length of the rhizome. Lotus root has a dense and crunchy texture with a nutty and sweet flavor, similar to that of a water chestnut or taro root. The younger roots are more tender and used for fresh culinary purposes, whereas mature roots are used in extended cooking applications to develop a tender, potato-like texture. Considered a good source of energy as it is high in carbohydrates. It also contains vitamin C, manganese, zinc, iron, copper, vitamin B, potassium, and magnesium. USES Lotus root is best suited for cooked applications such as steaming, frying, braising, stir-frying, and boiling. After peeling the root, it should be immersed in acidulated water using vinegar or citrus to prevent discoloration. Lotus root can be blanched just slightly to remove any bitterness, cooled, and added to salads or crudite. It can also be sliced and braised until tender in soups, stir-fried, battered and fried into tempura, or thinly sliced and baked into chips. In India, Lotus root is boiled, mashed, and added to vegetarian kofta, which is a dumpling dish paired with spicy sauces. A traditional Korean dessert also utilizes Lotus root with soy sauce, honey, and sesame seeds called yeongun bokkum. Lotus roots pair well with mushrooms, peppers, snap peas, snow peas, asparagus, corn, celery, cucumber, oyster sauce, peanuts, red beans, and sesame seeds. Lotus root will keep up to two weeks when stored whole, wrapped in damp paper towels, and placed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Sliced Lotus root can be stored in an acidulated water solution for a couple of days, or it can be frozen for long-term storage. SEASON Lotus root is available year-round, with a peak season in the fall.
PRODUCT INFO Pandan leaves are medium to large in size and are elongated, narrow, and oblong in shape. There are two distinct Pandan plant shapes. If the plant is left undisturbed and the leaves are not harvested, it will develop into a small tree with large, long, and thin green leaves that can reach up to two meters in length. If the leaves are continuously harvested, the plant will stay low to the ground forming a shrub-like appearance with smaller, narrow green leaves growing up to one meter in length. The upright green leaves taper to a point at the tip, and when attached to their stems, Pandan leaves resemble the top of a pineapple plant. Pandan leaves have a unique and distinct grassy aroma when first crushed that mellows out to a subtle, herbal, and floral aroma. When cooked, Pandan leaves have a nutty, almond, rose-like, and slightly sweet flavor. Pandan leaves are rich in essential oils, glycosides, and alkaloids, and also contain traces of tannin and isoprene esters. They are traditionally used to reduce symptoms of pain and fevers and are used as a laxative. USES Pandan leaves are best suited for cooked applications such as boiling, steaming, sauteing and frying. They are used in both sweet and savory dishes and are boiled, pounded, bruised, or raked to bring out the flavor. Pandan leaves are often used to wrap meats or sticky rice and are cooked to add a sweet and nutty flavor. They are also wrapped and deep fried to create a crunchy exterior. In addition to savory preparations, Pandan leaves are also used to make desserts and drinks. They can be made into a paste with the juice extracted to make the well-known chiffon cake, and they can be cooked to make Kaya, or pandan-flavored coconut egg jam, which is a traditional Pandan dish still found today in Malaysia and Singapore. Pandan leaves can also be cooked with coconut to make nasi lemak rice or are tied into knots and used for flavoring. Pandan leaves pair well with turmeric, lemongrass, brown sugar, milk, meats such as fish, chicken, beef, and pork, and rice. They will keep for a couple of days when stored unwashed, wrapped in a damp paper towel and sealed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Pandan leaves can also be frozen for up to two months. SEASON Pandan leaves are available year-round.
PRODUCT INFO Green Thai papayas widely vary in size, ranging from 15-50 centimeters in length and 10-20 centimeters in diameter, and are oval and elongated in shape. The thin skin is smooth, slightly waxy, firm, and green. Underneath the surface, the flesh is crisp, white with pale green edging, and dense with a central seed cavity filled with white pith and many inedible seeds. When raw, Green Thai papayas are crunchy with a very mild and neutral taste similar to the flavor of jicama or cucumber. Green Thai papayas are a good source of vitamins A and C and also contain folate, magnesium, manganese, and potassium. Green Thai papayas are best suited for both raw and cooked applications such as boiling or sauteing. The fruits are most well-known for their use in som tan, which is a Thai salad that mixes Green Thai papaya with fish sauce, lime, chile, garlic, and varying vegetables. Green Thai papaya can also be added to stews, pickled for extended use, grated, fried, and mixed with small shrimp to make okoy, or cooked into sour curries such as gaeng som. In Thailand, Green papaya is also blended into soups and is heavily spiced with chiles as the fruit has minimal flavor and showcases other spices. Green Thai papaya pairs well with long beans, carrots, daikon radish, chiles, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, green onions, shallots, turmeric, and peanuts. The unripe fruits will keep for a couple of days at room temperature but will then begin to ripen. Once ripe, papayas will keep up to one week when stored in the refrigerator. USES In Thailand, papaya is believed to have anti-inflammatory properties and is used medicinally to help cleanse the digestive system. The leaves and sap are also used in traditional medicine to reduce the itchiness of insect bites and general swelling in the body. In addition to topical use, dried leaves are commonly steeped into a tea and are believed to stimulate digestion. Elongated papaya varieties are often seen in markets sold in slender pieces, stored over ice, so locals can buy the pieces daily as needed. Many Thai families also grow papaya in their home gardens to utilize the fruits, leaves, and sap year-round in medicinal and culinary applications. Season Green Thai papayas are available year-round in tropical climates.
Oreo Mini Cup Sandwich Cookies. Product of Mondelez Indonesia. Now in bite size that are more convenient and easier to enjoy. These mini cookies have creme filling of Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry that you will love. They are the perfect size for grabbing on your way out or snacking at home or school. Put in your bowl and pour some milk for a great cereal, or as topping for your favourite ice cream for an exciting dessert. Available Variants: Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry.