UK shopping made simple
Where to buy
Where to find Asian ingredients in the UK, from the big supermarkets to the best online shops. Honest advice on what to buy and where.
Where to Buy Patis (Filipino Fish Sauce) in the UK
Patis is best found through a Filipino grocer, though standard Southeast Asian fish sauce from a...
Where to Buy Bagoong (Filipino Shrimp Paste) in the UK
Bagoong is a specialist item, best found through a Filipino grocer or online rather than a...
Where to Buy Sinigang Mix in the UK
Sinigang mix is a specialist item, best found through a Filipino grocer or online rather than...
Where to Buy Kalamansi in the UK
Fresh kalamansi is rare in the UK, so bottled kalamansi juice or concentrate from a Filipino...
Where to Buy Banana Ketchup in the UK
Banana ketchup is increasingly stocked by larger UK supermarkets, though a Filipino grocer offers the widest...
Where to Buy Filipino Spring Roll Wrappers (Lumpia Wrappers) in the UK
Lumpia wrappers are thinner than standard Chinese spring roll wrappers, and are best found through a...
Where to Buy Achiote (Annatto) in the UK
Achiote (annatto) is a specialist item, best found through a Filipino, Latin American or general Asian...
Where to Buy Ssamjang in the UK
Ssamjang is a specialist item, best found through a Korean grocer or online rather than a...
Where to Buy Rendang Paste in the UK
Rendang paste is stocked by some larger UK supermarkets now, though a Malaysian or Indonesian grocer...
Where to Buy Filipino Cane Vinegar (Sukang Maasim) in the UK
Filipino cane vinegar is a specialist item, best found through a Filipino grocer or online rather...
Where to Buy Khao Soi Paste in the UK
Khao soi paste is harder to find than standard Thai curry pastes, so a Thai grocer...
Where to Buy Filipino Soy Sauce in the UK
Filipino soy sauce, most often the Datu Puti brand, is best found through a Filipino grocer...
Where to Buy Fish Sauce in the UK, and Which Aisle
Fish sauce is stocked by most UK supermarkets now, usually in the world food aisle near...
Where to Buy Shirataki Noodles in the UK
Shirataki noodles are increasingly stocked by larger UK supermarkets, usually in the health food or free-from...
Where to Buy Chunjang (Korean Black Bean Paste) in the UK
Chunjang is a specialist item, best found through a Korean grocer or online rather than a...
Where to Buy Kecap Manis in the UK
Kecap manis is stocked by some larger UK supermarkets now, though an Indonesian or general Asian...
Where to Buy Laksa Paste in the UK
Laksa paste is stocked by most larger UK supermarkets now, usually in the world food aisle...
Where to Buy Tamari in the UK, and Which Aisle
Tamari is easier to find than it used to be, though it still sits in a...
Where to Buy Sambal Oelek in the UK, and Which Aisle
Sambal oelek is stocked in most large supermarkets now, usually near the other chilli sauces and...
Where to Buy Century Eggs in the UK
Century eggs are a specialist item, so you will usually need a Chinese grocer or an...
Where to Buy Lap Cheong (Chinese Sausage) in the UK
Lap cheong is a Chinese grocer staple, and increasingly available from larger Asian supermarkets and online...
Where to Buy Yuzu Kosho in the UK
Yuzu kosho is a specialist Japanese item, mostly found through Japanese grocers or online rather than...
Where to Buy Tonkatsu Sauce in the UK, and Which Aisle
Tonkatsu sauce is stocked by most larger supermarkets now, usually in the world food aisle near...
Where to Buy Katsu Curry Sauce Mix in the UK, and Which Aisle
Katsu curry sauce mix and ready-made jars are both widely stocked in UK supermarkets, usually in...
Where to Buy Chinese Sesame Paste in the UK
Chinese sesame paste is not the same as tahini, and is best found through a Chinese...
Where to Buy Black Vinegar (Chinkiang) in the UK, and Which Aisle
Chinkiang black vinegar is increasingly stocked by larger UK supermarkets, though a Chinese grocer still offers...
Where to Buy Wasabi Paste in the UK, and Which Aisle
Wasabi paste, whether in a tube or powder, is stocked by most larger UK supermarkets in...
Where to Buy Black Bean Sauce in the UK, and Which Aisle
Black bean sauce is one of the easier Chinese sauces to track down, since most UK...
Where to Buy Sichuan Peppercorns in the UK, and Which Aisle
Sichuan peppercorns are more of a specialist item than most spices, so stock varies more between...
Where to Buy Rice Paper Wrappers in the UK, and Which Aisle
Rice paper wrappers are stocked more widely than they used to be, though a Vietnamese or...
Where to Buy Kombu in the UK, and Which Aisle
Kombu is less well known than nori, so it is worth knowing exactly where to look...
Where to Buy Ponzu Sauce in the UK, and Which Aisle
Ponzu is stocked more widely than a lot of Japanese ingredients, since it doubles as a...
Where to Buy Thai Curry Paste in the UK, and Which Aisle
Thai curry paste is one of the easiest Asian ingredients to find in a UK supermarket,...
Where to Buy Dumpling Wrappers in the UK, and Which Aisle
Dumpling wrappers are almost always chilled or frozen, so check the fridge or freezer aisle rather...
Where to Buy Sichuan Peppercorns in the UK, and Which Aisle
Sichuan peppercorn sits with the Chinese spices in the world food aisle, not with the regular...
Where to Buy Yuzu in the UK, and Which Aisle
Fresh yuzu almost never turns up in a UK supermarket, so bottled juice or paste, found...
Where to Buy Katsuobushi (Bonito Flakes) in the UK
Katsuobushi sits with the Japanese dry goods, not the fresh fish counter, so look for a...
Where to Buy Rice Paper Wrappers in the UK
Rice paper wrappers sit with the noodles and Vietnamese ingredients in the world food aisle, not...
Where to Buy Chilli Crisp in the UK
Chilli crisp sits with the other Chinese condiments in the world food aisle, though a few...
Where to Buy Kewpie Mayo in the UK
Kewpie sits with the Japanese sauces in the world food aisle, not with the regular mayonnaise,...
Where to Buy XO Sauce in the UK, and Which Aisle
XO sauce is a more premium item than most Chinese condiments, so it is stocked less...
Where to Buy Doenjang in the UK, and Which Aisle
Doenjang is less common on general supermarket shelves than miso, so a Korean or wider Asian...
Where to Buy Oyster Sauce in the UK, and Which Aisle
Oyster sauce is one of the easier Chinese ingredients to find, since most supermarkets now carry...
Where to Buy Mirin in the UK, and Which Aisle
Mirin sits close to soy sauce on most shelves, but the bottle looks enough like a...
Where to Buy Hoisin Sauce in the UK, and Which Aisle
Hoisin sauce is easy to find once you know it sits with the other Chinese sauces,...
Where to Buy Shaoxing Wine in the UK, and Which Aisle
Shaoxing wine trips people up because it is alcoholic, which means some stores shelve it well...
Where to Buy Rice Vinegar in the UK, and Which Aisle
Rice vinegar looks a lot like the malt and wine vinegars already in most kitchens, which...
Where to Buy Doubanjiang in the UK, and Which Aisle
Doubanjiang is not widely stocked in mainstream UK supermarkets, so Chinese supermarkets, larger Asian grocers, and...
Where to Buy Dashi and Bonito Flakes in the UK
Dashi comes as instant granules (dashi no moto) or as the raw ingredients, bonito flakes and...
Where to Buy Nori in the UK, and Which Aisle
Nori is stocked in the world food aisle of most large UK supermarkets, usually near other...
Where to Buy Furikake in the UK, and Which Aisle
Furikake is sold in the world food aisle of larger UK supermarkets and more reliably at...
Black Vinegar Substitute: What to Use Instead
A mix of balsamic vinegar and rice vinegar, roughly equal parts, gets closest to Chinkiang black...
Where to Buy Panko in the UK, and Which Aisle
Panko is stocked in most UK supermarkets in the world food or breadcrumb aisle, and is...
Soy Sauce Substitute: What to Use Instead
Tamari is the closest substitute for soy sauce, since it is made the same way but...
Sriracha Substitute: What to Use Instead
A mix of hot sauce or cayenne with a little sugar, garlic, and vinegar gets close...
Mirin Substitute: What to Use Instead
Dry sherry is the closest widely available substitute for mirin, since both bring a similar mellow...
Rice Vinegar Substitute: What to Use Instead
Plain rice vinegar can be swapped for white wine vinegar diluted slightly with water and a...
Where to buy gochugaru in the UK, and which aisle
Gochugaru is far less common on UK supermarket shelves than everyday ingredients like soy sauce. Even...
Where to buy tamarind paste in the UK, and which aisle
Tamarind paste used to mean a sticky block and a strainer. Most UK supermarkets now stock...
Coconut milk substitute: what to use instead
Coconut milk does two jobs in a curry: it thins the sauce and it carries fat....
Galangal substitute: what to use instead
Galangal looks like ginger and is not ginger. Swapping one for the other is the most...
Lemongrass substitute: what to use instead
Lemongrass is citrus without the sourness. That is the bit most swaps get wrong. The best...
Sesame oil substitute: what to use instead
Toasted sesame oil is a flavouring, not a cooking fat. Replace it with the wrong thing...
Gochujang substitute: what to use instead
Gochujang does three jobs at once: heat, sweetness and fermented depth. Any swap has to cover...
Shaoxing wine substitute: what to use instead
Shaoxing wine turns a decent stir fry into a takeaway one. If your supermarket does not...
Gochugaru substitute: what to use instead
Gochugaru is what makes kimchi red without making it brutally hot. Swap it wrong and you...
Chinese five spice substitute, and how to make your own
Five spice is a blend, which means you can build it yourself from things already in...
Oyster sauce substitute: five swaps that work
Run out mid stir fry, or cooking for someone who avoids shellfish. Here is what to...
Fish sauce substitute: what to use instead
Fish sauce does a job nothing else quite does. These are the swaps that get closest,...
Where to buy miso paste in the UK, and which aisle
Miso is in every big supermarket now. The trouble is that no two chains agree on...
Where to buy tofu in the UK
Most people looking for tofu walk straight to the world food aisle. That is the wrong...
Where to buy gochujang in the UK, and which aisle
Gochujang is on more UK shelves every year. Which shelf depends on whether your store treats...
Where to buy rice noodles in the UK, and which aisle
Rice noodles are not with the pasta. That single fact saves most people a lap of...
Where to buy sesame oil in the UK, and which aisle
Sesame oil is the one Asian ingredient that turns up in two completely different aisles, and...
Where to buy kimchi in the UK, and which aisle
Most people look for kimchi with the pickles. That is the wrong end of the shop....