PANTRY/FRIDGE MUST-BUYS

Blue fin tuna

If it’s good enough for Nobu, Zuma, Amazonico and Burj Al Arab, it’s more than good enough for our fridges at home. 1004 Gourmet’s blue fin tuna is flown in from Japan and loved by the city’s best chefs. It costs around

Dhs85 per 100g with three cuts available: Otoro (pink fatty tuna belly), chutoro (fatty belly), and akami (red meat). It can be prepared in sashimi form or in frozen blocks.

Mandu dumplings

Mandu are Korean dumplings that are typically filled with various combinations of meat and vegetables. The varieties may include tofu or shrimps, as well as meat-free versions. The most common choices are pork, beef, cabbage, kimchi, bean sprouts, onions, scallions, and mushrooms, but the ingredients can vary depending on the season. The dumplings can be steamed, deep-fried, pan-fried, or boiled, and they are usually served with a dipping sauce on the side.

Gochujang

Gochujang, a fundamental ingredient in Korean cooking, is a thick and spicy-sweet crimson paste made from red chilli pepper flakes, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, and salt. The chilli peppers provide a healthy amount of lingering heat, while the fermented soybeans act as the misolike ingredient that anchors gochujang’s “umami” flavour. Gochujang’s sweet-hot-salty flavour shines when it’s used in moderation to add depth to all kinds of dishes, from stews and braises to marinades and sauces.

CJ sesame oil

Sesame oil is an amber coloured, aromatic oil, made from pressed toasted sesame seeds that is a common ingredient in Korean cooking. It is not used as a cooking oil due to its intense nutty and buttery flavour and aroma, but rather used as an excellent seasoning and flavour enhancer. “In my opinion,

Korean sesame oils are simply superior,” adds Alicia.

Miscellaneous snacks

Of course, it wouldn’t a trip to an Asian supermarket without picking up a few miscellaneous snacks. Our buy? The tom yum goongflavoured crispy seaweed from Thai company Tao Kae Noi. Nutritious and delicious.