Buying whole spices

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  1. #1

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    Buying whole spices

    I'm really surprised at the lack of spices available in the supermarkets around where I live (Mid-levels). I have been trying to find star anise, which I thought was a common, basic ingredient in Chinese cooking - I've tried several shops and been unable to get it, not in the spice/dried herb shelves nor around the Chinese sauces. Where is the best place to buy whole spices? And for Indian spices e.g whole coriander seeds?


  2. #2

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    Thanks!


  3. #3

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    Go to the market rather than the supermarket. Most markets will have a spice shop crammed with every spice you can imagine. I use two shops, depending which is closest at the time, one in Causeway Bay Street market (the market that runs from the Canal Road East Flyover towards Wan Chai) and and one in Wan Chai in the side streets between Wan Chai MTR and the Hopewell Centre.

    I guess there must be somewhere similar near central, despite the best efforts of the developers to drive any semblance of character out of Central.


  4. #4

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    I've seen star anise in several places. Close to you try the chinese shops in central wet market near the escalators. The ones with bottles of chinese marinades and such, best I can describe them. Sometimes welcome or p/s has it too. There is also a spice shop in WC wet market near times square, it's located near main tram road about 4/5 stores in.


  5. #5

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    Thanks guys, will check!


  6. #6

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    98% of all spice requirements can be purchased from Wetmarket plus Indian provision stores.
    For the rest of 2%, online websites and expensive delivery charges will be the only way.

    Avoid supermarkets for spices. You just dont get decent/fresh ones from supermarkets. Makes me cringe to see spices that were grown on this side of the world, travel to UK, get bottled and then shipped back here for sale; those are precisely the ones to avoid as they will lack any decent flavours.

    HC


  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ramdom:
    There is also a spice shop in WC wet market near times square, it's located near main tram road about 4/5 stores in.
    Yes, that's the one I use.

  8. #8

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    I was looking for some traditional Chinese herbs at a supermarket as well, the store clerks told me they do not carry them and suggested that I go to Chinese medicine shops to find them. I did eventually go to a Chinese medicine shop 北京同仁堂 on Queens Road Central and purchased star anise and a few other herbs there.


  9. #9

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    there's a small chinese provision shop in soho (jhalfway down elgin street, opposite Posto Pubblico) that sells chinese sauces/spices/condiments. not too sure what their hours are though, have only seen them open on saturdays.


  10. #10

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    The other side of the supermarket spices drawback, is you could end up getting fresher spices grown in China laced with heavy metals, pesticides, cancer causing fertilizers and who knows what....


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