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Buying Flours At Asian Food Market

celiac-mommy

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celiac-mommy Collaborator
celiac-mommy
Posted

I haven't ventured out to buy my flours at at an Asian food market yet, but since everyone talks about how affordable it is, I'd like to. Are there specific brands to get or to not buy? Can you buy in bulk and not worry about CC? I've been buying the same brand for 2 years because of it's safety, but if I can save some $$, I'm ALL FOR IT!

Thanks for any help/advice!

Oh-any specific store in PDX metro area?

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Ridgewalker Contributor
Ridgewalker
Posted

I've really been wanting to check out the flour possibilities at an Asian market too! I've only found one within an hour drive of me... rural NC ya know. Hispanic stores on every corner, though- I have no idea if they'd have anything useful.

Anyway, I haven't checked out the store I found yet because of the language barrier. Yeah, basically I'm a big CHICKEN. :( I'm afraid of walking in there and making an idiot of myself. I guess I need to just bite the bullet and check it out.

missy'smom Collaborator
missy'smom
Posted

The rice flour and tapioca starch I use are Flying Horse brand from Thailand and potato starch is in a green and white bag with the words "Well-being Food" on it, from Korea. I am very sensitive and have had no problems with the packaged flours. The market I go to sells gluten containing grains but I can't remember if they sell gluten containing flours. I still would not buy from open bulk bins.

larry mac Enthusiast
larry mac
Posted
I haven't ventured out to buy my flours at at an Asian food market .... Can you buy in bulk and not worry about CC?

No, I don't think you can ever buy from bulk bins that are right next to gluten flours (like at Whole Foods and Central Market) and not worry. I do anyway occasionally. However, I've never seen any bulk bins at an asian food store, and I've been to several large ones.

They never have brown rice flour, only white, usually several brands in one pound bags around a dollar. The potato and tapioka starch comes in several brands also. They are from different countries, usually Thailand or Vietnam. I'm looking at a potato starch that is made in the USA though. Packed by Sing Kung Corp, Arcadia, CA.

You don't talk to anyone at these places. You just go in, wander around till you see an ailse that has a lot of bags that look like flour. You have to read a lot of bags because there are many products that are mostly wheat flour. You know like tempura batter and all kinds of dumpling things. Get what you need, walk to the checkout, all the while nodding and smiling to everyone you see. But whatever you do, do not go anywhere near the fish dept, it can be very smelly.

I haven't been able to tell any difference in the different brands. They all seem the same. "If you've seen one starch, you've seen 'em all" my grandmother used to say. :rolleyes:

best regards, lm

mftnchn Explorer
mftnchn
Posted

Hi, probably you'll just have to experiment. I bought some potato starch and tapioca starch at the Asian market that is on about 52nd and Powell in PDX. 60 cents a bag or something like that.

The thing about these is that cc may be lowered due to a few factors. The volume produced in Asia may mean dedicated machinery though not designed for our benefit.

In northern China where I am living, potato starch is extremely common in all groceries, another sign it is produced in high volume.

Another thing is that wheat isn't produced except in Northern China, so southern Asia companies are less likely to be grinding it on the same equipment. Thailand is just too hot to produce wheat.

larry mac Enthusiast
larry mac
Posted
.....Another thing is that wheat isn't produced except in Northern China, so southern Asia companies are less likely to be grinding it on the same equipment. Thailand is just too hot to produce wheat.

Thank you very much for that information. I had no knowedge of that kind and feel more comfortable using flours from Thailand and Vietnam.

best regards, lm

celiac-mommy Collaborator
celiac-mommy
Posted
  • Author

Thanks so much for your help! We have a big fancy Asian market near the hospital where I work, but I have a feeling it might be more expensive--I'm willing to try it though!

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Fiddle-Faddle Community Regular
Fiddle-Faddle
Posted

I figure that the fancy expensive gluten-free brands we see in the health food stores are likely repackaged flours from the Asian market anyway (unless they specifically state that they produce their own in a dedicated facility)!

Darn210 Enthusiast
Darn210
Posted

My rice flour happens to be flying horse brand also.

I wondered around for a while and read a lot of lables (there is an English version on most products). And yes, I ended up with a question and needed help. Went to the youngest employee (young girl, probably early 20's) and had no problems. She helped me find the glutinous rice flour (sweet rice flour). Then after I told her my daughter couldn't have any wheat (I just left it at that), she also pointed out some rice wraps and rice noodles. I bought some wraps but haven't tried them out yet.

Worriedtodeath Enthusiast
Worriedtodeath
Posted

Love my asian store. Everything has a itty bitty sticker that translate the ingredients to english. Always has a little old lady and two or three young girls for translation. Flours are cheap I get tapioca, buckwheat, sweet rice, white rice. THey have tapioca beads if you want to do your own grinding as well as some bean flours. I believe I have seen lots of soy stuff too. And you can find it in a variety of forms. The pasta is a whole row to itself. Filled with all kinds of thick noodles, thin noodles, curvy noodles all rice noodles though they do have wheat noodles. I bought some Annie noodles from the health store and when it came out the box realized I could buy it without the box or name brand at the Asian store for a whole lot cheaper. They also have potatoe cookies, rice cookies rice this and rice that. So it's a good thing for us.

Stacie

celiac-mommy Collaborator
celiac-mommy
Posted
  • Author

Wow!!! I went to Uwajimaya, the big Asian market in Beaverton and I was so impressed! Everyone I talked to spoke English too, which was a huge bonus. Rice, sweet rice and tapioca starch was 0.69 per pound! I also found a lot of other stuff there too. The best part was that everything has an English label on it that lists ingredients and allergens BETTER than any other grocery store I've ever been to. Not one thing I picked up had an ambiguous label that I had to question. How refreshing! I will shop there again and again! Thanks for your help!

itchygirl Newbie
itchygirl
Posted
I've really been wanting to check out the flour possibilities at an Asian market too! I've only found one within an hour drive of me... rural NC ya know. Anyway, I haven't checked out the store I found yet because of the language barrier. Yeah, basically I'm a big CHICKEN.

I live in NC too and the Asian markets I've been to around here everybody speaks better English than me :D

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