I need chick peas, finished my last can last night and will be jonesing for hummus again in a month. Does anyone know a place that sells them online in Taiwan or a place in Taichung with them, canned or dried, preferably not older than my daughter.
Cheers,
Okami
Some enterprising laowai here in Taibei should start up a shopping service, where you fill orders like this at the local super and send them by courier to the hapless types in the boonies, with a service fee added.
Jason’s Market has them for about a 100nt a can. And there’s an organic shop on Mei Tzeun Rd. just north of the art museum that sells the dried beans. It’s a small place that also sells clothing and shoes.
Even City Super has a shortage. Last time, there were only organic, 120 nts a can. Now they have small ones for 90 nts only. Me no happy either.
I’ll try to contact the Panamenian importers in Taichung. Hopefully they could have some garbanzos.
$120 per can! jeeze, more than i’d be willing to pay for some chick peas
i bought a fairly large bag of dried ones in yonghe today for $50.
as for chains in taizhong, matsusei sometimes has cans for $60 and carrefour probably has dried ones. although this is probably much less common in taizhong locations.
Are you sure those dry ones aren’t lotus seeds? They share the similar Chinese names and look close enough alike, though that would be an interesting dip.
no, they also had lotus seeds though. i don’t think i would enjoy that dip.
after i got the chick peas the guy pointed over to the bag of red lentils and said “i know your type.”
What else does that place in Yonghe stock and care to share some directions? I’m not after chick peas per say, but you never no what you can find in some places here 
Found a shop walking to the MRT station from a mates place out there which sold Birds Custard powder for about 1/3 of the price they charge in Jasons.
Address, website, telephone number, Maybe this guy will ship
What else does that place in Yonghe stock and care to share some directions? I’m not after chick peas per say, but you never no what you can find in some places here Found a shop walking to the MRT station from a mates place out there which sold Birds Custard powder for about 1/3 of the price they charge in Jasons.[/quote]
i didn’t look that long, but it’s a pretty small place so mostly the standard dried beans/grains you see everywhere. they do have black eyed peas though.
sorry if my directions aren’t so good, but i basically just exited yongan market mrt station, crossed the road, turned right and walked for maybe 10 minutes.
In Taichung, do you have matsusei supermarkets (松青)? There’s one in my neigborhood here in Taipei that sells dried garbanzo beans for NT$49 for a 100g bag.
The chinese is 雪蓮子. Also check the organic food stores – they usually seem to carry them.
I am not familiar with Yonghe, would you be able to give us a street name and number, thanks.
You can get cans of chick peas at Fingas for $42/can. They also seemed to have dried ones as well.
The Indian store near City Hall MRT station has bags of dried. Think it was NT80 for a biggish bag.
Oh, the Filipino store has garbanzo beans, cheap, 30 to 40 nts.
for our taizhong friend, the trinity indian grocery might be the best bet for getting something sent down there (and maybe some basmati rice too). they even have a website trinityworldwide.com/tss/
neither am i, that’s why my directions are bad, sorry.
I bought some from RTMart last week. It was near the fruit section where all the other dry beans are.
Went to Matsusei today to get some frozen peas (they’re pretty cheap there and it’s good quality ones) and spotted the following for those interested. Sorry about the poor quality pictures, but the camera on my phone is crap and doesn’t seem to like close-ups.
Chick Peas
Cheaper Chick Peas
Kidney Beans
Red Lentils
Buck Wheat
They also had what seemed to be black eye beans/peas but they called them something else, so I’m not sure about that one.
This was the Matsusei on Sinyi Rd Sec. 2 near Da-an park.
The local name varies: 蓮子豆 lian2zi3 dou4 (lotus seed beans); 雪蓮豆 xue3lian2dou4 (snow lotus beans); 雞豆 ji1dou4 (chick beans/peas). Be careful not to accidentally buy lotus seeds, which look very similar and have a similar name (in the first case).
100+ per can is obscene. $35-ish is reasonable; that’s what they sell for at the restaurant supplier I discovered this week, and they have dried, too (sorry, OP, I know it’s not in Taichung, but you could call them and see if they’ll ship COD or after an ATM transfer – if so, let us know, as that would be a major resource for those Forumosans not in Taibei):
P&P Food & Spices 東遠
Taibei, Zhong1zheng4 District, Jin1men2 Jie1, 9-14, 1F
金門街9-14, 1F
2365-0633
This street runs southwest off of Roosevelt, just southwest of Shi-Da. Take Heping westward to Roosevelt; turn left, go about 200+ yards, and turn right; after a ways it’s on your left (small entrance, not well marked)
I saw some small packs in Jasons too (where they sell all the Organic cereals).
Its a german brand so they write “Kichererbsen” (which is chick peas).
Don’t remember the price but you know Jasons expensiveness…