There are enough foreigners here to justify the shelf space. It’s just that we’re spread about like a miser’s butter.
When I was studying at the University of Arizona (early 1980s), I worked part-time at an Asian supermarket. The Hong Kong owner bought an large American supermarket and turned it into an Asian supermarket. We actually carried a better selection of foods than what’s available in Taiwan right now. We had products from mainland China, Singapore, Thailand, Korea, Japan, Taiwan…you get the picture. Fresh Asian vegetables grown in Arizona and California. Seafood. Even chickenfeet! And how large was the Asian market in southern Arizona?
G&L IMPORT EXPORT CORP
4828 E. 22nd St.
Tucson, AZ
Tel: 790-9016
It’s all about convenience in Taiwan. Most don’t have cars and a trip out of town to go grocery shopping is a pain.
But let’s not forget Breeze. It’s wonderful. It has lemon grass.
Is the San Min store open yet?
I get lemon grass, galangal, lime leaves, sambal etc at the little Vietnamese Grocery/Restaurant next to the Chih Shan MRT Station. They also have bottled Saigon Beer. 
The San Min store will be opening on the 23rd of July 
I get lemon grass, galangal, lime leaves, sambal etc at the little Vietnamese Grocery/Restaurant next to the Chih Shan MRT Station. They also have bottled Saigon Beer. [/quote]
That’s the one north of Shilin?
Today’s Typo Times has an interview with Tesco, Taipei’s CEO.
taipeitimes.com/News/biz/arc … 2003059385
It’s great news that Tesco is coming to Taipei. I’m looking forward to it enormously, and truly believe they’ll be head and shoulders above the competition (which isn’t exactly scintillating, to say the least).
I’m particularly encouraged by the comment from the CEO that “In our Taipei store we have introduced more international lines and even more UK Tesco own-brand lines.” I can hardly wait!
Omni,
It will be back to six rows of snacks by the end of the year. Taiwanese only seem to go to supermarkets to buy dry goods.
Everything else is bought on the street.
IMHO, the new Tesco may keep the “foreign stuff” in stock a bit longer since there is a bigger concentration of expats in downtown Taipei and Tianmu who’ll be able to get to this store more easily than to the one in Taoyuan, and who’ll buy from this Tesco more than from the other one for this reason. There is also a large number of ‘international’ Taiwanese (people with homes in the States/Canada/UK and in Taiwan) living in the neighbourhood where the Taipei Tesco is located. I know quite a few Taiwanese in this neighbourhood who buy ‘western type’ products when they can find them.
Here comes the Marmite - I mean yeast extract!
What I really miss here is a civilised breakfast. All I ask for is proper sliced bread, normal milk, and quality marmalade. Crunchy Nut Cornflakes obviously would be the dog’s pyjamas, but no good with the fetid milk you get here.
And haggis. Proper sheep as well - what’s with all these pork haggises I saw in England last year ?
Yeah, the bread sucks. Most of it seems to have been steamed rather than baked. Some of the “high quality” milk is good though. Costco’s zero fat milk is the best for me.
Now where can I get fried kippers and poached eggs…
When Taiwan joined the WTO, there were promises from the Kiwi trade office that fresh milk would be flown in from NZ and sold at a competitive price in the supermarkets here. I was waiting for that eagerly, but it never materialized. My guess is that the big local milk suppliers (most of whose products are reconstituted milk powder, though they pretend otherwise) persuaded their buddies in the supermarket chains not to allow the foreign milk onto their shelves.
As for marmalade, I’ve recently been able to buy some of the best from the organic store in the basement of Idee (next to Chungshan MRT station). It’s Barker’s grapefruit and orange marmalade from NZ, and tastes as good as any marmalade I’ve ever eaten.
If only there were decent bread available to spread it on! How I drool at the thought of a loaf of crunchy granary bread, but I’ve yet to find any bread here that’s even half as decent as the least outstanding loaf of wholegrain from home.
Alley, I fear you may be right, as that’s been the case with all the other foreign supermarket chains here to date. But I’m still clinging to the hope that Anaed is right and Tesco will be different. They’ll have me waving the flag and cheering them on, if that’s any help.
Sandie, made the trip to Costco tonight. Well worth it. The avos are absolutely fantastic.
A combination of Costco and Tesco might just suffice.
2 pounds of sharp cheddar for 550. Good everyday sandwich stuff.
Found sausage rolls, frozen for oven-baking, but what the hey, they’re sausage rolls.
Not quite as drool inducing as the aforementioned Branston pickle and mango chutney, but I’ve got an urge to eat All-Bran. now, especially after reading rather a good review for it as a slow-energy-releasing food in Muscle Media. (It’s not for me - it’s for Blob!)
Any pointers?
All-Bran nutritional facts
All-Bran recipes
Edit 16 August:
I bought two big boxes of All-Bran at Florida Bakery (Fuli Mianbao Dian) in Zhongshan North Road Section 3, a little way north of the Minquan Road junction.
I’m pretty sure I’ve seen “rat crap” (aka All Bran) in one of my local supermarkets (a 24-hour one just south of the Sanmin Rd./Minsheng E. Rd. intersection). You can also get Bran Flakes with raisins (which, unfortunately, are sugar-coated) from Costco.
Hexuan, I think, mentioned marmalade. There’s a Tesco brand one which is OK (a little short on rind, but the taste isn’t too bad), and I saw some yesterday at the Gusto Italiano bakery in Neihu (135 Huanshan Rd., Sec. 2, Neihu, Tel: 2627-2266). I haven’t tasted that one, but if you’ve ever eaten at the Gusto Italiano restaurant, you’d probably trust that anything they sold was good !
Can you get Koo marmalade here ? It’s not the best I’ve ever had, but it’s not at all bad for a supermarket marmalade. While we’re on South African stuff, can you get Prep here ?