Where do you buy Thai products and ingredients?
RaanAsia
If you stay in Thailand and want to prepare Thai dishes, that will not be a problem. I mean, where do you buy the Thai products and ingredients in Belgium or the Netherlands? I live in Thailand and am no longer aware, but I remember that you could sometimes succeed in a Chinese shop for special ingredients.
Over the years, the popularity of Thai cuisine has increased enormously in Belgium and the Netherlands. The Thai dishes are tasty, healthy, easily digestible and very varied. To cook perfect Thai food, it is best to use the original ingredients from Thailand, which are now available in smaller and larger Asian shops.
RaanAsia
Take, for example, RaanAsia in Bruges (Sint Pieters), an Oriental supermarket with food products from many Asian countries, including Thailand. Non-food products such as rice cookers, woks, steam baskets and mortars are also for sale. It is claimed that there is a weekly supply of fresh herbs (koreander, lime grass, sweet basil, ginger,…), vegetables (papaya, pakchoi,…) and fruit (durian, rambutan, mango,…) from Thailand.
RaanAsia
The owners of RaanAsia are Belgian Thierry Devos and his Thai partner Mallika Tiamkaew. With Mallika's Thai background, it is not surprising that the accent of the assortment in their supermarket is on Thailand. Have a look at their website www.raanasia.be , it probably already provides anticipation to see what's for sale.
Slogan
I really liked their slogan:
“We have everything for Asians to feel at home far from home.
We have everything for Europeans to feel at home, far from home”
If you go
Of course everyone is welcome in Bruges, but if you live in, let's say, Alkmaar or Lommel, I don't expect you to make that trip to Bruges especially to visit RaanAsia. After all, there are several shops throughout the country where you can go and this article focuses on that: where to buy Thai products and ingredients.
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Within walking distance of my house are now 3 Toko's that have everything. Even supermarkets have quite a selection.
The time when only small shops could be found is far behind us.
Take a chain like Amazing Oriental. Can already be found in many large cities and they are just fully-fledged supermarkets with a wide range.
I think the largest importer in NL is Asian Expressfood in Kampen. They supply just about everything that oriental goods offer in NL and surroundings.
I have looked through the Amazing Oriental range and see mainly Chinese products. I didn't discover a single typical Thai product and that was what my story was about.
In addition to Thai, there is indeed also a part of Chinese, Korean, Indonesian and Surinamese. But Amazing Oriental really has shelves full of Thai products, fresh, frozen and on the shelf. We go almost weekly to Amazing Oriental in Nijmegen, and I wouldn't know anything I CAN'T buy there.
Miin (Thai) woman works in an Amazing Oriental store, she says that they also sell a decent range of Thai products.
Best regards. Ray
Dear Gringo,
My wife and I went shopping at Amazing Oriental in Breda several times and they have a whole range of Thai products, even the rice they sell is mainly Thai.
The only complaint my wife has is that they don't sell "hot basil". Furthermore, she can find everything she needs and with comparable products from other countries, the Thai product is of course the best.
555 nationalism. we simply bought products from the region, sometimes Thai, sometimes from a neighboring country. It's a shame to miss out on a great offer or to hold on to a product that has actually become too expensive.
But what is 'hot basil'? I only know กะเพรา (kàphrao, Thai basil) and โหระพา (hǒoráphaa, sweet Thai basil). You can buy the last 'sweet Thai basil' at Amazing Oriental, and I use that in my กะเพราหมู (kràpaomǒe:). The regular Thai basil is hard to find. I don't know of a third variant.
http://www.baanying.sg/baanying/blogs/The-Difference-Between-Holy-Thai-Basil–Krapow—and–Sweet-Thai-Basil–Horapa-
According to wikipedia, a 3rd variant is 'lime basil', means nothing to me:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_basil
Rob, my wife calls it that and uses it quite a bit in her food. I'm flying back to Thailand next Sunday and will ask her for the Thai name of it.
Theo, I guess she just กะเพรา/kàphrao
meant. But with 40+ varieties of basil (according to Wikipedia) you never know.
There are many types of basil. That lime basil is one of many other varieties, just like the "regular" basil we know from the pesto and other Italian dishes.
The Thai holy basil (horapa / peppery taste) is sometimes also for sale at amazing oriental, but less often indeed. Matter of all leaves off (except the top) and use and put the rest in very wet soil during the spring / summer. You will have enough basil for the rest of the summer.
You can buy the lemon basil at most nurseries as a plant in the pot
I'm still figuring out, there would be a Thai living near Emmen who grows all kinds of Thai vegetables.
Hot basil or holy basil is the ordinary grapao, leaves are green in color. You can indeed not easily get these in the Netherlands. Sometimes in the smaller shops.
There is also a spicier version, called grapao deng, red basil. Leaf color is like that of red cabbage. In Thailand you can usually get it from the garden.
http://www.panothaishop.com/en/product/36/
At Wah Nam Hong, in Amsterdam, Krapao is delivered fresh from Thailand every week. Delicious and keeps well in the fridge for a few days. This is in contrast to European basil, which you should store outside the refrigerator.
Sawatdee.
And where in the Netherlands
Oriental sure?? Cuijk region
E.g. Thanks
I live in the Randstad, but there is no good shop within a radius of 5 km. In the city there is a Chinese shop with long-life Thai products and general Asian fresh products. But you can't buy Thai Basil, for example. The nearest opportunity is the region of The Hague with several large Asian shops in China Town. But traveling 20 km daily (one way) for small fresh is too much hassle for me.
That's a shame because I now cook much less fresh Thai than before. Then my love came to The Hague every day and brought messages with her. Then we cooked together either Thai or European pot. Previously, we ate Thai half of the time, the other half we ate European. Now I only eat European and some and the well-known Asian products (boemboes and such) that are available at the well-known chains.
Things are different in the Netherlands than in Belgium. Due to our centuries-long bond with Indonesia, we have known the Indian store since just after the Second World War; In the Netherlands, nasi and bamie have been eaten with all kinds of sambals for a long time.
The tokos have supplemented their range with all kinds of Asian products.
In the Netherlands you can also find these shops in smaller towns.
Many years ago I bought Thai products in the Thai Shop, Koningsstraat 42 in Amsterdam. Later I could also find many articles in tokos, which can be found in many cities. There was a shop in Tilburg that received fresh products every Thursday. They arrived by plane in the afternoon, were then picked up and delivered in the evening.
Amazing Oriental mainly supplies Chinese products, but it might be worth taking a look at the Hello Thai Supermarket website, where you can order a lot online and where they also provide recipes. The E-mail address is: [email protected]
The Thai shop in the Koningstraat is still there, but we think it is very expensive. The products are also not always fresh. The offer of the Online shop “Hello Thai” is also limited and they are also on the expensive side.
In Amsterdam, the very best choice with the widest range is “Dun Yong”. on the corner of Geldersekade and Stormsteeg. Special Thai section, and loads of it fresh and reasonably priced.
In addition, Surinamese Tokos often sell morning glory and Bitter Gourd at Surinamese Tokos, in addition to cheap ginger and other exotica.
Tonight I'm going to the boat in Rotterdam near the Euromast. There is also an AO supermarket and they do sell Thai products from various brands and they also have Singha beer, so take a tree of it with you at a reasonable price.
In Antwerp the van Wezenbeekstraat (Chinatown) across the central station. Many shops with Asian products. Also a lot of choice in Thai products. We always go there. We also have a large Chinese supermarket with a large choice of Thai products.
There is also a large Thai supermarket called Seing Thai with a webshop in the Van Wesenbekestraat http://seingthai.com
That's right, Seing Thai has almost all Thai products. My Thai wife always compares the prices of Seing Thai with Sun Wah, which is actually a fairly large Chinese supermarket. They also have many Thai products and often cheaper than Seing Thai.
Suan Thai supermarket has existed in Ghent since 1996. Their website is suanthai.be. Supplier to various Asian shops in Flanders. Well worth seeing.
“Suan Thai supplier to various Asian stores”
I don't know which shops you mean in Flanders, but I suspect as a shop that you will be a bit too expensive.
I know all suppliers from Belgium and the Netherlands who import and deliver Asian food to Thaicenter Ghent and I see them delivering to you as well.
I buy Thai products and ingredients at: Amazing Oriental Rotterdam-Alexandrium, Kreeftstraat 32 – 34, 3067 JV Rotterdam. Fresh supply from Thailand and Malaysia 3 times a week.
During my many trips through Thailand I have also done many cooking workshops. Of course to be able to cook authentic Thai food at home in NL, which I do almost every day. So I am glad that there are a number of locations where I can do my shopping, even if it is sometimes difficult in terms of supply of fresh vegetables. In recent years I have mainly been shopping in Thailand itself (fresh long-life vegetables / spices) and in NL at Amazing Oriental (already mentioned), and Wah Nam Hong, which are 2 chains of Asian supermarkets. These offer a wide range, but they are not really specifically Thai oriented, that's right. That turns out not to be necessary as long as they offer the basic ingredients: coconut milk, curry pastes, rice, noodles, chili peppers, lime, fish sauce, oyster sauce, etc. etc. Thai vegetables and fresh herbs are also sold, but are sometimes not in stock or not from the quality I'm looking for. This is annoying when you are on the road for 30 minutes in the car specifically for something…unfortunately this happens. “Mai bpen rai”…I come up with something else and get inventive; nowadays I freeze Thai Basil, when it is in stock I take a few extra packages with me, so that I have a stock of picked leaves from the freezer. I leave that Thai Papaya for 6 euros each; I will eat SomTum again when I am in Thailand.
I know that there are a few smaller Thai shops in the center of Amsterdam, but unfortunately they are not really close to me, but maybe a tip for others?
Freeze Thai Basil? Is there still flavor left? I have always “learned” that Basil only retains its taste fresh and that when stir-frying, etc., only stir-fry the last minute. We have the Thai Basil in our NL garden, grows enough not to have to buy. In the winter it dies, so indeed buy it at the toko.
Pappaya is indeed also a big deal in terms of price. They are also too expensive for me, and if you are unlucky, also too ripe for SomTam. I always use unripe mango instead. All supermarkets sell it these days, and dirt cheap. That's why they are often still immature, they don't take the time to mature properly for that price. Ideal for the SomTam.
Green papaya in the Surinamese toko 3,95 for a big one.
Just as there are many varieties of peppers, there are also many bags of papaya. And therefore taste differences.
we always go to Amazing Sang Lee in Eindhoven (woensel) they have a lot of Thai products.
Oriental in Eindhoven mainly has Chinese products and therefore not for Thai
If we go somewhere, it's to Amazing Oriental in Duiven. My Thai wife also orders a lot online and it is delivered the next day.
And where does she order?..is this also at Amazing Oriental? We also always have to drive a long way for the already much too expensive Thai products.
You can only visit the Amazing Oriental in Duiven if you have a pass. It is the distribution center of AO. In Arnhem on the Johan de Wittlaan is the nearest AO store.
There is also a real Thai store in Apeldoorn: Toon.
I prefer to visit the Thai toko's as little as possible, luckily we have to travel a long way for this. Once a month we go there and when I look at what we have to pay and how much is in the cart, I am shocked. Eggplant (1 pieces) 3 grams € 100 horpa (basil) € 2,30
Me, too. But for a Thai woman there is a condition to stay here and that is tasteful food.
I think you don't want to feed the Dutch men who can't live in Thailand without their potato or pasta. (and don't forget the Thai men and Dutch women). Nothing strange to want to eat from home, but every day or daily? Then migration is not really your thing because it requires being open to other things, adaptability.
In parentheses. I have had jars of the real Thai makhua for several years now. We have been eating it for 3 weeks and it is still growing. Also the basil, leaves off and in a moist warm place.
2 birds with one stone, you immediately have a tasty Kaeng Kiawaan
hello, suan thai market in gent highly recommended
Ola
Live in the south of France, and we do our shopping (Thai) in THAI ORCHIDEE in Perpignan, you can also eat there, owners are Vietnamese but speak Thai ..
See you
Hi everybody.
I usually go to Amazing Oriantal or Sang Lee (also open on Sundays) in Eindhoven with my Thai girlfriend.
But every now and then we also go to Genk or Hasselt.
In Waalwijk there is also a regular market with Thai products at the temple when it is accessible again.
I'm lucky enough that I provide transport for a fruit and vegetable company as a self-employed person and where my girlfriend works so that I can buy fresh Durian at a reasonable price through purchasing.
In the past I visited the Foodcenter in Amsterdam for another fruit and vegetable supplier. There is Karsten, among others, who sells many Asian products such as Horepa leaves and many other products, but you must have a wholesale card for this.
Kind regards, Ronald
We regularly make purchases at Heussen and Screwf in Landgraaf. They have a shop but are also a distributor throughout Europe.
For Belgium there are a few shops just across the Sint Pieters hospital (they are being demolished) in the Brusselsestraat in Leuven as well as at the end of this street where there is a roundabout. There is exotic world where various Thai and Asian goods are for sale.
Recently made pad thai myself, all ingredients just bought at the supermarket (plus), everything of Thai origin too. Only the shrimps were sold out in the supermarket.
I buy my Thai products at Amazing Oriental on the Amsterdamse Straatweg in Utrecht.
Of course they also have many other products from other Asian countries and Suriname.
But I've never had them lack an important ingredient that I needed to prepare a nice original Thai meal. So for everyone who lives in Utrecht and the surrounding area. You really have almost everything there. You can also see many Thai people doing their shopping there. Yes, of course you pay a lot more there than in Thailand, because it all has to be imported and that costs money. They also have Singha beer and Chang beer. For after dinner to get the Thai feeling now that we can't travel to Thailand for the time being. You also have good shops on the internet where you can get almost everything, but then you of course pay extra shipping costs. But Amazing Oriental is one of the best I know. But of course you should not expect to be able to buy fresh large shrimps there. Fish and shrimps are of course frozen, but taste great.
https://m.facebook.com/public/Waroeng-Si-Piet-Holland
used to buy a lot of online shop here
live in Thailand now so it is no longer necessary
My wife (Thai) also likes to buy products at Amazing Oriental in Breda. There they have a really nice assortment of Thai products and vegetables.
i always go to amazing sang lee in eindhoven.
many original Thai products in terms of food and drink
when my wife is in the Netherlands she almost buys the store empty because she recognizes all the products
vegetables, frozen, fresh, meat, fish, beer you name it.
We buy our Thai products at Toon House Schubertlaan Apeldoorn. good assortment, and reasonably priced Regards Deng and Joop
Do you want addresses in France, next to Chinatown in Paris where you can find everything, let me know. We have a Thai restaurant and have to buy our ingredients from other cities 100 km or more away.
The amazing oriental on the amsterdamsestraatweg has already been mentioned. Recently there is also 1 in Hoog Catherijne opposite the media market. There is also a dining and sitting area where you can eat dishes on site (haven't been able to take a look at the menu yet)
Mentioned number of times but there are many more Amamzing Oriental stores (no, no shares)
Convenience serves people :
https://amazingoriental.com
Address list of the 24 Amazing Oriental stores in the Netherlands
https://www.orientalwebshop.nl/our-stores
Dear G,
Another nice piece
My wife is a Thai cook in the Netherlands.
The food she cooks is stormy (but to the tastes of the Dutch, hardly anyone eats real Thai food.
I live in Almere and it's not so popular here.
Here there are many shops selling Thai products.
If you need another cigar, we're leaving July 19.
Yours faithfully,
Erwin
Ps I'm only in Pattaya for two days to inspect and insure the car.
Since last year, you can go to Mali Asian Market for the Kortrijk region. http://www.maliasianmarket.be they also have a Take Away. The toko is run by a Belgian/Thai couple and you will find authentic Thai products but also other Asian goods. Ning and Thierry are the patrons.
For the Ronse region you can go to Mixed Worlds, the store is a bit smaller but you will find many Thai goods. http://www.mixed-worlds.com
My Thai partner regularly buys Thai products from her contacts in the Netherlands on Facebook. I don't know how she got there, but many Dutch men are probably familiar with the Thai informal "friends" circuit.
Ingredients at (1): Toonhouse Thai supermarket and at (2): Lbb Obdeijn. Both easy to find on Facebook. For Thai vegetables: Orasa Bos. And finally (Thai) fruit: Toko Aroy.
Facebook gives a lot more information about these contacts.
Communication is best in the Thai language. I think pay in Euro at a NL bank. And in all cases, the ordered items are delivered to your home the next day (with a delivery service).
I can't say anything about the prices because I don't know if something is cheap or expensive.
Oh yes, and in addition. We also do our shopping at Wah Nam Hong, which has branches in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague. But this is not only Thai but especially Asian (and also Surinamese / Antillean).
If you were to visit Antwerp, Seing Thai, Sun Wah, and a few others, they all have many Thai products. Seing Thai is run by a Thai family, and has most Thai products. Also plenty of Japanese in these stores. Prices can sometimes vary widely. Sometimes Sun Wah is the cheapest, a week later it is the other way around. But in any case, plenty of choice.