I have always been a big condiment guy. If I'm at a good hot dog place, I am driven crazy by the choices I have to make. Chili, cheese and onions? Kraut? Mustard? Jalapenos? If I get a burger for lunch, I try to find a Carls Jr that has a Green Burrito menu, so I can sneak my burger over to the salsa bar. At home, it can take me a half hour to get the add ons just right on a regular old ham sandwich.
With such a multi-culti society the condiment situation has become much more complicated. I need an extra fridge just for all the condiments I'd like to keep in the house. I have to satisfy myself by rotating through different condiments at different times but always find I'm craving the tangy goodness of the condiment I don't have right now. There are so many condiments I crave and I am old and fat and now must limit the food to put them on.
Fess up now! What is your favorite? Do you crave the wasabi, preserved ginger and shoyu from the sushi bar. Do you sneak down to Korea town to stock up on kim chi, bonita flakes and fermented bean sauce? Do you take the veil when shopping for pickled turnip strips and sesame paste down at the Arab strip mall? Is there some special sambal or siracha that makes you break out in a sweat and starts your mouth watering? Tell me what it is, because if I haven't heard of it, I want to go buy some.
I am a sucker for almost any mysterious new additive. I have to confess, that my favorite is Noc Mam or as it is more commonly known, fish sauce. Don't even ask how they make it. You don't want to know. One interesting thing about fish sauce, is that it probably originated in Southern Europe and North Africa. It was a staple among the Romans and a popular trade good. For some reason, its popularity faded in the West. Fortunately, it is very popular all over South and South East Asia and it is made there exactly the same way. I buy at least a couple of liters at a time. I add it to many things. It adds a depth of flavor and a characteristic tang that is hard to describe. Once you start using it, you find yourself using more and more.
1 comment:
Geez, and I thought *I* was "Mr. Condiment."
I found a hot and sweet mustard at Safeway [Old Uncle Carl's Kozlowski Farms] which has no salt added. It gives me what I need. My wife is a fan of barbecue sauce. I think she'd put it on Cheerios.
I have a new indian grocer that opened a few miles away. It has an extensive bulk section along with spices to die for. I will go investigate it soon.
beebs
Hey, ramblinboy, check my blog. I put up a few TINS stories.
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