Articles: Specialty Foods

1. Okazu

   Posted on November 12, 2017

   In Japanese cuisine, okazu means an accompaniment to rice, but, given that the traditional Japanese meal is constructed around rice, that’s a very broad definition: a meal consists of rice, plus okazu – of fish, meat, vegetables, tofu – pretty much everything, except the rice, is an okazu.In Japanese cuisine, okazu means an accompaniment to… Continue Reading→

2. Tchaba Tea Masters

   Posted on April 25, 2017

   The Tchaba Tea Company was founded in Marrakech in 2006 with a vision of creating a line of premium teas for sale in the luxury market – primarily in 5-Star hotels and spas – in the Middle East and North Africa. Only premium whole leaf teas are chosen from estates in China, Sri Lanka, Japan… Continue Reading→

3. Exquisite French and Spanish EVOOs and Specialty Vinegars Again Available at Our Public Market Location

   Posted on December 14, 2016

   Back in May, we were constrained by CMHC, our Granville Island landlord (out of an entirely reasonable concern about product duplication in the Public Market) from offering our lines of superior Spanish and French extra virgin olive oils, as well as aged Sherry vinegars, specialty vinegars such as an amazing white wine vinegar infused with… Continue Reading→

4. Green Gold: Apulian Olive Oil

   Posted on April 17, 2016

   Slightly spicy, with a lightly acidic brightness and an intense ripe fruitiness, the extra virgin olive oils from Apulia are amongst the world’s best. The region supplies 40% of Italy’s table olives and olive oil, and 15% of global production – and it has been doing so for many, many generations. The quality begins with… Continue Reading→

5. Yuzu

   Posted on June 20, 2015

   Yuzu is a yellow-orange coloured citrus fruit with a textured skin and an uneven but slightly flattened spherical shape. It is tart, with a grapefruit-mandarin-tangerine flavour profile, and its juice and zest are intensely aromatic. Yuzu is highly prized in Japan where its zest and rind are used to garnish savoury dishes such as miso… Continue Reading→

6. Raw, Organic Nama Shoyu

   Posted on November 13, 2014

     Shoyu means soy sauce; nama translates roughly as raw, or living, and this superb, organic Japanese soy is the newest addition to our range of premium soy sauces. Made with organic soybeans and mountain spring water, this artisanal product is traditionally aged for at least two years in cedar casks. Best used to finish… Continue Reading→

7. Cajeta

   Posted on April 10, 2014

   OMG, you’ve got to try it! That’s OMG as in Original Mexican Gourmet, which produces cajeta, the traditional Mexican, goat’s-milk version on dulce de leche using high quality local ingredients, pure vanilla, coffee, and rum. Cajeta (ka-HEH-tah) originates in Guanajuato, where it was originally packaged in little wooden boxes or cajas. From this it derives… Continue Reading→

8. Taste #5

   Posted on October 11, 2013

   When Dr. Kikuni Ikeda identified the subtle “deliciousness” of kombu (kelp) as umami, the fifth taste (in addition to sweet, sour, salty and bitter), he surely could not have anticipated Chef Laura Santtini’s Taste #5 products – although he did go on to discover that other foods had this elusive, but intuitively understood quality –… Continue Reading→

9. Umami: The Fifth Taste

   Posted on May 9, 2013

   Sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami, the fifth taste. Many factors influence our perceptions of food – our mood, where we are eating it and with whom we are sharing it, its colour, temperature, texture and aroma – but at the most basic level it is a function of the receptors on our tongues. Until… Continue Reading→

10. Spice Pantry Gift Bags

    Posted on December 1, 2011

    Gifts for cooks at South China Seas this year include well-priced and handsomely presented 12 bottle spice pantries featuring exotic salts and peppers, chiles, and herb and spice collections from Europe, the Far East, South Asia, and Mexico. SALT PEPPER Himalayan Pink Salt Hawaiian Black Salt Hawaiian Red Salt Lime-infused Sea Salt Fleur De Sel… Continue Reading→

11. Preparing Mayacoba and Snow Cap Beans

    Posted on October 1, 2011

    Like all beans, mayocoba and snow cap beans should be pre-soaked before being boiled in fresh water for ten minutes and then cooked slowly until tender. Following this cooking method is important – all beans (but particularly kidney beans), contain toxins which may concentrate in the soaking water and which are only destroyed in the… Continue Reading→

12. Red Bhutanese, Green Bamboo, Forbidden Black: Just three of the nine premium rice varieties carried by South China Seas

    Posted on February 25, 2011

    Bhutanese red rice from the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan has a robust, nutty flavour and aroma and a nice, firm texture. Because it is semi-milled, it cooks just about as quickly as white rice and does not require pre-soaking. It must be washed thoroughly though to remove surface starch before cooking. It is good simply… Continue Reading→

13. Bourbon Vanilla Beans

    Posted on June 1, 2010

    South China Seas purchases organic bourbon vanilla pods directly from the farm in Uganda. This allows us to sell it at very good price (currently $7.00 for a package of 3″ long, grade A beans), but more importantly, it ensures that we carry the freshest and most fragrant vanilla you can buy. African and Mexican… Continue Reading→