In larger metropolitan cities with strong Asian diasporas, it’s easy to find specialty imported ingredients everywhere from H Marts and to small, hole-in-the-wall, mom-and-pop shops. But in rural areas, Asian pantry staples and even popular name-brand snacks can be hard to find. Many Hudson Valley residents have to travel either north to Albany or down to the city, sometimes driving an hour or more, to get the ingredients they need. But in recent years an increasing number of specialty Asian grocery stores have opened up in the Hudson Valley bringing beloved flavors and pantry staples to the region. From the perfect Indian basmati rice to gochujang, kombu, and ube, here’s where to get your Asian grocery staples locally.
Enoki
190 Main Street, Saugerties
Enoki offers Korean and Asian pantry goods in Saugerties, where they relocated for a larger storefront earlier this year. They have a curated sauce collection, including chili oil must-haves like Lao Gan Ma and sambal goreng, sold alongside noodles and savory snacks like chips and seaweed. They stock homemade kimchi by Umma! Umma! and sell some kitchenware items, bowls and chopstick rests among them. To the surprise of many first-time customers, they also have racks of vintage clothes.
Harana Market
5125 Route 209, Accord
Harana Market serves lutong bahay (homestyle) Filipino food and a small selection of Asian groceries. Their menu is based on James Beard semifinalist chef Chris Mauricio’s family recipes and rotates seasonally, prioritizing New York farmers and small producers. The standout dishes are lumpiang shanghai, tofu sisig, arroz caldo, fried chicken, and cassava cake. With the new, expanded location in Accord, the Asian pantry selection has expanded and includes things like Filipino sauces, spices, spring roll skins, nori, dashi, noodles, classic snacks, and boba tea kits.
Calcutta Kitchens
448 Broadway, Kingston
Calcutta Kitchens makes Indian and South Asian foods, hot and frozen, with grocery items available both in-store and for nationwide delivery. At their store in Kingston’s Midtown neighborhood, two tiffin meals are available each day, as are samosas and frozen dishes including chana masala and aloo gobi. Calcutta Kitchens stocks pantry goods of their own making, crafted by founder Aditi: four simmer sauces, including the crowd favorite makhani tikka, and two chutneys. Essentials like basmati rice, naan, and spices like asafoetida (hing) are always for sale, and drink options include chai and Indian limeade.
Sari Sari
8 Main Street, Highland
Sari Sari, a boutique Filipino and Asian grocery, is literally stocked to the ceiling with canned foods, sauces, and plenty of snacks. Their inventory is vast, including harder-to-source items like tapioca starch. This March, they’ve stocked Nagarayas and Eng Bee Tin Hopia in ube and mongo flavors. They keep customers up to date with restocks and newly found items on their blog, so stay up to date; many items are limited and therefore first come, first served.
Rejoice Asian Market
174 South Plank Road, Newburgh
Rejoice Asian Market’s specialties are Korean corn dogs, their most popular item, and boba tea, with a menu featuring more than 30 varieties. They provide frozen foods and pantry goods including mochi, ramen, and an assortment of sweet treats. Rejoice also delivers homemade combo meals to West Point and Highland Falls.
Shiro Ramen & Market
105 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington
Shiro Ramen and Market is both sit-down restaurant and grocery store for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cuisine. They make all their meals cooked to order, specializing in ramen, stir fry, and bento boxes. Ramen bestsellers include wonton and vegan versions of tantan and tonkotsu. Their aisles are packed with packaged ramen, sauces, cooking oils, and classic snacks like Pocky sticks, Hi-Chews, and dried edamame.
Krishna Indian Grocery
2300 South Road, Poughkeepsie
Krisha Indian Grocery boasts a decent-sized takeout menu in addition to their groceries, including homemade curry platters, dosas, and samosas—and they cater. Several spices and sauces are available, including ginger root, jarred chutneys, and ample curries to choose from. The owners, husband and wife, encourage customer questions; they’re happy to share cooking tips and quick lessons with newcomers who don’t know where to start.
Welcome Oriental Grocery
1820 Route 376, Poughkeepsie
Welcome Oriental Grocery’s owners, Julie and Willie, pick up their products in Chinatown weekly, including fresh dim sum, which together with the frozen soup dumplings and steamed buns make up the customer favorites. There’s a small selection of fresh foods like baby bok choy, refrigerated bahn mi sandwiches, and a diverse tea supply that includes DIY boba kits. The owners will often special order items upon request.
DA TANG Supermarket
10 East Main Street, Middletown
DA TANG Supermarket is known for its large spread of fresh vegetables and fruits, including Asian pears, Chinese broccoli, Asian pickles, bitter melon, and mini bananas. Other hard-to-find items like salted duck eggs and spring roll wrappers can be found on the DA TANG shelves. They provide fresh and frozen meat, including thinly sliced beef that’s great for hot pot. Customers are regularly wowed by the sheer variety of products they’re faced with upon entering the store—and by the reasonable prices.
