By Tanya Chen, BuzzFeed
When you walk into one, you are met with a dangerously pungent mystery smell. asianfoodgrocer.com (That you can only blame on the unfortunate mixture of dried fish and durian fruit.) Flickr: maynard You’ve plucked “fresh” produce from cardboard boxes. Flickr: 10559879@N00Flickr: avlxyz And it doesn’t even matter if they’re fresh. They’re ridiculously cheap. Flickr: riekhavoc You’ve had to stand idly by with the shopping cart as your mother expertly selects one bundle of bok choy over another. jtrinh3.tumblr.com You’ve seen it all and nothing fazes you. prettywhitelights999.tumblr.com jhudakphoto.tumblr.com Well…not always. reddit.com You can purchase fine pottery in the same vicinity as live octopus and fermented duck eggs. wisdomformom.com But you have to maneuver those aisles carefully ’cause you know the consequences. reddit.com You’ve witnessed a butcher dismember and package an entire duck in literally under 10 seconds. adamferriss.tumblr.com delicious-asia.tumblr.com You’ve watched your mother lift and sling a 70-pound bag of rice like a champ.Flickr: 26788416@N06 You and your family have been buying the same groceries your entire life, and you still don’t quite know what they are. Flickr: 50143445@N00
You’ll suffer through that peculiar stench for some Pocky sticks.
1. When you walk into one, you are met with a dangerously pungent mystery smell.
2. (That you can only blame on the unfortunate mixture of dried fish and durian fruit.)
3. You’ve plucked “fresh” produce from cardboard boxes.
Or, if they’re slightly a more upscale establishment, plastic containers.
4. And it doesn’t even matter if they’re fresh. They’re ridiculously cheap.
5. You’ve had to stand idly by with the shopping cart as your mother expertly selects one bundle of bok choy over another.
6. You’ve seen it all and nothing fazes you.
7. Well…not always.
8. You can purchase fine pottery in the same vicinity as live octopus and fermented duck eggs.
9. But you have to maneuver those aisles carefully ‘cause you know the consequences.
And they’re not playing.
10. You’ve witnessed a butcher dismember and package an entire duck in literally under 10 seconds.
11. You’ve watched your mother lift and sling a 70-pound bag of rice like a champ.
(You’ve tried and struggled.)
12. You and your family have been buying the same groceries your entire life, and you still don’t quite know what they are.
I don’t know what you call these, but when you sautée them, it’s delicious.
Read the full article by Tanya Chen from BuzzFeed.
