would you eat a koala bear?

That is the question I pose today.

Um....YEAH especially when they're chocolate-filled and just so damn adorable. Well, they are actually filled with "edible butter cream" and "food chocolate flavouring essence." Made in Malaysia, go figure. Whoever designs the packaging for asian snacks is a marketing genius. It lures you in with its rolly-polly colorful exterior, often abound with misspelled or nonsensical english. Just look at that little bear in the middle with his belly button exposed to the world! He's screaming to be devoured!

This is just one of the goodies I brought home from the asian market tonight.

(from top left)
Kecap manis - from Indonesia, this is a sweet soy sauce flavored with garlic and star anise. It's sweetened with palm sugar and is used as a BBQ sauce and marinade for meat. The sauce is thick and not at all salty and has a very rich caramely flavor.

Wide rice noodles - I want to make Thai drunken noodles next week.

Rice wrappers with shrimp - The chinese call this chang fen, which means "long noodles." One of my favorite dishes to get at Cantonese dimsum restaurants.

Mung beans - aka chinese "green beans." This is used alot in desserts and some congees. It has a "cooling" effect on the body, which means it helps to take away some of the heat and stress away. I'll make a sweet soup out of this, chill it, and eat it as a snack or dessert.

Total cost: $7