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| - My Chief of Staff spent a couple of summers here in Madison for Tamil and Sinhalese language programs, and one summer she lived near this Southeast Asian grocery. The gas station nearest here always had some sort of crime either just before I got there or actually while I was in there each and every time but I already digress. This is a cramped but very complete Asian market specializing in Southeast Asian foodstuff, produce, condiments, spices, sauces, noodles, rice, and all that. There are also a pretty good assortment of Far East Asian, and some South Asian ingredients but that's somewhat random. They do carry Mangosteen, but it's not very good Mangosteen. On the other hand, you would need an airplane and 15 hours flight time to get better Mangosteen. They regularly carry fresh (more or less) jackfruit, durian, rambutan, and Southeast Asian vegetables (Chinese and Indian eggplant, bok choy and all those Chinese engineered cabbage variants, hot chillies, cilantro, etc.). Fish and durian account for most of the odors others have complained about in a somewhat ethnocentric manner, I've never been in a market carrying a good selection of Southeast Asian fruits and fish that didn't have this smell. For some, it's a bothersome smell, for others it's the olfactory sign of authenticity. Chinese groceries have a different smell, I'm not exactly sure why but I think it has to do with the way Chinese clean and they don't usually carry durian. If you're trying to recreate cuisine you've encountered in Vietnamese, Laotian, or Cambodian restaurants, when it's not busy, some of the workers can be helpful, more helpful than the Internet in fact. Lock up your car or bicycle carefully and completely even if you'll only be in here a short while.
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