We've all been there. You've been strolling around town with a new recipe in mind and the corresponding shopping list in hand, and there's no sign of the thai basil or mirin or carnaroli. And the cook guiding you clearly felt this obscurity essential for inclusion.
For today's G2 Tom Moggach provides a list of some of the best specialist food shops around the UK for culinary enthusiasts who aren't willing to sacrifice the key ingredient which will make all the difference to their authentic feast.
As he says:
Shiny new cookbooks often demand all manner of obscure ingredients. If you're attempting, say, Ferran Adria's eucalyptus leaf infusion, or Fergus Henderson's confit pig's cheek with dandelion, a quick look around the supermarket is unlikely to be fruitful. But help is at hand – if you know where to look.
Among his nominations are Wing Yip of Birmingham, for their unrivalled selection of Chinese, Thai and Malaysian imports, Glasgow's Spanish and Mexican emporium, Lupe Pintos and the produce shop at the Buckfast Abbey monastery, famed for its patés and tonic wine.
I would add to that TFC in Dalston, which has helped me with many a Turkish recipe.
Which delicatessans and suppliers in your area could you not live without? And are there any ingredients you just cannot find?
