10/30/2026
Today’s finds at my little neighborhood Asian market here in Bellingham, Washington. ❤️
This tiny store, owned and operated by the loveliest older couple, has become such an important part of what we do at Calypso Kitchen and PNW Plateful. I come here weekly for many of the ingredients that help me create the Caribbean and international flavors that make their way into our food.
Culantro / chadon beni / recao / ngo g*i, when I need more than they have, they’ll even bring extra in for me from Seattle.
Leafy celery, the variety I grew up with in Trinidad. Fragrant, peppery and flavor-packed, with leaves we use just as much as the stalks.
Long beans /snake beans / yardlong beans. In Trinidad, I grew up calling them bodi. My grandmother cooked them for our breakfasts, lunches and dinners, so finding them here always brings back memories of her cooking.
But my favorite find today was haw flakes. ❤️
Growing up, I think we called them “Chinese sausages.” They were simply a familiar childhood snack, and I never really knew what they were. Today, seeing that little package on the shelf made me finally look them up.
Turns out, haw flakes are a Chinese snack made primarily from hawthorn fruit, sweet, tangy and mildly tart. They were easy to find when I lived on the East Coast, but here in Bellingham, this little market is one of the only places I’ve found them. And that’s what I love about this store. This lovely couple has supported me for years by helping me access ingredients that connect cultures, create the flavors we serve, and sometimes bring me straight back to childhood.
So, Bellingham friends, stop in @2408 Meridian Street in the Fountain District and shop at this little local market. Their store may be small, but those shelves hold some pretty special things and, for some of us, a whole lot of memories. ❤️
