Mexican Food In Bkk Grocery Stores?

[atsiii]

Hello,

Has anyone seen any Mexican food products in BKK stores? In particular, I'm looking for salsa's (particularly salsa verde), corn & flour tortillas, corn chips (tostadas), avocados, etc. I've found a source for refried beans and a few flour tortillas, and I can usually find sour cream, but I've yet to see any salsa anywhere, or good corn chips. Avocados have been hit & miss, and the cheeses available leaves a lot to be desired. For Mexican cooking, I've really only found good white cheddar... but no yellow cheeses or pepper jack, etc. If anyone can point the way, that would be great!

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

Villa, Foodland and Carrefour all carry these products. I believe Tops has salsa (see the sponsored ads here), but why not make your own? I've found Tostitos white corn tortilla chips, which I consider to be the best packaged chips, at Villa, but they only stock them sporadically. The best Thai brand for tortilla chips is El Charro, which I've found at Villa and Carrefour (not always stocked). Obviously, you can buy El Charro corn tortillas at all three stores, cut them, and fry them yourself, which is going to always beat packaged chips. Avocados are easy to find at almost all of the stores (and even Tesco). All three stores carry yellow cheddar or colby. You're not going to find monterey jack, or it's sister cheese, pepper jack. Foodland and Villa carry Manchego, which is Spanish, but used in authentic Mexican cooking. There's enough out there to make a large variety of Mexican food, but the challenge is to find key ingredients like masarina and achiote.

[Jingthing]

I buy fresh Jalapeno peppers at Villa (Pattaya) but they are grown in Thailand and I am noticing they rarely have any HEAT to them, so although they are japapeno peppers and they look like jalapeno peppers, without the heat, they don't taste like jalapeno peppers. Weird, huh? My experience in the US is a huge variance with those peppers, from somewhat hot to very hot, but always hotter than the Thai variety. I wonder how and why this has happened. Intentional selection thinking we don't want hot peppers as these are mostly for the non-Thai market?

Edited January 21, 2011 by Jingthing

[dinger]

I agree both Villa and Foodland have the basics, though not cheap. I have yet to find corn tortillas, but maybe missed them.

Made a enchlilada dinner for a bunch of the guys last month and ended up using flour tortillas, that was just wrong. As far as salsa, agree why not make your own, now problem getting chilies here to give it a kick and all of the rest of the stuff

[ricklev]

Everything you listed is always avaialable at Villa. About a month ago they started carrying a good and cheap Jalapeno Jack cheese.

Edited January 22, 2011 by ricklev

[HOMERUNBANGKOK]

King's Project Produce grows fantastic jalapeno's!

[shishafiesta]

As an American, I recommend...

Best Corn Chips - Danita's (original)

Best Jar Salsa - El Sapo (especially the picante, if you like it hot)

Best Taco Shells - Old El Paso is definitely the best, but El Charro is also ok

Best Flour Tortillas - Danitas are the most traditional, but the El Charro brand are good as well

These are Thai brands and are available at all Villa Markets in BKK. For cheese, I generally use California Premium Monterrey Jack, as it's the most affordable - about 105 baht for 225 g - and tasty.

Of course you can get imported brands like Tostitos and Old El Paso as well, but you'll pay dearly.

[atsiii]

Thanks, all... so much! I have certainly benefited from the replies, and I hope others have, too.

Why don't I make my own salsa? Same old, same old; Time... lazy... both? But also salsa verde is not a tomato based salsa (I forget what it is... tamatillo?) which I have definately not see here. BUT, I spoke with some farangs that have a Mexican restaurant on Koh Chang and they indicated that they order concentrate. So if I can get the low down on this I will post it here.

Thanks!

[DP25]

El Charro makes salsa verde, you can buy it at Villa and some Tops

[jfchandler]

Villa markets also stock large jars of Danitas red salsa, which while not hot, is a good all purpose sauce for dipping or cooking with.

Villa also generally has refrigerated raw corn tortillas and the packaged, already fried taco shell kind. They also stock a canned variety of frijoles, though the cans are pretty pricey at 70+ baht a piece.

Always have varieties of cheeses and sour cream as well. For cheese, both the block kind and even the already grated kind in bags, and usually some "Mexican" variety from the U.S. company that markets all the bagged, grated cheeses.

There are lots of flavored varieties of Doritos in the farang stores... But for Mexican food, I'd prefer the Danitas plain corn torilla chips and or their Chili flavored variety to eat solo....

As an American, I recommend...

Best Corn Chips - Danita's (original)

Best Jar Salsa - El Sapo (especially the picante, if you like it hot)

Best Taco Shells - Old El Paso is definitely the best, but El Charro is also ok

Best Flour Tortillas - Danitas are the most traditional, but the El Charro brand are good as well

These are Thai brands and are available at all Villa Markets in BKK. For cheese, I generally use California Premium Monterrey Jack, as it's the most affordable - about 105 baht for 225 g - and tasty.

Of course you can get imported brands like Tostitos and Old El Paso as well, but you'll pay dearly.