health food stores here - legit or con artists?

[hermespan]

Or something other again, second rate?

I was taken by a friend to such a place not so far from the US Embassy and spent about THB850 for a bag of groceries. Before I get into the details of several products - prices were closer to Canada than Vietnam. For example, a spike of aloe vera was THB30 whereas in Hanoi it would be 5 baht. OK, 'be fair, compare apples with apples!' True, I know only the mega supermarket price, such as CO-OP in HCMC. No doubt, healthfood stores (if they exist in Saigon) aloe would be 15 baht. Maybe. Perhaps Thailand is just out of my budget when buying items considered luxuries for the fussy.

Anyway, my assessment of four products - all disappointments...

1. miso: In Canada I buy miso produced from an established macrobiotic company in Boston. I consume a lot of mugi miso, which is made from soy and barley. I purchased something called hugitcha (?) miso. While it may indeed also be MSG-free, it had no taste. And was weak and had no salt. I expect it is some Chinese version.

2. tempeh: In Phnom Penh I buy tempeh made fresh, from an Indonesian restaurant. I understand it being twice the price here. However, it is kept frozen and dated for expiry next year. Huh? Isn't the point of a fermented probiotic product it being a live culture? And it fell apart when cooked. Did so even when sliced. The tempeh I buy at any FAIRPRICE supermarket in Singapore and GIANT in Malaysia is tastier and sells out daily (all those overseas maids) so is pretty much guaranteed to be fresh - a matter if hours, not months. I suppose I should be buying Lao and Burmese products as there are huge expat workers here.

3. tahina: I am familiar with Lebanese and Israeli sesame paste - it's texture, taste and aroma. This shop's version, sold in a weird plastic bag, is coarser, less oily and does not taste as good as the real thing. I suspect it is Chinese sesame paste, a different 'animal' really.

Perhaps buying Japanese, Korean and Indonesian food products in Chiang Mai has to be done at ethnic stores, as in Phnom Penh.

4. Herbal mosquito coils: Better to use a mosquito net as all they did was make me cough. Maybe it's more of a poison due to the smoke. Couldn't smell any herb either. Certainly no essential oil component. Basically garbage quality.

I won't be returning to that 'healthfood store' because I feel cheated even though the nuts, seeds etc were OK.

Edited September 5, 2014 by hermespan

[Ulysses G.]

You can't really compare a health food store in Thailand to Western countries. Yes, they are second rate in comparison, but so is almost every foreign restaurant and other such things.

[circusman]

If you read on the internet ( google it) you can see that real doctors discount all the rubbish sold as health enhancements. I am wondering if you want to live forever.

Nobody has gotten out alive yet.

[elektrified]

Well...this is Thailand; not Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Canada.....

[DaamNaam]

Aden on Nimmenhemin are certainly no "rip offs". Try them out.

There are several others on Suthep Rd near Suan Dok that are good also.

http://www.chiangmainews.com/foodguide/eclecticfood.php?sub=30

[Dante99]

The con artist here is not the health food store but whoever gave the OP the idea that Chiang Mai had it all and at low prices. Perhaps it was self inflicted.

[DaamNaam]

The con artist here is not the health food store but whoever gave the OP the idea that Chiang Mai had it all and at low prices. Perhaps it was self inflicted.

Not at all true.

Many local products are on offer too, not just imported stuff.

And certainly affordable.

[akampa]

Well...this is Thailand; not Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Canada.....

+1

[PETDCAT]

If you are looking for tahina, the best place is the Jewish Chabad house on Changklan road.

[Ulysses G.]

If you are looking for tahina, the best place is the Jewish Chabad house on Changklan road.

Their falafel sandwiches with a small side order of hummus are good too.

[daveAustin]

Op, unless you're buying MSG-laden street food, pesticide-laden veggies, plastic noodles doused with all sorts of 'goodies' or garbage made in China, Thailand IS a rip today.

[junglechef]

I takes time to find what one is looking for here as they often don't understand how to market or go to the trouble to. There are veggie restaurants that make tempeh or have it made for them that will sell it to you retail. Yes some are rip offs in our eyes as say organic means something different here just as natural back home is meaningless. Also you might have to be a little more resourcefully if you want quality and not want to pay for it as I find sometimes things that are not of a local nature, such as hummus, is overpriced so I just make it myself. There are lots of good products to be gotten but your most probably not going to find then all at one place. It takes effort and a good attitude to have healthy food karma here as with all good karma

Edited September 7, 2014 by junglechef