If you’ve never been to H Mart, then you might be in for a treat because this is a food paradise that awaits you in several parts of the United States. For starters, H Mart is an American supermarket chain which primarily specializing in Asian groceries, delicacies, and dishes. H Mart also offers highly coveted food court featuring Japanese, Korean, and Chinese counter. You can purchase and eat jackfruit, seaweed salad, a fresh batch of kimchi, and even a bubble tea. But whether you’re going there for a quick lunch or you just want to do your weekly grocery shopping, H Mart can offer you everyday items and unique finds along with several delicacies from Asia. That’s why in this article, we are going to give you a list of the things that you should purchase from your local H-Mart store.
- Short-grain white rice – This is literally the first thing that you will see when you walk inside an H-mart store: a wall of short-grain rice that offers you a wide array of options. Their most famous short-grain white rice is the Kokuho Rose sushi rice. Take note that the packaging will tend to all look Japanese, and that is because most Korean rice is, historically, came from Japan.
- Kimchi – Here’s a fun fact, most Koreans in the United States do not actually make their own kimchi every time. It can be a seasonal activity for some home cooks, but most Koreans just buy their everyday stash at H Mart. First of all, H Mart makes perfectly good kimchi, but we suggest that you wait until it ferments before you consume it. It will usually take a couple weeks in the fridge, or if you really want to eat it that bad, you can just leave it overnight on the counter. There are some kimchi varieties that you can find in H-Mart: kkakduki or Country Style Cubed Radish Kimchi, chonggak, which translates to young bachelor radish, and the regular cabbage kimchi.
- Instant ramen – When it comes to instant Korean ramen, Shin Ramyun is the ultimate go-to. But in H-Mart stores, you can find a Shin Ramyun Black, and this variety has thicker noodles. It comes with an extra seolleongtang bone broth soup mix packet, which adds excellent depth of flavor to your ramen. You can also try the Ichiban or beef flavored, ramen. There are several varieties and brands of instant noodles that you can find H Mart, and all of them are worth exploring. In fact, if you’re lucky, you might even score some carbonara-inspired ramen.
- Roasted seaweed snack – Also called gim, This is a roasted seaweed snack is basically Korean-style nori, which has been salted, brushed with sesame oil, then roasted. You can eat it as a side dish, snack, or as a wrap for leftover rice balls. Some of the seaweed snacks that you can find in H-Mart are even 3-feet long.
- Seafood market – H-Mart stores offer you a wide array of fresh seafood selections. That is why whenever you are in the mood for fresh blue crab, classic branzino, conch, or even snails, H-Mart got your back. They also offer this seafood at reasonable prices, and if you’re lucky, you might spot some wild-caught selections.
- Korean snacks, chips & candies – If you are tired of the same old snacks and chips, then you should head on down to H-Mart. Here are some out-of-this-world snacks that you should try in H-Mart: Goraebab, or whale food, this is an umami-packed tomato-flavored chip which can be quite a
- which can be quite addicting. Sweet Potato Snack, which is a sweet cracker that is sprinkled with black sesame seeds. And lastly, Onion Flavored Rings are a flavorful snack that will keep you coming back for more.
- Korean ice cream – Korea makes the world’s best ice creams. We suggest that you try the Samanco cake cone. These are cream sandwiches that are filled with sweet red bean and vanilla ice cream. There’s also a strawberry version of this ice cream, too. Another consumer favorite is the Melona popsicle, this is a soft, creamy ice pop flavored with honeydew, strawberry, banana, coconut, and mango. You can also see green tea and red bean ice cream at H Mart, and those heavenly little mochi ice cream bites.
Home goods – Though this might look like less spontaneous, H Mart’s kitchen selection is actually pretty extensive. Here you can find rice cookers, lightweight plated aluminum pots, which brings water to a boil way faster than a regular cup, making it perfect if you’re cooking ramen. Also, spoons, forks, little rice, and soup bowls, and chopsticks. You can also find some cute things such as a coffee mug with cat designs and other things.