Goodness, where to begin on all the frozen goodies you can get at your local Asian store. Don't be intimidated or you'll miss out on some really delicious ingredients. Below are just 2 that I'll introduce that I use quite often.
Pre-fried Korean Fish Cakes (Eomuk)
This is definitely not a western fish cake. It is made of seasoned pureed fish that has been pre-fried and frozen. It has a texture similar to tofu but a bit denser and chewier. It is salty and sweet and a great ingredient in soups and street food snacks. In addition to those, I use it in my kimbap and tteobokki (dokbokki), spicy Korean rice cake dish. Great stir fried or boiled.
Imitation Crab Sticks - leg style
You're probably thinking it's not necessary to put this ingredient here but recently when I taught a class at work I discovered that some are not familiar with imitation crab sticks in this form. I laughed when they declared that they didn't know it came in "cheese stick form". Never thought of it but yes, cheese stick form. This is a great ingredient to use if you are allergic to shellfish. It is made of fish, usually pollack. Use it in kimbap, salads, soups and much more!
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