Where can I buy this evil snack treat?

May 21, 2006 5:29 PM

Where can I buy a Taiwanese snack over the net?

In particular, I'm looking for Suan Mei. They're extremely sour, and look a bit like the pocket lint that exists after you wash a load of jeans.

This might (or might not) be the correct name for it:


Extra super bonus points if the source delivers to Europe as well as the United States.

posted by A frothy mixture of lube and fecal matter. to Food & Drink (8 answers total)

Response by poster: If there's no internet sources, any place to get them in the US/Europe would be appreciated.

I don't know how to get more without going to Taiwan, and my constituency wouldn't approve of a Taiwanese 酸梅 junket.
posted by A frothy mixture of lube and fecal matter. at 5:52 PM on May 21, 2006

I'm from southern California, where there are many neighborhoods that are predominantly asian. Any of these cities would have an asian/Chinese market that would sell those. I'm carless right now otherwise I'd offer to buy some & mail it to you, etc.

If you're in the right neighborhood or know the right people, getting it in the US shouldn't be a problem at all.
posted by mittenedsex at 6:39 PM on May 21, 2006

Asian supermarkets. Absolutely.
posted by MadamM at 8:58 PM on May 21, 2006

I found several eBay/Yahoo auctions with pictures of 酸梅 (you got the right characters.)

For instance, this auction has a lot of pictures of the different types available. The seller's email address is: [e-mail]

You can try emailing the seller in English. Or I could email the seller in Chinese for you.
posted by alidarbac at 9:10 PM on May 21, 2006

I love suan mei! I got totally hooked when I lived in China/Taiwan, and I buy them regularly.

Most of the Asian food markets in the D.C. area (where I live) carry them. There are tons of different varieties available, with different degrees of sourness and licorish/anise extract added. You have to try a few different ones.

If there is an Asian market closeby, try there first. The only place I found similar stuff online was Ho Hing.
posted by gemmy at 9:30 PM on May 21, 2006

I don't know how to get more without going to Taiwan, and my constituency wouldn't approve of a Taiwanese 酸梅 junket.

LOL.
posted by delmoi at 10:42 PM on May 21, 2006

Best answer: My favorite snack! They're available at my local grocery down the block. Email me and I'll send you some.
posted by cajo at 5:22 AM on May 22, 2006

You could also look for stores that specialize in suan mei. They usually also sell different types of jerkies and preserved bean curds. A lot of times those type of stores sell much better tasting (and much more expensive) suan mei than the pre-packaged kinds.
posted by edjusted at 5:28 PM on May 28, 2006