St. Patrick’s Day 2022 is right around the corner and while most of us can’t be in Ireland to attend parades, enjoy pints of beer and bites of Irish soda bread, I’ve curated 6 green St. Patrick’s Day food ideas from Asia to help you get in a festive mood!
St. Patrick’s Day Food Special: 6 Green Foods from Asia
Some mukbang YouTubers have taken on the challenge of eating food of a particular color for 24 hours. St. Paddy’s Day is the perfect opportunity for you to hop on the trend of eating only green goodies. This list may not be traditional St. Patrick’s Day food and some may just be green on the outside, but enjoying these items is a simple way of enjoying this special holiday from home.
How Asia Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day
This Irish holiday has been celebrated since 1631 and has found its way in Asia due to the growing number of Irish expatriates in the continent.
The Irish communities in Singapore, China, and Japan all host parades. Irish songs and alcoholic drinks like Jameson whiskey, Irish Car Bombs, and green beer flow in shamrock-decorated pubs. It is said that the largest St. Patrick’s celebration in Asia can be found in Malaysia where Guinness-infused food can be found left and right.
You too can join the fun with these green-colored and green-packaged Asian grocery items!
Green Foods from Asia
1. Asian Green Tea and Matcha
The difference between green tea and matcha lies in the cultivation process. Green tea is grown in the sun throughout the whole season which results in higher amounts of catechin, an antioxidant that helps prevent cell damage. Most green teas, like Prince of Peace Green Tea, are made from pan-fried and dried leaves that are then bagged and ready to be steeped for a light, vegetal, and soothing brew.
On the other hand, matcha is grown and cultivated in the shade to help boost the production of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a natural compound that brings a lot of vibrance and healthy compounds like L-theanine out of the tea leaves– the greener your matcha is, the higher the antioxidants and brain-boosting compounds it contains. To prevent oxidation, the tea leaves are harvested and ground into a powder, offering a bold earthy flavor with slightly bitter undertones when brewed or used as a dessert topping.
Whatever your palate prefers, we hope you find your perfect matcha!
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Based on the color alone, you would think that red curry is the spiciest of all Thai curries. Think again, buddy! Thai Green curry takes the crown of King of Thai Curry Spice. Green chili peppers, cilantro, lime leaf, and basil all contribute to the fresh green color of this curry paste. When blended with coconut milk, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, and other aromatics, you’ve got yourself a creamy and complex curry sauce that’s best paired with chicken, beef, or spring veggies.
If it’s your first time trying Thai curry and you’re unsure of what to get, go big on flavors and choose green curry!
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You can’t leave out wasabi from any list of green Asian food list! Just like green tea, wasabi gets its green color from the chlorophyll produced by Japanese horseradish. Because real wasabi is rare and expensive, horseradish, mustard, and green coloring are often mixed together as an alternative.
The sharp spicy and sinus-clearing sensation that comes from eating wasabi is weirdly satisfying. No wonder a lot of snacks now come with wasabi flavors because sushi can’t just be the only time to have a taste of wasabi!
There are Wasabi-Flavored Seaweed Chips from Annie Chun’s which are best used for onigiri, rice bowls, and noodle toppings. There are also wasabi-flavored peas that are perfect for crunching away with an iced cold Guinness beer in hand for St. Patrick’s Day.
If you’re making Colcannon Mashed Potatoes for the holiday, spice it up with a dash of Wasabi Furikake!
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Samyang’s Black Bean Spicy Noodles is a head-turner. It comes in a vibrant lime green packaging that you can spot from a mile away. What’s inside might not be green but it tastes as great as the packaging looks.
Each pack comes with a thick, sweet, and savory black bean sauce that’s made even more mouthwatering with the iconic Samyang spice. If you want to upgrade the instant noodle experience, you can top it with fried or boiled egg, julienned cucumber, sesame seeds, and more.
For those who aren’t big fans of Samyang’s spicy noodles, you can rest easy because the Scoville Ranking for Samyang’s Black Bean Noodles is only at 1,920SHU, one of the lowest in Samyang’s instant noodle line. But don’t be fooled! It still packs some heat that will tickle your taste buds and make you say jjang (amazing)!
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Head over to any Korean grocery and you’ll see a wide selection of fermented pastes in different sized and colored tubs. There are red tubs for gochujang hot pepper paste, brown tubs for doenjang fermented soybean paste, and green for ssamjang seasoned soybean paste!
The paste itself may not be green but it deserves a place in this list for being the ultimate Korean fermented paste. Each green tub is filled with a mix of gochujang, doenjang, garlic, sesame, and other quality spices. All of the good stuff, in short!
Its savory, pungent, and subtle spice make it an excellent sauce for ssam wraps. Pack a dollop of ssamjang atop your lettuce-wrapped barbecued meat and rice and you’ve got a delicious meal straight out of your favorite Korean drama.
The color green represents nature, growth, and freshness, among many others. With that said, it’s only fitting that Vita’s Sugarcane Cane Juice comes in green packaging. Made with natural cane sugar, this sweet drink provides several health benefits that aid in boosting energy, improving digestion, and clearing your skin. It’s the perfect refreshment for spring picnics or afternoon breaks.
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At its core, St. Paddy’s can be likened to most Asian traditions. This special Irish holiday isn’t just about dressing up in green to avoid being pinched or filling your bellies with beer. It’s about the craic - the Irish word for fun. St. Patrick’s Day is a fun gathering where families and friends gather to celebrate their cultural heritage. Let’s spend it wisely and with respect.
For all your online Asian grocery needs for any kind of holiday, shop at Karman Foods!