439465 Sat Sep 08 20:35:38 -0700 2007 8 12 Boston Area 0 2923573 Does anyone know where to find pandan leaves (either fresh or frozen is fine) and/or ginkgo nuts in the Boston Area? I've been on a search, but both the leaves and the nuts just seem to elude me. Worse, everyone I ask at the markets I've been to (both Asian markets like Super 88 and big chain supermarkets such as Stop and Shop) don't even know what I'm talking about! Please help. I have a few recipes I really want to try out if I could just find these two items. Sat Sep 08 20:35:38 -0700 2007 125808 CFoodC 1 2925396 super 88 has frozen pandan leaves in the freezer chest Sun Sep 09 18:56:26 -0700 2007 2923573 47608 galangatron 2 2925513 Yes, super88 in allston does indeed have frozen ones, though sometimes they're quite... freezery. (other locations may as well, I'm not sure I've ever looked) You may need to hunt them down on your own-- the Super88 staff are not always the most helpful about finding stuff (somewhat understandably--even if they know that they have it, they might not know the tagalog/malay/indonesian word for it). They're in a little section of austronesian goods, like grated ube, frozen sago desserts, etc.--on the "interior" side of the freezer aisle, NOT near the filipino ice creams. Sometimes if I need them and the super88 ones seem to freezery, I've had luck finding them at the See Sun market in C-town. (It's not like they're a whole lot fresher there, but it's just luck of the draw which place as restocked more recently...) Sun Sep 09 19:50:16 -0700 2007 2925396 49653 another_adam 3 2929480 I'll go back and recheck the allston one. I did check in the freezer compartment, but I'm also really bad at finding things when I need them. Terribly good at finding them when I don't need them, though. Like the galangal I spied in the allston 88's freezer. So...as freezery as frozen basil or less, would you say? I don't believe I've ever been to See Sun. How's the grocery shopping experience there? Mon Sep 10 23:42:06 -0700 2007 2925513 125808 CFoodC 1 2925545 I have seen peeled ginkgo nuts in the fridgerated section at kam man (and I'm assuming they are in the same section of super 88). I don't know about the quality since I have only bought them whole. A few years ago, I saw an older asian woman selling them on the side of the street in chinatown for like $2/lb which is a really good price. They are usually really expensive fresh Sun Sep 09 20:00:31 -0700 2007 2923573 24546 bitsubeats 2 2929484 $2/lb IS a really good price. I'm surprised she let it go for so little. Given their relative popularity with certain populations and the fact that they're not grown commercially in the US... Mon Sep 10 23:47:21 -0700 2007 2925545 125808 CFoodC 3 2941003 Ginko nuts can be harvested at this time of year in Boston on the Boston Common of all places (though there is lot's of competition) and in Mt. Auburn Cemetary along the fence on Mt. Auburn Street. Fri Sep 14 08:10:20 -0700 2007 2929484 10169 StriperGuy 1 2940806 I think fresh ginko fruit right off the tree smells way worse then just rotting fruit. Ginko fruit has a putrid garbage/vomit scent that is pretty rough. That said once you scrape the fruit off the nuts inside are delish. When we were kids we used to have fights in the park in NYC with ginkos. Getting 50 or 60 ginkos smashed on you and rubbed in your hair, and you never forget that smell. I have seen people harvest large quantities of fresh ginkos (just about this time of year) on the Boston Common and Mt. Auburn cemetary. I'm sure there are ginko trees elsewhere in Boston too. The trees in Mt. Auburn cemetary get way less attention then the ones on the common, so a good place to go. Fri Sep 14 07:16:54 -0700 2007 2923573 10169 StriperGuy 2 2940963 We've moved a digression about harvesting your own gingko nuts to the General Topics board at http://www.chowhound.com/topics/441236 Fri Sep 14 08:02:46 -0700 2007 2940806 2 The Chowhound Team