Seeking Tua Nao in Winnipeg

[Allegra_K]

Greetings Chow folks,

I know this is a long shot, but has anyone ever come across the fermented dried soybean discs that I am searching for? I have dao jiao already and know that I could substitute with it, but in the rare chance that it is in Winnipeg I would love to know, as I am trying my hand and Burmese cooking these days.

Thanks in advance.

[camelicious]

You could always make your own :)

I found this site the other day.... very interesting.

http://www.foodfromnorthernlaos.com/2...

[Allegra_K]

Thanks for the link! I've thought about making my own, but after fermenting the beans I would have to set them in the sun/warm place for several or more days to dry the discs. So this may be more of a summer project!

[camelicious]

That's what an incubator is for :) I have two sitting in my garage. Still waiting for me to attempt making tempeh.

Or, you could try doing it in a very low oven, or if you have a dehydrator... although if you want to use your dehydrator for other foods, you may not want to use it to make the fermented tua nao. I do agree with you, it is more suited for a summer project.

[Allegra_K]

Now this is why I love chowhound so much! Where else would I be able to find someone who makes tempeh with an incubator in a garage in the prairies?! That's amazing. And intriguing...I will definitely be looking farther into this....
What comes next, fermented shrimp paste?! Heh.

[camelicious]

I am still sourcing tempeh starter. Someone I know said that the dried wine cakes from the oriental grocers might work but I am not sure still. Too cheap to fork out for actual tempeh starter. It's not that hard to make, apparently. And you don't need an incubator. A cooler, a light bulb, thermometer. The info is out there.

And that would be a NO to making fermented shrimp paste- those things are too nasty to ferment indoors. Besides, we cannot get the right kind of shrimp here.

I once took revenge on my pot smoking neighbours. I stuck some belachan in the oven on low and left the building for an hour.

[Allegra_K]

That is the most amazing non-confrontational way to take revenge that I've ever heard. Brilliant!

[camelicious]

Oops, double post.

[prasantrin]

I haven't seen any, but I haven't really looked for it, either. I'll keep an eye out and let you know if I find something. Other than the major markets (Young's, Lucky, Sun Wah), Dong Thai might be a place to check out. They have some less common stuff there (although I'm thinking mostly of their African and Mexican ingredients).

[Allegra_K]

Thank you for aiding me in yet another quest for an obscure ingredient!
I suspect that Dong Thai would be the one to carry it, if it does indeed exist in the city. They do carry a few Indonesian things that I can't find elsewhere, too. I like that shop very much. The owners are very pleasant and helpful.