If you don't have direct experience with Vietnamese home cooking, a walk down our International Food aisle can be daunting. Which Asian products are best for which dishes? We are fortunate at Piedmont Grocery--our staff represents the four corners of the globe, and that makes life much more delicious!

Take a virtual walk with us through the Asian food section, and get some insider staff picks of brands and products to improve the flavor of your dishes. We have included a photo of each product as an aid for memory.

Huy Fong's Sriacha hot chili sauce has received a lot of press and hipster praise in the past few years, and is nonetheless the real deal. Don't be fooled by imitations.

Three Crabs Fish Sauce comes highly recommended by those in the know. Fish sauce is the most important seasoning in Vietnamese cooking to deliver savory depth of flavor and oomph. And, a little historical info: Viet Huong Fish Sauce Company got its start in San Francisco in the 1980s in a garage in the Outer Sunset.

Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce is a  mild, sweet chili sauce that is great for dipping spring rolls, dim sum, and bbq meats. It has inspired numerous uses like on grilled chicken, and even hamburgers and Western food.

Jade Sichuan Peanut Sauce was voted Best Peanut Sauce by the SF Chronicle, and we agree. It hits all the right flavor notes-intense peanut flavor, with a nice spicy-sweet balance.

Bahn Trang Spring Roll Wrappers are also known as rice paper. They are great for making spring rolls easily, and can also be fried. 

  Chaokoh Coconut Milk is the best quality coconut milk you can purchase, and is highly recommended by professional chefs. It's silky, smooth and rich without any grit or grain. Chaokoh is perfect for any dish that requires coconut milk, including curries and soups.  

Dragonfly Tamarind Concentrate can be used for making chutneys and to add a tangy taste to dishes. Note that the concentrate can be used in recipes calling for tamarind paste in equal measure.

Lemongrass Kitchen Curry Sauce was created by Mai Pham, the Vietnamese-born author and chef whose Sacramento restaurant Lemon Grass is renown true Vietnamese flavor. This concentrate is a versatile base for cooking.

WorldFoods Southeast Asian Sauces have a fantastic range of concentrated flavors, and are very versatile. The possibilities are endless!