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Nearly 20 stations to offer free food samples October 9-10
PLAINSBORO n A little bit Japan is coming to Piscataway.
On Saturday, October 9, and Sunday, October 10, the Asian Food Markets of Piscataway and Nishimoto Trading Co. will present “A Taste of the Rising Sun n A Fall Food Festival.”
From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both days, nearly 20 demonstrators will offer free food samples throughout the Asian Food Markets at 1339 Centennial Ave., Piscataway. (Contact the store at 732-645-3018. Find the companies on the web at AsianFoodMarkets.com and NishimotoTrading.com).
“The Asian Food Markets is well known for its Chinese products,” said Anthony Chan, a vice president of the supermarket chain. “But we are so much more than that. We have a wide range of foods from many different regions of China n Hunan, Szechuan, Shanghai, Beijing. But we also have many foods from Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, India, Korea and other Asian nations.
“That’s one reason we created ‘A Taste of the Rising Sun n A Japanese Fall Food Festival.’ This gives us a chance to show consumers food products we offer from a nation other than China.”
With the help of Japan’s Nishimoto Trading Co., the supermarket will focus on the foods of Japan.
“‘A Taste of the Rising Sun’ allows us to introduce what we do to more customers,” said Raymond Kwong, an executive with Nishimoto Trading Co. covering New Jersey and New York. “Our company has been in business for nearly a century in Japan and for many years in the United States. But to many American consumers, we are the new guys.”
A few years ago, the executives of the Asian Food Markets supermarket chain came to the conclusion that their business was not just selling food.
“We are very strong with the Asian populations,” Chan said. “But if we want to grow, the biggest growth areas are beyond those traditional customers. To those potential customers, our products are likely to seem unusual and unfamiliar. So we have started to educate them about our foods.”
“That’s one of the reasons why we do food festivals,” he said. “At ‘A Taste of the Rising Sun,’ customers can try a new food and not worry about having to purchase an entire package of something they might not like.”
Nishimoto Trading is a food manufacturer and exporter of products from Japan, Korea and China. The company is known for its “Shirakkiku” brand products.” Nishimoto offers everything Japanese from noodles, sauce and sake to tofu, miso, pickled items, tea and soybean products.
“‘A Taste of the Rising Sun n A Japanese Fall Food Festival’ is a no risk event,” said Anthony Chan. “Here you can do what everybody who likes food dreams of doing: You can take a chance on something new. If something looks good, you can taste it. If you like it, you’ll get it for a good price because it will be on sale. If you don’t like it, now you know. And just go on to the next sampling table. It will be a learning experience.”
Some of the items expected to be offered for sampling at tables around the store include: Hiyashi Chuka cold noodles, Sekka Rice, Shumai dumplings, Miso soup, Good Good Eat crunchy snacks, Daifuku rice cakes, Mochi ice cream, S&B Curry sauces, Milkita milk soft candy, Fruiche & Milk, Tofu Shirataki and more.
“A Taste of the Rising Sun n A Japanese Fall Food Festival” is another effort by the Asian Food Markets supermarkets to reach beyond its traditional Asian customers. This year, the Piscataway store offered an Asian Food Fair and a Chinese New Year’s Education Campaign. Nine posters explained culinary traditions and rituals of the New Year and Spring Festival, the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar. From long noodles, dumplings and red envelopes to fish, oranges and sticky cake, shoppers had the opportunity to learn about the celebration of the holiday. Other food festivals have been held recently in North Plainfield, Cherry Hill, Plainsboro and Staten Island.
The Asian Food Markets, founded in 1992, has full service supermarkets in Piscataway, North Plainfield, Middletown, Plainsboro, Cherry Hill and Staten Island. The chain is known for its wide selection of fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, live and fresh fish, fresh meat, fresh poultry, fresh baked goods and Asian specialty products from many regions of China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia and India. The stores also offer authentic fresh, hot Chinese dishes, ready for takeout.
Nishimoto Trading Co. was established in 1912 and is one of the oldest importers of Asian food in North America. As the company approaches a century in business, it has 19 branches in Japan, United States, Canada and mainland China. The company has expanded from food products to more than 6,500 items including kitchenware, household products and cosmetics.
“This is an opportunity to take two brands popular with the Asian communities n Nishimoto Trading and the Asian Food Markets n and expose them to the general population,” Chan said. “We’re reaching out to the community at large because both companies are not just sellers of Asian food products. The Asian Food Markets is a quality supermarket and Nishimoto Trading is a top quality importer n both specializing in Asian products. That’s why we are offering our “A Taste of the Rising Sun n A Japanese Fall Food Festival.”
A shopper talks to a sampler about Good Good Eats snacks during a food tasting at The Asian Food Markets. The supermarket will offer “A Taste of the Rising Sun n A Japanese Fall Food Festival”, 1339 Centennial Ave., Piscataway, Oct. 9-10, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

