How to shop Asian grocery stores and stock your pantry

Walking into an Asian grocery store for the first time can be a daunting experience. Many of the labels aren't in English, or the English is misspelled or indecipherable. You're left with reading tiny type on the back or trying to mime to someone who may not speak English fluently.

But don't be intimidated by these obstacles. We've broken down what grocery stores carry into a few categories, so you'll realize it's much simpler than you thought.

I've been going to Asian grocery stores with my Chinese-Indonesian mother since I was a small child. I asked her to point out