Hello all, and welcome to the 2018 Rabbit Heart Poetry Film Festival’s first edition of our 100 Delightful Things in Worcester Project! This year, our wonderful interns Fay, Julie, and Lori are teaming up to explore Worcester and will be bringing back the best of  the best for you to enjoy.This week Fay and Julie headed over to Asian Supermarket (50 Mill Street, right off Park Ave) to grab ingredients for taro smoothies and to tour the aisles.

You might never think to go into the Asian Supermarket if no one would have told you how great it is. Like many interesting areas in Worcester,  Asian Supermarket is a hidden gem in the busy streets of Park Ave and Mill St. Not only did our fantastic interns not know about this ethnic supermarket, they did not know how big it is! Right when you walk in you will be shocked that you haven’t seen this or heard about it before – there are aisles and aisles of colorful produce, from fruits, to veggies, to beautiful greens that are so familiar from favorite Asian restaurants. And if you’re ever looking for pomegranates in the middle of the summer when they’re off-season, or for strawberries for under $2, this is the place to come! Our team also found delicious snacks and drinks, and of course, a whole aisle of just RAMEN! Food has such an influence on culture, and going to Asian Supermarket gave #TeamEatYerVeggies a little peek into the diversity of Asian culture just by observing the aisles of food at AS.

Some favorites our team found include matcha green tea flavored Kit Kats, and fresh lychees – these little fruits are sweet, refreshing, with a flavor somewhere between rose petals and grapes, and perfect for summer! Along the way, Fay and Julie also picked up taro, coconut milk, and tapioca pearls (boba!) for making some delicious homemade smoothies. The recipe is below if you want to try it out too <6

Taro Smoothie – makes 2 small, or one large
1 c ice
~⅓ c coconut milk (add more for a thinner smoothie)
generous dash of coconut extract
2 tbs sugar
¼-⅓ c cubed and cooked taro (add more for a thicker smoothie)
handful of boba cooked according to package instructions (optional)

  1. Start by peeling the taro and then cutting it into cubes. Add to boiling water and cook for about ten minutes, until soft but not falling apart, then rinse under cool water to bring to room temp.
  2. Cook boba according to directions and cool
  3. Combine ice, coconut milk, cooled taro, sugar, and a generous dash of coconut extract in a blender.
  4. Pulse ingredients until smooth.
  5. Pour the smoothie into glasses, add boba, and enjoy!