When I arrived in the UK, I was concerned about whether I would be able to cook my daily favourite homemade dishes here in Aberdeen. I thought obtaining the required ingredients would be a problem as a lot of my preferred meals require specific ingredients common in China but unlikely to be found in the supermarkets of the UK.
Luckily, a good friend of mine was already living in Aberdeen, so I called him to ask where I could find soy sauce, to my surprise this is a common ingredient here and he told me I could find this in the local Sainsbury supermarket – which was great!
Following this I decided to investigate where in Aberdeen I could find more ingredients. I soon discovered there is a Chinese market in Aberdeen, called “Matthews Foods Aberdeen” on Causewayend which is very popular and stocks a lot of ingredients. The day I discovered the market I used Google maps and found that it is located close to the Old Aberdeen University Campus. When browsing the market, I found many special items to me and felt very happy. For myself, it is very exciting to taste Chinese food in Aberdeen!
Some of you reading this might be arriving from China to Aberdeen and not be as fortunate as myself to have a friend here to guide you, and will not know how to get home-ingredients in Aberdeen. I write this blog in the hope it offers you guidance of where to find essential items from home in Aberdeen.
Remember, the University also offers a lot of support programmes for international students such as the International Centre where you can meet people from all over the world here in Aberdeen.
I hope you have a lovely time studying at the University of Aberdeen!
