20 Kitchen Cupboard Essentials For Students

Whether you’re heading to university for your first year or moving into a shared house or apartment for the first time, one of the first things to do is get your cupboards stocked! While it can be tempting to order takeaway every night, with the help of our Asian food shop, you can do your wallet a favour and still enjoy some incredible dishes!

Forget beans on toast, get these kitchen cupboard essentials and you and your housemates can be enjoying Asian treats like hot pot and ramen every week while still saving money.

The Ultimate University Asian Cupboard Shopping List

Get Staple Foods in Bulk

Student-ing 101: get those basics and get them in bulk.

Make sure you always have staples like rice in the cupboard – so many dishes call for it, so it can be a killer if you open the cupboard one night and realise there’s not enough for everyone.

If you want to save money and have a big enough cupboard, consider buying dry staples in bulk. Things like rice don’t go off easily (so long as you store it correctly) so you can save some serious money by buying a big 10kg bag for a fraction of the price you’ll spend on the same amount in 1kg bags over the course of a term.

Staple Food Shopping List:

• Rice
• Flour
• Oil
• Sugar

Instant Meals

We know your mom/dad/brother/sister/dog told you to make sure you eat properly while at university, but there will come a time when you just need a quick and easy instant meal.

Whether you’re studying late into the night or getting home in the early hours of the morning, there are times when you’ll need food but won’t want to cook, and having tasty instant food on hand can save you the cost of having to get something delivered.

If you’re a fan of Asian food, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to instant delights. The home of instant noodles, there are a ton of regional delights to explore.

Instant Meals Shopping List:

• Buldak Hot Chicken Ramen
• Self-Heating Hot Pot
• Nissin Cup Noodles
• Topokki

Tinned Foods

Similar to dry staples like rice, tinned foods are a fantastic way to make sure you always have some tasty ingredients to hand. Canned foods famously have incredible shelf life, meaning you can stock up on proteins or vegetables without having to worry about any use-by dates.

It’s possible to get a canned version of almost any fresh food, and they’re usually much cheaper. Buy a handful of cans of your favourite meats, fishes or vegetables and you’ll always have a backup if you forget to go to the shops for fresh food one week.

Canned foods also make for a great topping to instant meals like noodles, turning a simple meal into something more exciting while still keeping costs low.

Tinned Foods Shopping List:

• Sweetcorn
• Sardines
• Braised Eel
• Luncheon Meat

Powerful Seasonings

Here’s a big piece of advice: while it’s good to save money wherever you can, don’t cut corners on your seasonings.

The price difference between a basic seasoning like table salt and a high-quality one isn’t often substantial, while great seasonings can be used across almost any meal to make it taste delightful.

High-quality salt and pepper can be really handy, but Asian supermarkets are a treasure trove of fantastic seasonings that can go on almost anything. Try furikake on your sardines or red pepper on your chips – suddenly, those uninspiring meals will taste spectacular!

Powerful Seasonings Shopping List:

• Furikake
• Sichuan Peppercorns
• Red Pepper Powder
• Hot Pot Seasoning

Flavourful Condiments

Just like seasonings, treat yourself to some excellent condiments that can turn basic foods into flavour sensations.

Condiments tend to be very good at keeping in a cupboard, although do check the labels as this can vary. They’re also incredibly versatile – most can be used either as a dipping sauce, a marinade or for frying.

Whether you prefer the sweetness of Kewpie mayonnaise or the spiciness of gochujang, great condiments are another quick, easy and relatively cheap way of turning simple meals into something super tasty.

Flavourful Condiments Shopping List:

• Soy Sauce
• Gochujang
• Crispy Chilli
• Japanese Mayonnaise

If you’re looking to stock your cupboards with quick, easy and cheap meals, you can find everything you need at great prices here at Oriental Mart. With our loyalty programme as well as seasonal discounts, we’ll help you make sure there’s always an exciting dish ready and waiting to be made.