Aji Ichiban: Munchies Paradise
Walking into Aji Ichiban, a bulk snack emporium in Rockville, Md., is a little bit like entering Willy Wonka's candy factory — if Willy Wonka were Asian. Visitors are greeted by a dazzling array of foil-wrapped chocolates, fruit-flavored marshmallows, European nougat confections, and a selection of gelatinous goodies that put Haribo gummy bears to shame. But candy is only the half of it. Aji Ichiban is a Hong Kong chain, and their U.S. stores sell many of the same products found across the Pacific. This means that Aji Ichiban also features a mind-boggling selection of dried fruits and fish products. Every major food group and textural possibility is represented at this self-proclaimed "Munchies Paradise."
The expansive dried fruit selection ranges from the pedestrian (dried cranberries) to the exotic (sugar and salt-cured rose buds, honeyed tomatoes, chili olives) and the poorly translated ("menthol lemon"). The dried seafood products are equally exciting and sometimes perplexing: roasted grouper, shredded squid, sesame fish sticks, and tiny roasted crabs. Luckily, Aji Ichiban provides free samples of all the non-candy items, so you can try before you buy.
The gummy candies are a particular highlight. They come in all manner of odd shapes and flavors. Fried egg-shaped gummies, thankfully, do not taste anything like fried eggs. Little brown cola bottles taste like a cross between sour patch kids and a can of real Coke. Jewel-like lychee and mango gummies are pleasantly soft and yield genuine fruit flavor with each chew. And, for anyone who is unsatisfied with the current selection of breath mints at your local CVS, check out the mint gummy bears.
Another standout is the "hot fruit" flavor beef jerky. Unlike American beef jerky, it is not overwhelmingly salty, chewy, or dry. These thick slices of beef have been cooked in a sticky, fruit and chili-based sauce. The result is jerky that is still moist, succulent, and pleasantly toothsome. It's kind of like eating Asian-style barbecue ribs, except with less mess and no bones. The jerky alone is worth the trip to Rockville.
For the adventurous, the dried seafood items can be pleasantly surprising. The Hokkaido squid has a dry, sort of stringy texture, but has a nice saltwater taste that isn't too squidy or fishy. Strips of dried fish layered between black sesame seeds provide a mixture of softness and crunch. The cashier recommended the we try the roasted crab: tiny, whole crabs tossed in an orange sauce and sprinkled with little rice puffs. The crabs are quite delicious. The roasting concentrates the ocean water-flavor of the crab, making it sweet and nutty. There are few, if any, sensations that can compare to the crunch of brittle crab shell between your teeth. It's sort of like eating kettle cooked potato chips... only crunchier. If you can get past the little shards of shell that tend to get lodged in your molars, the roasted crabs are an unusual, whole mouth taste sensation.
Aji Ichiban makes good on their claim of being "Munchie Paradise." There are so many weird and funky snacks, it's impossible to satisfy your curiosity on a single visit. Items range in price from $3/.25 lb for most candies to $17/.5 lb for imported dried seafood. The chance to recapture a few moments of childhood wonderment makes a trip to Aji Ichiban well worth the effort.
Aji Ichiban
309 N Washington St.
Rockville, MD 20847
(301) 610-7798
Metro: Rockville
Hours:
Sunday - Friday: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.