T&T Supermarket is Canada’s largest Asian supermarket chain, featuring a broad selection of uniquely Asian items not found at other grocers. You can shop for noodles from Taiwan, special sauces from Hong Kong, or unusual fruits from southeast Asia. In additional, T&T offers an in-house bakery, an Asian deli, a Sushi bar, and a Chinese BBQ department. And starting this month, you can now also find Yorkshire Valley Farms fresh whole organic chicken at T&T stores across the GTA!
Hanging out in store with the T&T team.
Founded in 1993, T&T just celebrated its 20th anniversary. With 22 locations across Canada, and more in the works, there is much to celebrate. T&T’s commitment to quality and a high level of customer satisfaction has helped them to develop a loyal following, especially among Canadians looking for ingredients that allow them to make their favourite cultural dishes.
This T&T store is decorated for Chinese New Year.
We spoke with Abigail Lu, a member of the T&T head office team, about the importance of organic, her favourite chicken dish, and what we need to know about the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday.
Abigail told us that having organic options for T&T customers is important to them because “No chemicals, herbicides, pesticides, GMO products, growth hormones, medications are used to grow organic products and organic practices are better for the earth.” T&T recognizes that many of their “customers are passionate about health, about leading a healthy lifestyle, and about the impact their food brings to the mother earth.”
Through Abigail we learned a fun fact about the “T&T” name.
“The acronym stands for two of the original investor companies who helped get T&T off the ground. But in the hearts of founders Jack and Cindy Lee, T&T also stands for the names of their two daughters, Tina & Tiffany.”
We talked with Abigail about her favourite chicken dish. Like many of us, our fondest food memories involve family and enjoying a meal together at home. For Abigail, it is the chicken wings with Chinese black mushrooms that her grandma used to make for the family all the time.
With Chinese New Year just a couple of weeks away, we asked Abigail to tell us about some New Year traditions. The New Year, or Spring Festival, is the most important event in the Lunar calendar and represents a time of prosperity, family, tradition and good will.
“On Chinese New Year’s Eve, family members gather around the table for the family reunion dinner. A chicken or duck is prepared, and left whole, including the head and feet, to ensure completeness and avoid misfortune for the coming year.”
Abigail also told us that “When cooking, people generally avoid chopping up fish, leafy greens and other items. In fact, using knives, cleavers or sharp objects during the holiday season is considered unlucky.” As with many traditional Chinese gatherings, food plays an important role. In fact, “Chi fan le mei you?”, “Have you eaten yet?” is a common greeting to guests as they enter a host’s home. T&T will be preparing special dishes for the New Year celebrations on January 31st, so visit the T&T website to learn more and begin preparing for your own New Year’s feast!
To find a T&T store near you, check our Where to Buy page.
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T&T shared this popular recipe for Three Cups Chicken with us, so you can explore some new flavours in your own kitchen.
THREE CUPS CHICKEN
500g boneless chicken meat
2 stalks green onion
5 cloves garlic
8 slices ginger
1/2 cup black sesame oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup rice wine
1/2 tbsp sugar
few sprigs fresh basil
1. Cut chicken into small pieces and place them in boiling water for 2 minutes, drain and dry.
2. Cut green onions in short pieces. Lightly crush garlic and ginger.
3. Heat sesame oil in a pot. Add green onions, garlic, and ginger and bring to a boil.
4. Add chicken and soy sauce and stew for 2 minutes.
5. Add in rice wine and sugar and stew until the juice thickens.
6. Add basil when ready to serve.
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