Celebrate AAPI Businesses!
This Asian Pacific American Heritage Month—a subject near and dear to my heart—, enjoy the outdoors with these finds by Asian American businesses as shared with KTVU’s Fox 2 in San Francisco!
PEARL RIVER MART
Kosui Green Sushi for Two Set from Pearl River Mart
The world’s first Chinese-American Department store located in New York City, this iconic landmark was founded in 1971 by Ming Yi and Ching Yeh Chen. This Asian-inspired emporium has everything from home furnishings to fashion and food (like my favorite Japanese snacks!) and much more. I treasure how supportive they are of the community.
Kosui Green Sushi For Two Set - $39.50
Saturn Centerpiece Candle Lantern with Fine Lines - $22.50
Peony Table Runners - $39.50
Green Place Mat - $6.50
OUTER OUTDOOR FURNITURE
Outer Outdoor Furniture
Founded before the pandemic in 2019 by Terry Lin and Jake Liu, Outer was intended to get people enjoying the great outdoors: what timing! Their line of sustainable, durable and beautiful modular outdoor furniture includes sofa, loveseats and chairs, coffee and dining tables, rugs and firepits. Utiltizing the same nano-technology found in camping gear, it’s highly durable, resisting stains, fading and discoloration, claims the company.
AERANGIS CANDLES
Aerangis
When Alicia Tsai was a child, she used to follow her grandfather into his greenhouse where he devotedly took care of his orchid collection. One day, he gifted her with her own to care for, an aerangis. Her company, Aerangis features handcrafted, plant-based, sustainable candles. She develops scents that transport using world-renown perfumers for fragrance profile development, making the candles that have top, middle and end notes…just like perfume. For example, Secret Garden has notes of geranium, green tea and incense, while Concrete Jungle: fig leaves, mineral, concrete accord.
8 oz. burns 50 hours, $38 each, aerangis.com
WILDWONDER PREBIOTIC & PROBIOTIC BEVERAGES
Inspired by the wellness drinks her Chinese grandmother would brew her as a child, Rosa Li of the SF-Bay area founded wildwonder sparking beverages during the pandemic in 2020. Containing pro and prebiotics, superherbs and fruit, they aim to elevate your gut and immune health. With such a delicious flavor, it’s only 35 calories per can, no refined sugar and certified organic and vegan. The six flavors in the collection include Strawberry Passion, Mango Tumeric, Guava Rose, Peach Ginger, Lemon Ginger, Pear Turmeric.
$44 for 12, drinkwildwonder.com
GR8NOLA
Gr8nola
Bay-area-based Erica Liu Williams created gr8nola as a delicious, low-sugar superfood made with simple, all-natural ingredients, including the perhaps unexpected flavors of matcha and turmeric. All flavors include the use of organic coconut oil and whole oats to name a few, and contain no soy, dairy or refined sugars! There are 7 flavors to choose from:
original
black coco chia
peanut butter
cacao crisp
cinnamon chai
golden spice
matcha vibes
Fun back story: Erica is a Stanford grad and maintained her full-time job in tech for 4.5 years while she developed her side hustle gr8nola, the “8” representing good luck in Chinese culture.
$10 per bag, gr8nola.com
To watch the segment and these products in action, check out the KTVU segment!
Editorial: prices reflect time of publication.