5 Things We Love

A shortlist of newly discovered stuff you have got to see, hear, wear, use or eat. What are you loving this week? Send a brief description of your latest favorite thing, where to find it and how much it costs, along with your name and contact info to features@staradvertiser.com.

Playful hues, patterns shake up ‘lai see’ custom

Over the generations, billions of Chinese children have looked forward to receiving the red envelopes known as "lai see," which hold a monetary gift bestowed during celebrations such as weddings, birthdays and the lunar new year. Red is the color of luck and is believed to ward off evil spirits. Now you can now find the envelopes in an explosion of matte and foil colors, emblazoned with florals, calligraphy or Year of the Snake designs. They sell for about $3.50 to $3.75 for packs of three to 10. These are from Dragon Gate Bookstore in the Chinatown Cultural Plaza. Call 533-7147.

— Nadine Kam

Innovative wine chiller works sans muss, fuss

Chill wine without the trouble and mess of an ice bucket with a Corkcicle, a reusable, gel-filled "icicle" attached to a stopper. After freezing the 10-inch Corkcicle, stick it into the bottle to cool room-temperature red wine in 15 minutes or keep whites chilled for about an hour. Priced at $24.95 at corkcicle.com, it’s also available at SoHa Living at Kahala Mall and Bed Bath & Beyond in Aiea.

— Donica Kaneshiro

Asian stereotypes take on comic look

Three years after the success of "Secret Identities: The Asian-American Superhero Anthology," the same team of comics creators has come out with "Shattered: The Asian American Comics Anthology" (New Press, $21.95). As the title implies, editors Jeff Yang, Parry Shen, Keith Chow and Jerry Ma attempt to re-imagine Asian stereotypes with stories that run under chapter titles such as "The Brute," "The Temptress," "The Brain," "The Alien" and "The Manipulator." Printed in black and white, with a series of hero profiles in color (I love Angry Asian Man’s), the collection contains imaginative riffs on superhero and martial arts tropes. The standouts: Martin Hsu and Sophia Lin’s anime-like collaboration on Yang’s "Bai Bai, Bai Tsai"; an inspired team adventure by Shen and illustrator Sean Chen titled "Hibakusha: Secrets"; the hilarious "Occupy Ethnic Foods" from newspaper comic strip creator Tak Toyoshima of "Secret Asian Man"; and a satirical take on newspaper strips, "Shadow Man," by rising indie star Gene Luen Yang.

— Gary Chun

Apple-like jujube a tasty treat

The green jujube, or Chinese date, when eaten before it is ripe, looks and tastes like a miniature apple. The fruit is available at stalls at the Maunakea Market Place for about $1 to $2 a bag. When asked about the fruit, a vendor called them Thai apples. They are also known as "phut saa" in Thai or "hong zao" or "hei zao" in Chinese. When ripe, the fruit turns a purplish color and is sometimes dried and included in dried-fruit mixes.

— Craig Gima

Skip the soap with super scrubbing puff

My mother and I spent about 20 bemused minutes trying to decipher the Japa­nese-language packaging on the ecomagic monster, an acrylic fiber scouring sponge for dishes that is supposed to be so good you don’t even need to use soap, saving you a bit of money but also sending less detergent down the drain. Dampening this little puffball turns it into a mass of rough microfibers that scrub your dishes clean. Without soap it does a good job on dishes and pots used for a light stir-fry; as suggested, though, I still use soap on tougher cleanups. It’s $9.99 at Don Quijote.

— Steven Mark