Ingredients You'll Need

There are a few special ingredients and items of cookware essential to the art of Chinese cooking. There are probably less than you think, but there are also some ingredients you already have that you'll need a lot more of.

I list specialty ingredients only. If you don't have sugar because I don't list it, you probably live in recipe hell anyway and there's simply no saving you. So what is the minimum you need to prepare a good Chinese dinner? Here's a good, thorough list, but I recommend that you read with care and consider your menu before going out to buy every item here. You don't need to present a dinner that ranges as broadly as a buffet's entire menu. Pick a few selections, practice them, and present them a few at a time to your friends and family.

Here's a list of things you'll be glad you had on hand. Most of them keep indefinitely and are readily available in every Asian market, often much cheaper than the same items in the "specialty" aisle of your general supermarket. . Many are also readily available on the Internet, but as I found when I explored offering them for sale online, sauces and the like are heavy, and the shipping makes the price unattractive.

Don't forget to see the "Shopping at an Asian Market" chapter, not for anything you don't know about buying and spending, but for my notes on some ways to more fully appreciate the experience.

Sauces
Sauces are ingredients used in making many dishes,
and many sauces are also condiments.

Sriracha Chili Sauce — Pureed chilis in a squeeze bottle, this sauce can add a wonderful (and powerful) "fresh chili" heat when cooked into a dish, and can be used as a condiment if you like your food hot. It is an essential garnish when serving Vietnamese pho. Remember, this (and all hot pepper preparations) become significantly hotter when cooked into a dish.

Soy Sauce — There are several types, most of them interchangeable (though you'll add a level of refinement if you use the right one for the job.) In all cases, choose real soy sauce … that means that the first couple of listed ingredients should be "water, soybeans…" not "water, hydrolyzed vegetable protein…". The brand I prefer is Kikkoman, but never (read the label) French's or anything like it!

Light Soy Sauce — Light in color, but full-flavored and saltier than dark soy sauce.

Dark Soy Sauce (or Black Soy Sauce) — Darker because it is aged for much longer, Dark Soy Sauce is a bit thicker and stronger than light soy.

Bean Sauce

Hoisin Sauce

Nuoc Mam

Oyster Sauce

Sesame Paste

Sesame Oil

Rice Wine Vinegar —

Rice Wine — Shaoxing

 

Rice/Noodles

Bean Thread (Cellophane Noodles) — Made from green mung bean and water. When cooked it appears translucent

Egg Noodles OR Instant Noodles —

Rice

Rice Stick noodles — Rice sticks made from rice and water

Egg Roll/Wonton/Dumpling Wrappers

Spices

Dried Red Peppers

Ginger

Chili Paste with Garlic

Five Spice Powder — A blend of ground star anise, cloves, cinnamon, and fennel seeds.

Hot Chili Oil

Star Anise — A small tree native to southwestern China produces the fruit that becomes this flavorful spice — the fruit ripens into the charming shape of a star. Hence the name for this Asian species of anise. Its taste and aroma are very similar to the more common anise (Pimpinella anisum) that has been used since Roman times. Both anises taste a lot like licorice, which has led to them being used with (or instead of) licorice to flavor candies and foods. In Asia, people sometimes eat star anise after meals to freshen breath and aid digestion. The Japanese also use star anise as incense.

 

MSG

 

Flour/Grain

Corn Starch

Tapioca Starch

Vegetables

Baby Corn

Tofu

Bamboo Shoots

Dried Black Mushrooms — Dried shiitake mushrooms.

Straw Mushrooms

Dried Wood Ear Fungus — Dried shredded woodear is used in hot & sour soup, moo shi or stir-fry dishes. They have a slightly crunchy texture and delicate, almost bland flavor that more often than not absorbs the taste of the more strongly flavored ingredients with which they are cooked.  Upon reconstituting they increase 5 to 6 times in size and resemble the shape of an ear. Wood ears are popular in stir-fries and soups and are often combined with tiger lily buds.

Szechuan Preserved Vegetable —

Water Chestnuts — Available canned whole, sliced (the way you usually see them) or coarsely chopped (my preferred style).

Garlic

Tiger Lily Buds (Golden Needles) — Used in making Chinese New Year's noodle, Hot and Spicy Soup. Also in stir-fry dishes.

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