Chinese Ingredients and Tips

Soy Sauce

Used for flavoring or as a condiment or dip. Light soy sauce
has a more delicate flavor and delicately flavored dished.
Dark soy sauce imparts a rich color to food and is used for
dark stews and meats.

Salted black beans

These are very salty indeed and need to be soaked for 5-10
minutes before use. They are added (can be mashed) into
the cooking oil or sauce over high heat.

Hoisin sauce

A thick soy-based sauce with a sweet, hot flavor.

Bean curd

Also known as tofu. An almost tasteless substance made from
pureed yellow soya beans, which are very high in protein. It
is sold in cakes about 7.5 cm (3 inches) square.

Chinese dried mushrooms

Widely used for their flavor and aroma. Soak them in warm
water for 20 minutes before using.

Wood ears

Dried gray-black fungi which should  be soaked in warm water
for 20 minutes before use. They have a crunchy texture and a
mild flavor.

Dried chestnuts

Soak overnight in cold water then simmer in fresh water for
20 minutes or add to the dish you are preparing and simmer.

Dried squid

Tastes quite different from fresh squid and is regarded highly
as a delicacy. Used to give extra flavor to dishes. Soak before
use in a solution of bicarbonate of soda, to soften it.

Dried shrimps

Widely used to flavor savory dishes. Soak in warm water for
30 minutes before use.

Winter pickle

Salted cabbage, brownish green in color, is savory and mildly
salty. Sold in earthenware jars

Chili sauce (sweet or hot)

A sweet or hot-tasting sauce made from red chili.

Oyster sauce

A thick  brown sauce made from soy sauce and oysters.

Sesame oil

Widely used for its nutty, aromatic flavor. Sold in jars. It
will keep almost indefinitely.

Rice noodles

(also called rice stick noodles) are white and thread-like.
They can be found both round and flat, and are sold in
packets in Chinese supermarkets.

Glass noodles

Long, thin and brittle noodles which are usually soaked
in hot water for about 20 minutes and drained before using.

Stir-frying

Stir-frying is usually done in a wok.   The food is cooked
quickly, over high heat, in very little oil. The food to be
cooked is finely sliced or shredded into similar sized
pieces, using a very sharp knife or Chinese cleaver.

Shallow frying

This is a slower method of cooking than stir-frying. Again,
a work or frying pan is used. More oil is used and the
cooking is done over moderate heat.

Deep frying

Deep-frying is used in the same ways as in the west, to
produce crisp- textured food. Sometimes the food is
deep-fried, removed from the oil and drained. the oil
is then reheated and the food deep-fried again, so
that it is extremely crispy.