{"id":9398,"date":"2016-02-12T09:41:21","date_gmt":"2016-02-12T15:41:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/omnivorescookbook.com\/?p=9398"},"modified":"2023-07-31T09:40:20","modified_gmt":"2023-07-31T13:40:20","slug":"essential-chinese-ingredients","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/omnivorescookbook.com\/essential-chinese-ingredients\/","title":{"rendered":"19 Essential Chinese Ingredients (& Where to Buy Them)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

An introduction to 19 essential Chinese ingredients that will help you recreate Chinese restaurant dishes in your own kitchen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Over the past few years, the one question that I\u2019ve received the most is – What are the basic ingredients to get me started cooking real-deal Chinese food?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The short answer is, you only need 6 Chinese ingredients to get started cooking delicious Chinese food. These are the ingredients I use 80% of the time, if not every day. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve also listed 3 must-have fresh ingredients, which you can often get at a grocery store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rest of the post contains 5 sauces and 5 spices that are commonly used in many of my recipes. It can come in handy, depending on the type of food you want to cook. For example, if you\u2019d like to make authentic dim sum<\/a> or Sichuan food<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After getting these basic Chinese ingredients, you\u2019ll be able to cook a wide variety of Chinese dishes by combining them with other ingredients that you can find at the average grocery store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NOTE: I have included a short introduction for each ingredient. If you want to read more about the ingredient, click on the title. It will lead you to a more thorough article on the use, storage, and shopping for that ingredient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6 Must-Have Basic Chinese Ingredients<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

(1) Light soy sauce<\/a> (or regular soy sauce<\/a>)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Light soy sauce, or Sheng Chou (\u751f\u62bd), is a must-have Chinese ingredient. It’s saltier than regular soy sauce but has a lighter color. It adds a savory umami flavor to the dish without adding much color. Light soy sauce is commonly used in all kinds of dishes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note, \u201clite\u201d soy sauce is a totally different thing, which is usually sold by Japanese brands. \u201cLite\u201d soy sauce contains less sodium and has a different taste. It\u2019s not suitable for Chinese recipes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I usually keep a bottle of regular soy sauce on hand as well, which will add a bit of color to a dish. If you want to keep your pantry less crowded, you can keep either light soy sauce or regular soy sauce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Regular<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you avoid gluten, you can either use tamari to replace the (light) soy sauce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Three<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Recommended Brands<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n