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What do I Buy First? -
Getting Ready to Cook Chinese Food
What do I Buy First? -
Getting Ready to Cook Chinese Food
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What do I Buy First?
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"The way you cut your meat reflects the
way you live."
(Confucius)
So, you've
decided to finally take the plunge and start
cooking Chinese food. Now all you need to do is
make sure your pantry is stocked with the right
equipment and ingredients. However, a quick look
through any Chinese cookbook makes it clear that
this could be an expensive - not to mention time
consuming - proposition. Is it really necessary
to embark on a frantic search through Chinatown
for exotic sounding ingredients such as lily
buds, shark's fin, and winter melon, not to
mention splurging on fancy gadgets such as
ginger graters and garlic crushers?
For the most
part, no. However, there are several basic
ingredients that you will use over and over in
Chinese cooking. When it comes to cooking
equipment, a wok has numerous advantages -
besides requiring less oil and distributing more
heat than a frying pan, its unique concave shape
makes stir-frying easier. Not to mention that
you get a stir-fry pan and deep-fryer rolled
into one.
By contrast, a
cleaver is optional for the beginner. I once
took classes from a Cantonese woman who used a
conventional knife for all her slicing and
dicing, bringing out the cleaver only when some
heavy duty chopping was required. It's nice to
have, but not essential.
Here is a list of
the basic ingredients and utensils you need to
cook Chinese food*. You can find most of them at
ChineseFoodDIY
online store.
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Ingredients |
Cooking Utensils |
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Celery- Regular celery works well in
stir-fries. |
Chopsticks - Use in the kitchen for
stir-frying and mixing ingredients. |
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Chinese Rice Wine - It adds flavor and is
good for removing strong odors, such as
fish. |
Cutting
Board - Wood or acrylic are best. |
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Chinese Dried Black Mushrooms - Found in
bins in Asian markets. Cheaper brands work
fine in soups and stir-fries. |
Knife - for cutting and chopping |
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Cornstarch - Used in stews, marinades, and
as a thickener. Can substitute for tapioca
starch in recipes. |
Wide blade Spatula - for stir-frying |
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Garlic - Along with
ginger, it is often used
to season cooking oil. |
Wok - Carbon Steel is best.** |
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Ginger
root - Always use fresh
ginger
unless the recipe states otherwise. |
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Green Onion (Also known as spring onions) -
Often used as a garnish. If, like me, you
don't care for the taste of raw green
onions, combine them with the other
ingredients in the wok just before serving. |
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MSG
(Monosodium
Glutamate)
- Optional. If a recipe calls for
MSG
and you don't want to use it, try a bit of
sugar as a substitute. If you're out of
MSG,
substitute Accent. |
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Oyster Sauce - The cheaper brands are fine
for use in stir-fries; stick to the more
expensive brands for dips. |
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Rice - Long grain for meals; short grain or
"sticky" rice for desserts or snacks. For
something different, try a scented rice,
such as jasmine. |
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Sesame Oil - Used as a flavoring in
stir-fries and soups. |
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Soy Sauce - both light and dark. The bottles
are not always clearly labeled, but you can
tell by holding it up to the light - dark
soy sauce is thicker and darker. |
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Vegetable Oil
for frying - It's healthier and has a higher
smoking point than peanut oil. Also, peanut
oil goes rancid sooner, which can be a
problem if you don't cook Chinese food
often. |
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*(I'm assuming
you already have other basic cooking tools and
supplies)
**For electric ranges, it is better to have a
flat-bottomed wok, as a round-bottomed wok may
reflect back and damage the heating element.
And that's everything. Of course, you'll want
to add items as you go along - such as a cleaver
and a bamboo steamer - but this will get you
started. There are many dishes you can prepare
with these basic supplies.
 A
Few Tips
- If possible, go to an Asian marketplace
for Asian vegetables. They will be less
expensive, and the produce may be fresher.
When preparing a dish, put all your cut
vegetables on a large platter. (A flat baking
tray is ideal.) When stir-frying, the
individual vegetables are added separately,
ensuring that none are overcooked or
undercooked. However, if you put the
vegetables on separate plates until needed,
you'll wind up with a lot of extra dishes to
wash.
Don't put any condiments on the table. In
many restaurants in Asia, the chef will become
quite upset if he sees a customer drowning the
food in soy or Worcestershire sauce. Chances
are, if you leave the condiments in the
cupboard your family won't even miss them.
More links on What to Buy First:
Wok or Frying Pan?
Before You Buy a Wok
Before You Buy a
Chinese Cleaver
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Related
Links:
Chinese Cooking Tips
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