There are a few things that aren't in the usual western pantry that I use a lot. You can get them in your local asian supermarket or grocery. These are some of the things that I use, clicking on the picture will take you to Amazon...
Fish Sauce
I love fish sauce. Despite the name, there's nothing fishy about it. It smells a bit funky, but it's essential for thai and vietnamese cooking. It adds some great umami, savoury flavours to whatever you're cooking. A little bit goes a long way, so a bottle will last quite a long time. The most popular brand, certainly the easiest to come by is Squid brand. I don't like very much, it seems to me a little harsh. Try another brand if that's the only one you've tried and you think that you don't like fish sauce. Try this:
Lucky Brand is a Thai standard.
Rice Vinegar
Sour is one of the essential flavours of Thai cooking, and it's usually provided by lime or vinegar. A little splash of this goes a long way, and it's also useful for thai dips like nam plaa prik. It has a neutral but not harsh flavour, and you can't really substitute other types of vinegar and come out with the same taste.
Get a gallon, it's much more economical and won't go bad. Make sure that whatever you get, it's unseasoned.
Coconut Milk
There are two kinds, sweetened and unsweetened. For the most part, we want the unsweetened. These little packs are more convenient than the tins and let you use a smaller amount without wasting any if you are cooking for one or two. people.
Palm Sugar
This comes in super hard blocks that you have to scrape the sugar from. It's a milder, more complex taste than white table sugar and worth the effort. Wrap it up well after you use it and it doesn't need to be stored in the fridge.
Kaffir Lime Leaves
Used in soups like Tom Yum and any dish that benefits from a note of citrus. Look in your local asian grocery to see if they have frozen leaves. Failing that, try these.
Shrimp Paste
Holy cow, this stuff reeks. I mean, it pongs. You'll hate the smell of it. Then you won't mind it. Then you'll find yourself sneaking into the fridge just for a little whiff. Everytime you use it, your significant other will yell at you for opening the jar. It's used throughout SE Asia. Also called belacan or kapi, it will add a funky hit to dips and dishes. Sometimes used fresh, sometimes toasted, you'll quickly grow to love and crave it!
Soy Sauce
Kikkoman is fine. It's ubiquitous and relatively cheap. Nowadays, I'm starting to see all kinds of artisan soy sauces floating about. I'm sure they're fantastic. I haven't had the opportunity to try any.
Like most of these staples, it's not going to go off, so buy as large a size as you have room to store.
Szechuan Pepper Corns
These aren't related to peppers or corn. It's a little inedible black seed surrounded by a reddish husk. It's the husk that has the flavour. It's an essential ingredient in mapo tofu. It's not spicy but has it's own unique numbing quality that's very pleasant. If you are buying this in your local asian grocery, look for a bag that doesn't have many sticks and twigs, sometimes the quality control leaves something to be desired.
Nori
One of the many kinds of seaweed used in Japanese cooking, this one is the familiar kind you'll find wrapped around a sushi roll or in your ramen bowl. It absorbs any moisture in the atmosphere and becomes sticky super quickly, so I find it convenient to buy in small packs that you can open and use all at once.
Dashi
Essential for lots of Japanese recipes. You can make it yourself, but the instant powder is fine and super quick and easy.
Salted Black Beans
These aren't the same as the black beans you'll find in a burrito. They're salted and I think they're fermented as well. It's a soy bean, so they are small. Great for stir fries, and beef or pork dishes.
Dark Soy Sauce
Use this for cooking, regular soy sauce for your meals. It's a but thicker and richer. A little goes a long way.
Gochujang
Once you've had this you'll wonder how you ever lived without it. It's a Korean spicy chili paste. Mix it with eggs, with vegetables, stir into soups, mix up with rice, it's super versatile. It lasts forever in your fridge, but you'll find it disappears super fast anyway! I like this brand.
Chinese Rice Wine or Cooking Sherry
I've always called this Chinese Sherry, but apparently it's called rice wine as well. Good for braising, especially pork belly. You can probably get it in your local asian grocery for cheaper...
Miso
One of mankind's greated inventions. Fermented soy beans in paste form. Put a dab in anything and it's better. Used widely in Japan and Korea. There's red and white and brown miso, all with different characteristics.
Chinese Black Vinegar
Sort of the Chinese version of malt vinegar. Good for dips and adding to braising liquids. Good on fish and chips if you're out of malt vinegar!
Sesame Oil
A drop or two in a dish changes the whole taste. Super powerful and an iconic flavour.
Wasabi
Get some of the powder rather than the ready made wasabi. It will last forever and is easily mixed for paste or into a mayonaisse.
Mirin
This is sweetened rice wine. Good for dipping sauces and some pan sauces.
Tamarind Paste
Great for adding a sour note to thai and malaysian food. Stay tuned to Crapchef for some lessons. Keep it in the fridge once you've opened it.
Fish Sauce
I love fish sauce. Despite the name, there's nothing fishy about it. It smells a bit funky, but it's essential for thai and vietnamese cooking. It adds some great umami, savoury flavours to whatever you're cooking. A little bit goes a long way, so a bottle will last quite a long time. The most popular brand, certainly the easiest to come by is Squid brand. I don't like very much, it seems to me a little harsh. Try another brand if that's the only one you've tried and you think that you don't like fish sauce. Try this:
Lucky Brand is a Thai standard.
Rice Vinegar
Sour is one of the essential flavours of Thai cooking, and it's usually provided by lime or vinegar. A little splash of this goes a long way, and it's also useful for thai dips like nam plaa prik. It has a neutral but not harsh flavour, and you can't really substitute other types of vinegar and come out with the same taste.
Get a gallon, it's much more economical and won't go bad. Make sure that whatever you get, it's unseasoned.
Coconut Milk
There are two kinds, sweetened and unsweetened. For the most part, we want the unsweetened. These little packs are more convenient than the tins and let you use a smaller amount without wasting any if you are cooking for one or two. people.
Palm Sugar
This comes in super hard blocks that you have to scrape the sugar from. It's a milder, more complex taste than white table sugar and worth the effort. Wrap it up well after you use it and it doesn't need to be stored in the fridge.
Kaffir Lime Leaves
Used in soups like Tom Yum and any dish that benefits from a note of citrus. Look in your local asian grocery to see if they have frozen leaves. Failing that, try these.
Shrimp Paste
Holy cow, this stuff reeks. I mean, it pongs. You'll hate the smell of it. Then you won't mind it. Then you'll find yourself sneaking into the fridge just for a little whiff. Everytime you use it, your significant other will yell at you for opening the jar. It's used throughout SE Asia. Also called belacan or kapi, it will add a funky hit to dips and dishes. Sometimes used fresh, sometimes toasted, you'll quickly grow to love and crave it!
Soy Sauce
Kikkoman is fine. It's ubiquitous and relatively cheap. Nowadays, I'm starting to see all kinds of artisan soy sauces floating about. I'm sure they're fantastic. I haven't had the opportunity to try any.
Like most of these staples, it's not going to go off, so buy as large a size as you have room to store.
Szechuan Pepper Corns
These aren't related to peppers or corn. It's a little inedible black seed surrounded by a reddish husk. It's the husk that has the flavour. It's an essential ingredient in mapo tofu. It's not spicy but has it's own unique numbing quality that's very pleasant. If you are buying this in your local asian grocery, look for a bag that doesn't have many sticks and twigs, sometimes the quality control leaves something to be desired.
Nori
One of the many kinds of seaweed used in Japanese cooking, this one is the familiar kind you'll find wrapped around a sushi roll or in your ramen bowl. It absorbs any moisture in the atmosphere and becomes sticky super quickly, so I find it convenient to buy in small packs that you can open and use all at once.
Dashi
Essential for lots of Japanese recipes. You can make it yourself, but the instant powder is fine and super quick and easy.
Salted Black Beans
These aren't the same as the black beans you'll find in a burrito. They're salted and I think they're fermented as well. It's a soy bean, so they are small. Great for stir fries, and beef or pork dishes.
Dark Soy Sauce
Use this for cooking, regular soy sauce for your meals. It's a but thicker and richer. A little goes a long way.
Gochujang
Once you've had this you'll wonder how you ever lived without it. It's a Korean spicy chili paste. Mix it with eggs, with vegetables, stir into soups, mix up with rice, it's super versatile. It lasts forever in your fridge, but you'll find it disappears super fast anyway! I like this brand.
Chinese Rice Wine or Cooking Sherry
I've always called this Chinese Sherry, but apparently it's called rice wine as well. Good for braising, especially pork belly. You can probably get it in your local asian grocery for cheaper...
Miso
One of mankind's greated inventions. Fermented soy beans in paste form. Put a dab in anything and it's better. Used widely in Japan and Korea. There's red and white and brown miso, all with different characteristics.
Chinese Black Vinegar
Sort of the Chinese version of malt vinegar. Good for dips and adding to braising liquids. Good on fish and chips if you're out of malt vinegar!
Sesame Oil
A drop or two in a dish changes the whole taste. Super powerful and an iconic flavour.
Wasabi
Get some of the powder rather than the ready made wasabi. It will last forever and is easily mixed for paste or into a mayonaisse.
Mirin
This is sweetened rice wine. Good for dipping sauces and some pan sauces.
Tamarind Paste
Great for adding a sour note to thai and malaysian food. Stay tuned to Crapchef for some lessons. Keep it in the fridge once you've opened it.
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