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FISH SAUCE
A thin, salty dark brown sauce with a
distinctive fishy smell, which is used
extensively in Thai and Vietnamese cookery.
It is made from small fish that have been
fermented in the sun. Fish sauce replaces
salt in many recipes.
GARAM MARSALA
A blend of spices, usually consisting of some
combination of cinnamon, cumin, pepper,
cloves, cardamom, nutmeg and mace. It can be
bought already blended from supermarkets,
but it is best freshly made. It is usually added
towards the end of cooking.
GREEN GINGER WINE
An Australian made alcoholic sweet wine
infused with finely ground ginger.
HOISIN SAUCE
This sauce is a thick sweet Chinese barbecue
sauce made from a mixture of salted black
beans, onions and garlic.
HOIKKIEN NOODLES
Also known as fukkien, these are thick,
yellow and rubbery in texture. They are made
from wheat flour and are cooked and lightly
oiled before being packaged and sold. The
noodles need to be broken up before cooking.
RICE NOODLES
These are fresh white noodles, they do not
require a lot of cooking.
KAFFIR LIME LEAVES
These are dark green, shiny, double leaves
which have a very pungent perfume. They are
rather thick and must be sliced very finely for
use as a garnish, or added whole
in a curry.
LEMON GRASS
An aromatic fresh herb that is used in curry
pastes, stir fries and soups. Trim the base,
remove the tough, outer layers and finely
slice, chop or pound the white interior. Whole
stems can be added to soups or curries.
Dried lemon grass needs to be soaked in
water, but the flavor of fresh is superior.
LYCHEES
Delicious fruit with a light texture and flavor,
peel away the rough skin, remove the seed
and use. They are also available in cans.
RICE WINE VINEGAR
Milder than most western vinegars, it usually
has an acidity of less than 4%. It has a mild,
sweet, delicate flavor and is made from rice.
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A little planning ahead makes stir
frying easier.
AGAR-AGAR
Is made from different types of seaweed. It
has excellent setting properties, similar to
gelatine, and will set at room temperature.
BOK CHOY
Also known as Chinese chard or Chinese
white cabbage, has fleshy white stems and
dark green leaves. It has a slight mustard
taste. There is also a smaller version called
shanghai or baby bok choy.
BAMBOO SHOOTS
The young tender shoots of bamboo plants
are available in cans. They are mainly used to
add texture to food.
COCONUT CREAM AND
COCONUT MILK
Both coconut cream and milk are extracted
from the grated flesh of mature coconuts.
The cream is a richer first pressing and the
milk the second or third pressing.
CHILLIES, FRESH AND DRIED
Chiles are available in many different types
and sizes. The small ones (Thai, macho,
serrano, jalapeno) are the hottest. Use tight
fitting gloves when handling and chopping
fresh chiles as they can burn your skin. The
chile seeds are the hottest part of the chiles
so remove them if you want to reduce the
heat content of recipes.
CILANTRO
This is also known as coriander and Chinese
parsley. It is essential to many Southeast
Asian cuisines. A strongly flavored herb, use
it sparingly until you are accustomed to the
unique flavor. Parsley can be used as a
substitute; it looks the same but tastes quite
different. Cilantro is available fresh. The
dried spice version is labeled coriander and
is available whole or ground.
CHAR SIU SAUCE
This is the equivalent of Chinese BBQ sauce.
CRISP FRIED SHALLOTS
These are available from most Asian
Supermarkets pre-prepared.
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SPECIAL INGREDIENTS SPECIAL INGREDIENTS cont’d