Whether you’re a beginner in the kitchen or an experienced cook looking to get started with Chinese and Asian cooking, the most common question I get here on the site is about substitutions – mainly for the “seemingly” less common Asian ingredients. “What can I use instead of Shaoxing wine? […]
What is the daikon radish? Also called “white radish,” “Japanese radish,” or “Chinese radish,” the daikon is a staple of Japanese cuisine. Traditionally eaten raw, cooked, or pickled, this fleshy, tube-shaped root looks like a white carrot. The varieties of daikon Across Asia, several daikon varieties exist. The lobak (or […]
What is umami flavor? Sweet, sour, salty, bitter… These tastes are already familiar to us, but what exactly is umami? It’s actually a relatively recent discovery. It’s also known as the “fifth taste,” and it has often been described as the subtle, velvety aftertaste you encounter in dishes that make […]
Tempeh is a soy-based food believed to have originated in Indonesia thousands of years ago. The earliest recorded use of the word “tempeh” dates to the early 19th century, in a volume of Javanese history. Since the 1970s, when it became readily available in the West, tempeh has become a […]
Origins and history of jasmine rice Jasmine rice is a staple of Asian cuisine. It is a type of long-grain rice, usually white, sourced mainly from Thailand and Cambodia. It owes its name not to its fragrance, but to its color, which resembles that of the jasmine flower. For many […]
What is Spam? If you’re not a fan of this food, you’re probably wondering what this unappetizing, dog-food-looking product actually is. Spam is a product made by the American company Hormel Foods. It’s processed pork shaped into a rectangular block, packed in a can with an iconic design. Why am […]
What are konjac noodles? In Japanese tradition, konjac noodles, commonly known as shirataki, are noodles made from the konjac root. In practical terms, they are a preparation made from konjac flour mixed with still water and limewater. On your plate, they appear as long, almost transparent strands. This is also […]
Despite its distinctive name, panko is simply a type of breadcrumb. The word panko is Japanese – “pan” means bread and “ko” means flour or powder. Authentic panko is always made from a special crustless white bread, rather than whole wheat bread, that is baked using an electric current. The […]
One of the wonderful things about sushi (or even Japanese cuisine in general) is that you don’t need to know the name of every little variety to enjoy it. This is especially true if you go to conveyor belt sushi restaurants, where you’re free to pick any dish that catches […]
“Wheat meat” has been eaten for centuries, but the name “seitan” (pronounced SAY-tan) is relatively new. Even though it is made from wheat, seitan has little in common with flour or bread. Popularized by Buddhist monks, it first appeared in Chinese and Japanese cuisine, and with the rise of veganism […]
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