Arrowroot is a flavorless white powder commonly used to thicken sauces, soups, and dishes such as fruit pie fillings. Made from starch extracted from various tropical tubers, including Maranta arundinacea, arrowroot powder is similar to cornstarch and offers twice the thickening power of wheat flour. It is neutral in taste […]
You may know tapioca from classic puddings, but this gluten-free starch, extracted from the cassava root, also works as a thickener in both sweet and savory dishes. Native to Brazil, the cassava plant, also called yucca, is now grown across South America and Africa, and tapioca made from it is […]
Star anise is the fruit pod of Illicium verum, a shrub native to southwest China. The star-shaped pod typically has eight points, each containing a single pea-sized seed. Both the seeds and the pod are used in cooking and impart a sweet, potent anise flavor. Star anise is sold whole […]
Bien qu’il s’agisse d’un nom unique, le panko est simplement un type de chapelure (le mot panko est japonais – “pan” signifiant pain et “ko” signifiant farine). La vraie panko est toujours fabriqué à partir d’un type spécial de pain blanc (par opposition au pain de blé entier) qui est […]
Tamari (also called tamari shoyu) is a Japanese sauce made from fermented soybeans. It has a thicker consistency and a more balanced flavor than Chinese soy sauce, which makes it perfect for dipping. It is also vegan and naturally gluten-free. Pour tamari straight from the bottle to add salt, umami, […]
Cornstarch, sometimes referred to as corn flour or Maizena, is extracted from the endosperm of corn kernels. This white, powdery substance is used for countless culinary, household, and industrial applications. First developed in 1844 in New Jersey, cornstarch is now manufactured in major corn-producing countries such as the United States, […]
What is green curry paste? What is it made of? Green curry paste is a staple of Thai cuisine. In Thailand, curry is far more commonly used as a paste than a powder, and it forms the base of countless traditional dishes and sauces. Depending on the region, some people […]
Today I’m finally sharing the REAL recipe for Asian chili oil. Lately I’ve come across plenty of recipes and, like the versions served in many restaurants around here, they make me sad… they are bland. There is nothing to them. Traditionally you do not just toss in a bit of […]
Thai fish sauce is one of the basic ingredients not only of Thai cuisine, but also of much Asian cuisine. It has a rich translucent reddish-brown color and is added generously to almost all Thai dishes. It is often used as a marinade for fish and meat, as well as […]
What Is Doenjang? Doenjang (pronounced “den-jang”) is a magical little paste, a staple of Korean cuisine that adds great depth to dishes. A sturdier cousin of miso, it’s a thick brown paste made from fermented soybeans and salt. Its aroma can be quite pungent, but, like a good blue cheese, […]
