Nuoc cham, also known as nem sauce, is a flavorful and versatile Vietnamese condiment. When you think of many Vietnamese dishes, it is hard to imagine enjoying them without a little nuoc cham on the side! Yes, even though in France nước chấm is often associated with a single version, […]
Making sweet red bean paste (Anko) from scratch is easier than you think. You only need azuki beans, sugar, water, and salt ! In this article, I’ll walk you through the two main varieties: Tsubuan (chunky) and Koshian (smooth). Once you’ve mastered this simple Anko recipe, you’ll be able to whip […]
Do chua is essentially pickled carrots and daikon. It is a staple of Vietnamese cuisine and can be used in countless ways. But this sweet-and-sour vegetable condiment is most often tucked into the iconic Vietnamese sandwich, the banh mi. The vegetables are sliced, brined, and ready to eat almost right […]
Galangal, also called galanga, is the citrusy cousin of ginger. This aromatic rhizome is widely used in Asian, South Asian and Indian cooking and is especially popular in Indonesian cuisine and Thai cuisine. It is peppery and spicy, with a hint of pine. Although harder to find than ginger, galangal […]
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 are enoki mushrooms? The enoki is a striking white mushroom with a tiny cap perched atop a long slender stem. Around here, it is more commonly called the “velvet shank”. Native to Japan, these mushrooms usually grow in clusters on tree stumps during the winter period. In the wild, […]
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 […]
