These Asian Ingredients Will Seriously Level Up Your Cooking (You're Welcome)
1.Furikake
If you've never tried Furikake, please run to your nearest Asian grocery store right now and pick up a jar — you won't regret it.
In case you're unfamiliar, Furikake is a dry seasoning, usually a mixture of seaweed, sesame seeds, salt, and herbs. It can be sprinkled on rice, fish, veggies, or any other dish in need of a little something extra.
Aside from the popular nori (seaweed) flavor, there are also many other varieties like ume (pickled plum), wasabi, and shiso (dried perilla leaves). Regardless of what flavor you go for, Furikake will add the perfect savory flavor to any meal.
2.Chili Crisp Oil
If you're into spicy things, it's essential to have a chili crisp oil in your pantry at all times. It's basically oil that's been fried in chili peppers and a bunch of other spices, with the addition of garlic and peppercorns and other crunchy goodies — hence the "crisp" part of its name.
Since it's become popular over the years, there are dozens of brands making their own varieties, but if you want a brand recommendation from a chili crisp fanatic, my favorites include Lao Gan Ma, Fly by Jing, and S&B.
You can fry eggs in it, toss it on your rice or dumplings, or anything else that suits your fancy.
3.Kewpie Mayo
If you don't consider yourself a mayonnaise lover, you might surprise yourself after trying Kewpie. It's got a much lighter texture because it's made with egg yolks, whereas classic mayo is made with whole eggs.
Add this to your sandwiches, toasts, salads, and salmon rice bowls for a meal you won't be able to stop thinking about.
4.Bonito Flakes
Bonito flakes, or katsuobushi, are dried, thinly shaved pieces of fermented skipjack tuna. They've got a very intense umami flavor which makes them perfect to add to broths or on top of rice.
If you've ever tried okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancake) or hiyayakko (chilled tofu), you've most likely encountered the bonito flakes that are typically added on top. Aside from these dishes, bonito flakes can be used to dress up salads, soba noodles, or used to make various sauces for cooking.
5.Fish Sauce
Just a little bit of fish sauce can jazz up any old stir fry or broth. Fish sauce is an essential ingredient in many Southeast Asian dishes, and it's made by fermenting salted krill for up to two years. As you can imagine, it's very potent.
I've used Red Boat fish sauce in things like curries and stews, but you could even get creative and make some fancy cocktails with it.
6.Mirin
Mirin is a sweet Japanese cooking wine used in sauces or glazes for chicken, fish, and beef. It has a similar use to sherry cooking wine, so think of it as another ingredient to help bring out the flavors of anything it's combined with.
Use it as a finishing sauce in soup, add it to soy sauce for braising, or make homemade teriyaki sauce.
7.Banana Ketchup
Banana ketchup is a Filipino sauce made from bananas, vinegar, sugar, and spices. Depending on the brand, it can be red, orange, or dark yellow.
Banana ketchup was created in the 1940s during the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines. World War II caused a shortage of tomatoes, but there was an abundance of bananas in the country. A woman named Maria Orosa came up with banana ketchup, a sauce that could be used as an alternative to the classic tomato variety.
It's slightly sweeter and tangier than American ketchup. Plus, it has less added sugar. Try it with fried foods like lumpia, fried rice, chicken nuggets, or hot dogs.
8.Hot Mustard
You know that really tasty mustard you get when you order Chinese egg rolls? That's hot mustard. It's spicier than American mustard varieties because it's made from brown mustard seeds, whereas yellow mustard is made from — you guessed it — yellow mustard seeds.
In grocery stores, hot mustard is usually sold in powder form that you'd have to add water to yourself, although sometimes there are liquid varieties available.
My favorite way to use hot mustard is as a dipping sauce for fried chicken. The spiciness offsets any grease, making fried foods taste way better.
9.Li Hing Powder
Li Hing powder is made by grinding up Li Hing Mui (Chinese pickled plum candy). It's got a tangy-sweet flavor and is used similarly to Tajín or Chamoy.
I grew up in Hawaii, where I'd encounter Li Hing powder on many different things — fresh pineapples, popcorn, rice crackers, Gummy Bears, cocktails, Hot Cheetos, you name it. It's definitely a bit of an acquired taste, but if you are a fan of tangy candy, you need to get your hands on some Li Hing powder if you haven't already.
10.Yuzu Kosho
Yuzu kosho is a spicy Japanese condiment made from a fermented mixture of chili peppers, yuzu peel, and salt. It pairs very well with grilled skewers of chicken and veggies. Some people also like to add a spoonful to their soups for an added spicy kick.
11.Gochujang
Gochujang is a Korean paste made from red chili peppers, glutinous rice, and salt that's all later fermented. It has the most delicious spicy-sweet flavor that's perfect in meat marinades, stews, and dipping sauces.
My favorite way to use gochujang is in fried rice; simply add a tablespoon of this with soy sauce into your pan of rice, protein, and veggies, and you'll have the most flavorful, easy-to-make meal.
12.Ssamjang
If you've ever had Korean barbecue, chances are you've had ssamjang. It's basically gochujang and doenjang combined and has a smooth, creamy texture. It's got a very rich, soybean taste and is so good on every single meat they have at Korean barbecue.
Ssamjang is typically used as a dipping sauce for lettuce wraps, but it can also be used to add complexity to anything from stir fries to mac and cheese.
13.Hoisin Sauce
Hoisin sauce is a Cantonese cooking condiment used in a lot of stir fries and meat marinades. It's a thick, slightly tangy sauce that's typically paired with Peking duck. Along with most of the ingredients on this list, there's no single use for it, and it can elevate so many dishes.
In my opinion, one of the best ways to use Hoisin sauce is to put it in pho along with some Sriracha to really enhance the flavors of your soup.
14.Ponzu
I like to think of ponzu as soy sauce's cooler cousin because, well, she kind of is. Ponzu is tart, savory, and slightly smoky, and it makes for the best dipping sauces and dressings. It's typically made from yuzu juice, rice vinegar, mirin, soy sauce, bonito flakes, and kombu (seaweed).
Because it has citrus juice in it, ponzu pairs very well with any kind of salty meat. I find that it even cuts through some of the "fishiness" of sashimi and cooked fish. Some people use it as part of a salad dressing which also sounds very good.
15.And finally, Bawang Goreng
Bawang goreng, or crispy fried shallots, is an Indonesian condiment that you can top off any savory meal with. Of course, you could make this at home, but if you're lazy like I am, they also sell it in a jar. I swear, it makes just about anything taste 1000x better. Put it on fried rice or noodles for the ultimate crunch.
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