Chinese Food Ingredients

[Kitchen Witch]

Chinese food ingredients - forms the base seasoning.


Chinese food ingredients, forms the base seasoning. From the essential soy sauce to the rich creamy taste of bean sauce, they are impossible not to have in your kitchen.

The process of making soy sauce whether light, dark or sweet, is a complicated and lengthy one which involves the soaking and steaming of soy beans, then fermented with the aid of yeast cultures and wheat flour. It takes up to two years to ferment and the finished product is then filtered and bottled. Soy sauce could also be regarded as one of Asia?s most important culinary contribution to the world. Everyone uses soy sauce in some way or the other, as a salt substitute, a condiment or a vital seasoning in many dishes and food products.

Light sauce ? is the first extraction from the fermented beans and has a mild, delicate flavour and is lighter brown in colour. It is versatile and blends well with any meat, fish or vegetable. Use as a table sauce or a dipping condiment.

Dark sauce ? This is one left to mature a little longer and has caramel added to it. The flavour is slightly sweeter and is darker in colour. It is mainly used to cook and add colour to a dish, or as a dipping condiment for several dishes.

Sweet soy ? It has a sweeter flavour than regular dark soy and can be used for cooking or condiment.

Fish sauce ? An essential seasoning in Thailand and Vietnam, fish sauce is made either from fermented shrimp or fish. It has a very pungent flavour and aroma, but when blended with other seasonings like shallots, garlic, sugar, chilli and limejuice, it makes an addictive dipping. Other culinary uses include stir-fry, marinades and salad dressings. Quality wise, they say that the lighter the fish sauce the better its quality.

Oyster sauce ? As the name dictates, this is a thick, brown, soy-based sauce flavoured with oyster juice and thickened with corn flour. Just like soy, oyster sauce also forms the base seasoning of many Asian dishes.

Hoisin sauce ? The name translates literally into sea flavour to reflect its superb taste. Also known as Chinese barbecue sauce, this popular product is made from fermented beans, sugar, vinegar, slat and chilli. Best used as a rub or marinade on meats.

Chilli sauce ? There are many different types of chilli sauce depending its country of origin. The bottled ones we often use as a dip is categorized as sweet chilli sauce made from fresh red chillies, sugar and vinegar.

Bean sauces ? Most Asian sauces stem from the use of beans. Their ability to add a new dimension to dishes makes it favourite when cooking.

Black bean sauce ? Salted black beans mixed with different spices and soy sauce gives this sauce its full-bodied flavour. Best paired with equally strong flavoured ingredients like ginger, onion and chilli in meat stews and braises.

Yellow bean sauce ? The mother of several other more elaborate sauces, yellow bean gives off a wonderful beaney aroma that accompanies a rich and creamy taste. Can be used in stir-fry, stew, braise and as a marinade.

Vinegar

A colourless acidic liquid, vinegar has an amazing potion of health promoting properties. It is generally derived from grains or fruits such as glutinous rice, Kaoliang ( tall millet ), tapioca starch, sugar, apples, malt, being the common ingredients used. It can be classified into status of apple cider vinegar, malt vinegar, aged ( balsamic ) vinegar etc?. The acidic degree is normally ranged at 2-5 % depending on the fermentation process.

The fermentation is largely classified into :

1. Acetous fermentation, distilled vinegar- where acid liquid normally comes from wine and cider, this is considered to be the superior form.

2. Artificial vinegar where it is made through art and not a natural process, this end product is slightly inferior, cost is relatively cheaper but it is the most widely used vinegar in the food industry line.

3. Microscopic fungus producing fermentation vinegar is a combination of both (1) and (2), the final product is in the mid-range section, not a bad product after all. Throughout the ages in old China, the seven essentials necessary for daily home life were wood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea. Every scrap of food was used and as necessity was the mother of invention, vinegar played an important role both in flavourings and preservation of food for most households. During the Zhou dynasty, it was known as bitter liquor and the name vinegar was incorporated only later during the Han dynasty.

Vinegar is not only a customarily, tasty condiment but it is a multi purpose agent too, listed below is a little insight to using it in the cooking circle:

1. Dipping sauce: Dumpling in soup, Shanghainese snack and dim sum, plain, steamed meat, seafood, these are normally eaten with red vinegar and a side dish of finely, shredded ginger.

2. Sweet and sour based sauce: Fishes, pork, crabs etc?.Normally uses white vinegar.

3. Stewing, braising and frying: Noodle, pig?s trotters, and seafood varieties. Normally black vinegar is used.

4. Pickling: Papayas, Chilies, cabbages etc?White or apple cider vinegar can be used.

The goodness of vinegar:

1. Enhancing the flavour of food.

2. To remove the fishy smell prior to cooking but on the other hand, a drizzle of it onto sharks-fin soup helps to bring out the delicious taste.

3. To aid indigestion, as it is a remedy for good health.

4. To tenderize meat during cooking process.

5. Incorporating vinegar in dishes can boost one?s appetite too.