We grew up in Asian immigrant households where our family’s kitchens have been filled with great colours, flavors, and aromas from a diverse set of flavorful Asian elements. While our households primarily used elements familiar to them from Taiwan and Thailand, they all the time stocked Asian ingredients from different regions like China, Japan, Korea, and Indonesia from our local Asian supermarkets.
Although some Asian ingredients can appear intimidating, most are super simple to use and are an efficient way to add a unique twist to your recipes.
If you’re wanting to spice up your house cooking with a touch of Asian goodness, we’ve obtained you covered!
Below is a listing of our favorite high 10 Asian food ingredients you ought to use to take your own home cooking to the following level.
Let’s check them out.
Top 10 Asian Food Ingredients for a Great Home-Cooked Meal
While there are tons of of components that make the inspiration of Asian cuisine, we really feel like these 10 components are nice for not just your Asian recipes, however for home-cooking in general.
1) Asamurasaki Oyster Soy Sauce
Oyster sauce is the ultimate word taste developer for a mixture of sweet and savory dishes, so much so that it’s typically referred to as ‘liquid umami’.
On the other hand, soy sauce has a salty kick and is commonly referred to as ‘liquid salt’!
This Japanese favorite is a balanced blend of each, with a wealthy taste profile and a singular smell that’s a combine of fishy and beefy. However, in contrast to other blends, it nonetheless one way or the other manages to let the individual oyster and soy sauce flavors shine via.
Asamurasaki is made with umami extract from Hiroshima oysters, mixed with hand-made Honjo soy sauce. The result’s a thick, silky sauce that’s the good ingredient for Asian and fusion cuisine.
One of the most effective cooking sauces in our opinion, Asamurasaki is perfect for adding flavor to ramen recipes, and even just drizzling over some fried rooster.
2) Galangal
A relative of ginger and turmeric, galangal has a slightly more peppery taste and is a mainstay among various soups and curries in Asian comfort meals.
The spicy ginger different is also referred to as ‘Thai ginger’ and is utilized in Indonesian rice dishes, as nicely. You can principally embrace galangal in any dish where you need a strong aroma-flavor combo, with out the everyday lingering heat of ginger.
Some recipes such as Tom Ka Gai (Thai rooster galangal soup) and Satay (Indonesian chicken on skewers) use galangal as a primary ingredient.
While it’s normally sliced or chopped for most recipes, you might also finely grate or mash it into a paste to add some texture to soups.
Overall, galangal is right for including a tasteful warmth to vegan Thai meals, in addition to any dish that requires ginger as a major flavor-maker.
3) Shrimp Paste
Arguably the king of seafood pastes, shrimp paste is the ideal condiment for adding a salty, fishy flavor to otherwise plain dishes.
There’s no definitive model of shrimp paste. However, there are two distinct varieties. The salty one is better identified, and the marginally spicy-sweet one is less frequent (albeit just as delicious).
Dishes with shrimp paste include curries, soups, fried rice, and fried rice. It’s even a part of other condiments and sauce mixes, similar to sambal.
You can use shrimp sauce either right out of the jar/can, or saute it barely to add even more richness. Be careful though – it’s full to the brim with salty goodness. You typically don’t have to add further salt if you’ve added this to a dish.
This is one spice of which all variations work amazingly properly as flavor enhancers or alternatives to salt.
Can’t discover shrimp paste close to you? Try our Tom Yum Shrimp ramen flavor.
Tom Yum “Shrimp” Ramen
Fresh, brilliant, and zesty. A vibrant bowl to slurp under the cool shade on a warm afternoon. Abundant with notes of lemongrass, citrus, and chili.
4) Shallot
Shallots are generally obtainable around the globe. However, this sweeter and extra delicate member of the onion family is not used as incessantly in dishes over here.
A mainstay of Asian meals together with the green onion, shallots have a extra intense taste with less heat than yellow and white onions.
These little nuggets of taste are extraordinarily versatile. They’re typically finely sliced and fried to be used as a crispy topping on porridge, soups, rice, and curries.
They’re also a major ingredient in Thai salads corresponding to Yam So O and Yam Khai Dao, each of which use raw sliced shallots to add a pleasant candy heat and light-weight crunch.
What’s nice about shallots is their pure sugar content material. They caramelize significantly better than onions and are finest as a more flavor-rich various to sauces and curries that require onion.
5) Sichuan Peppercorn
The basis for the bold flavors of Sichuan cuisine, Sichuan peppercorns should undoubtedly be amongst your high 10 Asian spices record.
These are technically not peppers, however a dried berry native to the Chinese Sichuan region. The berries are dried and then either crushed or powdered before being added to recipes.
Interestingly, Sichuan peppercorns usually are not spicy at all! In fact, their taste is more akin to a citrusy, sharp berry that offers a tingly numbing feeling contained in the mouth.
While they’re not really a alternative for black or white pepper, you have to use these peppercorns as an different choice to both in dishes that require a more flavorful warmth. Be careful to not add too many though, since they can numb the tongue somewhat too much.
It’s additionally a major ingredient in Chinese Five-Spice powder. If you’re making some, attempt altering up the really helpful quantity for various levels of flavor.
Spice lover? Try our Spicy Beef ramen flavor for that spicy kick.
Spicy “Beef” Ramen
Hearty, rich, and spicy. A broth that takes your tastebuds on a visit the world over. Brimming with notes of Sichuan peppercorns, anise, and fennel.
6) Shaoxing Rice Wine
Shaoxing wine is a typical ingredient in Chinese meat and fish dishes, adding a flavor complexity and richness that you simply won’t discover with common cooking wines.
There’s a concept in the US (the whole West, actually) that this full-bodied cooking wine is the key behind why your home-cooked Chinese meals by no means tastes like what you get at a restaurant. There could also be different factors to that as nicely, however, this wine is definitely one of them.
This wealthy, deep amber-colored wine can be consumed like common wine. However, this model is often aged greater than the cooking version.
You can use Shaoxing wine as a alternative for any cooking wine, regardless of which recipe you’re whipping up. Additionally, it’s excellent for deglazing or as a jus to drizzle over a juicy steak or another meat dish.
7) Kerisik
Kerisik is a roasted coconut paste that’s used to thicken curry, soup, and some different types of broth, as nicely as to add richness to fried rice. It also provides a rich, buttery taste that’s barely smoky too, relying on how it’s prepared.
A key ingredient in several Malay dishes, the consistency of kerisik is dependent upon the utilization.
For example, a finer paste is used to thicken curries, whereas a barely more grainy version is utilized in dishes similar to rendang. Basically, you’ll find a way to add it to any curry that requires a rich, nutty taste with delicate sweetness.
One great way to use kerisik is to crush crispy fried shallots and add them to the paste. This will really enhance the already rich flavor and add an irresistible aroma.
While you can buy packaged kerisik, it’s not recommended, because it begins to go off after some time. Instead, you’ll have the ability to simply toast nice coconut slivers until they’re golden-brown, then pound them with a mortar and pestle until they’re creamy.
8) Lemongrass
Lemongrass has an incredibly contemporary and citrusy odor that can add a refreshing aroma to your salad or stir-fry dish.
It’s one of many main aroma-centric components in Thai cuisine, but it’s added to various regional dishes around Asia, such as Sate Kerang Hijau (Thai mussels satay), Vietnamese lemongrass chicken, and Bun Ga Nuong (Vietnamese rooster noodle salad).
In addition to that, it’s used to make lemongrass tea, which is easily on par with any natural tea you’ll have the ability to name!
Lemongrass is actually edible but the stalk is hard to chew. You can, however, grind it into a paste to add to a curry or spicy sauce.
What’s greatest about lemongrass is that unlike precise lemon, it doesn’t lose that citrusy freshness even after cooking at excessive heat. If you need a longer-lasting various to lemon zest, this is it.
9) Bonito Flakes
These feathery Japanese fish flakes are the right seasoning for soup-based dishes.
Called Katsuobushi in Japan, these flakes are made from skipjack tuna that’s smoked, fermented, and simmered. They’re the prime ingredient in seafood dashi, and can be utilized in quite lots of broths to impart a tremendous fish flavor with out a lot of the fishy smell.
There is some regional variation in bonito flakes, especially by way of what they’re blended with. There’s a model of those that’s used with soy and sesame for a richer taste. There’s one other that has very nice and tiny flakes that disintegrate on touch.
Regardless, they’re all delicious! They’re also a fantastic food hack for whenever you need to add a fish flavor to a dish without actual fish chunks.
Fun reality: Because these flakes are shaved so thinly, they’ll often “flutter” and transfer around even with the slightest air motion. When KLee was a baby, he noticed a tofu dish at a Chinese restaurant topped with bonito flakes. Whenever servers walked by and a small gust of wind caused the bonito flakes to flutter round on the dish, his parents would inform him that the bonito flakes have been “alive” and KLee would refuse to eat the tofu dish.
10) Ramen Noodle
Ok, hear us out on this one! We don’t mean those overly processed noodles you discover at the supermarket, but the wholesome, filling sort of noodles which are typical of conventional Asian restaurants.
Most ramen recipes use Chinese wheat noodles, while some use thin rice noodles. The former are by far the most typical.
There are actually lots of of versions of this unbelievable consolation food. However, all of them use one of the four primary soup bases, namely Shoyu, Shio, Miso, and Tonkotsu.
The difference is within the flavor base, with Shio using salt to flavor the broth, Shoyu utilizing a particular soy sauce, Miso utilizing Miso paste, and Tonkotsu using a broth produced from boiling pork bones.
What we’ve right here within the West qualifies as Shio ramen. However, with more Asian dishes being adopted by residence cooks and culinary specialists across the US, we’re now seeing an inflow of conventional ramen noodles right here.
What’s nice about ramen is that, though it’s good to stick to the standard recipe, you can modify it to your heart’s content. In reality, our immi ramen relies on this very philosophy of creating meals your own, and having (delicious) enjoyable with it!
You may even make your normal ramen noodles more healthy, or diet-specific. Grab some of our immi ramen as a low-carb alternative if you’re about that lifestyle!
Bonus: three Asian Dish Ideas to Try At Home
Now that you have some Asian goodness in your pantry, it’s time to strive making something with these elements.
Here are some concepts of dishes you can make using the aforementioned ingredients.
Sichuan Dry-Fried Beef
This extraordinarily hearty beef recipe uses Sichuan peppercorns as a flavoring and Shaoxing wine to combine all the flavors together before the liquid evaporates. Have the beef as is or alongside jasmine rice.
Soto Ayam
This Malaysian dish is filling and ideal as a dinner major throughout a rainy evening. It uses shallots and lemongrass stalks as elements and, in our opinion, is the right intermediate-level dish to cook dinner at house.
Stir-Fried Spicy Mi Goreng
Easily certainly one of our favorites, stir-fried spicy Mi Goreng is a noodle dish that we extremely advocate for your subsequent home-cooked meal. Substitute the common noodles for low-carb immi ramen and you’ve obtained a dish that’s super-healthy on prime of being delicious.