8 Essential Ingredients for Chinese Cooking

If you’re looking to get into Chinese cooking, chances are you won't have all the necessary ingredients in your cupboards. Fundamentally, most Chinese dishes are made up of or utilise a few basic ingredients, some of which you may have in your home already, and some of which you may not.

That is why we have compiled a list of the eight must-have Chinese ingredients you should stock your cupboards with:

Shaoxing Wine

Shaoxing wine is a cooking wine that is traditionally used in Chinese cooking. A lot of Chinese cooks and cooking enthusiasts find that a good-quality Shaoxing wine can be difficult to source outside of China, particularly because a traditional Shaoxing wine should contain no salt.

Salt is usually added to Shaoxing wine because it makes it easier to sell without liquor restrictions in some countries. It is therefore recommended that you buy this product from specialist sellers such as Oriental Mart to ensure you get a truly authentic product.

Soy Sauce (Light Soy Sauce)

The majority of Chinese dishes will use soy sauce because it is the foundation of Asian cooking. Oriental soy sauce is made up of a simple mixture of soybeans, wheat, water and salt. Whilst supermarkets offer a couple of generic brands, you will be better off sourcing this vital ingredient from a specialised seller because the type of soy sauce you get can affect the overall taste of your dishes.

The light soy sauce, which we recommend getting, is generally lighter in colour and tastes less salty than the darker options, which can ruin the dish if overused. A splash of dark soy sauce can be added to a meal to add colour. Look at our soy sauce guide to learn which type is best for your dish!

Chinkiang Vinegar (known as Black Vinegar)

Both Chinkiang vinegar (Chinese black vinegar) and rice vinegar are used in Chinese cooking; however, Chinkiang vinegar is perhaps the most favoured. As the name indicates, Chinkiang vinegar is much darker in colour and can be compared to dark soy sauce, and this rich colour comes from the long ageing process the vinegar goes through.

Richness is also translated to its somewhat tart flavour, with undertones of malt and wood that set it miles apart from the fruity Korean rice wine alternative. It all depends on the flavours you want to achieve.

You can expect Chinkiang vinegar to be used in such things as a sweet and sour sauce. So, if you want to make everything in your Chinese meal from scratch, Chinkiang vinegar is a must-have product to stock in your cupboard.

Oyster Sauce

This tasty sauce adds a little extra to every dish it is combined with, much like hoisin sauce. However, the difference between hoisin and oyster sauce is that the latter is far less sweet, boasting a rich umami flavour.

We would recommend adding a splash of oyster sauce to simple dishes such as noodle soup to achieve a dish with much more depth. Alternatively, oyster sauce can be a key ingredient in marinades for chicken or BBQ pork.

Dried Shiitake Mushrooms

The shiitake mushrooms are added to Chinese dishes that require a little extra flavour; they can be characterised by their strong flavouring which is guaranteed to add an extra level to your dish.

Many renowned Chinese dishes use this ingredient, such as hot and sour soup and egg rolls, and can even be used in noodle or braised meat dishes.

Dried Chilli Peppers

What kitchen is complete without a stash of dried chilli peppers to call upon to add a little kick to your meals? Dried chilli peppers are used in a wealth of cuisines for this sole purpose.

Within Sichuan cuisine, there are a variety of dried chilli peppers to choose from, such as the spicy ones to the ones that add a smoky taste.

Sichuan Peppercorn

Perhaps one of the most important ingredients in Sichuan cuisine is because it is used in complementary sauces and dips such as chilli oil or spicy garlic sauce. Sichuan peppercorn is usually infused with hot oil to produce very delicious, and easy-to-make, stir-fried dishes.

Authentic Sichuan peppercorns can be particularly difficult to source; however, we have some in stock for you to buy.

Five Spice Powder

Last, but not least, is the five spice powder which should be a staple in your cupboard. Five spice powder is a really important ingredient within braising and marinating, however, it can also be a great addition to other styles of cooking to add a little more depth. The key thing to remember with five spice powder is that a little bit really does go a long way!

Be sure to check out our online store to source any of these essential ingredients you are missing in your kitchen! If you have any queries about the products we stock or just want to ask us more about authentic Chinese cooking, get in touch today- we’d be happy to answer any questions you have!