Nine essential Chinese seasonings
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EmailLearn about common seasonings used in Chinese cuisine.
Have you ever tried to cook your favorite Chinese take-out food at home, but felt too intimidated to start? Do you feel lost when shopping at an Asian market not knowing what seasoning or spice to get? Michigan State University Extension recommends some must-have seasonings you can use to to feel more comfortable cooking Chinese cuisine at home.
1. Soy sauce
Soy sauce is a fundamental seasoning in Chinese and other Asian cuisines. Types of soy sauce include dark, light and concentrated soy sauce. So which type of soy sauce do you need? Light soy sauce is mostly used because it has a lighter color and is saltier. Dark soy sauce is used to add colors to the dish paired with light soy sauce. As to concentrated soy sauce, you can use it as a dipping sauce paired with dumplings.
2. Shaoxing wine (or cooking wine, rice wine)
In Chinese cooking, Shaoxing wine is used as a cooking wine to add a delicate flavor to the dish. It’s also used to eliminate the taste of gameness in meat. When selecting a wine, read the label and make sure there is no salt added.
3. Chinkiang vinegar
Chinkiang vinegar has a dark color close to that of soy sauce. It’s pungent, tart and rich flavor adds another layer to the dish. It’s used in a variety of Chinese dishes, including salad dressing, dumpling dipping sauce, and cold spicy noodles, sour stir-fried potatoes, sweet and sour pork.
4. Oyster sauce
Oyster sauce is made with oysters. If you are not a big fan of oysters, you can use mushroom-flavored oyster sauce as an alternative. Different from hoisin sauce, oyster sauce is less sweet and has an umami flavor, which makes every dish tastes better with only a few drops. It can be used in almost all dishes, including stir-fried noodles and steamed garlic pork ribs.
5. Toasted sesame oil
Sesame oil adds a nutty flavor to the dish. You can add a few drops to stir-fried dishes or noodle soups. One thing worth noting is that sesame oil has a low burning point, which means you should not heat up sesame oil too hot or it will burn.
6. Five spice powder
Five-spice is used for marinating and braising. It has quite a powerful smell, be careful of how much you add to the dish. This “Five-spice roasted chicken drum sticks” recipe by Ching-He Huang is a good example of how to use this spice.
7. Star anise
Similar to five-spice powder, star anise is often used in braised dishes. Star anise pods also have a strong flavor. If you want to learn about incorporating it, try out this beef stew recipe.
8. Sichuan peppercorn
Different than spicy chili pepper, Sichuan peppercorn will give you a numbing and tingling feeling on your tongue. It definitely adds a deeper layer of flavor to a dish. You can also use it to infuse the oil. Sichuan peppercorn can be used in almost every Chinese dish, such as a cabbage stir-fried dish.
9. Doubanjiang (fermented spicy bean paste)
Doubanjiang is a basic ingredient in Sichuan style dishes. Just like oyster sauce, it makes dishes taste better and spicy. If you like spicy and want to try something different, Doubanjiang would be a good alternative spicy seasoning. Maybe tonight, you can try cooking this classic Chinese dish “Mapo tofu” with some Doubanjiang.
When cooking, be mindful of the amount of salt and sugar that you add to your meal. MSU Extension offers various educational programs for adults, families, and children that focus on lifestyle changes to promote healthy eating and food safety. For more health and nutrition tips, visit the MSU Extension website.
