Chinese Ingredients
Essential ingredients for authentic Chinese cooking
8 ingredients
Soy Sauce
Shoyu, Jiang You
Soy sauce is the foundational seasoning of East Asian cuisine—a fermented condiment made from soybeans, wheat, salt, and water. Its complex umami depth took centuries to perfect.
Oyster Sauce
Hao You, Oyster Flavored Sauce
Oyster sauce is Cantonese cooking's secret weapon—a thick, savory-sweet sauce made from oyster extracts. It adds incomparable depth and glossy finish to stir-fries and braises.
Shaoxing Wine
Chinese Cooking Wine, Shao Hsing
Shaoxing wine is China's most important cooking wine—a fermented rice wine from Zhejiang province. It adds depth, removes fishiness, and brings dishes together in ways no substitute can match.
Five Spice Powder
Chinese Five Spice, Wu Xiang Fen
Five spice powder embodies the Chinese philosophy of balance—combining five flavors: sweet, sour, bitter, savory, and salty. This aromatic blend perfumes everything from roast duck to mooncakes.
Fermented Black Beans
Douchi, Chinese Black Beans
Fermented black beans are one of China's oldest seasonings—soybeans preserved in salt until they develop intense, funky, savory depth. They're the soul of black bean sauce dishes.
Hoisin Sauce
Chinese BBQ Sauce, Peking Sauce
Hoisin is China's beloved sweet-savory sauce—thick, fragrant, and essential for Peking duck and moo shu pork. Its name means 'seafood sauce' though it contains no seafood.
Toasted Sesame Oil
Asian Sesame Oil, Ma You
Toasted sesame oil is liquid gold in Asian cooking—a finishing oil with intense nutty aroma that transforms dishes with just a few drops. It's a seasoning, not a cooking oil.
Doubanjiang
Chili Bean Paste, Toban Djan
Doubanjiang is the 'soul of Sichuan cuisine'—a fermented paste of chili peppers and broad beans that brings spicy, salty, savory depth. Pixian doubanjiang, aged for years, is considered the finest.
About Chinese Cooking
Explore the essential ingredients that make Chinese cuisine unique. From traditional spices to specialty sauces, discover what you need to cook authentic Chinese dishes at home.