The 6 Asian Condiments and Flavorings That Will Supercharge Your Cooking
There are a lot more than soy sauce
I’m guessing there are a lot of us who have never tasted authentic Asian cuisine, be it Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Indonesian, or any of the dozens of regional varieties. Unfortunately, in most of the US Asian restaurant food is basically watered down for American tastes. But that is changing and the best way to encourage this change is to learn what the real thing tastes like by making it. With these six ingredients in your kitchen, you can begin a journey into some of the best food you will ever eat.
Yes, soy. But not the soy in your fridge.
Let’s take a walk along the condiment aisle in a well-stocked Asian market, starting with the ubiquitous soy sauce, a staple of most kitchens in the west. Prepare for a bewildering journey through crazy brands and graphics, wide ranging prices, and wide ranging quality. What we are looking for is not those quart bottles for $1.99 (Asian food stores sell this stuff much cheaper than your supermarket). We are looking for barrel-aged Japanese soy.
The first time I had it was at my favorite sushi bar. They were not serving it but they gave me a taste. It was a revelation. This is not something you cook with, it is a premium…
