International Ingredients
Japanese Ingredients
Dashi
Dashi is a family of stocks used in Japanese cuisine. Dashi forms the base for miso soup, clear broth soup, noodle broth soup, and many simmering liquids to accentuate the savory flavor known as umami. Dashi is also mixed into the flour base of some grilled foods like okonomiyaki and takoyaki.
Japanese Curry Roux
Useful ingredient to make quick Japanese curry. It is made of curry powder, flour, oils and various flavorings.
Japanese Mayonnaise
Japanese mayo is thicker, creamier and richer… yet has a light mouthfeel so it. It's also slightly more yellow than regular mayo because it uses whole egg yolks only instead of a whole egg. Additionally, Japanese mayo is made with rice vinegar rather than distilled vinegar so the 'tang' is softer but more prominent.
Mirin
Mirin is a type of rice wine and a common ingredient in Japanese cooking. It is similar to sake, but with a lower alcohol content and higher sugar content. The sugar content is a complex carbohydrate that forms naturally during the fermentation process; no sugars are added.
Nagaimo
Nagaimo is a type of mountain yam. It's long and has light color skin and hairy roots. It can be eaten raw unlike other types of yams.
How to Prepare and Eat Nagaimo. Peel the skin with a peeler (or knife). Nagaimo is very slimy and slippery,
Okonomi sauce
Okonomi sauce is a descendant of Worcestershire sauce, but it is far sweeter and less salty than its British ancestor. This is because Worcestershire's main ingredient and the source of its powerful umami flavor is anchovies, while okonomi sauce's main ingredient is dates.
Korean Ingredients
Gochugaru
It is a bright red chile flakes or powder made from dried Korean chile peppers with the seeds and membranes removed.
Gochugaru is used in a lot of Korean dishes: kimchi, soups, stews, and more.
It has a mild to medium spice level.
Gochujang
Gochujang is made from peppers, glutinous rice, fermented soy beans, aromatics, sweeteners, and salt. It is a product of fermentation, so it's got that quintessential funky flavor note.
Gochujang comes in different spice levels. Choose accordingly.
Anchovy Stock
Anchovy stock is a common stock used in beloved Korean dishes such as sundubu or kimchi stew, and it is a built-in step in all kinds of seafood stews. Like any seafood stew that starts with fish bone stock, clam juice, or some other form of pure-tasting broth, the anchovy stock acts as the base for other types of seafood you add to the pot.
Thai Ingredients
Red Curry Paste
The base of Thai red curry paste is dry red spur chilies, which are not very spicy, but are extremely fragrant.
Another ingredient is a bit unique is galangal. It looks like ginger, but tastes more citrusy.
Yellow Curry Paste
Thai yellow curry paste holds a more “curry” flavor than its cousins’ red and green curry pastes do because turmeric is the vital ingredient that makes it yellow.
Vietnamese Ingredients
Beef Stew Seasoning (Quốc Việt Cốt Bò Kho)
Bo kho is a delicious Vietnamese pot-roasted beef stew, fragrant with lemongrass, star anise and cinnamon.
Bôt Bánh Xèo
This batter is used to make a crispy, stuffed rice pancake popular in Vietnam. It is a savory fried pancake made of rice flour, water, and turmeric powder.
Chili Garlic Sauce
Vietnamese chili sauce made with premium ingredients including chili, garlic, salt and distilled vinegar. Chili garlic sauce is great for stir-frying or ready to use to spice up any food.
Fish Sauce
Fish sauce is a liquid condiment made from fish or krill that have been coated in salt and fermented for up to two years.
Due to its ability to add a savory umami flavor to dishes, it has been embraced globally by chefs and home cooks. The umami flavor in fish sauce is due to its glutamate content.
Hoisin
Hoisin sauce is a condiment based on fermented soybean paste with other flavors and spices. It adds an Asian flavor to dishes, combining umami with sweet, tangy, and spicy elements.
Hoisin sauce is made from a combination of fermented soybean paste, garlic, vinegar, sesame oil, chiles, and sweetener.
Maggi
Maggi seasoning is a food flavor enhancer that is available in a thin, concentrated dark brown liquid, granulated powder, and cube form. Invented in Switzerland during the late 1800s and introduced in Germany, it's an ingredient with uses that have transcended cultures, dishes, and cuisines, thanks to its umami-rich, soy sauce-like flavor.
Pandan
Pandan is a herbaceous tropical plant that grows abundantly in Southeast Asia. The cultivated plant, which is similar to the palm, features upright bright green leaves that are long, slender, and spiky. The leaves are used for their flavor in many Thai and Southeast-Asian dishes.
Pandan leaves have a naturally sweet taste and soft aroma. Its flavor is strong, described as grassy with hints of rose, almond, and vanilla, verging on coconut.
Ube
Ube, also known as purple yam, is a type of tuber that’s native to the Philippines, where it is frequently featured in dessert dishes. Ube has a more subtle sweetness, with a nutty character and notes of vanilla.