Ingredients Images,
Info & Advices
Not sure what the ingredients called for in your cooking recipes are referring to? Here, you will find useful descriptions and pictures of some food items, with tips on how to choose good quality ones based on our many years' cooking experience.
Anchovies - see Ikan Bilis.
Asparagus is also called Lu Sun or Lou Shun. It is a stem vegetable. Some Asparagus are very skinny.
For stir fry vegetables, we prefer to use the thicker type of Asparagus as shown in the photo above. Try our soft and delicious Stir Fry Asparagus with Prawns recipe.
Bai Guo - see Ginkgo nut.
Bai Mu Er - see White Fungus.
Bean Curd (also called Tofu, Dou Fu) is a soft, light colour food made from soy bean milk. There are a few types of bean curds available in the market. Some are firm while others are soft and break open easily.
Above is the firmer type of bean curd which we can pan fry till golden brown and eat with chilli sauce as snack or side dish. You can also stir fry it with vegetables like bean sprouts, or simmer it in dark soy sauce mixture with lean pork meat.
This is the softer type of bean curd which we call "Tofu" in mandarin. It can be pan fried, stir fried or added as an ingredient to soup or steam boat. As Tofu break open easily, they are usually packed in disposable plastic boxes with label that will indicate the cooking method they are more suitable for. Examine the label to choose the correct Tofu for your dish.
Bean Sprouts (Dou Ya) are grown from green beans (mung beans). Choose fresh bean sprouts that have firm, white stems and fresh green leaves. Do not choose those that have turned brown or soggy as they are turning bad.
You need to remove the tails (and sometimes the heads) of the bean sprouts when you want to cook them. Try our
appetising bean sprouts stir fried with salted fish recipe!
Bitter gourd (Ku Gua), as the name imply, is a bitter melon vegetable. How do you choose a bitter gourd that is not too bitter? Look at the lines on the body of the bitter gourd. It should not sink deep down into the core, but be as shallow and near the surface as possible.
In addition, choose bitter gourds that are light green in colour. Dark green bitter gourds that have deep sunken lines are very bitter, and those that are yellowish in colour are too ripe.
Broccoli is a thick stem vegetable that looks like a small flourish, green tree. Choose broccoli that are displayed on ice as the ice helps to keep the broccoli fresh. The broccoli should look freshly green and firm, not yellow/ withered with darkened stem.
In addition, choose broccoli that grows tightly together. You can use your palm to feel the top of the broccoli to see whether it is tight or loose.
Cai Xin are also called Choy Sum or Chye Sim. The name of this vegetable is spelled in many different ways. There are many different types of Cai Xin vegetables available in the market too.
For
stir fry Cai Xin
, we prefer to use the type with yellow flowers and round, hard stems at the bottom:
For
Cai Xin soup
, we prefer the type with big leaves and long stems:
Fresh Cai Xin should feel firm and have nice, green leaves. They should not be soft and withering (yellowish leaves) with excessive crushes.
Carrots ("Hong Luo Bo" in mandarin) are used frequently in Chinese cuisine as part of the dish (e.g. when brewing Carrot, Corn and Chicken Soup) or for garnishing purpose (e.g. when stir-frying vegetables) due to their bright, cheerful colour. Choose fresh carrots with stem openings that are still white/ light in colour, and not dark/ black. The bodies should also be firm and not spilt open.
Carrots come in different sizes. Choose the size that suits your need better. For example, if you are using carrot for garnishing purpose and you do not need much each time, choose smaller size carrot so that you do not need to cut and store the other part away as it will be less fresh after cutting.
Cashew Nuts can be roasted and served as an ingredient in chicken cuisine to add some crunch and fragrance to the food.
Chinese date - see Red Date.
Chinese parsley (also called Coriander, Cilantro or Yan Sui) is an ingredient used for garnishing purpose, to enhance the appearance and fragrance of dishes like steamed fish or soup due to its green leaves and strong fragrance.
Choose Chinese parsley that has nice green leaves and stems as well as fresh roots. Do not choose those that have yellow, withering or excessively crushed leaves.
When bought home, dip the roots in water for some time to revive the plants and increase their firmness. Then, wrap them up in kitchen paper and store in air-tight plastic bag in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator. This will prolong their freshness.
Cong - see Spring Onion.
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