Long before canned goods and refrigeration, Asians have invented many ways to preserve foods. Pickled vegetables, dried fruits, cured meats and seafood pastes are some examples. They are often used to enrich Asian dishes, combined with sauces to create umami base flavours, and enjoyed as a side dish or condiment. Come learn more about them on this page!
Aonori (Powdered Nori Seaweed)
Also known as green laver, aonori seaweed is a delicate, calcium-rich seaweed most commonly sold as dry flakes, which are sprinkled over noodle dishes, takoyaki octopus balls and okonomiyaki pancakes.
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Recipes that use Aonori (Powdered Nori Seaweed)
2-218x146.jpg "Grilled Octopus Balls (Takoyaki)")
Barley
Barley the oldest type of cultivated cereal grain found in temperate climates around the world. Historically, this grain has been used as a source of food grain, animal feed and in the fermentation of beer and certain other distilled drinks. When used as a food grain, it can be used in porridge or in gruel.
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Recipes that use Barley
Brown Rice
Brown rice is eaten as a healthier whole grain substitute to white rice. With the bran layer and cereal germ intact, brown rice has a number of nutritional benefits. While it usually requires a longer cooking time, brown rice has a nutty flavour and chewy texture that makes it a delicious alternative.
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Recipes that use Brown Rice
Candlenut
Candlenuts are found in many Malaysian and Indonesian recipes. They're usually ground into a paste and used to thicken and provide a creamy texture to curries, sambals and satay sauce. Although they look like macadamia nuts, they're more bitter, slightly toxic and have a laxative effect when eaten raw.
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Recipes that use Candlenut
-218x146.jpg "Opor Ayam Kuning (Pressure Cooker Javanese Coconut Chicken Curry)")
-(CSW-2020)-218x146.jpg "Mie Goreng Jawa (Javanese Fried Noodles)")
-218x146.jpg "Mie Goreng with Meatballs")
Chia Seeds
Chia is considered as one of the superfood as it contains many nutrients and provide many health benefits. Chia riches in antioxidant, fiber, protein, calcium, phosphorus, and omega-3. Eating chia can helps in lowering the risk for heart disease, reducing blood sugar level, and making the bones become stronger. Chia also suitable for people who are on weight loss diet.
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Recipes that use Chia Seeds
Chinese Pearl Barley
Chinese pearl barley is also known as Job's tear. It has round and shiny grains since the bran is removed. It is used for thickening soups and stews, and also features in snacks and desserts. Chinese pearl barley is also a gluten free grain, so it's perfect as a substitute for those who can't eat gluten. According to Chinese medicine, this grain has cooling properties.
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Recipes that use Chinese Pearl Barley
Coconut Cream
Coconut cream is one of the main ingredients in Thai desserts. It has paste-like consistency and has mild sweet taste. Coconut cream is almost similar to coconut milk. However, the consistent of the coconut cream is more concentrated.
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Recipes that use Coconut Cream
-218x146.jpg "Che Troi Nuoc (Vietnamese Mung Bean Dumplings)")
-218x146.jpg "Kuih Bakar (Malaysian Baked Custard)")
Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is extracted from white flesh of mature coconuts. It has creamy texture and is used in making both sweet and savoury dishes.
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Recipes that use Coconut Milk
-218x146.jpg "Thai Green Curry Chicken")
Cornflour
Cornflour, also known as corn starch, is used widely throughout Asian cuisine. To thicken up a sauce or gravy, simply mix a bit of cornflour and cold water in a small bowl and stir it in. Tapioca starch also does the trick. Just make sure to cook it out to remove the floury taste.
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Recipes that use Cornflour
-218x146.jpg "Hot & Spicy Firecracker Tofu in a Crispy Basket")
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Dried Anchovies
Also known as ikan bilis in Malaysia, dried anchovies are one of the components in the popular dish nasi lemak and are sometimes used as an ingredient in sambal. In Korean cuisine, they're also used to make stock. Dried anchovies are even eaten on their own as a snack - it's best to toast them in a dry pan before eating them.
Dried Coconut Flakes
Dried coconut flakes are dried, unsweetened, grated coconut meat; a common ingredient in rice and curry dishes of Southeast Asia. They are usually toasted and is used as garnish for desserts, salads and a variety of savoury and sweet dishes.
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Recipes that use Dried Coconut Flakes
Dried Shrimp
Dried shrimp are small, sun-dried shrimp that provide a umami seafood flavour to dishes. This ingredient is widely used across Chinese and Southeast Asian cuisines. Dried shrimp are used in Cantonese XO sauce, some variations of sambal, soups, salads, dumplings, congee, fried rice, or simply eaten as a snack.
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Recipes that use Dried Shrimp
-218x146.jpg "Indonesian Sticky Rice with Savoury Coconut Flakes (Ketan Serundeng)")
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-218x146.jpg "Taiwanese Hakka Style Dough Dumplings (Zongzi)")
Dulse Flakes
Made from red seaweed, dulse is soft and chewy, but you’ll find it more commonly used in its dried, flaky form as a flavouring in salads and soups.
Eomuk
Eomuk, sometimes called 'Odeng', is a Korean fish cake. It is made from fish paste, which is most often deep-fried. In Korea, Eomuk is a popular ingredient included in soups, hot spots, stir-fries or simply eaten on a skewer as a street food. Eomuk should be available at most Asian or Korean grocery store in the frozen section, or can be made at home.
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Recipes that use Eomuk
Glass Noodles
Glass noodles are string-liked, transparent noodles. They are made from mung beans. They are used in many Southeast Asian dishes such as spring rolls, spicy salad, and soups.
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Recipes that use Glass Noodles
-218x146.jpg "Stir Fry Glass Noodles with Chicken and Green Curry Paste (Gaeng Ho)")
-218x146.jpg "Lo Han Jai (Buddha’s Delight)")
-218x146.jpg "Spring rolls with Noodle and Herbs")
Glutinous Rice Flour
Glutinous rice flour is made from long grain sweet rice. When it encounters with heat, it becomes very sticky. Therefore, it is usually used in making dumplings and desserts.
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Recipes that use Glutinous Rice Flour
Goji Berries
Goji berry is one of the superfood. It contains vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber, iron, zinc, and antioxidants. It helps in improving immune system which helps preventing the flu. Goji berries available in store are usually dried and taste sweet, often used for soups, desserts and drinks.
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Recipes that use Goji Berries
Hijiki Seaweed
Growing on the coastlines of Japan, Korea and China, hijiki seaweed is a firm, nutrient-dense seaweed that resembles little black twigs when dried. It cannot be eaten raw, but when it is rehydrated in water, it will swell to three to five times its size. Hijiki has more texture and bite than delicate wakame, adding body to dishes.
Jasmine Rice
Jasmine rice is a long-grain rice variety with a fragrant aroma reminiscent of pandan or popcorn, and is named after the jasmine flower due to the colour of the rice. With a slightly nutty and sweet flavour, this rice is usually served steamed and complements Thai and Chinese dishes, like curries, stir-fries, braised dishes and grilled or fried meat.
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Recipes that use Jasmine Rice
-218x146.jpg "Thai Grilled Beef Salad (Nam Tok)")
-218x146.jpg "Shogayaki Don (Japanese Ginger Pork Bowl)")
Lap Cheong
Lup cheong is originated in China and Hong Kong. It is a air-dried pork sausage that contains both sweet and salty taste. It is normally served as traditional side dishes in Cantonese cuisine.
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Recipes that use Lap Cheong
-218x146.jpg "Char Kway Teow (Fried Flat Rice Noodles)")
-218x146.jpg "Teochew Style Sticky Rice Dumplings (Zongzi)")
Longjing Tea
Longjing Tea is sometimes called by its literal translated name Dragon Well tea, is a variety of pan-roasted green tea from the area of Longjing Village in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. It is produced mostly by hand and renowned for its high quality, earning it the China Famous Tea title.
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Recipes that use Longjing Tea
Lotus Seed
Lotus seeds are widely used in Chinese cuisine for its medicinal properties and nutritional benefits. They're most often found in soups, made into a paste used as a filling for many Chinese pastries, or crystallized and eaten as a snack during Lunar New Year. Lotus seeds are most accessible in their dried form; it's best to soak them in water overnight before using them.
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Recipes that use Lotus Seed
Matcha
Made of finely grounded green tea leaves, Matcha is prepared in a similar fashion to ground coffee. Scoop a small serving of matcha powder into a bowl and add 60-80ml of water of 70-85°C, not boiling. Stir thoroughly until no powder is left and serve. The drink is milky with smooth and subtle flavours.
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Recipes that use Matcha
Mung Bean
Also known as moong bean or green grams, the mung bean is packed with nutrients and is used in many recipes ranging from soups, to paste made for pancakes, and gravy. Because they're dried, if you're not cooking them in a soup, they need to be soaked in water overnight before being cooked.
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Recipes that use Mung Bean
-218x146.jpg "Cantik Manis (Indonesian Coconut Sago Pudding)")
2-(1)_edt-218x146.jpg "Vietnamese Pancake (Banh Xeo)")
Mung Bean (Split)
Split mung beans are used for both savoury and sweet dishes. In Korea, split mung beans are used to make savoury Bindae-tteok pancakes. In desserts, a mung bean paste is used to fill things like mooncake or glutinous rice dumplings, or boiled to make pudding or porridge. To cook split mung beans, soak them in water overnight and steam until soft.
Oyster (Dried)
Dried oysters are a delicacy in China, and are especially popular during the Lunar New Year. They have a strong seafood smell and add lots of flavour to dishes, and can be included in soups and congee, or stir-fried with vegetables. Dried oysters require soaking in water before they are cooked with.
Palm Sugar
Palm sugar is used to add sweetness to both savoury and sweet dishes in different Southeast Asian cuisines, and can be compared to brown sugar. It's made from the boiled down sap of palm trees, which is then poured in a mould and set into a solid block. To use, cut or shave off chunks from the blocks, or melt the blocks in a microwave with some water.
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Recipes that use Palm Sugar
-218x146.jpg "Duck Noodle Soup (Mi Viet Tiem)")
Panko Crumbs
Pangko, literally means, "pan" meaning bread, and "ko" meaning flour. A Japanese-style breadcrumb that's mostly used in coating for deep-fried foods like tonkatsu. It has a light coating and has a crisper, airier texture compared to the types found in Western cuisine. It can be easily found in any Asian grocery stores as it is also widely used in any fried Asian cuisine.
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Recipes that use Panko Crumbs
-218x146.jpg "Buddha Bowl with Panko Crumbed Tofu and Avocado Rose")
Pickled Ginger
Beni Shoga, or pickled ginger is a type of tsukemono (Japanese pickle) made from thin strips of pickled ginger. The red colour is traditionally derived from red perilla while those sold commercially, the red colour often comes from artificial colouring. This helps cleanse your taste buds after eating sushi or sashimi which is usually served together. Also often served on the side as an optional condiment
Pollock roe
A popular culinary ingredient in Japan, Korean and Russia. It's a salted roe of Alaska pollock. In Korea, the roe of Alaska pollock is traditionally called myeongnan, and the salted called myeongnanjeot. It was then introduced to Japan after World War II and is called metaiko in Japanese and the milder, less spicy roe is called tarako.
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Recipes that use Pollock roe
Pork Rind
Pork rind is also known as pork crackling. It made up of pork skin that is deep-fried. It is crispy and salty. It is used as accompaniment in many Thai dishes such as noodles, fried-rice and chilli pastes.
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Recipes that use Pork Rind
Prawn Crackers
Most often found in Asian restaurants as an appetizer, prawn crackers are also widely available for purchase around Australia in Asian grocers. Prawn crackers are made with prawn, tapioca flour and water, which is rolled out, steamed, thinly sliced and dried before being packaged. When deep-fried, these dried chips puff up and make a great snack.
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Recipes that use Prawn Crackers
-(CSW-2019)-218x146.jpg "Grandma’s Chicken Noodle Soup (Soto Ayam Bali)")
-(CSW-2019)-218x146.jpg "Indonesian Fried Rice (Nasi Goreng)")
Red Dates
Red dates are actually jujube fruit, which naturally turns red when dried. They are often candied and eaten as a snack. Red dates are also used in Korean and Chinese cuisines to make tea, juice, wines and vinegar. Red date is a key ingredient in the sweet dessert soup Ching Bo Leung or Che Sam Bo Luong.
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Recipes that use Red Dates
Rice Flour
Rice flour is made from white-long grain rice. IIt is an essential ingredient in Asian cooking; for use int desserts, cakes, pastries and noodle-making.
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Recipes that use Rice Flour
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Rice Noodles
Rice noodles are made from rice. There are various kinds of rice noodles which are differentiated by the size.
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Recipes that use Rice Noodles
Rice Vermicelli
Rice Vermicelli are a thin type of noodle made from the grains of rice. These noodles can be found in many different cuisines throughout Asia due to their versatility. These uses can range from being cooked in a stir-fry, to being used in soup dishes, to being incorporated in to salads.
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Recipes that use Rice Vermicelli
-218x146.jpg "Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls")
Rock sugar
Also called rock candy. It is refined, crystalised sugar in small cubes or irregular shapes made from an unprocessed sugar cane. Its colour can be white or yellowish and it's a bit transparent. It tastes less sweet and milder compared to the regular sugar. It's a common ingredient used in Chinese cooking.
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Recipes that use Rock sugar
Short-grain Rice
Rice is the staple of the Asian diet and there are many types available. Short-grain rice is especially popular in Japan, where it is cooked and used to make sushi and sake, or is simply eaten as part of a meal. Koreans also use short-grain rice for Gimbap/Kimbap. When cooked, short-grain rice tends to be chewier and stickier than longer-grain varieties.
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Recipes that use Short-grain Rice
Soba Noodles
Soba in Japanese means buckwheat. Hence, soba noodles are made of buckwheat flour or a combination of buckwheat flour and wheat flour. Soba noodles can be served as both cold and hot. Cold soba noodles are served with dipping sauce while hot soba noodles are used to make noodles soup.
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Recipes that use Soba Noodles
 (1)-218x146.jpg "Duck Soba Noodle Soup (Kamo Nanban)")
 (1)-218x146.jpg "Prawn Tempura Soba Salad")
Somen Noodles
Somen noodles are Japanese noodles made of wheat flour. They are very thin noodles, approximately 1.2 mm in diameter. They are usually served cold with soy sauce. This type of noodle is created by being stretched into thin strands and dried.
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Recipes that use Somen Noodles
-(CSW-2019)-218x146.jpg "Rice Noodles with Green Chicken Curry (Ka-nom Jeen Gaeng Keow Wan Gai)")
-Tempura-Somen-(CSW-2019)-218x146.jpg "Prawn (Ebi) Tempura Somen")
Sticky Rice
Sticky rice is also known as glutinous rice. It is originated in Southeast Asian region. In Northeastern Thailand and Laos, sticky rice is considered as staple food since it is consumed routinely. Sticky rice is used as ingredients in both sweet and savory dishes in Asia.
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Recipes that use Sticky Rice
-218x146.jpg "Shanghai Stuffed Sticky Rice Balls (Ci Fan Tuan)")
Sweet Potato Noodles
Sweet Potato Noodles, also known as "dangmyeon" in Korean, are noodles made from sweet potato starch, which are almost transparent when cooked, and are consequently referred to as Sweet Potato Noodles, Glass Noodles or Starch Noodles. Sold dried, they need to be boiled or soaked in water before being used to make dishes like Japchae or Korean dumplings. They have a chewy, elastic texture compared to other noodles and are gluten free.
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Recipes that use Sweet Potato Noodles
Takuan (Pickled Daikon)
Pickled daikon radish is a popular traditional Japanese cuisine. This yellow thick strips are sweet and salty, tartish and crunchy in flavour and are often eaten as a side dish during a meal and eaten as a snack during tea time. Also served in bento or at the end of a meal as it is believed to help with digestion.
Tapioca Flour
Tapioca flour is the white flour that is extracted from mature cassava roots. It is gluten-free mixture that is usually used for thickening the soup. It has similar texture as corn starch when encounters with heat.
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Recipes that use Tapioca Flour
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Tenkasu (Deep Fried Flour Batter)
A crunchy bits of deep-fried flour batter used in Japanese cuisine. Tenkasu is from "ten" which stands from tempura (tempura), and "kasu", which means scraps of waste. It's made literally from scraps you get from cooking tempura. Can be used in dishes like soba, udon, takoyaki and okonomiyaki.
Tofu
Tofu, or bean curd, is available in a wide variety of forms. The two most common and accessible variants are silken, or soft, tofu and firm tofu. Due to its more solid texture, firm tofu is usually used in savoury dishes, often as fried bean curd, while silken tofu is also used in desserts. Both are a staple in vegetarian/vegan cooking.
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Recipes that use Tofu
-218x146.jpg "Tofu with Stir-fried Kimchi and Pork Belly (Dubu Kimchi)")
Umeboshi (Japanese Salted Plums)
It's a common Japanese fruit called, ume. The word umeboshi in English is called, "salted Japanese plum", Japanese plums, or "preserved plums". Umeboshi is one of a popular kind of tsukemono (pickled thing) and it tasked extremely sour and salty and a sweet kind of umeboshi is made with honey. Usually served as a side dish or eaten on rice balls.