GLOSSARY

ABALONE A single-shelled mollusc that is a delicacy in China. Sometimes available fresh from specialist fish shops, but more often used dried or tinned. Dried abalone needs to be soaked for 6 hours, then simmered for 4. Tinned can be used as it is.

BAMBOO SHOOTS A bamboo is a giant grass and its shoots are a common vegetable in China. Fresh shoots are cone-shaped and can contain a toxin called hydrocyanic acid, which is removed by boiling for 5minutes. The more readily available tinned ones are usually cut into strips and need to be rinsed. Dried or preserved bamboo shoots may also be available. Dried ones should be soaked. Winter shoots are more highly prized than spring shoots as they are more tender. Bamboo is known as ‘winter’ in many dishes.

BARBECUE PORK (CHAR SIU) A Cantonese speciality, these pork pieces are coated in maltose or honey and roasted until they have a red, lacquered appearance. Available at Chinese roast meat restaurants.

BEAN SPROUTS These can be sprouted mung or soya beans. Soya bean sprouts are bigger and more robust, but the two are usually interchangeable. Recipes may tell you to remove the straggly ends, but this is not necessary and is for aesthetic reasons. You can keep the sprouts in water in the fridge for several days. Change the water daily.

BEAN THREAD NOODLES Not true noodles, these are made from mung bean starch and are also labelled as cellophane or glass noodles. They come as vermicelli or slightly thicker strands and need to be soaked. They have no flavour of their own but soak up flavourings they are cooked with.

BITTER MELON Also known as a warty melon, this looks like a pale-green cucumber covered in a warty skin. The flesh is very bitter and needs to be blanched or degorged, then married with strong flavours.

BLACK FUNGUS Also known as wood or cloud ears, this is a cultivated wood fungus, which is dried in pieces and can be found in bags in Chinese shops. When reconstituted, it expands to up to five times its original size. It is used in recipes for both its colour and slightly crunchy, rubbery texture.

BOK CHOY (PAK CHOI) Also called a little Chinese white cabbage, this is a mild, open-leaved cabbage with a fat white or pale-green stem and dark-green leaves. A smaller variety is called Shanghai or baby bok choy. Bok choy is widely available.

CASSIA The bark of the cassia tree is similar to cinnamon, which can be used instead, though cassia has a more woody flavour. It is used as a flavouring, especially in braises.

CHILLI bean paste (toban jiang) Made from broad beans fermented with chillies and salt to give a browny-red sauce, this is an important ingredient in Sichuan cooking, but is never served as a dipping sauce. Other pastes, called hot or Sichuan bean pastes, can be substituted. These are made of fermented soya beans and sometimes other ingredients such as garlic. It is hard to judge their heat, so take care when adding a new one to a recipe. Chinese shops usually have a large number to choose from.

CHILLI OIL A condiment made by pouring smoking hot oil over chilli flakes and seeds. Ready-made versions can be bought.

CHILLI SAUCE Made from fresh chillies and a variety of other ingredients, such as garlic and vinegar, the thicker version is good for cooking and the thinner for a dipping sauce.

CHINESE BROCCOLI (GAI LAN) This has dark-green stalks and leaves and tiny florets.

CHINESE CABBAGE A white cabbage also known as Chinese leaf; Tianjin, Beijing or napa cabbage; or wong bok. There are two main types: one is long with pale-green leaves and a thick white stem, while the other is pale yellow with curlier leaves and a rounder shape. Both are widely available.

CHINESE CHIVES Garlic chives have a long, flat leaf and are green and very garlicky, or yellow with a milder taste. Flowering chives are round-stemmed with a flower at the top, which can be eaten. Both are used as a vegetable rather than as a herb.

CHINESE CURRY POWDER A strong and spicy version of five-spice powder, with additional spices including turmeric and coriander, which lend the curry flavour.

CHINESE HAM A salted and smoked ham with a strong flavour and dryish flesh. Yunnan and Jinhua hams are the best known, and outside China, Yunnan ham can be bought in tins. You can substitute prosciutto if you can’t find it.

CHINESE MUSHROOMS The fresh version, found as shiitake mushrooms, is cultivated by the Japanese. The Chinese, however, usually use dried ones, which have a strong flavour and aroma and need to be soaked to reconstitute them before they are used. The soaking liquid can be used to add flavour to dishes. These are widely available.

CHINESE PICKLES These can be made from several types of vegetables, preserved in a clear brine solution or in a soy-based solution, which is called jiang cai. Both can be used where Chinese pickles are called for in a recipe. They are available in packets and jars from Chinese shops.

CHINESE SAUSAGE There are two kinds of Chinese sausage: a red variety, lap cheong or la chang, which is made from pork and pork fat and dried; and a brown variety, yun cheung or xiang chang, which is made from liver and pork and also dried. Chinese sausages have to be cooked before eating.

CHINESE SHRIMP PASTE Very pungent pulverised shrimp. Refrigerate after opening.

CHINESE SPIRITS Distilled from grains, these vary in strength but generally are stronger than Western spirits. Spirits are used for drinking and cooking and Mou Tai is a common brand. Brandy can be substituted.

CHINESE-STYLE PORK SPARERIBS Th ese are the shorter, fatter ribs known as pai gwat and are cut into short lengths. If they are unavailable, use any spareribs but trim off any excess fat.

CHINESE TURNIP Looking like a huge white carrot, this is actually a type of radish and is also called Chinese white radish. It has a crisp, juicy flesh and mild radish flavour. It is also known as mooli, or by the Japanese name daikon, and is widely available.

CHOY SUM A green vegetable with tender pale-green stalks, small yellow flowers and dark-green leaves. It has a mild flavour and is often just blanched and eaten with a simple flavouring like garlic or oyster sauce.

CLAY POT Also known as a sand pot, these earthenware, lidded pots are used for braises, soups and rice dishes that need to be cooked slowly on the stove. The pots come in different shapes: the squatter ones are for braising and the taller ones for soups and rice. The pots can be fragile and should be heated slowly, preferably with a liquid inside.

CLEAVER A large, oblong, flat-bladed knife. In China, different cleavers are used for all chopping and cutting, but heavy-duty ones are good for chopping through bones as they are very robust. They can be bought in Chinese shops and at kitchenware shops.

DANG GUI A bitter Chinese herb that is a relation of European Angelica and is valued for its medicinal properties. It can be found in Chinese shops or herbalists and looks like small bleached pieces of wood. It is generally added to braises or soups.

DRIED SCALLOPS (CONPOY) Scallops dried to thick amber discs. They need to be soaked or steamed until soft and are often shredded before use. They have a strong flavour so you don’t need many, and as they are expensive they are mostly eaten at banquets.

DRIED SHRIMPS These are tiny, orange, saltwater shrimps that have been dried in the sun. They come in different sizes and the really small ones have their heads and shells still attached. Dried shrimp need to be soaked in water or rice wine to soften them before use and are used as a seasoning.

DUMPLING WRAPPERS Used for jiaozi, wheat wrappers, also called Shanghai wrappers or wheat dumpling skins, are white and can be round or square. Egg wrappers for siu mai are yellow and may also be round or square. They are sometimes labelled gow gee wrappers or egg dumpling skins. All are found in the refrigerated cabinets in Chinese shops and good supermarkets and can be frozen until needed.

FERMENTED TOFU A marinated tofu that is either red, coloured with red rice, or white, and may also be flavoured with chilli. It is sometimes called preserved tofu or tofu cheese and is used as a condiment or flavouring. It is sold in jars in Chinese shops.

FIVE-SPICE POWDER A Chinese mixed spice generally made with star anise, cassia, Sichuan pepper, fennel seeds and cloves, which gives a balance of sweet, hot and aromatic flavours. Five-spice may also include cardamom, coriander, dried orange peel and ginger. Used ground together as a powder or as whole spices tied in muslin.

FLAT CABBAGE (TAT SOI) Also known as a rosette cabbage, this is a type of bok choy (pak choi).It looks like a giant flower with shiny, dark-green leaves that grow out flat.

GINGKO NUTS These are the nuts of the maidenhair tree. The hard shells are cracked open and the inner nuts soaked to loosen their skins. The nuts are known for their medicinal properties and are one of the eight treasures in dishes like eight-treasure rice. Shelled nuts can be bought in tins in Chinese shops and are easier to use.

GLUTINOUS RICE A short-grain rice that, unlike other rice, cooks to a sticky mass and so is used in dishes where the rice is required to hold together. Glutinous rice is labelled as such and has plump, highly polished and shiny grains. Black or red glutinous rice, used mainly in desserts, is slightly different.

GUILIN CHILLI SAUCE From the southwest of China, this sauce is made from salted, fermented yellow soya beans and chillies. It is used as an ingredient in cooking. If it is unavailable, use a thick chilli sauce instead.

HOISIN SAUCE This sauce is made from salted, yellow soya beans, sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, red rice for colouring and spices such as five-spice or star anise. It is generally used as a dipping sauce, for meat glazes or in barbecue marinades.

JUJUBES Also known as Chinese or red dates, jujubes are an olive-sized dried fruit with a red, wrinkled skin, which are thought to build strength. They need to be soaked and are used in eight-treasure or tonic-type dishes. They are also thought to be lucky because of their red colour.

LONGANS From the same family as lychees, these are round with smooth, buff-coloured skins, translucent sweet flesh and large brown pips. Available fresh, tinned or dried.

LOTUS LEAVES The dried leaves of the lotus, they need to be soaked before use and are used for wrapping up food like sticky rice to hold it together while it is cooking. They are sold in packets in Chinese shops.

LOTUS ROOT The rhizome of the Chinese lotus, the root looks like a string of three cream-coloured sausages, but when cut into it has a beautifully lacy pattern. It is available fresh, which must be washed, tinned or dried. Use the fresh or tinned version as a fresh vegetable and the dried version in braises.

LOTUS SEEDS These seeds from the lotus are considered medicinal and are used in eight-treasure dishes as well as being roasted, salted or candied and eaten as a snack. Lotus seeds are also made into a sweet paste to fill buns and pancakes. Fresh and dried lotus seeds are both available and dried seeds need to be soaked before use.

MALTOSE A sweet liquid of malted grains used to coat Peking duck and barbecued meats. Honey can be used instead.

MASTER SAUCE This is a stock of soy sauce, rice wine, rock (lump) sugar, spring onions (scallions), ginger and star anise. Additional ingredients vary according to the chef. Meat, poultry or fish is cooked in the stock, then the stock is reserved so it matures, taking on the flavours of everything that is cooked in it. The spices are replenished every few times the sauce is used. Master sauce spices can be bought as a mix, or a ready-made liquid version. Freeze between uses.

MEI KUEI LU CHIEW A fragrant spirit known as Rose Dew Liqueur. Made from sorghum and rose petals. It is used in marinades, but brandy can be used instead.

NOODLES Egg noodles come fresh and dried in varying thicknesses. In recipes they are inter- changeable, so choose a brand that you like and buy the thickness appropriate to the dish you are making. Wheat noodles are also available fresh and dried and are interchangeable in recipes. Rice noodles are made from a paste of ground rice and water and can be bought fresh or as dried rice sticks or vermicelli. The fresh noodles are white and can be bought in a roll.

ONE-THOUSAND-YEAR OLD EGGS Also known as one-hundred-year old or century eggs, these are eggs that have been preserved by coating them in a layer of wood ash, slaked lime and then rice husks. The eggs are left to mature for 40 days to give them a blackish-green yolk and amber white. To eat, the coating is scraped off and the shell peeled.

OYSTER SAUCE A fairly recent invention, this is a Cantonese speciality made with oyster extract. Add to dishes at the end of cooking or use as a dipping sauceor marinade.

PEPPER Used as an ingredient rather than as a condiment, most hot dishes were originally flavoured with copious quantities of pepper rather than the chillies used now. White pepper is used rather than black.

PLUM SAUCE This comes in several varieties, with some brands sweeter than others and some adding chilli, ginger or garlic. It is often served with Peking duck rather than the true sauce and is a good dipping sauce.

PRESERVED GINGER Ginger pickled in rice vinegar and sugar, which is typically used for sweet-and-sour dishes. Japanese pickled ginger could be used as a substitute.

PRESERVED MUSTARD CABBAGE Also called Sichuan pickle or preserved vegetables, this is the root of the mustard cabbage preserved in chilli and salt. It is available whole and shredded in jars or tins.

PRESERVED TURNIP This is Chinese turnip, sliced, shredded or grated, and usually preserved in brine. It has a crunchy texture and needs to be rinsed before using.

RED BEAN PASTE Made from crushed adzuki beans and sugar, this sweet paste is used in soups and to fill dumplings and pancakes. There is a richer black version and this can be used instead.

RICE FLOUR This is finely ground rice, often used to make rice noodles. Glutinous rice flour, used for making sweet things, makes a chewier dough.

RICE VINEGAR Made from fermented rice, Chinese vinegars are milder than Western ones. Clear rice vinegar is mainly used for pickles and sweet-and-sour dishes. Red rice vinegar is a mild liquid used as a dipping sauce and served with shark’s fin soup. Blackrice vinegar is used in braises, especially in northern recipes—Chinkiang (Zhenjiang) vinegar is a good label. Rice vinegars can last indefinitely but may lose their aroma, so buy small bottles. If you can’t find them, use cider vinegar instead of clear and balsamic instead of black.

ROASTED SESAME OIL Chinese sesame oil is made from roasted white sesame seeds and is a rich amber liquid, unlike the pale unroasted Middle Eastern sesame oil. Buy small bottles as it loses its aroma quickly. It does not fry well as it smokes at a low temperature, but sprinkle it on food as a seasoning or use it mixed with another oil for stir-frying.

ROCK (LUMP) SUGAR Yellow rock sugar comes as uneven lumps of sugar, which may need to be further crushed before use if very big. It is a pure sugar that gives a clear syrup and makes sauces it is added to shiny and clear. You can use sugar lumps instead.

SALTED, FERMENTED BLACK BEANS Very salty black soya beans that are fermented using the same moulds as are used for making soy sauce. Added to dishes as a flavouring, they must be rinsed before use and are often mashed or crushed. They are available in jars or bags from specialist shops. You can also use a black bean sauce.

SEA CUCUMBER A slug-like sea creature related to the starfish. Always sold dried, it needs to be reconstituted by soaking. It has a gelatinous texture and no flavour.

SESAME PASTE Made from ground, roasted white sesame seeds, this is a fairly dry paste. It is more aromatic than tahini, which can be used instead by mixing it with a little Chinese sesame oil. Black sesame paste is used for sweets like New Year dumplings.

SHAOXING RICE WINE Made from rice, millet, yeast and Shaoxing’s local water, this is aged for at least 3 years, then bottled either in glass or decorative earthenware bottles. Several varieties are available. As a drink, rice wine is served warm in small cups. Dry sherry is the best substitute.

SICHUAN PEPPERCORNS Not a true pepper, but the berries of a shrub called the prickly ash. Sichuan pepper, unlike ordinary pepper, has a pungent flavour and the aftertaste, rather than being simply hot, is numbing. The peppercorns should be crushed and dry-roasted to bring out their full flavour.

SLAB SUGAR Dark brown sugar with a caramel flavour sold in a slab. Soft brown sugar can be used instead.

SOY SAUCE Made from fermented soya beans, soy sauce comes in two styles: light soy sauce, which is also known as just soy sauce or superior soy sauce, and is used with fish, poultry and vegetables, and dark soy sauce, which is more commonly used with meats. Chinese soy sauce, unlike Japanese, is not used as a condiment except with Cantonese cuisine. As it is not meant to be a dipping sauce, it is best to mix a tablespoon of dark with two tablespoons of light to get a good flavour for a condiment. It does not last forever so buy small bottles and store it in the fridge.

SOYA BEANS These are oval, pale-green beans. The fresh beans are cooked in their fuzzy pods and served as a snack. The dried beans can be yellow or black, and the yellow ones are used to make soy milk by boiling and then puréeing the beans with water before straining off the milk. Dried soya beans need to be soaked in water overnight.

SPRING ROLL WRAPPERS Also called spring roll skins, these wrappers are made with egg and are a pale or dark yellow. They are found in the refrigerated cabinets of Chinese shops and supermarkets and can be frozen until needed.

STAR ANISE An aromatic ingredient in Chinese cooking, this is a star-shaped dried seed pod containing a flat seed in each point.

STEAMING A method of cooking food in a moist heat to keep it tender and preserve its flavour. Bamboo steamers fit above a saucepan or wok and a 25 cm (10 inch) steamer is the most useful, although you will need a bigger one for cooking whole fi sh. Use as many as you need, stacked on top of each other, and reverse them halfway through cooking to ensure the cooking is even. Metal steamers are available, but bamboo ones are preferred in China as they absorb the steam, making the food a little drier.

STIR-FRYING A method of cooking in a wok that only uses a little oil and cooks the food evenly and quickly, retaining its colour and texture. Everything to be cooked needs to be prepared beforehand, cut to roughly the same shape, dry and at room temperature. The wok is heated, then the oil added and heated before the ingredients are thrown in. Stir-frying should only take a couple of minutes, the heat should be high and the ingredients continually tossed.

TIGER LILY BUDS Sometimes called golden needles, these aren’t from tiger lilies but are the unopened flowers from another type of lily. The buds are bought dried and then soaked. They have an earthy flavour.

TOFU Also known as bean curd, tofu is called doufu in China and it is made by coagulating soya bean milk. The curds are sold in blocks, either soft, firm or pressed, depending on their water content. Keep the blocks in water in the fridge, changing the water frequently, for up to 2 to 3 days. Japanese tofu can be used but the silken variety is softer than Chinese soft tofu. Available at supermarkets.

TOFU PUFFS Deep-fried squares of tofu, crispy on the outside and spongy in the middle. Frying your own tofu will not be the same, but can be substituted. Puffs, sold in Chinese shops, can be frozen.

WATER CHESTNUTS These are the rhizomes of a plant that grows in paddy fields in China. The nut has a dark-brown shell and a crisp white interior. The raw nuts need to be peeled with a knife and blanched, then stored in water. Tinned ones need to be drained and rinsed.

WATER SPINACH Called ong choy in Chinese, this vegetable has long, dark-green pointed leaves and long hollow stems. Often cooked with shrimp paste.

WINTER MELON A very large dark-green gourd or squash that looks like a watermelon. The skin is dark green, often with a white waxy bloom, and the flesh is pale green.

WOK A bowl-shaped cooking vessel that acts as both a frying pan and a saucepan in the Chinese kitchen. To season it, scrub off the layer of machine oil, then heat with 2 tablespoons of oil over low heat for several minutes. Rub the inside with paper towels, changing the paper until it comes out clean. The inside will continue to darken as it is used and only water should be used for cleaning. Use a different wok for steaming, as boiling water will strip off the seasoning.

WON TON WRAPPERS Also called won ton skins, these are square and yellow and slightly larger than dumpling wrappers. They can be frozen until needed.

YARD-LONG BEANS Also called snake or long beans, these are about 40 cm (16 inches) long. The darker green variety has a firmer texture.

YELLOW BEAN SAUCE This is actually brown in colour and made from fermented yellow soya beans, which are sweeter and less salty than black beans, mixed with rice wine and dark brown sugar. It varies in flavour and texture (some have whole beans in them) and is sold under different names—crushed yellow beans, brown bean sauce, ground bean sauce and bean sauce. It is mainly used in Sichuan and Hunan cuisine.