Learn about common seasonings used in Chinese cuisine.
Have you ever tried to cook your favorite Chinese take-out food at home, but felt too intimidated to start? Do you feel lost when shopping at an Asian market not knowing what seasoning or spice to get? Michigan State University Extension recommends some must-have seasonings you can use to to feel more comfortable cooking Chinese cuisine at home.
1. Soy sauce
Soy sauce is a fundamental seasoning in Chinese and other Asian cuisines. Types of soy sauce include dark, light and concentrated soy sauce. So which type of soy sauce do you need? Light soy sauce is mostly used because it has a lighter color and is saltier. Dark soy sauce is used to add colors to the dish paired with light soy sauce. As to concentrated soy sauce, you can use it as a dipping sauce paired with dumplings.
2. Shaoxing wine (or cooking wine, rice wine)
In Chinese cooking, Shaoxing wine is used as a cooking wine to add a delicate flavor to the dish. It’s also used to eliminate the taste of gameness in meat. When selecting a wine, read the label and make sure there is no salt added.
3. Chinkiang vinegar
Chinkiang vinegar has a dark color close to that of soy sauce. It’s pungent, tart and rich flavor adds another layer to the dish. It’s used in a variety of Chinese dishes, including salad dressing, dumpling dipping sauce, and cold spicy noodles, sour stir-fried potatoes, sweet and sour pork.
4. Oyster sauce
Oyster sauce is made with oysters. If you are not a big fan of oysters, you can use mushroom-flavored oyster sauce as an alternative. Different from hoisin sauce, oyster sauce is less sweet and has an umami flavor, which makes every dish tastes better with only a few drops. It can be used in almost all dishes, including stir-fried noodles and steamed garlic pork ribs.
5. Toasted sesame oil
Sesame oil adds a nutty flavor to the dish. You can add a few drops to stir-fried dishes or noodle soups. One thing worth noting is that sesame oil has a low burning point, which means you should not heat up sesame oil too hot or it will burn.
6. Five spice powder
Five-spice is used for marinating and braising. It has quite a powerful smell, be careful of how much you add to the dish. This “Five-spice roasted chicken drum sticks” recipe by Ching-He Huang is a good example of how to use this spice.
7. Star anise
Similar to five-spice powder, star anise is often used in braised dishes. Star anise pods also have a strong flavor. If you want to learn about incorporating it, try out this beef stew recipe.
8. Sichuan peppercorn
Different than spicy chili pepper, Sichuan peppercorn will give you a numbing and tingling feeling on your tongue. It definitely adds a deeper layer of flavor to a dish. You can also use it to infuse the oil. Sichuan peppercorn can be used in almost every Chinese dish, such as a cabbage stir-fried dish.
9. Doubanjiang (fermented spicy bean paste)
Doubanjiang is a basic ingredient in Sichuan style dishes. Just like oyster sauce, it makes dishes taste better and spicy. If you like spicy and want to try something different, Doubanjiang would be a good alternative spicy seasoning. Maybe tonight, you can try cooking this classic Chinese dish “Mapo tofu” with some Doubanjiang.
When cooking, be mindful of the amount of salt and sugar that you add to your meal. MSU Extension offers various educational programs for adults, families, and children that focus on lifestyle changes to promote healthy eating and food safety. For more health and nutrition tips, visit the MSU Extension website.
Did you find this article useful?
FAQs
Grains and carbohydrates – Rice, Noodles, Buns
Rice and noodles are a very important part in the Chinese diet. Rice and noodles are equivalent to potato and pasta in the western diet. Handfuls of bite-sized meat and vegetables accompany the rice and noodles. Almost every meal uses rice.
What were the ancient Chinese seasonings? ›
Before the Shang dynasty (circa 1600–1046 BCE), people used pungent seasonings like Sichuan pepper, ginger, and onion to flavor their food. During the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BCE), people developed the knowledge for selecting various spices based on the changing seasons and the specific ingredients they were preparing.
What is Chinese 13 spice? ›
It is like an upgrade version of Five Spices, meaning it has a deeper, profound flavor profile. Thirteen Spices has similar function as Five Spices, but it works better to remove stronger odor from meat such as lamb or deer, or for a cuisine that requires stronger seasonings e.g. a Sichuan spicy hot pot.
What is the secret Chinese seasoning? ›
Method. Grind the cinnamon, fennel seeds, star anise, cloves and Sichuan pepper in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder until you have a fine powder. Add the ginger powder and mix thoroughly. The spice powder can be stored in an air tight jar for 3 months or so.
What is the number one seasoning in the world? ›
Cumin: Celebrated for its warm, aromatic profile, cumin remains a cornerstone of global cuisine, particularly in Indian, Middle Eastern, and Latin American dishes. Whether toasted whole or ground into spice blends, cumin imparts a distinctive nutty flavor to everything from chili to couscous.
Which oil is best for Chinese cooking? ›
cooking methods are common in Asian cuisines, peanut oil is a popular choice. color, neutral flavor, and is generally used for cooking. Toasted sesame seed oil has a darker color, a stronger aroma, and a distinctively nutty flavor. It's most often used as a seasoning or condiment.
What Chinese people eat to lose weight? ›
Chinese diet consists of rice, vegetables, and lean protein sources such as chicken, fish, and tofu such as. One of the most important aspects of the Chinese diet is the emphasis on balance. Meals are typically made up of a combination of different foods, including vegetables, grains, and protein.
What do Chinese eat for breakfast? ›
Congee (rice porridge), rice noodles (mixian), and rice cakes (nian gao) are staples. Dim sum, such as steamed dumplings (xiaolongbao) and dumplings (jiaozi), are also popular. Western China: In the West, breakfast is influenced by the diverse ethnic groups in the region.
What is the unhealthy diet in China? ›
According to a survey on health and sports habits in China conducted in December 2020, almost half of respondents stated that they consumed too much oily food. Preference for spicy food and too much sugar intake were another two common unhealthy dietary habits among respondents in China.
What spice gives Chinese food its flavor? ›
Popular herbs like ginger, garlic, scallions, star anise, cinnamon, and Sichuan peppercorns are frequently used in Chinese cooking because of their therapeutic properties, in addition to their ability to improve the flavour, aroma, and texture of food.
5 spice is a combination of cinnamon, star anise, fennel seeds and cloves – the 5th ingredient can vary across recipes, we use sichuan peppercorns. But ginger and white pepper are also commonly used as the fifth component.
What was the most eaten food in ancient China? ›
The most common staple crops consumed during the Han dynasty were wheat, barley, rice, foxtail and broomcorn millet, and beans.
What is Chinese five spice all spice? ›
But what exactly IS Chinese 5 spice? 5 spice is a combination of cinnamon, star anise, fennel seeds and cloves – the 5th ingredient can vary across recipes, we use sichuan peppercorns. But ginger and white pepper are also commonly used as the fifth component.
What are the 5 key Flavours in Chinese food? ›
The Chinese categorise the taste of food into five flavours: sweet, bitter, sour, spicy and salty. Chinese medicine regards that eating certain flavours can help the function of the five organs to balance your health, as well as treat disease and recover from illness.
What is the white powder used in Chinese cooking? ›
MSG, or monosodium glutamate, is a flavor-enhancing food additive used in Asian cooking, fast foods, and commercially packaged food products. It is a white powder derived from a natural glutamic acid found in seaweed, sugar beets, and certain vegetables.
