DEPARTMENT: Food and Beverage. SECTION: Kitchen Training Manual EFFECTIVE DATE: 01 st Sept SUBJECT: Asian Food Products

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1 Name Agar agar Bamboo shoots Bean curd Hard bean curd Soft bean curd Brown bean curd Dried bean curd sheets Fermented red bean curd Bean sprouts Bird s nest Bitter gourd Description Made from seaweed and used like gelatin. It sets hard without refrigeration, so is ideal in a tropical climate. If you can obtain fresh bamboo shoots, peel off the tough skin and simmer shoots in water for 30 minutes. Canned bamboo shoots make an acceptable substitute. They should be boiled in water for 10 minutes before use. Often stained yellow on the outside with a dye. As it holds its shape well, it is used for stuffing, deep frying, etc. Used mainly in soups, steamed or scrambled. Squares of fried bean curd usually hung on strings in markets. Used in some noodle soups. Used as a wrapper. Sold in large sheets that should be wiped with a damp cloth to clean and soften. Small cakes of reddish bean curd, sold in jars or tins; they have a salty, slightly fermented flavor and are used as seasoning. Usually made from the small round green mung pea. Before using bean sprouts, rinse in a bowl filled with cold water so that any loose skins will float to the top and can be removed. This is the highly prized gelatinous material that the tiny swift uses to line its nest. The nest should be soaked in warm water for 30 minutes and any feathers or other foreign matter picked out. Almost flavorless, bird s nests are used mainly for texture and medicinal properties in savory or sweet soups. A pale-green elongated vegetable usually 25cm long. The skin and central pithy portions are discarded before cooking. SBI / Copyright 2008 Page 1 of 8

2 Black Chinese vinegar Black cumin Candle nuts Capsicum Cardamom Chili oil Chili powder Chili sauce Chinese sausage Sometimes called Tientsin vinegar, this is similar to thick black soya sauce in consistency. Less acidic than other types of vinegar, it is used sparingly as a flavoring for some dishes such as shark s fin soup. This hard irregular shaped seed is not true cumin and has a completely different flavor. Used mostly in Punjabi dishes. Cream-colored waxy nuts are almost identical to macadamias, which makes the perfect substitute. They are always finely ground before being added to Malay and Nonya dishes for flavoring and texture. Almonds are an acceptable substitute. Large green or bell-sapped peppers with a mild-flavor. Eaten as a vegetable, and should not be confused with small red chilies. A tough, straw-colored fibrous pod containing small black seeds with a superb lemony fragrance that earned them the name grains of paradise in fifteenth-century Europe. Powdered cardamom should be avoided, with the exception of McCormick s brand which is excellent. Chili oil can be made by frying 10 pieces pounded dried red chilies in 10 tbs. of oil for several minutes. Strain and reserve oil. Hot seasoning made from ground dried chilies. Do not confuse it with American chili powder, which contains a mixture of paprika, cumin, oregano and other spices, and is relatively mild. A hot sauce made from red chilies, ginger, garlic, and seasonings, often sweetened with fruit. Mottled red sausages sold in pairs. They do not need refrigeration. Delicious steamed on top of rice or added to fried rice or noodles. SBI / Copyright 2008 Page 2 of 8

3 Cinnamon Cloud ear fungus Cloves Coriander Coriander leaves Cumin Curry leaves Dried black mushroom Dried prawns Thick chunks of bark from the cassia tree are more commonly used in Southeast Asia than true cinnamon which comes from Sri Lanka and is very thin. A shriveled black fungus that should be thoroughly washed to remove grit then soaked in hot water for about 10 minutes until it softens and swells. Used in soups and some vegetables dishes for its slightly chewy texture. One of the world s best-known spices, frequently used, like cinnamon. Probably the most frequently used spice in Asia, this small round seed with a faintly orangey smell is an indisputable ingredient in most curries. Used by all cooks for flavoring and garnishing, this leaf has a delightful, faintly peppery taste. It is often called Chinese parsley overseas, although in Europe it is known as cilantro. Another important curry spice, somewhat similar to caraway seeds in shape and flavor. It is often used in conjunction with fennel seeds. Small dark-green leaves used in just about everything by southern Indian cooks, and also popular among Malays for fish curries. Curry leaves have a unique flavor ad are not, as is sometimes suggested, the same as the Indonesian Daun Salam, which is a type bay leaf with a very different flavor. Available in two types, the light-colored brown mushrooms and the more highly prized thick dark-black mushrooms. The former are adequate as a seasoning, but thick black mushrooms should be used if they are to star in a dish. Dried mushroom should be soaked in hot water for 30 minutes. Sun-dried prawns or shrimps used in Chinese, Malay and Nonya cooking. They give a distinctive flavor and are not SBI / Copyright 2008 Page 3 of 8

4 interchangeable with fresh prawns. Dried shrimp paste Fennel Fenugreek Five spice powder Lime leaf Garam masala Ghee Ginger Hoisin sauce Hot bean paste Hundred-year eggs Various types of paste or sauce made from fermenting shrimps, prawns or fish are found throughout Southeast Asia. Although dried shrimp paste smells distasteful, some might even say revolting, before being cooked; it develops a delicious pungency when fried and adds a remarkable flavor to food. This spice seed, which is similar to cumin although slightly whiter and fatter, has a sweet fragrance and flavor. It is often wrongly described as anise seed. A hard, almost square yellow-brown seed with a bitter flavor. A seasoning made from anise, fennel, cloves, cinnamon and Szechuan pepper. A large sweet-smelling leaf from a particular type of lime. Sometimes called a kaffir lime, the fruit has very rough and knobby skin. A mixture of ground spices used in cooking or sprinkled over food immediately before serving. Clarified butter used by Indian cooks. It is preferably to ordinary butter because there is no residue which may cause the food to stick or burn during cooking. Fresh ginger is an essential item in many Asian dishes. A sweet reddish-brown sauce sold in jars or tins. Mixture of soya beans, chili and seasoning used in Szechuan cooking; often contains sesame oil. Duck eggs that have been covered with a mixture of lime, SBI / Copyright 2008 Page 4 of 8

5 Krupuk rice husks and salt and left for several months. To use, remove coating and shell and cut in quarters. Dried wafers usually made from shrimp or fish. Make sure the krupuk are thoroughly dry before cooking. Lemon grass This lemon-scented grass is one of the loveliest of all local seasonings and is very important in Asian cooking. It looks rather like a miniature leek. Only the bottom 8cm of the plant should be used. Lentils The name dhal is given to any sort of lentil, dried bean or pea. Dhal is particular important to vegetarians, being a valuable and inexpensive source of protein. There are many different types of dhal. Limes A small round green lime called local lime or Chinese lime is generally preferred. The flesh is yellow and the juice fragrant and sharp. MSG (monosodium glutamate) Excessive use of this fine white crystalline powder, which intensifies the natural flavor of food, can lead to indigestion or heart burn. It is sold under brand names such as Aji-no-moto, Vestin,Vesop, Ac cent. Noodle Fresh yellow or hokkien noodles These heavy yellow noodles made from flour and egg. Fresh rice-flour noodle Wide flat rice noodle with a creamy texture and mild flavor. Fresh laksa noodle Made from rice flour, soak in boiling water for about 1 minute before using. Dried wheat-flour noodle The most common of all, these noodles are sold in packets or lose in rounds; eggs are often used in making these noodles, giving them a richer flavor, and this variety SBI / Copyright 2008 Page 5 of 8

6 Dried Chinese rice vermicelli Cellophane noodles Indian vermicelli Instant noodles Popiah Wun tun skin Spring roll wrappers Oyster sauce Palm sugar Pandan leaf Pickled ginger Poppadum Poppy seeds Rice wine Rose essence is sold as egg noodles. This is a fine white noodle made from rice flour. It is popular in soups, or fried with meat, seafood or vegetables. Known as rice stick noodle. Transparent noodles made from the flour of the dried green mung pea. Used for desserts, this is thin yellow vermicelli made from semolina, a wheat extract. Dried cooked noodles, with a sachet of seasoning. Very thin fresh wrappers made from flour, eggs and water. Used for making dumplings which are either simmered in soup or deep-fried. Sold frozen in packages. Made from oysters, but very mild in flavor. Sold in flat cakes or in rolls. It is brownish-black in color, and usually made from the sap of the aren tree, although a milder, lighter-colored variety is made from the coconut palm. An aromatic member of the pandanus family sometimes called fragrant screw pin in English. A couple of leaves, first scraped lightly with a fork then tied in a knot, are often added to rice, sweet dishes, or even curries, while the juice is extracted for cakes and desserts. Young root ginger finely sliced and preserved in vinegar. Thin wafers made from lentil flour and spices. They should be completely dry before being fried in hot oil for a few seconds on either side so that they puff up. This ancient spice, known to the Egyptians in Indian and some Malay curries. Substitute with dry sherry. A wonderfully evocative flavoring originating in the Middle East. It is usually obtainable from chemists. A few drops SBI / Copyright 2008 Page 6 of 8

7 Salted black beans Salted duck egg Salted soya beans Sambal ulek Sesame oil Sesame seed Shark s fin Soya sauce Light soya sauce Black soya sauce Sweet soya sauce Star anise are sufficient to flavor milk desserts, cakes and cordials. Small black beans sold in tins or jars, or dried. If using moist beans, rinse under running water for a few seconds. The dried beans should be soaked in hot water for 5 minutes and drained. A traditional accompaniment to a lavish curry meal, these eggs are usually haled and served in the shell by local cooks. The eggs are usually sold with a coating of black soil which should be washed off. A popular seasoning in Asia, these beans are usually sold in semi paste form, with soft beans in a light-brown sticky sauce. A mixture of ground fresh red chilies and salt, sold in bottled in many countries. Strongly flavored oil made from sesame seeds, and used sparingly as a seasoning. These small oval seeds have a delightful nutty flavor and high nutritional value. They are often lightly toasted in a dry pan before being crushed. Black sesame seeds are in some Chinese dishes, but unless otherwise specified. Delicious but expensive. Whole dried shark s fin can be bought at Chinese stores; it should be simmered for several hours then shredded. Shark s fin has a rich taste and interesting gelatinous texture that makes it a true gourmet item Made from salted soya beans, this sauce is universally known. Literally white in Chinese, this is the most commonly used sauce and is thinner and lighter in flavor A black, thicker sauce with a stronger flavor, it is generally used in stewing. A thick sweet sauce used in dishes of Javanese origin. A dark-brown star-shaped spice made up of eight petals SBI / Copyright 2008 Page 7 of 8

8 Sweet bean paste Sweet black sauce Sweet red sauce Tamarind Thick shrimp paste or points. Made from cooked and mashed red beans, and available tinned. The most common are sweet red sauce, sometimes labeled barbecue sauce; thin black sweet sauce sold in bottles; and very thick treacle-like black sweet sauce that are smeared inside popiah. Sometimes labeled barbecue sauce, this is a very salty sweet red sauce available in jars or cans. The fruit of the tamarind tree is prized for its acidity and slight fragrance. The dried fruit pulp of the fruit is most commonly used. An almost black treacle-like paste used in making sauce for rujak. Do not confuse with dried shrimp paste, which is quiet different in flavor and consistency. Turmeric Yoghurt Often misleadingly called Indian saffron, this is generally sold as a powder. It is made from the crushed dried root of the turmeric plant. It is used mainly for its bright yellow color. Plain yoghurt is used by Indians as a side-dish, a meat tenderizer, a salad dressing, and combined with iced salty water to make a refreshing drink. SBI / Copyright 2008 Page 8 of 8