One of us is a Jewish New Yorker, and one of us is a Brit, but we probably cook using East Asian ingredients, recipes or techniques at least twice a week, and over time we’ve curated a decent pantry to pull from. If you have a favorite Chinese, Korean, Thai or Japanese take-out spot, with a few staples to hand you can make a delicious, healthy dinner that rivals your local restaurant.
Most of these ingredients should be available in any moderately large grocery store, but it’s worth it to look for a specialist Asian market in your neighborhood. They often have much better prices and a wonderful variety of fresh produce as well. Of course if you can’t find them locally, there’s always the internet. (The links below are intended as a reference to find the ingredient and brand. It does help us out if you buy using the links, but again, if you can shop locally, please do!)
Below we list ‘essentials’, meaning the ingredients we use all the time, over and over. We also list ‘extras’; ingredients we love, but use less often.
(Note: this page focuses primarily on the East Asian cuisines of China, Japan, Korea and Thailand. All the countries we draw inspiration from are huge and diverse, and our interpretations of recipes are tailored for our personal palates. We’d love to hear from you if you have a local version that you recommend we try, or if you feel we’ve misrepresented an ingredient that you love. To our Western compatriots: whenever we suggest adding a hot spice or sauce, be conservative at first until you’re sure it’s to your taste.)
Soy SauceS
If there’s one bottle that we reach for before any other when cooking East Asian food, it’s the soy sauce. There are more variations of this flavoring than we could possibly describe, but the essential versions that we use again and again are listed here.
We primarily use soy for marinating and stir-fry cooking. It can also be used to add umami meatiness to any dish that requires it (eg as a substitute for Worcestershire sauce). Every country, and sometimes region, has their own particular variety of soy, and there is a big difference between Chinese and Japanese sauces, but we generally tend to stick with large, cheap Chinese or Taiwanese brands (Pearl River Bridge and Lee Kum Kee) we’ve found most reliable, and use them fairly indiscriminately in East Asian recipes. For more discussion of varieties of soy sauce, head to Marion’s Kitchen, or find a much more detailed primer at Eater.
All Purpose Soy
This is a balanced sauce with a good amount of saltiness, just a touch of sweetness, a punch of meaty flavor, and a good color.
Light Soy
Light soy is lighter in color, thinner, and doesn’t pack quite such a meaty flavor punch, but is much saltier than regular soy.
Dark Soy
The dark soy varieties are thicker, more flavorful, literally darker in color of course, and a little less salty than regular soy sauce.
Less Sodium Soy
If you make a habit of checking out the nutritional panel on the back of a bottle of soy, your blood pressure may rise just realizing how much sodium is in a tablespoon.
For those of us watching our salt intake, the less-sodium variety is worth looking out for. It’s certainly not “low sodium” by any means, but it does clock in at around half the salt content of regular soy sauce. If you use Kikkoman, it’s the soy with the green cap.
Gluten Free Soy
While soybeans naturally contain no gluten, the process that creates soy sauce can add ingredients that do. Gluten-intolerant cooks should look for brands that specify gluten-free.
Tamari, a Japanese soy sauce, is most akin to Chinese dark soy and is almost always gluten free.
Sweet Soy
An outlier in this group, you can think of sweet soy as the Asian equivalent of molasses. Often sourced from Indonesia, where it’s known as kecap manis. Very sweet and thick, with just a little salt. Good for sweet marinades.
Rice Wines AND VINEGARS
While soy sauce generally contributes rich, heavy flavors, you can use rice wine or rice vinegar to lighten, or adding acidic notes to, a dish.
Rice Wine / Shaoxing
You can use a rice wine in the same way as you would any wine-based spirit: for example, deglazing a pan to kick off a pan sauce. Not for sipping (this isn’t sake), but definitely high quality enough to enhance both Asian and Western recipes.
Rice Wine Vinegar
Rice vinegar, also called rice wine vinegar, is a mild vinegar great for vinaigrettes, quick pickles, dipping sauces, or salad dressing.
The “seasoned” variety has added sugar and salt, so we like to stick to the unseasoned kind.
Mirin
Mirin is a sweet rice wine used in marinades and sauces. It’s common in Japanese dishes. Thicker than rice wine, it adds heft and sweetness to any dish. We love it with Chicken Meatballs and Bulgogi.
Hot, SpicY AND FUNKY Sauces AND PASTES
Hoisin Sauce
A sweet and savory paste. Think of it as Asian barbecue sauce, it’s a great glaze for meat, an addition to stir fries, or as dipping sauce. Hoisin usually includes soy, red chillies and garlic.
Fish Sauce
This funky, salty sauce is essential in East and Southeast Asian cuisine, but is a great way to add depth to many different kinds of dishes. When choosing a fish sauce, look for one that has only 2 ingredients, anchovies and sea salt. Our favorite these days is Red Boat.
Oyster Sauce
Despite its name, this sauce doesn’t taste fishy at all, and adds a rich salty and sweet flavor. It’s great in stir fries and fried rice.
Seaweed and Kimchi
RICE AND NOODLES
OTHER ESSENTIALS
Toasted sesame oil has a deep, nutty flavor that is used for seasoning, not cooking. Make sure it’s dark brown and said ‘toasted’. Like all oils, it has a shelf life, and we recommend keeping it in the fridge. Try it in this Quick Pickled Cucumber Salad.
Sesame seeds are more about final appearance than anything else; sprinkle a few spoonfuls over a salad or stir fry for a glorious peppered display. You’ll find these in white and black versions. They add great crunch and flavor. Keep them in the fridge, by the sesame oil. If they’re not already toasted, toast them in a pan before using.
Coconut milk
- Miso (white, Shiro): Also known as “sweet” miso. It’s milder and lower in salt than darker varieties. It’s great in soups, dressings, marinades and light sauces. It can even be used in place of dairy in some recipes. We especially love it on salmon and eggplant.
- Sriracha: Spicy, fiery hot sauce. Made with chili peppers, vinegar, salt, sugar and garlic.
- Chili garlic sauce: like Sriracha, but fresher tasting, with a little hint of garlic.
- Rice and noodles: Use your favorites. We use Brown Basmati and Thai jasmine rice most often. For noodles, we use rice for stir frying, soba and udon for soups.
- Garlic – of course
- Fresh ginger – Adds a sharp, slightly spicy taste. Delicious in sauces, marinades, stir fries.
- Cilantro – Some people hate it but for those who don’t, it’s essential.
- Limes – Adds a fresh tartness to many dishes, especially essential in Thai and Vietnamese dishes.
- Kimchi – Korean spicy fermented pickled cabbage. Absolutely delicious and an essential accompaniment to Korean dishes like Bulgogi.
- Lemongrass – The tender center stalk have a lemony bite that’s delicious in curries, stir fries and even cocktails.
- Chili – There are dozens of varieties that vary greatly in heat so choose the type according to your recipe.
- Gochujang: It’s a thick, red, spicy chili paste common in many Korean dishes. Heat levels vary so look at the label for an indication.
- Chinese Rice Wine (Shaoxing wine): Has a similar flavor as sherry (which I often substitute if I don’t have any rice wine on hand). Delicious in sauces and marinades.
- Black Bean Garlic Sauce: Delicious dark and salty, this sauce is a great addition to shrimp, pork and chicken dishes. Also delicious with clams.
- Black rice vinegar: Deeper in color and flavor than regular rice vinegar, a bit smoky-tasting. Often used in Chinese stir fries, dipping sauces, and as a condiment.
- Sweet Chili Sauce (Mae Ploy): More sweet than spicy, great as a dipping sauce on it’s own or for adding sweetness to a dressing or marinade.
- Roasted Seaweed Sheets: These aren’t the kind used for sushi. They are salty and crispy. Serve them on the side with rice.
- Thai Red Curry Paste: Spicy and complex. It often mixed with coconut milk in curries and soups. Note: Some brands are made with shrimp or fish sauce, but vegan brands are available.
Tamari: A Japanese form of soy sauce that uses no wheat (some brands still use a little so make sure the label says gluten or wheat free).
Gluten Free Miso : Miso sometimes contains grains, though not always. Miso from grains like barley (mugi ortsubu in Japanese), wheat (tsubu), or rye (hadakamugi) are not gluten free. Miso from rice (kome or genmai), buckwheat (sobamugi), and millet (kibi) are gluten-free. Check the label to be sure. This brand, Hikari Organic White Miso Paste is gluten free.
Vegan & Gluten Free Thai Red Curry Paste: Some brands are made with shrimp or fish sauce, but vegan brands are available. Thai Kitchen brand is vegan, dairy and gluten free.
Just found your website, I love the look of some of the recipes. Just curious, how does fish sauce and oyster sauce differ from the delicious eel sauce that’s drizzled on top of my favorite sushi rolls?
Thanks, Eric!
In very basic terms, ‘fish sauce’ is a very salty, thin liquid that is added as a salt element to dishes. It’s intense so usually used sparingly, but it’s absolutely delicious.
‘Oyster sauce’ is a thick, slightly sweet sauce that is used in a lot of Chinese dishes. It’s not very fishy but has a slight oyster-y flavor. I love it in fried rice.
‘Eel sauce’ is a mixture of soy, sweet wine(mirin), sugar and other ingredients. The sugar is what gets so brown and delicious when it’s broiled on top of eel. Yum.
Awesome! Thanks for breaking it down!
This is a great list! Thank you for compiling it. Heading to the Asian markets this weekend 🙂
Awesome! So glad it was helpful!
I am so excited to learn that I already have all of the basics in my pantry and fridge! I never knew (until now) that sesame oil should be stored in the fridge – thank you for that. I keep fresh garlic and ginger on hand at all times. Though I must say, the ginger root in the photo here is a thousand times more plump and juicy-looking than any I have bought! I think I will try to grow my own from a store-bought rhizome.
Keeping basics on hand is one thing. Now I want to broaden my horizons in terms of putting these essentials to work in recipes. Thanks for a fantastic article!
Hi! This was super helpful to me since I’m (finally) moving on my own and have no clue how to make any other food than cook rice and some simple Japanese dishes, so now I can get the basics for scrolling down recipes (and not worry what some “fancy-sounding” ingredients are and where to get them). Thank you! 🙂
Nice selection but quite a big miss on Asian pantry basic : coconut milk!
You’re quite right and we hang our heads in shame. We haven’t updated this section in too long, and coconut milk is definitely something we plan to add. Thanks for the suggestion!
Thanks for the list. My husband and I (both retired) eat a lot of spicy noodle and rice dishes and like to experiment. Although we love most Asian food neither one of us like the taste if Sesame Oil. Is there a comparable substitute…we do have some good Asian markets close by.