Buyers guides

Lee Kum Kee is the most widely available XO sauce brand in UK Chinese supermarkets and larger Asian grocers, made

Pagoda and Lee Kum Kee are the two most widely available Shaoxing wine brands in UK Chinese supermarkets and larger

For sushi rice, dressings, and stir-fries, buy plain, unseasoned rice vinegar from a brand such as Marukan, Mizkan, or Yutaka.

Lee Kum Kee is the most widely recommended hoisin sauce in the UK, with a balanced sweet, salty, and slightly

For flavouring Asian dishes, buy toasted (dark) sesame oil from a brand such as Yutaka, Clearspring, or Lee Kum Kee.

Lee Kum Kee is the most widely available and best-regarded oyster sauce brand in UK supermarkets and Asian grocers, sold

For an everyday miso paste, buy a white (shiro) or awase (mixed) miso from a brand such as Clearspring, Yutaka,

For sushi at home, buy a short-grain Japanese rice labelled “sushi rice” such as Yutaka, Nishiki, or Clearspring. Short-grain rice

For shop-bought kimchi in the UK, look for a jar that lists napa cabbage, gochugaru, garlic, ginger, and salted seafood

A single-bevel gyuto or santoku in VG-10 or similar high-carbon stainless steel is the best all-round choice for a UK