Kitchen basics
55 posts
Kitchen basicsBagoong: What It Is, Best Brands and Where to Buy in the UK
Bagoong is a Filipino fermented shrimp or fish paste, salty and deeply savoury, used as both a cooking...
Kitchen basicsWhat Is Toyomansi, and How Do You Make It?
Toyomansi is a simple Filipino dipping sauce of soy sauce and kalamansi juice, sharp, salty and quick to...
Kitchen basicsLemongrass Paste vs Fresh Lemongrass: What’s the Difference?
Lemongrass paste is a convenient jarred shortcut, but fresh lemongrass gives a brighter, more fragrant result worth using...
Kitchen basicsWhat Is Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese Dipping Sauce)?
Nuoc cham is a light, punchy Vietnamese dipping sauce built from fish sauce, lime, sugar, garlic and chilli,...
Kitchen basicsWhat Is Tare, the Seasoning Base for Ramen?
Tare is the concentrated, salty seasoning base spooned into the bottom of a ramen bowl before the broth...
Kitchen basicsHow to Make Ginger Scallion Oil
Ginger scallion oil is a simple Cantonese condiment of finely chopped ginger and spring onion, softened by a...
Kitchen basicsHow to Steam Fish, Cantonese Style
Cantonese steamed fish is cooked whole or in fillets over high heat for just a few minutes, then...
Kitchen basicsHow to Fold Dumplings and Gyoza: A Few Simple Folds
A basic pleat is all you need for a well-sealed dumpling, and it gets easier after the first...
Kitchen basicsWhat Is Umami, and Why Does It Matter in Cooking?
Umami is the savoury, mouth-filling taste alongside sweet, sour, salty and bitter, and it is central to why...
Kitchen basicsHow to Velvet Chicken and Beef for Stir-Fries
Velveting is a Chinese technique of coating raw meat in a light cornflour and egg white marinade before...