Kitchen basics

Tare is the concentrated, salty seasoning base spooned into the bottom of a ramen bowl before the broth is added,

Ginger scallion oil is a simple Cantonese condiment of finely chopped ginger and spring onion, softened by a splash of

Cantonese steamed fish is cooked whole or in fillets over high heat for just a few minutes, then finished with

Fish sauce is a salty, savoury liquid made from fermented fish, most often anchovies, used across Southeast Asian cooking the

Gyoza wrappers are thinner and slightly smaller than general Chinese dumpling wrappers, made for pan-frying rather than boiling. Both are

A basic pleat is all you need for a well-sealed dumpling, and it gets easier after the first few tries.

Umami is the savoury, mouth-filling taste alongside sweet, sour, salty and bitter, and it is central to why good stock,

Shirataki noodles are thin, translucent Japanese noodles made from konjac yam rather than wheat or rice, very low in calories

Tamari is a Japanese soy sauce made with little or no wheat, giving it a smoother, less sharp flavour than

Sambal oelek is a simple Indonesian chilli paste made from little more than crushed red chillies, vinegar and salt. Unlike