Scallions or 香葱 and pronounced in Mandarin as xiāng cōng is the most common and identifiable onion in Chinese cooking.We say “scallion,” others say “green onion”…It’s all good, and whatever you like to call it, it’s the same ingredient whether it’s Chinese, Asian, Cajun, Mexican or some other cuisine.In this case, you should shake off the excess water and place them on a kitchen towel on the counter to dry out before storing them in the refrigerator.The green portions are great for color and garnish and offer a milder flavor when added to finish a dish.The first time I saw these in Beijing, I called it a large scallion on steroids but when I asked, people said it was 大葱, dà cōng in Mandarin or “big onion” (that’s the literal translation).Leeks, when translated in online dictionaries are 韭葱 or jiǔ cōng but I have not actually heard of this expression until I looked it up.Leeks are quite common in western cooking, and, in the US, only a small portion of the green section is kept as the tops are considered tough and inedible.Leeks are used in the traditional Buddha’s Delight (Lo Han Jai) providing sweetness and flavor to the dish.Green garlic is generally referred to simply as suàn or 蒜 and in Cantonese pronounced as “syun”.Green garlic is also used in many ways in western cooking for its flavor and color in sauces and soups.Most garlic scapes we’ve seen in the US markets are curlier and smaller than the variety found in China, and they are quite a bit more expensive as well.They are regularly available in large quantities during the summer months and we love to have them stir-fried with some julienned peppers and chunks of pork.For stir fry dishes, these garlic scapes usually need to be peeled to remove the tougher outer skin.In Chinese, 大蒜 is pronounced “dà suàn” in Mandarin and “daai syun” in Cantonese.This word literally translates to, “big garlic.” Growing up in a Cantonese family, a more common name is simply “syun tao” or “garlic head” which makes a lot of sense.Thankfully, garlic’s awesomeness is a fact agreed upon by the majority of the world, so being garlic-less is a problem we’ll hopefully never have to contend with.Ginger or 生姜, pronounced shēng jiāng in Mandarin is used extensively in Chinese cooking.Pronounced “geeong” in Cantonese dialect, fresh ginger is used often in steamed fish dishes.Purple onions are most often used in salads rather than the white or yellow variety for their added color and because they are slightly less potent.Shallots are the same way in that they have a milder onion taste, are more delicate, and perhaps sound a bit fancier?The opposite is true if our stash of shallots looks like they’re taking a turn for the worse–chop them up and throw them in some fried rice!Chinese chives or 韭菜, pronounced in Mandarin as jiǔ cài and in Cantonese as “gow choy”, this vegetable is recognized for its strong fragrance and flat leaves.Regular chives are often eaten raw, sprinkled over the top of something, or added to sauces and dips.We use them in the popular Taiwanese Cang Ying Tou or “flies head” stir fry dish.We have only seen these Chinese Chive flowers in China where they are sold in huge volumes at local farmer’s markets.Yellow Chinese Chives, 韭黄 or “jiǔ huáng” in Mandarin (sometimes called 韭菜黄, jiǔ cài huáng) are basically the same green Chinese chives except that they have been grown with without sunlight which causes the lack of green pigment (chlorophyll).Pictured below are beautiful fresh yellow chives from a farmer’s market in Beijing China.Yellow chives can be found also neatly packaged at Asian and Chinese grocery stores in the US and other western countries.Cilantro, also called coriander, 香菜 or xiāng cài in Mandarin and pronounced “heung choy” in Cantonese is an essential ingredient in Chinese cooking.Cilantro consists of the leaves of the coriander plant and is most known as a key ingredient for Mexican dishes.We had never eaten toon leaves or sprouts prior to our move to Beijing, but they really enhance the flavor of the dish.This tasty addition to–duh–Thai dishes is easily found in most Asian grocery stores, but we’ve never really seen it in a run-of-the-mill supermarket.Sorry it took us so long to update this page but we could never find holy basil at markets near us so we had to order seeds and it took us a season to get the plants mature enough to try ourselves and bring you a new dish.If you have a garden, check out the link below, order some holy basil seeds from Amazon, and enjoy it next summer!We know it’s also used in some Southeast Asian dishes, since there is quite a bit of Indian influence in the region, but we haven’t quite figured out how to use it beyond a homemade curry.Ajika Fresh Curry Leaves – South Indian, Thai, Sri Lankan Herb, Citrus Flavor.Makrut lime leaves have a distinct aroma that enhances Southeast Asian soups and curry stews.Makrut is a Thai word that is used in favor of Kaffir, which, it has come to our attention, is an old racial slur and to many people, is simply offensive.From our research, “Kaffir” comes from the Arabic word kafir, and means non-believer or infidel (non-muslims) and also evolved to refer to black Africans.Okay, looks a little bit like bugs at first glance, but don’t panic and X out of this window just yet, because this picture of the fresh turmeric is indeed a root!Although turmeric or Jiāng huáng(姜黄) in Chinese, is used extensively in Southeast Asian cooking, its origin are from India, where it lends a rich flavor and golden color to many dishes.Lemongrass is a commonly used herb in Southeast Asia, but it has spread throughout the world due to its fragrant and fresh flavor.Fresh galangal is hard to come by in the US, even in Chinese and Asian markets so if you see them, grab a packet (they are relatively inexpensive) and freeze them!The only downside is that the heat index of these peppers varies greatly–sometimes they’re perfectly delicious and mild, and sometimes they can unleash an unsuspected sweat storm during meals.Red Thai chili pepper, also called Bird’s Eye or Bird pepper used in many dishes to add some heat like Shrimp Pad Thai or Pho Noodle Soup and they do pack a real spicy punch.They are relatively cheap and have a good level of heat–spicy enough to kick you in the pants a little but not so spicy that you feel a need to chug a gallon of milk.That being said though, the world of chili peppers is vast, and we’re always looking for new ways to add a bit of spice to our dishes
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