I voted for sichuan pepper because I already love it and always have some in. Let's see how I get on searching other ingrédients asiatiques around me, on the Cotentin peninsula of France.
Love this! Looking forward to reading all about these ingredients, it's gonna be fun! I chose MSG because I feel that for non asians, it's the most misunderstood ingredient.
I voted for mirin because I didn’t even know there were different kinds of mirin, but I’m excited to learn about all of the options. I’m lucky to live in a city where there are multiple international markets, so most ingredients are easy to find.
Hi, it seems so far your followers who have commented are well supplied with suppliers of Asian products as am I. Very rarely is there a recipe I make that I don’t have the ingredient on hand. I will be interested to read your posts on individual elements. With the list you gave the only thing I would never use is MSG unless I want to end up looking like a lobster.
There's a lot of different opinions around it, but very few scientific proofs of it being harmful or bad. After all, it has a strong natural presence in everyday food, too: think tomatoes and parmigiano, for example.
You don't have to use it or change your mind, though. I always leave the benefit of the doubt to it. After all, everything in a wrong proportion is bad, and we can definitely leave without MSG.
:) very few proofs but on some very few people it does exist. ;) Anyway as you say it already exists in food (but i barely eat tomatoes nor cheese). To me there's no right or wrong, the only truth is how we feel in our body when we eat... that's why it can vary so much from one person to another and that's why it's great we can share about all this diversity, discover your recipes or others, like or not, create or reinvent etc. :)
And on the scientific side, when science meshes with how people feel, the feeling is what matters. It could be even placebo, but if you feel bad, you just feel bad. Nothing to do about it, move over.
This comment is precious. I will write about MSG substitutes!
When I had to learn it myself (and still learning, by the way) I also started from say sauce. For me, it always looked as the foundation of everything else.
We have a large independent grocer in my town, owned by a wonderful Chinese family who have been at their same store for 60 years! They featuring two big aisles full of Asian ingredients for cooking. There is also a smaller Asian food store owned by Vietnamese so I’m fortunate!
I look forward to your future posts discussing Asian food! Thank you! ✨🤗🍱
As you've planned, top of the list, the different types of soy sauce and usage. The must-have bottled sauces - which can you ignore. My store cupboard is jammed with rarely opened ones.
Not about a specific ingredient, I just love how they are combined together in many wonderful Asian foods. Many of the ingredients, I’ve read, enhance umami or the savoriness of food. Thanks for an interesting series!
I'm an Italian who loves Asian food... maybe because the flavor profiles and ingredients are so different to what I use every day. I love what you are doing, and look forward to learning more!
Where I live in the countryside, there are no Asian shops within 30plus miles so I order most things online from places like Sous Chef. They don’t have everything that recipes suggest though and I haven’t a clue where to buy MSG. I put soy sauce as a first ingredient and only learnt recently there is a difference between light and regular soy sauce. A bit hazy on which one to use when!
I have light vs normal soy sauce on my list! Also, there is dark, tamari, shiro... The list goes on! We'll make some order about when to use which one.
For MSG, I had seen it sold on Amazon, no clue if it's still available. A neat suggestion I had from a friend is to also look/ask for it in Indian or Pakistani shops, they often hide it somewhere.
Have you tried Googling for "Ajinomoto" and see if it's sold somewhere near you?
Miso - because it's so versatile and useful
That will for sure require a very long post! Thanks for the suggestion - ◡ -
Look forward to it
I voted for sichuan pepper because I already love it and always have some in. Let's see how I get on searching other ingrédients asiatiques around me, on the Cotentin peninsula of France.
Hi Mike, another asian food lover in France! The ingredients above are quite easy to find in organic food shops (except MSG of course).
Where are you, though? We aren't sophisticated here in Manche, land of the vegetables, cream and cheese.
I'm in Provence. I come from Brittany, quite the same sophisticated land but full of seaweeds. Anyway Japan food invites itself everywhere!
Love this! Looking forward to reading all about these ingredients, it's gonna be fun! I chose MSG because I feel that for non asians, it's the most misunderstood ingredient.
Totally agree!
It's one of those ingredients which entered the industrial food scene as a hammer, but still fails to appear in the kitchen of home cooks.
I voted for mirin because I didn’t even know there were different kinds of mirin, but I’m excited to learn about all of the options. I’m lucky to live in a city where there are multiple international markets, so most ingredients are easy to find.
Mirin is a subtle yet important ingredient in Japanese cuisine. If I'd have to vote, I'd put it second right after soy sauce. Good choice!
Hi, it seems so far your followers who have commented are well supplied with suppliers of Asian products as am I. Very rarely is there a recipe I make that I don’t have the ingredient on hand. I will be interested to read your posts on individual elements. With the list you gave the only thing I would never use is MSG unless I want to end up looking like a lobster.
Same for me with MSG, neither my guts or my skin would bear it!
I'll prove you wrong on MSG!
There's a lot of different opinions around it, but very few scientific proofs of it being harmful or bad. After all, it has a strong natural presence in everyday food, too: think tomatoes and parmigiano, for example.
You don't have to use it or change your mind, though. I always leave the benefit of the doubt to it. After all, everything in a wrong proportion is bad, and we can definitely leave without MSG.
:) very few proofs but on some very few people it does exist. ;) Anyway as you say it already exists in food (but i barely eat tomatoes nor cheese). To me there's no right or wrong, the only truth is how we feel in our body when we eat... that's why it can vary so much from one person to another and that's why it's great we can share about all this diversity, discover your recipes or others, like or not, create or reinvent etc. :)
Totally agree!
And on the scientific side, when science meshes with how people feel, the feeling is what matters. It could be even placebo, but if you feel bad, you just feel bad. Nothing to do about it, move over.
This comment is precious. I will write about MSG substitutes!
The first ingredient? The first? Soy sauce. Without it, there is no meaning or even use for mirin or a pepper or vinegar or anything much else.
What a great idea for an article series! A discussion of the basics, the building blocks of a kitchen shelf is of enormous value to non Asian cooks.
When I had to learn it myself (and still learning, by the way) I also started from say sauce. For me, it always looked as the foundation of everything else.
It also seems to be winning by far in the poll.
Soy sauce it will be!
We have a large independent grocer in my town, owned by a wonderful Chinese family who have been at their same store for 60 years! They featuring two big aisles full of Asian ingredients for cooking. There is also a smaller Asian food store owned by Vietnamese so I’m fortunate!
I look forward to your future posts discussing Asian food! Thank you! ✨🤗🍱
This kind of independent store is the best! The dedication of these people is wonderful.
As you've planned, top of the list, the different types of soy sauce and usage. The must-have bottled sauces - which can you ignore. My store cupboard is jammed with rarely opened ones.
Thank you for the Google maps tip! I found a few markets nearby that I can’t wait to explore.
Not about a specific ingredient, I just love how they are combined together in many wonderful Asian foods. Many of the ingredients, I’ve read, enhance umami or the savoriness of food. Thanks for an interesting series!
Fabulous idea
My Moms family is from Ali Terme in Sicily, and my Dad's family is from Capistrano in Abruzzo!
I'm an Italian who loves Asian food... maybe because the flavor profiles and ingredients are so different to what I use every day. I love what you are doing, and look forward to learning more!
Ciao Celia! Grazie!
Another Italian from Bologna here :)
Which city are you from?
Oh my gosh, I can't decide between garlic and soy sauce, as I use both a lot whenever I cook.
Where I live in the countryside, there are no Asian shops within 30plus miles so I order most things online from places like Sous Chef. They don’t have everything that recipes suggest though and I haven’t a clue where to buy MSG. I put soy sauce as a first ingredient and only learnt recently there is a difference between light and regular soy sauce. A bit hazy on which one to use when!
I have light vs normal soy sauce on my list! Also, there is dark, tamari, shiro... The list goes on! We'll make some order about when to use which one.
For MSG, I had seen it sold on Amazon, no clue if it's still available. A neat suggestion I had from a friend is to also look/ask for it in Indian or Pakistani shops, they often hide it somewhere.
Have you tried Googling for "Ajinomoto" and see if it's sold somewhere near you?