cream (the one I use is reduced from two whole coconuts to make 3/4 cup/185 ml of liquid). This can be used straight from the packet as coconut cream; diluted with two parts of water to make thick coconut milk and diluted with three parts of water to make coconut milk. Some brands of concentrated canned coconut milk are also quite good, although I’ve come across some very mediocre products that I’ve had to throw away. Experiment with what you can find locally, buying products labeled “coconut cream” or those which are clearly concentrated to give you the flexibility to create the type of coconut milk you require. Packets of powdered coconut milk are a useful standby when you need just a few spoons of coconut milk, but I do not recommend this product for general use. Once you’ve opened a packet, store it in the refrigerator.
Coriander leaves, seeds & roots (cilantro) is the world’s most widely used herb and perhaps even more popular in Southeast Asia than in Central and South America and the Middle East. Coriander leaves have a distinctive smell and attractive appearance and are the most important flavoring herb and garnish throughout the region. Coriander seeds are the most popular spice; for maximum freshness, local cooks prefer to use whole coriander seeds, heating them slightly to help release their volatile oils and make them easier to pound or grind whenever required. Each time you have finished using the leaves of whole fresh coriander plants, cut off the roots, wash well, dry and slice very thinly. Store in a small airtight container in the freezer; do this each time you use coriander and you will soon have a stock of coriander roots for use in Thai recipes. If you do not have enough roots when these are required in a recipe, you could use finely chopped coriander stem to make up the amount. Fresh coriander plants can be stored for about one week by putting them in a jar with the stems ends standing in about 1/2 in (1 cm) of water. Enclose the coriander and the jar with a large clear plastic bag and stand in the refrigerator.
Curry powder is a mixture of ready ground spices, used particularly in Malaysia and Singapore. Different mixtures are available, prepared from a range of spices depending on the type of dish which is required and are generally labeled accordingly. Curry powders labeled “for fish” or “for meat and poultry” are best bought in small quantities and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for maximum flavor.
Daikon radish has a very thin skin, which can be scraped off with a knife. It is normally eaten raw in Southeast Asia, generally after salting to remove some of the bitterness and is frequently partnered with carrot. Use the smaller radishes around 6 to 7 in (16–18 cm) if possible, as these will generally have a milder flavor and finer texture than the larger ones.
Dried Chinese sausage (lap cheong) is particularly popular among the Vietnamese. Perfumed with rose-flavored wine, they are never eaten alone, but cooked with rice or other food. They keep well in a dry place, although if you live in a humid climate, you may prefer to refrigerate them.
Dried Shrimp are used in countless ways throughout the region. They are an important flavoring in their own right and not used as a replacement for fresh shrimp. Although various sizes are available, the most common ones are around 3/4 -in (2-cm) long. They should look orangey-pink and plump; avoid any with a grayish appearance or with an unpleasant ammonia smell. It is possible to buy packets of powdered dried shrimp (generally labeled “floss” or “powder”), but it is better to buy the whole shrimp so you can check the quality. Dried shrimp will keep for several months if refrigerated. Before use, dried shrimp are usually soaked to soften slightly; 5 minutes in warm water should be sufficient. If dried shrimp powder is to be used as a garnish or flavoring, the dried shrimp have a better flavor if dry-roasted in a wok or saucepan for about 4 to 5 minutes (rather than being soaked) before being processed to a fine powder or floss.
Eggplant (also known as aubergine) comes in many different shapes, sizes and colors, ranging from tiny pea-sized eggplants (generally lightly pounded and added raw to dips), to egg-shaped vegetables and short or long slender eggplants. The color ranges from white through bright orange to pale green, pale purple and deep purple and there are even streaked green and purple varieties. Apart from the bitter pea-sized eggplant and a round, tough-skinned orange variety which is very sour, most Asian eggplants have the same mild flavor, which lends itself well to all types of seasoning. Try to use slender Asian eggplants, which are less bitter than their Western counterparts and do not need pre-salting; they also have tender, edible skins. Some eggplants, especially Japanese varieties, are very short, about 5 to 6 in (12.5 to 15 cm) in length, while others can be up to 10 in (25 cm). The length is not important, so long as you can obtain slender Asian varieties, you’ll find them much more palatable than the Western type.
Fish, preserved is preferred to dried shrimp paste in Cambodia and Laos, where it is known as prahok and padek respectively. The Vietnamese call it mam ca sac and use both this and fermented anchovy sauce (mam nem) as a flavoring. Chunks of fresh fish are salted and packed in barrels with a little cooked rice to aid the fermentation. Preserved fish is available in glass jars, often exported from Thailand. The English names vary, from Pure Pickled Gouramy Fish, to Pickled Grey Featherback Fish, to Preserved Mudfish, or something similar; the brand I am currently using also bears the French name poisson en saumure. You can recognize it by the pale beige or grey color of the thick paste, which has a few chunks of fish visible. This should be used sparingly. A jar will keep in the cupboard for at least a couple of years. Anchovy sauce or even fish sauce can be used a substitute.
Fish sauce is to most of Southeast Asia what soy sauce is to the Chinese and Japanese, the most widely used salty seasoning. Fish sauce has a unique fragrance which gives so much of the regional food its characteristic flavor and aroma. Made from the liquid poured off salted and fermented fish, fish sauce is a clear golden brown color. Thai and Vietnamese brands are usually readily available abroad; in general, Vietnamese fish sauce is slightly stronger in flavor than Thai brands. Keep fish sauce in the cupboard; it lasts almost indefinitely.
Five spice powder is a Chinese seasoning sometimes used in Thai and Vietnamese cooking. This finely ground mixture of cassia, cloves, fennel, Sichuan pepper and star anise has a warm fragrance and flavor and is commonly used in braised dishes, or a pinch added to pork sausages or paté. To keep its freshness as long as possible, store in the refrigerator.
Galangal is preferred to common ginger in much of Southeast Asia. It is pale cream with delicate pink tips while still young and becomes quite tough and fibrous as it ages. The fragrance of this rhizome seems to embody the smell of the tropics: warm, exciting and faintly spicy with a hint of camphor. Just the aroma alone is enough to get the taste buds going. If you can obtain fresh galangal, scrub it well, peel off any thick papery skin (but don’t worry about the tender skin, which can be left on). Cut the galangal in thin slices and store in a sealed bag in the freezer; use the slices as required while still frozen. Dried galangal slices are sometimes available and can be soaked in hot water for about 30 minutes to reconstitute, but a better alternative to the fresh product is galangal packed in brine, usually sold in jars. This may be labeled with the Thai name, kha, or simply referred to as “rhizome.” (Do not confuse it with Chinese keys or krachai). Avoid ground galangal, which does not have anywhere near the same flavor as other substitutes.
Garlic chives, also known as Chinese chives, resemble coarse
