is a pale-gold spirit used in Japanese cooking to add subtle sweetness to salad dressings, marinades and stews. It was originally a sugar substitute during a time when sugar was scarce and expensive. Look for hon-mirin (true mirin), a naturally brewed elixir containing natural sugars; avoid aji-mirin or any bottle labeled “sweet cooking seasoning.” Opened bottles of mirin can be left on the shelf.
I've seen recipes where sugar is used as a mirin substitute (how things change!), but I mix ¼ cup dry sherry with 2 teaspoons granulated sugar.
MISO is a thick, rich paste made from fermenting rice, barley or soybeans. This flavorful paste is very similar to Chinese doubanji-ang and Singapore taucheo—they are all made from fermented beans (soybeans, broad beans or lima beans). I keep a big tub of (usually white) miso in my fridge, and use it in recipes calling for these other pastes too. There are various grades, colors and strengths, but the two most common are white miso (shiro-miso), a mild, sweet miso; and red miso (aka-miso) which has a higher salt content and an earthier flavor.
RICE We're a family of rice-eaters—I usually buy fragrant white jasmine rice by the 25-pound bag. For the sake of variety I sometimes make brown jasmine rice, which I buy in smaller 1- or 2-pound bags or from the bulk bins. Jasmine rice is an all-purpose type that goes with just about everything we eat. When I can, I buy Elephant or
Royal Umbrella brands. I also keep a small bag of Japanese sticky rice or sushi rice on hand. The stickier texture is better suited for making sushi and other Japanese-style dishes. I recommend the Kokuho Rose and Nishiki brands, which are grown in California.
NORI SEAWEED Most familiar as the wrapper for sushi rolls, nori comes in crisp, thin sheets pre-cut for this purpose, and ranges in color from a dark green to a deep purple. It is used not only to wrap sushi, but also as a garnish for soups. Keep nori in a cool, dark place, and store it wrapped up in plastic if possible. For a fun change, I like to substitute Kale “Chips” (page 26) over soups.
PANKO Panko are coarse breadcrumbs used in Japanese cuisine to coat deep-fried foods like tempura and tonkatsu.
They can be found in the Asian/ international section of most grocery stores in cellophane packages or canisters. The unopened packages last indefinitely. Once opened, panko should be frozen.
POTATO STARCH is the gold standard for making perfect Japanese kara-age (fried chicken), as it produces a light, crispy coating. While cornstarch is usually the thickener of choice in Chinese cooking,_ cornstarch and potato starch can be used interchangeably in both instances. Mix 1 part starch with 2 or 3 parts water to make a slurry. Bob's Red Mill sells potato starch in 24-ounce (680-g) bags that are available at many grocery stores.
PRESERVED RADISH some-times labeled salted radish, comes in both salty and sweet versions. While sweet is preferable for pad Thai, preserved radish is generally not very easy to come by, so just buy what you can find-sweet or salty, finely chopped, whole or in long strips.
RICE FLOUR usually made from long-grain rice, is the basis of rice noodles. It's also used for making sweets in Malaysia and Indonesia. Until just a few years ago, rice flour was only sold at Asian markets, but due to the high demand for gluten-free products, brands like Bob's Red Mill now offer rice flour in 24-ounce (720-g) packages through mainstream grocery stores.
SESAME OIL This thick, amber-colored oil is pressed from toasted sesame seeds. I use it as a seasoning, not a cooking oil—I like to drizzle it over stir-fries and soups and add it to marinades.
SESAME SEEDS My pantry is stocked with both white and black sesame seeds for sprinkling over salads and into dipping sauces. I also like to grind them into a paste for making noodle sauces and sweets. Toasting brings out their nutty flavor. They're available already toasted but you can do it at home, too (page 25).
Black and white sesame seeds. If possible, buy toasted seeds.
Darker sesame oil has stronger flavor. I use Kadoya brand.
TAMARIND is a popular souring agent in Southeast Asian cooking, with a more complex flavor than lime or lemon.
You probably know it as a key flavoring in pad Thai (see Tamarind Sweet and Sour Sauce, page 67), but its uses extend much further, to soups and stir-fries. I always buy “wet tamarind”—the sticky, coffee-colored pulp is pressed into semi-pliable blocks and packaged in cellophane. The pulp must be soaked in hot water to form a paste before using. Tamarind concentrate-processed pulp in a cylindrical container—is convenient, but the flavor cannot compare.
In a cool, dry place, blocks of tamarind last almost forever! Substitute lime juice if you must.
Seedless “wet tamarind” comes in clear cellophane packages, and is sold at Asian markets.
RICE VINEGAR The 24-ounce (71 0-ml) bottle I buy goes quickly! I use rice vinegar for pickling, in dressings and in dipping sauces; a few drizzles will punch up any dish with a mellow acidic flavor. In a pinch, cider vinegar is a good substitute. Try to avoid using white distilled vinegar, as it's much sharper. If you have no alternative, use less than what the recipes calls for.
SALT, PEPPER AND SUGAR
I buy fine sea salt because it is less processed than iodized table salt and has a more complex flavor: Plus, if you make fermented products like kimchi, as well as pickles, the additives in table salt may interfere with the fermentation process and/ or cause the brine to go cloudy.
Don't be mistaken, though—they both contain the same amount of sodium.
Although ground white pepper powder is more commonly used in Asia, I use black peppercorns, grinding them directly into my cooking. White pepper is just husked black peppercorns anyway, so which one you use is just a matter of preference.
Organic raw cane sugar is my preferred sugar: Eco-friendly and unrefined, it has the full-bodied taste of sugarcane and undergoes less processing than white sugar:
SAMBAL OELEK Chili paste, or sambal in Malay or Indonesian, is a popular condiment in Southeast Asian cuisine; it conveniently comes in a bottle. Indonesian sambal
