https://www.scmp.com/rss/502060/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The biggest complaints I get from readers about cooking some of my Asian recipes on SCMP Cooking is that they can’t find the ingredients, and that the dishes are too difficult or take too long to prepare. The first is easy to deal with: if you have a computer, and you have postal service that delivers to your home, there’s no excuse. I’m a big advocate of supporting small businesses by buying from them, but if your local supermarket doesn’t sell Asian products, then buy from an online shop that... https://www.scmp.com/cooking/article/3120146/top-10-tips-making-asian-cooking-easier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/cooking/article/3120146/top-10-tips-making-asian-cooking-easier?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Feb 2021 18:30:11 +0000 Bring out the flavour of sesame seeds Sesame seeds give a lot of bang for your buck or, to put it more elegantly, a lot of flavour for their size. The tiny seeds of the Sesamum indicum plant, which have a very high oil content, are even more flavourful when toasted. You can do this in any type of pan over a flame, but trust the Japanese to come up with a special tool for roasting sesame seeds. The most attractive of these goma rosuta (sesame roasters) are made of clay - they look like deep bowls... https://www.scmp.com/cooking/article/3089729/sesame-seeds-and-how-use-them-your-cooking-chefs-tip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/cooking/article/3089729/sesame-seeds-and-how-use-them-your-cooking-chefs-tip?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jun 2020 07:30:19 +0000 Coagulated soybean milk isn’t the sexiest descriptor for bean curd, but coagulated animal milk isn’t a great way to describe cheese, either. Of course, the process of making both isn’t nearly as simple as adding a coagulant to the respective milks. Both are further processed - almost always by pressing to rid them of excess liquid, and sometimes, adding ingredients to change the flavour, followed by (again, sometimes) ageing. Wait, flavoured and aged tofu? Yes, but we’ll get to that in a... https://www.scmp.com/cooking/article/3084641/tofu-explained-how-its-made-and-recipes-use-tofu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/cooking/article/3084641/tofu-explained-how-its-made-and-recipes-use-tofu?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 15 May 2020 13:30:28 +0000 The Asian way of re-heating rice - by stir-frying it - is one of the easiest, most versatile techniques. It’s not just re-heated steamed rice, as it would be if you were using a steamer or microwave - it’s an entirely new dish, and one that can be enjoyed on its own. To make the best fried rice, try these easy tips. Use leftover rice. Fried rice almost certainly started as an efficient way to use up leftover rice, and that’s what you should use. Freshly cooked rice is too damp - the grains will... https://www.scmp.com/cooking/article/3081428/eight-simple-tips-making-best-fried-rice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/cooking/article/3081428/eight-simple-tips-making-best-fried-rice?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2020 08:45:15 +0000 If you go to any Asian supermarket, the fresh and dried noodle aisles can be overwhelming. Wheat noodles, mung bean noodles, egg noodles, sweet potato noodles, konjac noodles. What are they, and how do you use them? Wheat noodles Like Italian pasta, Asian wheat noodles come in different thicknesses and shapes. In general, thin wheat noodles are used in light, thin broths, while the wider (or fatter) ones are used better for sauced dishes or thicker soups (like Taiwan beef noodles). With their... https://www.scmp.com/cooking/article/3080344/top-asian-noodle-styles-explained?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/cooking/article/3080344/top-asian-noodle-styles-explained?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2020 05:24:06 +0000 Sharpening kitchen knives is a skill that’s fairly easy to learn, and one you’ll never regret acquiring. I sharpen mine on a steel almost every time I cook, and do more intensive sharpening once a month or so, as necessary. It’s easy to know when a knife needs to be sharpened: it requires more pressure when slicing, and you have less control over it. A really sharp knife glides through ingredients without crushing them. For home cooks, the basic sharpening tools are a steel (despite its name, it... https://www.scmp.com/cooking/article/3078734/how-sharpen-kitchen-knives-tips-home-chefs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/cooking/article/3078734/how-sharpen-kitchen-knives-tips-home-chefs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2020 06:03:01 +0000 Cooking rice should be easy. Humans have been eating it for millennia; our ancestors first started cultivating the seeds of wild grass an estimated 12,000 years ago, and today, it’s a staple for billions of people around the world. But unless you were raised watching someone prepare it for dinner every night, and who taught you their way of measuring the right amount of water (with Chinese households, this usually involves using the first joint of your forefinger as a guide), the thought of... https://www.scmp.com/cooking/article/3077505/how-cook-rice-perfectly-you?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/cooking/article/3077505/how-cook-rice-perfectly-you?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2020 09:42:39 +0000 Chinese fermented black beans (known in Cantonese as dou si) are powerful little umami bombs - they add an intense, rich savouriness to whatever they're cooked with. They are made from soy beans, which, when dried, range in colour from ivory to yellow. After being salted and fermented, the beans turn black, dusty and shrivelled. But don't let their appearance fool you - they're delicious, although because their flavour is so strong and pungent, they should be used sparingly. You can buy... https://www.scmp.com/cooking/article/3076190/how-cook-chinese-fermented-black-beans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/cooking/article/3076190/how-cook-chinese-fermented-black-beans?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2020 08:49:37 +0000 Beijing has banned the trade and consumption of wild animals in response to a coronavirus epidemic linked to a wildlife market in Wuhan in the central Chinese province of Hubei. Tap here to launch this special feature Purchase the China AI Report 2020 brought to you by SCMP Research and enjoy a 20% discount (original price US$400). This 60-page all new intelligence report gives you first-hand insights and analysis into the latest industry developments and intelligence about China AI. Get... https://www.scmp.com/infographics/news/china/article/3064927/wildlife-ban?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/infographics/news/china/article/3064927/wildlife-ban?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2020 10:30:54 +0000 We occasionally get emails from overseas readers asking for advice on what essentials to buy from Chinese supermarkets. They explain that they don’t live in big metropolitan cities, so visiting 99 Ranch, Tang Frères or whichever Chinese market is in their state or country is something they can do only a few times a year, so they want to know what staples to keep in their home pantry. Of course, it depends on the type of Chinese cooking you do. If you make a lot of Sichuan food, you’ll need a few... https://www.scmp.com/cooking/article/3064609/10-essential-chinese-ingredients-keep-your-kitchen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/cooking/article/3064609/10-essential-chinese-ingredients-keep-your-kitchen?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2020 08:39:18 +0000