Hong Kong pantry

Short pages on ingredients you will meet in our recipes: what they are, their Chinese names, what to buy in Hong Kong, and what to use instead.

• Wet-market name sheet
  What to call 36 common ingredients in English, Chinese, Cantonese, Tagalog and Indonesian, with photos.
• Doubanjiang (chilli bean paste)
  A salty, savoury red paste that gives mapo tofu its flavour. Includes doubanjiang vs gochujang.
• Light soy sauce vs dark soy sauce
  Light soy adds salt and flavour. Dark soy adds colour.
• Oyster sauce
  A glossy, savoury brown sauce for stir-fries, steamed dishes and marinades.
• Dried shiitake mushrooms
  Chewy, smoky mushrooms that keep for months. The soaking water is a free stock.
• Sesame oil
  A few drops at the end make a dish smell toasty and nutty.

Looking for dishes by main ingredient, like chicken or pork? See By ingredient.