What ingredient do chinese restaurants use, that we don′t?!
What ingredient do chinese restaurants use, that we don′t?
We went out for chinese food last night, and I give up-I can′t make it as good at home. What do they use that I don′t when cooking chicken receipes? Is there a certain herb?
Answers: Well, depends on what you mean "we". Asian food in general use a number of things not found in the 'typical' American kitchen. For one thing, they use 'fish sauce', bottled stuff you get at Asian markets. They use shoyu, or soy sauce. They make teriyaki sauce. They use radishes of great variety, some ground up and used as ingredients. They use different cabbages and other vegetables. Well, they use quite a lot of different things.
I used to live in Japan and I was once married to a Korean, so a lot of this stuff I use all the time now. There are a number of really good books devoted to the ingredients used in various Asian cooking styles and some great web sites, too. I've found that while the cook's don't usually give out recipes, they enjoy talking cooking and will gladly tell you what some of their ingredients are. I'd just ask them (when the restaurant isn't terribly busy). You learn stuff and often make new friends. cat , that's the key ingredient. Aginomoto Most places are users of MSG, a flavor enhancer. It's also using many fresh ingredients together. Most people when cooking at home either don't know or take shortcuts to make it easier. Fresh ginger and garlic are key. Chili paste, sesame oil (for flavor, not cooking) the list goes on..... Ajinomoto also called Mono Sodium Gluconate ( MSG )
MSG incidentally is harmful for pregnant women and children. It's use is banned in packaged food in some countries. MSG (or Aginomoto as someone else mentioned) is a flavor enhancer. AC'CENT is a product that you can buy that is mostly MSG. Our chinese restaurant where I live is infested with cockroaches. Maybe thats what they use. If you do use MSG you have to make sure that you know that it is known for giving it's consumers headaches. That's why a lot of restaurant post "NO MSG ADDED" signs chinese restaurants stopped using MSG...but u might ask how is theyre food still good? its all about tradition...lol they use their food senses to eyeball the amounts put into their food. when i ask my mom how much she cant ever really tell me haha its like a way to "feel" ur food. crazy stuff.