Sesame oil is a key ingredient in our list of 10 Essential Chinese Pantry Ingredients. It’s one of those Asian staples that has made its way out into the mainstream. These days, even regular grocery stores stock it. It can quickly add that “Asian” twist to any recipe, and it’s an important flavor agent not […]

Shaoxing wine is perhaps the most common ingredient on The Woks of Life that you’ve never heard of. If you’ve ever wondered why your homemade Chinese food doesn’t taste like what you’d get at a restaurant, Shaoxing wine may be the key missing element! We call for Shaoxing wine in many recipes, from stir-fries to […]

Soy sauce is a familiar ingredient even to Western cooks these days. It holds a special place of importance in our list of 10 Essential Chinese Pantry Ingredients, and is truly essential to not just Chinese cooking, but Asian cooking in general. But some of our recipes call for “light soy sauce,” while others call […]

Soy sauce is a pretty familiar ingredient to most cooks, but what about “dark soy sauce?” What’s the difference between dark soy sauce and regular soy sauce, and do you need to have dark soy sauce in your pantry? The short answer is yes. Dark soy sauce is one of our 10 Essential Chinese Pantry […]

Thai soy sauces are similar to Chinese soy sauces in that there are both dark and light varieties. However, there are some key differences. Some say Thai soy sauce isn’t as briny or harshly salty as Chinese/Japanese soy sauce, because the salty flavor is balanced by sweetness from added sugar. Thai cooking, after all, is […]

Tamari is often billed as an alternative to soy sauce, particularly for those with a gluten intolerance/allergy. But what is Tamari, and how does it taste different from soy sauce? Let’s take a closer look!  What Is Tamari? Like soy sauce, Tamari is a Japanese sauce/condiment made from fermented soybeans. However, while soy sauce is […]

Many Chinese and Japanese soy sauce brands have gluten-free soy sauce options these days. Tamari is often described as a gluten-free alternative to soy sauce, but not all tamari products are guaranteed to be gluten-free.  Let’s clear up the confusion! What Is Gluten-Free Soy Sauce? Soy sauce is traditionally fermented with wheat or wheat flour in […]

Kikkoman, a Japanese food manufacturer well known for its soy sauces, is probably the most recognizable and easy-to-find brand of soy sauce in the United States.  But can you use Kikkoman in Chinese recipes? What’s the difference between Japanese soy sauce and Chinese soy sauce anyway? We’ll cover that and more in this quick article. […]