More about Tools and Ingredients

When I received my new wok, I also got a few tools as part of the kit I ordered:

• Metal spatula
• Metal ladle
• Spider or strainer
• Large chopsticks
• Bamboo steamer

You can use any metal spatula or flat fish turner you have in your kitchen as well as other tools you have.  The metal spatula is important to be able to get under delicate meat without tearing it up.  If your wok is not made of a non-stick surface the metal tools are definitely recommended.  (Do NOT waste your money on a non-stick wok.  It can't stand up to the high temperatures used in wok cooking.)

It's always important to use the freshest ingredients when you're stir-frying.  The only exception is when you're making fried rice.  Use leftover rice.  Chop all ingredients ahead of time so when you begin to cook you can focus totally on the wok.  It goes very fast. Basic produce items used in Wok Cooking are:
Vegetables  (wash and dry them completely before stir-frying)

• Bean Sprouts
• Bok Choy
• Chayote
• Chiles (Fresh and Dried)
• Chinese Broccoli
• Chinese eggplant
• Cilantro
• Edamame
• Fava Beans
• Fuzzy Melon
• Garlic
• Ginger root
• Long Beans
• Lotus Root
• Several varieties of mushrooms--Dried and Fresh
• Napa Cabbage
• Snow Pea Shoots
• Water Chestnuts
• Water Spinach
• You Choui
• Scallions
• Low Sodium Chicken and/or Vegetable stock (homemade if possible)

Here are a few essential ingredients you need to always have on hand in your pantry:
Sauces:  (Buy them as you need them to start building your pantry.)

• Bean Sauce
• Chili Bean Sauce
• Chili Garlic Sauce
• Fish Sauce
• Hoisin Sauce
• Oyster Sauce
• Rice Wine or Dry Sherry
• Rice Wine Vinegar
• Shao Hsing Rice Wine
• Soy Sauce (light and dark)
• Toasted Sesame Oil
• Vinegar--Chinkiang and Rice
• Wet Bean Curd, White

Oils:

• Chili Oil
• Peanut Oil
• Sesame Oil

Dried Ingredients:

• Cloud Ears
• Curry Powder
• Fermented Black Beans
• Five Spice

Noodles: (Dried and Fresh)

• Broad Rice (F)
• Chinese Egg Noodles (F)
• Cellophane (D)
• Rice Sticks (D)

Fresh Ingredients: (as needed for the recipe you are going to make)

• Chinese Bacon
• Chinese Sausage
• Tofu (Firm and Five Spice)
• Shrimp Scallops
• Shrimp
• Scallops
• Chicken
• Beef
• Sichuan Peppercorns

Grace Young has a section in her book completely devoted to ingredients and even provides a picture so if you go to an Asian grocery, in which labels are usually not in English, you can point to the picture and ask to grocer to help you find the items.