Kitchen essentials: 10 seasoning usage tips

As the old saying goes, the seven necessities for opening the door in the morning are "firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea." Notice that four of these seven things are seasonings. Without seasonings, it's impossible to cook a delicious meal, but having seasonings doesn't guarantee a perfect meal. There are rules to using seasonings; it's not as simple as grabbing them and pouring them into the pot whenever you feel like it.

As the old saying goes, the seven essential things for starting a day are "firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea." Notice that four of these seven are seasonings. Seasonings are essential for creating delicious food, but their use isn't simply about throwing them into a pot at any time. There are rules to their use.

What seasonings do you have in your kitchen? Common ones include oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, MSG, pepper, cooking wine, oyster sauce, fermented soybean paste, and yellow soy bean paste. Some people may have regionally specific seasonings, such as char siu sauce, seafood sauce, sesame sauce, and sweet oil. Today, we will focus on ten common seasonings and share some tips on how to use them, guaranteeing you can also cook delicious food.

1. The Use of MSG When mentioning MSG, we must also mention chicken essence. In fact, they have almost the same components. Look at the ingredients of chicken essence; "MSG" is usually listed first. The difference is that chicken essence may contain some additional ingredients like eggs, scallions, and ginger to enhance the "fresh" taste.

Secrets to Using MSG and Chicken Essence

Both are not heat-resistant. Do not use them for stir-frying, or boil them for a long time. High temperatures and long cooking times cause the "sodium glutamate" to denature, producing a strange taste that affects the flavor of the dish. The best way to use them is to add a small amount just before serving to enhance the freshness.

Do not add MSG or chicken essence to dishes with a strong sour taste, such as sweet and sour, vinegar-braised, or vinegar-cooked dishes. This is because MSG is difficult to dissolve in highly acidic dishes, resulting in a poor effect on enhancing the freshness.

Do not add chicken essence and MSG to scrambled eggs, mushrooms, seafood, or dishes cooked with high-quality broth. Eggs, mushrooms, seafood, and high-quality broth produce "sodium glutamate" during cooking, the main component of MSG. They are naturally flavorful, so there's no need to add more.

Adding MSG to cold dishes requires attention. The release of umami in MSG and chicken essence requires specific conditions, preferably a temperature between 80 and 100 degrees Celsius. Therefore, it's best to dilute them with hot water before adding to cold dishes.

2. The Use of Soy Sauce Nowadays, there are many types of soy sauce, such as regular soy sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, premium soy sauce, and steamed fish soy sauce. Many people are always wondering which one to buy. For ordinary families, having a bottle of light soy sauce and a bottle of dark soy sauce is enough. Pay attention to the grade when purchasing soy sauce; the higher the grade, the better.

Secrets to Using Various Soy Sauces

Soy sauces suitable for cold dishes: Light soy sauce, premium soy sauce. These soy sauces are light in color, slightly sweet, and umami-rich, making them perfect for cold dishes.

Soy sauces suitable for enhancing the color of dishes: Dark soy sauce, regular soy sauce. These soy sauces are darker than other soy sauces, with dark soy sauce being the darkest. They can be used to add color to braised and stewed dishes. Regular soy sauce also has a color-enhancing effect.

Soy sauce suitable for long cooking: Regular soy sauce. Soy sauces like yellow soy bean sauce have a slightly darker color and a stronger soy sauce flavor. They need to be simmered for a long time to release their flavor and umami. They can be used in braised and stewed dishes.

Soy sauces suitable for stir-frying: Light soy sauce, premium soy sauce, steamed fish soy sauce, etc. These soy sauces have a slightly sweet taste and can quickly enhance the freshness during stir-frying, suitable for dishes that cook quickly. Steamed fish soy sauce pairs especially well with steamed fish.

When adding soy sauce, pay attention to the order, specifically the order of soy sauce and salt. Generally, in cooking, add soy sauce first, then salt. This is because soy sauce also has a certain degree of saltiness; prioritize preserving the "freshness and aroma," then adjust the "saltiness".

3. The Use of Vinegar Like soy sauce, there are many types of vinegar, such as aged vinegar, fragrant vinegar, rice vinegar, and white vinegar. These four types of vinegar have very different flavors and play different roles in cooking.

Secrets to Using Vinegar

Aged vinegar: Its acetic acid taste is more mellow, and its color is slightly darker. It is most suitable for braising or stir-frying dishes with a strong vinegar flavor, such as vinegar-braised hairtail and vinegar-braised cabbage. It also helps remove the fishy smell from meat.

Fragrant vinegar: Strong aroma, slightly lighter acetic acid taste, most suitable for cold dishes or dipping sauces.

Rice vinegar: Quite versatile, suitable for both stir-frying and cold dishes. I personally prefer using it for cold dishes because of its light aroma, especially 9-degree rice vinegar, which is particularly appetizing.

White vinegar: Has no special aroma, only acetic acid taste. It's suitable for dishes where color is important, such as spicy shredded potatoes. Using white vinegar maintains the potato's original color while adding acidity. It can also be added to meat broth to break down nutrients, or used as a kitchen cleaner.

There are specific ways to use vinegar: When adding vinegar to a pot, pour it along the edge. The high temperature will enhance the aroma of the vinegar and remove some of the fishy smell from the ingredients. Adding vinegar when a dish is too salty is the wrong choice. A small amount will make the dish even saltier, while a large amount will mask the saltiness with the strong vinegar flavor.

4. The Use of Cooking Wine Cooking wine is a common kitchen tool for removing fishy smells. It works by using its 10 to 15 degrees of alcohol to dissolve the fishy-smelling substances and then using heat to evaporate them. The appropriate amount of spice in cooking wine also helps cover the fishy smell and enhance the aroma. What are the considerations for using cooking wine? Can white wine or beer replace cooking wine?

Secrets to Using Cooking Wine

Cooking wine is generally only used to remove fishy smells from meat and animal offal, not vegetables. It is also not suitable for dumpling fillings because it cannot evaporate when enclosed in the dumpling wrapper, easily producing an unpleasant odor.

When stir-frying, add cooking wine after the meat is put into the pan and when the temperature is highest. The high temperature can then remove the fishy smell. For example, when stir-frying meat strips, add cooking wine when the meat is about 80% cooked.

When simmering meat soup, add cooking wine only after the soup boils. This helps remove the fishy smell dispersed in the soup.

When stir-frying, add cooking wine along the edge of the pan because the temperature is highest there. Avoid pouring it directly onto the ingredients, as their lower temperature can result in a strong alcohol taste, affecting the overall flavor of the dish.

White wine and beer are less effective at removing fishy smells than cooking wine. White wine, with its high alcohol content, can alter the taste and texture of ingredients. Beer, with its low alcohol content, is not very effective at removing fishy smells, but it can be used in dishes with specific alcoholic flavors.

5. Using Pixian Doubanjiang Pixian Doubanjiang is the "soul" of Sichuan cuisine, used in many dishes. However, many people don't achieve the best results. This is often due to incorrect usage; read on to find out why.

Pixian Doubanjiang Usage Secrets

Pixian Doubanjiang is raw fermented bean paste and isn't suitable for direct consumption due to its unpleasant taste and texture. It's only suitable for cooking after heating.

For better results, chop the Doubanjiang before use. The broad beans are quite large, and chopping them releases their aroma and prevents you from biting into whole beans, improving the texture of the dish.

First, stir-fry the Doubanjiang until fragrant and the red oil emerges. Then, mix it with the main ingredients and stir-fry together. Use a low oil temperature, ideally around 100 degrees Celsius, and stir continuously to prevent sticking.

The "red oil Doubanjiang" in Pixian Doubanjiang is suitable for dishes that cook quickly and require a bright color, such as Fish-Fragrant Shredded Pork. The slightly higher grade "first-grade Doubanjiang" is more versatile, suitable for stir-frying, stewing, and steaming, with a richer aroma. The even higher grade "special grade Doubanjiang" is suitable for dishes with extremely high requirements, although it's expensive and has a darker color. For both color and aroma, combine red oil Doubanjiang with special or first-grade Doubanjiang.

6. Using White Sugar Many people refuse to use white sugar in cooking, but it's not as bad as you think. White sugar has many uses in cooking and is a great tool for chefs.

White Sugar Usage Secrets

Adding a small amount of white sugar to dishes enhances their flavor. The sugar reacts with the amino acids and proteins in the ingredients through the Maillard reaction, creating various savory substances.

White sugar and rock sugar can be used to color ingredients, a process known as caramelization. The caramelized sugar colors the ingredients while significantly reducing the sweetness.

White sugar can help balance the acidity of vinegar. For example, adding white sugar to vinegar-braised cabbage softens the sourness and adds a touch of sweetness, creating an appealing sweet and sour flavor. This also applies to dishes like sweet and sour pork ribs.

White sugar, when in contact with ingredients, creates osmotic pressure. At high concentrations, this osmotic pressure can be used for sterilization and preservation (e.g., candied fruit). At low concentrations, it also has uses, such as soaking wood ear mushrooms. Adding a small amount of sugar to the water helps the mushrooms soak up in 15 minutes.

7. Using Black and White Pepper In ancient times, pepper was as valuable as gold, used by emperors to reward meritorious ministers. This was because pepper was imported and rare. Even today, pepper is not cheap. Pepper comes in black and white varieties. Black pepper is made from unripe peppercorns, while white pepper is made from fully ripe peppercorns. They have different flavors and uses.

Black and White Pepper Usage Secrets

Both are not very heat-resistant and are not suitable for high-temperature stir-frying or deep-frying. It's best to add them just before the dish is finished.

Black pepper has a strong, spicy aroma, suitable for marinating, pan-frying, and grilling meat. White pepper is slightly spicier and is suitable for enhancing the flavor of soups and can also be used in stir-fries.

Dissolve white pepper powder in water or soy sauce before adding it to the pot or soup to prevent clumping.

8. Using Oyster Sauce Oyster sauce is a condiment used to enhance flavor. Because it's made from oysters, it has a light seafood flavor that adds richness to dishes. While oyster sauce is delicious, it shouldn't be used indiscriminately, as incorrect use can significantly affect the taste of a dish.

Oyster Sauce Usage Secrets

The savory flavor of oyster sauce is not heat-resistant, so it's not suitable for high-temperature stir-frying or long stewing. It's best to add it before the dish is finished; a little heat is enough to release its aroma.

Don't use oyster sauce in spicy, sweet and sour, or vinegar-based dishes. These dishes have strong flavors that mask the savory taste of oyster sauce, making it pointless to add.

Don't use oyster sauce with pickled vegetables. Oyster sauce is rich in nutrients, including proteins, vitamins, and minerals, which can deteriorate when exposed to air for a long time, leading to spoilage of the pickled ingredients.

The best way to cook with oyster sauce is to follow a "self-centered" principle, making it the star of the dish, such as oyster sauce lettuce, oyster sauce mushrooms, oyster sauce beef, etc. This maximizes its advantages.

After opening, refrigerate oyster sauce to prevent mold growth.

Don't try to transfer oyster sauce to plastic packaging. Oyster sauce releases gas when heated, and only glass bottles can withstand the high pressure. Adding a pump to the glass bottle is also not advisable, as it can accelerate spoilage.

9. Using Salt Salt is the king of flavors. Saltiness brings out the aroma and savory taste of ingredients. Salt also has strong osmotic pressure, which can sterilize and preserve food. Although it's a basic condiment, there are secrets to using it effectively.

Salt Usage Secrets

Generally, salt should be added last among all seasonings. This is mainly because many seasonings also contain saltiness, such as light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, chicken essence, MSG, fermented soybean paste, oyster sauce, etc. Adding salt last allows for better adjustment of the saltiness of the dish.

Salt has a sterilizing and disinfecting effect. When cleaning some vegetables and fruits, a small amount of salt can be added for soaking before rinsing clean.

Salt also has a non-stick function. Before frying fish, sprinkling salt into the hot oil in the pan can effectively prevent the fish skin from sticking, but the saltiness of the dish should be considered.

Salt can prevent hot oil from splashing. For example, when frying eggs, a little salt can be sprinkled into the hot oil, making the process safer.

There are many types of starch, such as cornstarch, corn starch, sweet potato starch, wheat starch, and many more. They play an important role in the kitchen. Some starches can be used interchangeably, while others cannot. The details are explained below.

Starch Usage Tips

Cornstarch and cornflour are most suitable for thickening dishes. Cornflour produces a clear, thick sauce with less usage, making dishes look brighter. Corn starch is a second choice.

When thickening ingredients, first dilute the starch with cold water before adding it to the pot and keep the heat high.

Cornflour, cornstarch, and sweet potato starch are all suitable for coating ingredients, protecting them from high-temperature frying and cooking, locking in moisture, and maintaining a tender texture. For example, stir-fried shredded meat, stir-fried meat slices, pickled fish fillets, sweet and sour fish, and fried crispy meat.

Wheat starch is mainly used to make crystal steamed dumplings, shrimp dumplings, and rice noodle rolls.

——Comments——

Today, I'm sharing these 10 kitchen seasoning tips, which may be helpful for kitchen novices. Of course, experienced cooks can also point out any shortcomings, and we can learn together.