Rice

Long-grain rice is the most popular type of rice in Chinese cooking and there are many different varieties.

Rice vinegar

Used widely in Chinese cooking and made from rice and grains, rice vinegar has sweet, tart and slightly pungent flavour. Black rice vinegar is dark in colour and is used in braised dishes and sauces.

Sesame oil

A highly aromatic oil made from sesame seeds this is used as a flavouring in very small quantities in many Chinese dishes.

Shaoxing rice wine

This amber-coloured Chinese matured rice wine is widely used in Chinese cooking. A dry pale sherry can be substituted for it in any of the recipes.

Soy sauce

Used in China more than 3,000 years ago, this sauce is made from fermented soya beans, flour and water and is then distilled. There are two main types of soy sauce: dark and light. Light soy is light in colour, full of flavour and widely used in Chinese cooking. It is slightly saltier than dark soy sauce. Dark soy sauce is aged for longer than the light variety and is therefore thicker and darker.

Spring roll wrappers

These paper-thin pastry skins made from flour and water are used for making spring rolls and are about 15 cm(6 inches)square. They can be bought ready-made frozen in packets and need to be thawed before using.

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