Guide to Asian Pantry Essentials for Home Cooks

Many home cooks think Asian cooking requires a huge, expensive shopping trip. In reality, a dozen well-chosen ingredients let you make dishes from China, Japan, Thailand, Korea and Vietnam. Most are shelf-stable, last for months and are inexpensive. This guide explains what to buy, what each item does and which recipes to cook first.

Sauces and liquids

• Soy sauce: the foundation of East Asian cooking. Buy a regular (light) soy sauce first. Dark soy sauce is thicker, less salty and used mainly for color. Tamari is a soy sauce often made with little or no wheat, but check the label for gluten.
• Oyster sauce: a sweet, savory sauce used in Chinese and Thai stir-fries. Vegetarian versions use mushrooms.
• Fish sauce: salty and pungent in the bottle, but it adds deep savory flavor to Thai and Vietnamese dishes, like Thai basil chicken and pho.
• Rice vinegar: mild and slightly sweet. Used in dressings, pickles and dipping sauces.
• Toasted sesame oil: a finishing oil rather than a cooking oil. A few drops add nutty aroma to egg fried rice.
• Mirin and sake: Japanese cooking wines that add sweetness and depth, key in chicken teriyaki.
• Hoisin sauce: sweet and thick, for dipping and glazing.

Pastes and ferments

• Miso: fermented soybean paste. White (shiro) is mild and sweet, red is stronger. Use it for miso soup, dressings and glazes.
• Gochujang: Korean fermented chili paste, essential for bibimbap.
• Kimchi: spicy fermented cabbage, delicious on its own and in kimchi fried rice.
• Chili crisp or sambal oelek: for heat and texture.
• Curry paste (Thai red, green or yellow): a shortcut for curries and soups.

Noodles and grains

• Jasmine rice for Thai and Southeast Asian food, and short-grain rice for Japanese and Korean dishes. See how to cook rice perfectly.
• Rice noodles: flat for pho and pad Thai, thin vermicelli for spring rolls.
• Wheat noodles, soba and udon: keep a pack or two.
• Rice paper wrappers: for fresh spring rolls.

Aromatics

Fresh ginger, garlic, scallions (green onions), lemongrass, cilantro and Thai basil are the flavor base. Store ginger in the freezer and grate it straight from frozen. Garlic and shallots keep in a cool, dark place. Chilies can be frozen whole.

Dried and canned goods

• Dried shiitake mushrooms, for deep umami broth.
• Kombu (dried kelp) and bonito flakes, for dashi. Dashi powder is a convenient shortcut; check the label for fish if you are vegetarian.
• Dried seaweed (nori and wakame).
• Coconut milk, for curries and soups.
• Tofu, fresh in the fridge, in firm, silken and baked varieties.
• Roasted peanuts and sesame seeds.

Where to shop

Asian grocery stores often offer lower prices and a wider selection than regular supermarkets, plus helpful staff. Many items are also available in the international aisle of larger stores or online. Brand matters; ask which bottle people recommend, and read ingredient labels carefully if you avoid gluten, shellfish, soy or sesame.

Storing your pantry

• Keep soy sauce, vinegar and oils in a cool cupboard, but refrigerate fish sauce after opening only if the label says to, and refrigerate miso, gochujang and kimchi.
• Dry noodles and rice keep for a year or more in airtight containers.
• Coconut milk should be refrigerated and used within a few days once opened.
• Write the opening date on bottles.

A beginner starter kit

If you buy only seven things, choose soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, oyster sauce (or hoisin), fresh ginger, garlic and a bag of jasmine rice. With these and an egg, you can make fried rice in 15 minutes. Add mirin and gochujang next, then fish sauce and miso.

Cooking tips

1. Have everything chopped before you turn on the heat; stir-frying is fast.
2. Use a hot pan and do not overcrowd it.
3. Taste and balance salty, sweet, sour and spicy.

For more cooking ideas, browse our Asian cuisine hubs: Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean and Vietnamese. Our general pantry staples list covers the everyday basics. Always check labels for allergens, as described in the Nutrition & Allergy Disclaimer.