1 Chives or kuchay leaves are often used in stir-fry dishes or in making dumplings with shrimp and pork. They add aroma and flavor to the dish. (Click here to see our list of recipes with chives)

2 Bok choy or Chinese white cabbage is a common ingredient in Asian cooking. This short vegetable with green leaves and crunchy white stalks is often used with soups and stir-fried dishes. (See list of bokchoy recipes here)

3 Chinese dried mushrooms are steeped in hot water before cooking; the water is then added to the dish as substitute for water or broth.  (Related article: Meet The Mushrooms)

4 Chinese sausage is a popular dried, smoky-sweet hard sausage often tossed into fried rice and stir-fried dishes. (Chinese sausage recipes here)

5 Oyster sauce is a thick concentrated sauce made with oysters and soy sauce, widely used in Asian dishes. It is used a lot in stir-fries or as a dipping sauce. (Click here for recipes with oyster sauce)

6 Leeks can be cooked as is, as a vegetable dish, or as an ingredient in various stir-fried Chinese dishes. It’s a pretty garnish too. (See our list of recipes with leeks here)

7 Cilantro, coriander, or wansoy all refer to the same ingredient. It has a very strong aroma and works great in seafood dishes. Some people call the leaves of the plant cilantro and the white to the root section as coriander. (Click here for cilantro recipes)

8 Shao xing wine is a type of Chinese rice wine or cooking wine that has a very strong aroma and flavor because of its long aging process. (View our recipes with Shao xing wine here)

9 Wonder powder is a form of starch used as binder for dumplings or as a thickener to sauces and soups. It is also called potato starch. (Use it with these wonder powder recipes)

10 O.K. sauce is sweet, sour, and salty. It’s an all-in-one sauce that’s a combination of different sauces. (Try it on this Crispy Pork Spareribs with Kung Pao, O.K. Sauce)

11 Spring onions or scallions are usually chopped, and used in salads, soups and as a topping or garnish to most dishes. (Go here to see our recipes with spring onions)

12 Black fungus or wood ear mushrooms look like brown-black potato chips and are great with stir-fried dishes or hotpots. They are usually soaked in hot water before cooking. They’re tasteless but yield a soft, slightly crunchy texture. (Toss it in these stir-fry recipes)

(Related:  Learn How to Stir-fry here)

13 Chili garlic sauce is used as an ingredient, dip, or topping in Asian cuisine. It adds heat and flavor when added to a dish.

14 Sesame oil is a dark-colored oil used widely in Asian dishes for their deep aroma and flavor. It can be simply drizzled on top before serving or used in dressings. (Try it on these recipes with sesame oil)

15 Cantonese preserved salted duck adds a smoky flavor to dishes. Add them to stir-fry and braised dishes to heighten flavor and aroma.