\tAs a native Chinese girl with a passion for cooking, I claim with pride that Chinese home cooking is as low-fuss as it is healthy and delicious. Even with a busy daily schedule, the simplicity of Chinese cooking helps steal time to whip up tasty dishes or stew an aromatic soup for yourself and other hungry appetites! Let the imagination run wild using the five essential ingredients. There is no excuse for a boring dinner ever again!<\/p>\n
\tThe five ingredients are cooking oil<\/strong>, ginger<\/strong>, garlic<\/strong>, scallion<\/strong>, and salt<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \tCooking oil<\/strong><\/p>\n \tOften the first step in many Chinese recipes is to ‘heat oil in the wok’. A variety of cooking oils add fragrance to the dish. Oil keeps the food from sticking to the wok. At a high temperature, oil can cook your dish quickly.<\/p>\n \tChoose oils based on flavor preference or the oil’s benefits. If budget is the deciding factor, soybean oil (\u5927\u8c46\u6cb9, dà dòuyóu)<\/strong> is a great choice. Soy bean oil aids in nourishing the intestines. A stressful work week may benefit from corn oil (\u7389\u7c73\u6cb9, yùm\u01d0 yóu)<\/strong>, as it helps relax the heart and brain. Expecting mothers may consider walnut oil (\u6838\u6843\u6cb9, hétáo yóu)<\/strong> as it is packed with nutrients beneficial for the fetus’ brain, retina, skin and kidney’s healthy growth. Peanut oil (\u82b1\u751f\u6cb9, hu\u0101sh\u0113ngyóu)<\/strong> is a nutritious oil adding wonderful fragrance to dishes.<\/p>\n \tWhile different cooking oils possess distinct benefits, we cannot overuse it. Scientific research shows that a daily intake of 25 grams is enough for adults.<\/p>\n \tGinger, garlic, and scallion<\/strong><\/p>\n \tThere is an old saying in China, “Eat ginger, garlic, and scallion well daily, and the frequency of getting sick will decrease by half.” (\u5403\u597d\u8471\u59dc\u849c\uff0c\u75c5\u75db\u5c11\u4e00\u534a\uff1bCh\u012b h\u01ceo c\u014dng ji\u0101ng suàn, bìngtòng sh\u01ceo y\u012bbàn.) In Chinese herbal medicine culture, food is medicine. To some extent, it can account for why in China, ginger, garlic, and scallion are indispensible, everyday ingredients. More than 2,000 years ago, Confucius wrote, “\u4e0d\u6492\u59dc\u98df\uff0c\u4e0d\u591a\u98df\u3002”(Bù s\u0101 ji\u0101ng shí, bù du\u014d shí.) It means Confucius ate ginger for every meal, but he did not eat much each time. Ginger<\/strong> has a mild nature, which warms the blood and stimulates appetite. Garlic<\/strong> is pungent and kills bacteria, especially great for preventing stomach and intestinal disease. Scallion<\/strong> may suppress bacteria formation and aid digestion. In addition to adding aromas to dishes, they also help support healthy physique and function.<\/p>\n \tSalt<\/strong><\/p>\n \tIn Chinese culinary history, salt is ranks number one among all the food flavors (\u76d0\u662f\u767e\u5473\u4e4b\u9996, Yán shì b\u01ceiwèi zh\u012b sh\u01d2u). When tasting a dish before adding salt, the palate senses lack of flavor. Once enough salt is added, food tastes immediately delicious!<\/p>\n \tLook out for the next post showing how these ingredients can be applied in one dish.<\/p>\n