Asian Culinary Dictionary of Ingredients and Cooking Terms - B
Baby Bok Choy (Photo) - Also called Shanghai cabbage, the name is appropriate as this is a smaller version of bok choy (see below for description of bok choy).
Bamboo Shoots (Photo) - The shoots of the bamboo plant, native to Asia, and a
popular item in Chinese cooking. Edible bamboo shoots fall into two broad categories,
winter and spring shoots. Spring shoots are larger and tougher than winter shoots. In
general, canned bamboo shoots are easier to obtain than fresh shoots. After opening the
can, you can rinse them in hot water to get rid of any "tinny" taste. Unused
bamboo shoots should be stored in the refrigerator in a jar of water, with the water
changed daily.
Barbeque Sauce - Chinese barbecue sauce is very different from western barbecue
sauces, which are often tomato or mustard-based. While there are variations, Chinese
barbecue sauces often contain hoisin sauce, vinegar, sesame oil or paste, and perhaps bean
sauce.
Recipe: Grilled Sesame
Scallops
Bean Curd - See Soy Bean Curd
Bean Sauce - A thick (really more like a paste than a sauce) aromatic sauce that
is made from soybeans mixed with flour and salt, and fermented. There are a number of
varieties, including brown bean sauce, yellow bean sauce and bean paste. Keeps
indefinitely when stored in the refrigerator.
Bird's Nest - Authentic bird's nest soup is made using the nests of the
swiftlet, a tiny bird found throughout southeast Asia. Instead of twigs and straw,
the swiftlet makes its nest from strands of gummy saliva, which harden when exposed to
air. Once the nests are harvested, they are cleaned and sold to restaurants, where
they are served simmered in chicken broth. Authentic bird's nest soup is quite popular
throughout Asia, perhaps because it has the reputation of being an aphrodisiac. It
is also quite costly; many western restaurants serve a less expensive version consisting
of soup with noodles shaped to resemble a bird's nest.
Bitter Melon or Foo Gwa (Photo) - Also known as Balsam Pear, this is a very strange looking gourd, shaped something like a cucumber with a rough, pockmarked skin. The flavor is unusual as well - like cilantro, it's an acquired taste. Fortunately, blanching it before cooking will help reduce the bitter taste. (You can also degorge them as you would with eggplant). In addition, you'll often find bitter melon paired with strong flavors such as black beans, which counteracts the bitterness. In one well-known Chinese recipe bitter melon is stuffed with pork, garlic, and mashed black beans, and steamed. Bitter melon has long been thought to have medicinal value, and has been used to treat low blood sugar and infections. More recently it has been used to treat HIV.
Stored in a plastic bag in the vegetable crisper section of the refrigerator,
bitter melon should keep for four to five days. Before using, cut in half, seed
and core, and then blanch if desired.
Blanch - Blanching is a process whereby the food is briefly plunged in
boiling water for a moment, then immediately transferred to ice water to stop the cooking
process. It is a technique commonly used with Chinese vegetables prior to stir-frying. The
goal is to bring out the color and flavor of the vegetable without overcooking.
Bok Choy - A type of cabbage, the most common variety of which is the distinctive
vegetable with the white stem and dark green leaves readily available in most
supermarkets. There is also Shanghai or baby bok choy, a smaller version of the same
vegetable. Besides being used in soups and stir-fries, you'll also find it in braised
dishes. Keep in the vegetable crisper section of the refrigerator. Rinse
thoroughly before using.
Braise - As in western cooking, braising is a technique used with tougher cuts of
meat. After browning, the meat is boiled and then slowly simmered in a stock, usually
accompanied with seasonings. Red cooking, popular in eastern China, is a method where the
food is braised in soy sauce, imparting a dark color. Vegetables such as bok choy can also
be braised.
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An ever-growing index of Asian ingredients and cooking terms, from Abalone to Wood Ears.
