Chinese recipes Essential ingredients for Chinese cooking

1. Soy sauce

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1. Soy sauce (Image 1 of 8)

Alan Yau, the man behind Michelin-starred restaurants Hakkasan and Yauatcha, talks us through the basic ingredients you'll need to cook authentic Chinese food.

Soy sauce
Made from fermented soy beans, roasted grains, water and salt, soy sauce is arguably the most important ingredient to have in the cupboard for Chinese food, producing what the Japanese term umami (meaning 'deliciousness') in the flavouring.

There are a variety of different soy sauces suitable for different dishes and cooking methods, the recipe will tell you which to choose.

Use in: Chinese chicken and spring onion salad recipe.