Ingredients used in chinese cookery

Szechuan peppercorns These dried reddish berries are used whole or ground to a powder. Pungent, peppery and citrussy, they have a characteristic ‘numbing’ effect. From Oriental supermarkets or Waitrose.

Potato flour Potatoes are steamed, dried, then ground to give this silky-smooth white flour. It gives wonderful crispness to ingredients when they are coated in it before being shallow- or deep-fried. It is gluten-free, and is sometimes called potato starch. From Oriental supermarkets or Waitrose. If unavailable, try rice flour or cornflour.

Black rice vinegar Made from fermented rice, this aromatic vinegar tastes mellow and earthy and, when cooked, it gives dishes a wonderful smoky flavour. From Oriental supermarkets or Waitrose. Balsamic vinegar makes a good substitute. Shaohsing rice wine Made from rice, millet and yeast, this wine has been aged for between three and five years. Rice wine takes the ‘odour’ or ‘rawness’ out of meats and fish and gives a bittersweet finish. From Oriental supermarkets or Waitrose. Chinese cooking wine or dry sherry make good substitutes.

Chilli bean paste Mainly used in Szechuan cooking, this is made from broad beans and chillies that have been fermented with salt to give a deep brown-red paste. Use with caution, as some varieties are very hot. From Oriental supermarkets.

Fermented salted black beans These small black soya beans have been preserved in salt, so they must be rinsed in cold water before use. They are used to make black bean paste, and can be found in Chinese supermarkets.