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Best Spice Store in Minneapolis with over 160 spices!  Your Local Twin Cities Global International Pantry Food Store & Cooking School - NW of Minneapolis

During the period of the Tang (618-907 A.D.) and the Song (960-1279 A.D.) dynasties, the Chinese began to develop and identify a system for nutritional and medical value of plants: fungus (mushrooms), herbs, vegetables, meats and use this information for prevention and cure of diseases, for overall health became important.

Confucianism

Confucius was instep with the being of food.  For him food was to be enjoyed so he obsessed about how to cultivate their palate and delight their senses.  He went on to explore culinary etiquette, social sharing of food, presentation and combining of tastes and textures  He also stressed the use of color and aroma in the presentation of a dish.

He set standards in serving food to diners. Food he said should be bite sized when it reached the table so as to delight the diner. Since then in Chinese culture no one has any knives on the table.

The art of dining was also important to him like sharing food with friends and family which is now an important part of Chinese culinary tradition.

Confucius said that enjoying food makes a human  beautiful and gentle and promotes peace and harmony of society.

Confucianism made Chinese food more elegant and royal for the common man to enjoy.

Taoism ( an old FDA)

Taoism is as old as 500 B.C. It contributed to creating a Chinese cuisine hat integrates the life giving properties of food. Taoism studied the effects (both physical and psychological) of foods and prepared dishes.  It used food for the nourishment of the body, prevention of disease and the search for longevity.

Tooism has studied plants, roots, herbs, fungus and seeds to find medicinal value and health giving properties, how to combine these foods and preserve these inate properties in food during cooking.

This led to Chinese cuisine embracing lots of greens,  vegetables, grains, herbs and cooking with little fate still low-calorie and low-fat.  Meats were to be used as flavorings. To bring joy to the art of healthful eating Chinese cuisine has many sauces, spices, flavorings and seasonings that add sparkle and taste.

Chinese cooking is considered an art and a science.There are two distinct cuisines in China - Southern and Northern cuisines.
Southern dishes emphasize freshness and tenderness.
Northern dishes, due to its colder climate, have more fat and garlic which is offset with vinegar.

copyright Kavita Mehta, Minneapolis

Ginger, black beans, rice wine and soy sauce make up the basics of Chinese cooking. Some of the spices used in Chinese cooking are ginger, green onion, star anise, and white pepper and five spice powder. Oyster sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, rice, noodles, chili sauce or chili oil are also a must in a Chinese pantry.

Our store has the following Essentials to Cook Chinese dishes.

Rice Vinegar. Chinese vinegar is lighter and sweeter than Western vinegars. Has a mellow flavor and is used in sauces and dressings. Use this whenever a recipe calls for vinegar. There are several varieties of Chinese rice vinegar, including black, red, white, and sweetened. White vinegar is often used for pickling, and for sweet and sour recipes; red vinegar for noodle dishes and seafood; black vinegar for dipping sauces and braised dishes. rice vinegar

Dark Sesame Oil. This is a favorite in our store -  rich, aromatic and nutty. It is never used for deep-frying, but is rather added in small amounts to salad dressings, marinades, dipping sauces, and stir-fry dishes.
dark sesame oil
Dried chili peppers. The intense heat of peppers balances the sweet and sour aspects of Chinese cooking. They are used in stir frys, stews, sauces, dressings and to infuse oils. chili peppers

Dried Chinese Mushrooms. This adds a quick, pungent, meaty, smoky flavor to Chinese dishes. dried mushrooms

Fermented or salted Black Beans. Also called Douchi is another favorite in our store. They keep indefinitely. Give them a quick wash and soak, drain and they are ready to use. Douchi is especially used to flavor fish or stir-fried vegetables. fermented black beans

Oyster Sauce.  This is a favoite of Cantonese cooking. A must in a Chinese pantry and used in sauces for seafood, meat, and vegetable dishes. Combine with soysauce, ginger and some palm sugar. oyster sauce

Plum Sauce. Also Cantonese and used as a table relish and a dip for duck and fried appetizers and with Chinese barbecued meats.
Fish Sauce - Mainly used in Southeast Asian dishes it is also used in Cantonese dishes. Use sparingly for stir-fry dishes, marinades, dressings and dipping sauces. fish sauce

Rice Wine. Our best offering is Shaoxing Wine. Forget sherry or any other wine in your cooking use this mellow, delicate wine which will enhance any dish of any country in the world. In China rice wine is used to flavor marinades, dipping sauces, broths, and stir-fry dishes. rice wine
Soy Sauce. A stable of Chinese cooking andused to flavor many dishes in China. We also carry thick sweet soy sauce which is sweetened with palm sugar and spiced with garlic and star anise. thick soy sauce
Bean Sauce - A thick, salty fermented soybean paste and is added to sauces and marinades in may Chinese dishes. bean sauce
Chili Sauce - A paste of hot chili peppers seasoned with garlic, used in dipping sauces, marinades, soups, and stir-fry dishes.chili sauce
Chili Oil - A potent mixture of soybean oil, laced with dried chili flakes, sesame oil, garlic oil, and ginger oil. chili oil
Mushroom Soy Sauce - A richer flavor to ordinary soy sauce and perfect for vegetarian Chinese cooking. mushroom soy sauce
Shrimp Sauce - A thick, salty, pungent sauce made from fermented shrimp. shrimp sauce
Sweet and Sour Sauce - Use instead of Western tomato ketchup is more spicy, delicate and flavorful. sweet and sour

Mushrooms & More

Black Fungus or Cloud Ears or Wood Ears- Also called vegetarian meat. It add meaty delicate texture to dishes and they easily take on the seasonings of soups, and stir-fry dishes. Since they are delicate, they should be added in the last few minutes of cooking. Soak in warm water and they will expand significantly, and should be trimmed and chopped before adding to a recipe. black fungus
Chinese Black Mushrooms - Comparable to Japanese shitake mushrooms, Chinese black mushrooms are usually sold dried and may range anywhere from light tan to dark brown in color. Before using in a recipe, they should be soaked in warm water, and chopped for use in soups and stir-fry dishes.
Dried Lily Buds - Sometimes called golden needles, dried lily buds are the young blossoms of the day lily, Hemerocallis. When added to soups, hot pots, stews or stir-fry dishes, they impart a distinctively earthy flavor. Since they are dried, they must be soaked to soften before using in a recipe, and may be added whole or sliced. lily buds

Noodles

Bean Thread Noodles - We love these transclucent noodles. Also called cellophane or glass noodles these are made with mung bean starch. Soak bean thread noodles in warm water and they will become soft. Use in salads and wrapped rolls, or deep fry them to make a snack or garnish or a srispy bed for tapas like snacks. bean thread noodles
Rice Noodles - Made with rice flour, rice noodles are sometimes called rice sticks and may be used in a variety of ways in Chinese cooking. When fresh, they are soft and flexible, when dried they are brittle and fragile. They can be soaked in warm water before adding to stir-fried noodle dishes or deep fried without soaking to form a nest or crispy bed for a creative recipe presentation. rice noodles
Rice Paper Wrappers - makes fresh spring rolls these are thin sheets made from rice flour. They quickly soften in waterbs, shrimp or minced fillings. rice paper wrapper

Spices & Flavors

Szechuan Peppercorns, Prickly Ash - These deep orange berries have an intense flavor and aroma. Toast and crush before adding to recipes. They may be added whole to soups and stews. szechuan pepper

Szechuan Preserved Vegetables - A salty-spicy medley of greens such as napa cabbage, mustard, kohlrabi, and turnip, preserved with salt, Szechuan peppercorns and chili powder. Used as a flavoring in many Chinese dishes. szechuan preserved vegetable

Dried Tangerine Peel - Sometimes used as a flavoring in braised and stir-fried dishes, as well as some soups. Dried tangerine peels must be softened in warm water before adding to a recipe. It is often combined with star anise and Szechuan peppercorns to give the balance of bitter, sweet, hot and aromatic flavours that is a feature of Szechuan food.

Five-Spice Powder - An aromatic and intense blend of ground cinnamon, star anise, fennel, cloves, ginger, licorice, Szechuan peppercorns, and dried tangerine peel, used to flavor many Chinese dishes, from marinades to barbeque sauces, meats, and even cookies. five spice powder
Shrimp Paste - used to flavor food. shrimp paste

Rice & Flours

Rice - We have many varieties of Asian rice in our store. Long-grained rice is dry and fluffy when cooked, and is most often used in fried rice dishes. Short-grained glutinous rice, when cooked, becomes tender, pearly, translucent, and sticky, which is best for shaping into balls. short grained rice
Rice Flour - rice flour is used in noodles, wrappers, chewy boiled dumplings, crunchy deep-fried skins, steamed buns and light cakes. rice flour
Tapioca - A starchy ingredient made from the cassava root, in Chinese cooking, tapioca is used for thickening and in the making of dough for dumplings. tapioca starch
Wheat Starch - Wheat flour with all gluten removed to produce a fine textured powder for dim sum dumpling dough. When steamed, the dough becomes shiny and translucent. wheat starch
Cornstarch - Cornstarch is used in Chinese cuisine to thicken sauces and give them their light, velvety texture. Mix with a small amount of water to form a thin paste and added in the last moments of cooking. corn starch

Fresh Ingredients
Ginger - is an important flavor in Chinese cooking, It is peppery, pungent, soothing, and has many healthful properties and is used in soups, stir-fry, sauces, marinades, pickles, and minced meats. ginger
copyright Kavita Mehta, Minneapolis

Cooking techniques

Chinese Culinary Highlights

Cooking techniques is of utmost imprtance in Chinese cooking. The nature of the ingredients, the degree of heat, and timing need to be mastered to cook authentic Chinese.

Stir-Fry - Chinese Chao
Stir-frying in a wok over high high heat is the classic Chinese cooking method. Quick motions to move the food around in hot oil. The wok shape ensures the food moves around at different temperatures at it tosses and turns. The outside of the food crisps up as the inside cooks and stays juicy. One imprtant aspect of Chinese stir fry is that all ingredients shoud be prepared and ready to go before the stir fry process starts. This is a quick cook system that ensures color, texture, and taste as well as nutritional values of food.
Variations in stir fry include:
- Add in a few sprinkles of water and the food will steam as it stir frys.
- Parboil veggies and meats before stirfying
- Meats and veggies can be stir fried separately and then combined in one dish.
- A variation of stir fry is where a basic sauce is used instead of oil or a combination of oil and a sauce.

Steaming- Ching
Steaming preserves the integrity of the food and nutrients. The Chinese have a bamboo food steamer which is woven bamboo trays that stack one atop the other. Here several foods cook at one time. Popular are steamed:meats, fish, dumplings, dimsum, buns stuffed with meat or a sweet bean paste-bread! For best results, the water should be boiling when the food goes into the steamer and the flame should be high enough to keep it boiling. 

Red Stewing or Red Cooking (hung.shu)
Red stewing is uniquely Chinese, where pan browned meats in oil  are then slowly stewed in soy sauce and water and turns food reddish or dark brown in color. Seasonings and fresh herbs are also added to the stew. Vegetables are then added later just before serving or towards the end of cooking.

Par-Boiling (chu)
Ingredients are cut and washed first, then put in a large pot in which they can float freely, over high heat. Parboiled ingredients are poured with the water into a colander, rinsed or soaked in cold water until thoroughly cooled, and used as the recipe directs, or in salads.

Deep Frying (tsa)
Ouick cooking ingredients like small pieces of meat, shrimp, veggies many be deep fried. Larger pieces are often are precooked by steaming before they can be deep fried. Coating the ingredients before frying with flour batter yeilds a crispy, crunchy texture to the outside portion of fried foods. The food is then dipped in a suce made of soy sauce, sherry, and other seasonings.
Food is ready when it turns a golden brown.

The traditional way of testing the oil before adding food by dropping in a small piece of meat or vegetable. If it sizzles and comes to the surface of the oil is ready. The oil should not smoke.  But when the oil nearly begins to smoke, it is ready to fry pork and beef, the tougher meats. When the oil begins to bubble, which is at a temperature slightly lower, it is suitable for chicken. The most common oil used is peanut oil for frying.

Shallow frying (chien)
Shallow frying seals in juices in meats and foods come out very tasty. Here the foods are simmered in oil. Ingredients are spread evenly in the pan and allowed to fry slowly, turned over once or twice, browning both sides.

Barbecuing (shu)
Barbecuing is done like it is in Turkey and India over charcoal on a spit or grill, or on a rotisserie.

Roasting (kow)
Meats are slowly roasted in ovens over a charcoal fire, with frequent basting. In China there are special places where a whole pig is roasted and where you can buy roasted meats for your home cooking.

Cold Mixing (lun-ban)
This is a universal way of cooking where parboiled ingredients are cooled and then added to salads and chilled before serving.

Poaching (jum)
Foods are simmered just below the boiling point. Vegetables, whole chicken are [oached then seasoned.. Poaching is also good for cooking delicate fish simmered in spices and chinese wine and other flavors.

copyright Kavita Mehta, Minneapolis

Aroma
The aroma of Chinese food has to be memorable. The individual ingredients are combined because their fragrances blend to create appetizing aromas.

Color
The Chinese delight in colors. The dishes all form a painting on the table - the gold of soups, the white of rice, the bright green of vegetables, the reds of condiments, the orange of meats and sauces. The Chinese cook is very aware of color and may even choose dishes to match the surroundings and clothes of the hostess.

Textures
Chinese cuisine is famous for its textures. Crunchy vegetables, chewy bits of meat, crisp water chestnuts, creaminess of bean curd and smooth sauces are combined to create sensational dishes.

Tastes
Contrasting tastes is the joy of Chinese cuisine. Chinese love to stimulate the senses with combinations of taste. Their meals, many of which are simple, bland and pure in their taste, are skillfully combined with dishes and condiments that are stronger and more stimulating in taste.

Variety
A Chinese meal is rich in variety of ingredients used. Chinese cuisine is known for its contrast and variety. This is combined with variety in taste, texture, color and aroma. Dry dishes are served with soupy dishes, there are sweet dishes and sour dishes, bland dishes and highly seasoned dishes, light dishes and rich dishes making the meal an exquisite experience. This experience is further highlighted by each dish maintaining its integrity, its own proportions, its own dominant elements and contributing to the coherence and harmony of the meal.

There is no main dish
Chinese dishes have an equal place on the menu. Each dish is whole and important. Chinese eating is also an art. The Chinese create individual dining experiences from the same meal. According to their personal preferences they dart from one dish to another. Depending on their individual fancy they will sample one dish or the other. Once they have satisfied themselves of a particular taste or experience they simply change their serving and are on to a new adventure. This way they avoid monotony and feeling of overeating which can be the result of a meal that is comprised of the same foods in comparatively large quantities.

Maximum preparation with minimum cooking.
Chinese cuisine is very quick cooking. Because the ingredients are prepared in bite size pieces they are quick to make. The preparation of ingredients for the meal is a thoughtful process. For the cook time stands still and he is lost in the art of cutting vegetables and meats, combining seasonings and preserving the integrity of each dish. The cooking itself is done in a flash.

The starting point is the ingredient
The Chinese never begin their meal with an idea of a stew or roast. The Chinese have no idea of their meal until they visit the market. It is there that they survey the offerings and decide on what is particularly good. After having made their purchases they begin to create the meal. They will then begin to match the ingredients, decide on the cooking methods, decide on the seasonings and come up with a balanced meal in every respect. Thus a Chinese meal is never created twice.

Combining ingredients rule
The permutations and combinations that are created in Chinese cuisine is inexhaustible. The Chinese have mastered the art of blending ingredients and yet preserving their individuality. It is like dressing a bride – each ingredient is dressed in its seasoned finery. The unique characteristics of each ingredient are understood, then seasonings and spices are incorporated and then different dishes are coordinated to create the meal.

The cook not the diner seasons the food
The meal is the proof of the cooks' skills and ingenuity. It is he not the diner that seasons the food, blends the seasonings. The cook knows which individual property of the ingredient to highlight, dull or render inconsequential and to use seasonings to bond dissimilar foods. The cook uses his knowledge and skill to use seasonings without overpowering or overwhelming the ingredients.

The cook not the diner cuts the food
In the Chinese dinning etiquette, knives should not be seen on the table. Chopsticks, bowls and soup spoons are the traditional table ware. Food is always cut into bite sized pieces, whole meats such as pig, fish and poultry are cooked till they are so tender that the meat can be removed right off the bones with chopsticks.
copyright Kavita Mehta, Minneapolis