3 Essential Chinese Pantry Ingredients

Chinese cooking is commonly referred to as an art form, and the rich history of Chinese ingredients and flavors are best seen through the common Chinese ingredients used today. Learn more about some of the core Chinese pantry staples, then place an order for Chinese food from Shef:

1. Soy Sauce

Widely considered one of the oldest condiments in the world, soy sauce is a core foundation of Chinese cuisine. Its origins date back to the Chinese Zhou Dynasty of 1045 B.C., where it was originally called “jiang.” Ancient farmers would make jiang by fermenting meat, fish, and grain to produce a deeply flavorful seasoning they would use for marinades. It was only during the imperial rule of the Han Dynasty that farmers started using soybeans instead, finding that when mixed with water and salt, the richness of fermented soybeans created the familiar deep umami they knew from jiang.

Today, this humble condiment has grown in complexity, with restaurants all over the world using variations of light, dark, and thick Chinese soy sauce in their cooking.

2. Shaoxing Wine

Shaoxing wine is another indispensable ingredient found in every Chinese kitchen. Named after the Chinese city of Shaoxing, where it was first invented, this cooking wine is produced by fermenting rice, water, and wheat together for several weeks with yeast starters. The wheat imparts a natural deep caramel aroma to the finished fermentation liquid. Shaoxing wine is commonly used to season dishes, and remove a strong fishy or gamey flavor in meat and seafood.

Shaoxing wine has found its way into so many old and modern Chinese dishes, and even after thousands of years, it sits in the pantry of Chinese kitchens all over the world.

3. Oyster Sauce

Often called “the finale” of a flavorful Chinese dish, oyster sauce is a thick, dark brown, deeply rich umami condiment in Chinese cooking. It was created unintentionally in 1888, when restaurant owner Lee Kum Sheung was boiling a pot of Chinese oyster soup and left the pot simmering until the liquid turned into a gravy-like consistency. Local customers tasted his creation and described it as irresistibly deep and flavorful.

Oyster sauce’s briny, sweet umami makes it the perfect finishing ingredient for so many Chinese vegetable and noodle dishes. What started as an accident has become an unforgettable Chinese condiment used in kitchens everywhere.

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