Asian Food & Cooking Guides

Practical guides to Asian ingredients, cooking techniques, dishes and cuisines — from understanding pantry staples to getting better results in your own kitchen.

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Quick Wins
How to Upgrade Instant Ramen food guide image
Quick Wins

How to Upgrade Instant Ramen: 15 Easy Add-Ins That Actually Make It Better

Instant noodles are already engineered to be delicious. The trick is upgrading them without turning a five-minute meal into a 45-minute project.
Soy Sauce Explained food guide image
Ingredients

Soy Sauce Explained: Light vs Dark vs Japanese Shoyu and Which One to Use

Not all soy sauce is interchangeable. The bottle you choose can change a dish’s saltiness, colour, sweetness and aroma.
The Best Noodles for Ramen food guide image
Ingredients

The Best Noodles for Ramen: Fresh, Dried, Instant and Why Texture Matters

Ramen noodles are not simply any wheat noodle dropped into soup. Their alkalinity, thickness and hydration can completely change the bowl.
Wok Hei at Home food guide image
Techniques

Wok Hei at Home: 10 Chinese Stir-Fry Techniques That Actually Matter

Restaurant stir-fries are not better because of one secret sauce. They are the result of heat, preparation, timing and moisture control.
How to Season and Clean a Carbon Steel Wok Without Ruining It food guide image
Equipment

How to Season and Clean a Carbon Steel Wok Without Ruining It

A carbon-steel wok is supposed to change colour. That dark, uneven surface is not dirt — it is the beginning of a useful seasoned patina.
What Type of Wok Do I Need? Carbon Steel vs Cast Iron vs Non-Stick food guide image
Equipment

What Type of Wok Do I Need? Carbon Steel vs Cast Iron vs Non-Stick

You do not need a restaurant burner or an expensive wok. You do need the right material, shape and size for your hob.
The Ultimate Thai Curry Guide food guide image
Cuisine Guides

The Ultimate Thai Curry Guide: Red vs Green vs Yellow Curry and More

Thai curry is not one flavour. From fragrant green curry to rich Massaman, each style has its own balance of chilli, aromatics and spice.
Is MSG Bad for You? What MSG Actually Is and Why Cooks Use It food guide image
Ingredients

Is MSG Bad for You? What MSG Actually Is and Why Cooks Use It

Few ingredients have been as misunderstood as MSG. Strip away the mythology and it is a remarkably simple tool for making savoury food taste better.
Featured guide
What Is Gochujang? A Guide to Korea’s Sweet, Spicy Fermented Chilli Paste food guide image
Ingredients

What Is Gochujang? A Guide to Korea’s Sweet, Spicy Fermented Chilli Paste

Sweet, savoury, spicy and deeply fermented, gochujang is one of the ingredients that makes Korean food taste unmistakably Korean.

Read the guide
Lao Gan Ma Explained food guide image
Ingredients

Lao Gan Ma Explained: Why the World Is Obsessed with Chinese Chilli Crisp

The jar with the stern-looking woman on the label has gone from Chinese pantry staple to global cult condiment. Here’s why.

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