Having the right ingredients can make a difference in your Chinese cooking. Some sauces taste better. Some cook better than others. Some are organic. Some don’t contain preservatives or food coloring. Some are more available. Some are more popular. All in all, there are a host of reasons why people choose different ingredients, so how do you know which one to buy? After my own trials, I have come to settle on these ingredients for now due to a combination of taste and purchasing ease.
During a pandemic it is not easy to find ingredients, but between using Yamibuy.com, Amazon.com, Baldor Specialty Foods, and FreshDirect.com, I am able to have ingredients shipped to me, so I can make my authentic dishes without making a trip to Chinatown or go into a grocery store! If I were in New York City, I would probably order from HMart.com, yoyimarket.com, or FreshGogo.com for home delivery as well. I do not receive any compensation for recommending these stores or ingredients. This list is based solely on my own personal preferences and ingredients that are currently available for purchasing.
In more normal times, I would make a trip to Chinatown or to a local Asian grocery store. Sometimes I find the ingredients in a Japanese, Korean, Chinese, or pan-Asian store. These days more and more are being carried in your local supermarket in the ethnic foods section, so be sure to check there too because that may be more convenient. I often buy my fresh meats from my local organic grocery store, but for Asian vegetables I often have to go to an Asian store. I also usually have to go to an Asian store to buy my rice and noodles, because my local grocery store does not carry the brands I like. For sauces, I can usually get soy sauce and sesame oil from my local grocery store, but if I want the better tasting oyster sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, or other sauces, I typically have to get them from an Asian store.
The below list are the ingredients that I am using now, so I hope this will help you get started with starting or updating your Asian pantry! I will also periodically update this post if I discover other products I like as well. I’d love to hear from you if you have different ingredients you prefer because I am always trying to improve my own ingredients too!
| Item | Brand | Picture |
| White Rice | Kagayaki |  |
| Soy Sauce | Kikkoman |  |
| Sesame Oil | Maruhon |  |
| Shaoxing Rice Wine | HuaDao |  |
| Oyster Sauce | Lee Kum Kee |  |
| Hoisin Sauce | Lee Kum Kee |  |
| Sweet Bean Paste | Lee Kum Kee |  |
| Chili Bean Paste | QiVeda |  |
| Frozen Noodles | Twin Marquis |  |
| XO Sauce | Lee Kum Kee |  |
| Sweet Rice | McCabe |  |
