As I often feature Chinese and Thai dishes on The Pasadena Chef, many readers have asked what ingredients they should keep on hand to prepare authentic Asian meals at home. A well-stocked pantry is the foundation of creating flavorful Chinese and Thai cuisine.

So after being asked multiple times, I’ve decided to post an essential shopping list, so you can properly stock up your pantry. When you feel the urge to make some stunning and healthy Chinese food, you should be able to go into the kitchen and pull something together relatively quickly.

As these ingredients will last quite a long time, an initial stock up will produce many fine meals. You will find that most benefit from being stored in the refrigerator. Additionally, buy the best brand you can find. I find that Lee Kum Kee or Pearl River Bridge brand are always good for Chinese staples.

Looking for a classic Chinese dish to try out you new ingredients, Kung Pao Chicken- Authentic Sichuan Recipe

One of my favorite Hunan dishes, Hunan Pork Belly with Seared Peppers

A spicy satisfying Sichuan tofu, Sichuan Vegetarian Tofu Recipe: Quick and Flavorful

Looking for a classic Thai street food dish, try Thai Chicken with Basil/ Gai Pad Prik Grapao- Top Thai Dish

Looking for a list of recipes I come back to again and again, My Favorite Recipes

The Must Have Ingredients:

Light Soy Sauce

The everyday soy sauce of Chinese cooking, used for seasoning, marinades, stir-fries and dipping sauces. It is salty and savory without adding too much color. Lee Kum Kee and Pearl River Bridge are dependable choices.

Dark Soy Sauce

Thicker, darker and slightly sweeter than Light Soy Sauce, it is used primarily to give braises, fried rice and red-cooked dishes their deep mahogany color. Lee Kum Kee and Pearl River Bridge are both good options.

Fish Sauce

Fish Sauce brings saltiness and concentrated savory depth to marinades, curries, dipping sauces and stir-fries. It is more important in Vietnamese and Thai cooking than in most Chinese cuisines. Red Boat, Three Crabs and Squid are reliable brands.

Golden Mountain Seasoning Sauce

This Thai seasoning sauce has a salty, lightly sweet flavor similar to soy sauce but with its own distinctive savoriness. Use it in Thai stir-fries, marinades and fried rice.

Oyster Sauce

Rich, savory and slightly sweet, Oyster Sauce adds body and gloss to stir-fries, vegetable dishes and marinades. Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce is a particularly dependable choice.

Hoisin Sauce

Hoisin is a thick, sweet-savory sauce made primarily from fermented soybeans, sugar and seasonings. Use it in glazes, dipping sauces, lettuce wraps and some Cantonese-style preparations. Lee Kum Kee is widely available and reliable.

Toasted Sesame Oil

Toasted Sesame Oil contributes a deep, nutty aroma and is generally added near the end of cooking rather than used as a frying oil. A small amount is sufficient in dumpling fillings, noodles, dressings and finishing sauces. Kadoya is an excellent choice which is made in Japan.

Chinkiang Vinegar

This dark Chinese rice vinegar has a mellow acidity with malty, slightly smoky depth. It is essential in many dipping sauces, braises, cold dishes and sweet-and-sour preparations.

Rice Vinegar

Lighter and gentler than Chinkiang Vinegar, Rice Vinegar provides clean acidity without darkening a dish. Use it in pickles, dressings, dipping sauces and delicate sweet-and-sour sauces.

Shaoxing Wine

Shaoxing Wine adds fragrance and savory depth to marinades, stir-fries, braises and sauces. Use a cooking wine without added salt when possible; dry sherry is the usual substitute.

Hot Bean Paste

Hot Bean Paste, usually called Doubanjiang, is a fermented paste of chiles and broad beans that gives Sichuan dishes their characteristic salty, spicy depth. Fry it briefly in oil before adding other ingredients to release its aroma and red color.

Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp

This popular condiment combines fried chiles and crisp savory bits in oil. Spoon it over noodles, dumplings, rice and eggs, or use it to add texture and moderate heat to a sauce.

Lao Gan Ma Chili Oil with Black Bean

Fermented Black Beans give this chile oil a deeper, saltier and more savory character than ordinary Chili Crisp. It works particularly well with noodles, tofu, steamed fish and stir-fried vegetables.

Chili Paste

Chili Paste is a broad category, so flavor and heat vary considerably by brand. A Chinese chili-garlic paste can add straightforward heat and garlic flavor to stir-fries, noodles, marinades and dipping sauces.

Fermented Black Beans

Also called Douchi, these salted and fermented soybeans have an intense, earthy savoriness. Rinse and chop or mash them before using in stir-fries, steamed dishes and sauces for meat, fish or tofu.

Sichuan Peppercorns

Sichuan Peppercorns are aromatic husks with citrusy flavor and a distinctive tingling sensation rather than chile heat. Toast them gently and grind as needed for Sichuan dishes, seasoning salts and chile oils.

Tien Tsin Chiles

Often sold simply as dried Chinese chiles, Tien Tsin chiles have a sharp, clean heat with a lightly fruity flavor. Briefly fry them whole in oil for Kung Pao dishes and stir-fries, or use them in hot pots and chile oil. Because the name is a commercial label rather than a precise cultivar, heat can vary between brands.

Rice:

Kokuho Rose Rice

Kokuho Rose is a California-grown medium-grain rice with tender, slightly cohesive grains. It is an excellent everyday choice for Chinese stir-fries, braises and sauced dishes.

Thai Jasmine Rice

For Thai cooking, choose fragrant Thai Hom Mali jasmine rice, which cooks into long, soft grains that remain separate. Three Ladies is a dependable brand widely available in Asian markets and online.

Chicken Powder

Chicken Powder is a concentrated seasoning that adds saltiness and savory depth to soups, stir-fries, sauces and dumpling fillings. Because it is already highly seasoned and usually contains MSG, taste the dish before adding more salt.

Sichuan cooking uses a lot of unique dried chillies. Here’s a quick primer:

Lantern Chiles (Deng Long Jiao / 灯笼椒)

Plump, fruity and relatively mild, lantern chiles are valued for their sweetness and aroma. They are commonly used dried in hot pots and dishes such as Chongqing chicken.

Er Jing Tiao (二荆条)

These long, fragrant Sichuan chiles have moderate heat and natural sweetness. Red pods are used for Doubanjiang, Duo Jiao and Pao Jiao, while green ones are excellent in stir-fries.

Facing Heaven Chiles (Chao Tian Jiao / 朝天椒)

Facing Heaven chiles have a sharp, direct heat and less sweetness than Er Jing Tiao. They may be used fresh in relishes and dressings or dried for Sichuan cooking.

Xiao Mi La (小米辣)

Small but intensely hot, Xiao Mi La chiles contribute a bright, clean heat. They are especially useful in cold dishes, dipping sauces, pickles and spicy broths.

Note: If you can’t find the certain brands I mentioned above, here’s a good brand to substitute, Kikkoman. They are readily available in a lot of supermarkets and overall their products are good.

With these basic pantry ingredients, you can make many stunning Chinese and Thai dishes, including recipes from the spicy Sichuan and Hunan regions. Sauces for dumplings and many wonderful noodle dishes.

And here’s an excellent online source for the best Sichuan and Chinese ingredients. Their dried Sichuan chilies are the absolute best I’ve tried and imported directly from the Sichuan province. https://www.themalamarket.com

Here’s a helpful hint. Many communities have a Korean market, and they will often stock Chinese and Thai ingredients in addition to Korean ingredients and groceries.

For the fresh and pantry items, I always have the following on hand:

Garlic
Fresh Ginger Root
White Onions
Green Onions/Scallions
Red Peppers, not the spicy ones.
Tofu
Peanuts
Cashews
Cornstarch
Vegetable Broth
Peanut, Canola or Sunflower Oil

Interested in exploring some other cuisines, here’s a good place to start, Stocking Your Italian Pantry: Essential Ingredients for Authentic Italian Cooking

Or want to learn how to make an authentic curry or tandoori, Building an Indian Pantry: Essential Ingredients