All about stir fry

Regional cuisines

Glossary

Index

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Sago A pure starch foodstuff extracted from the sago palm or other palms that develop a starchy pith. When mixed...	Sake A fermented rice wine that is the national drink of Japan. There is sweet sake and dry sake; the former...	Sambal A fresh or cooked relish to add zest to a meal....
Sansho The pod of the prickly ash, dried and ground, gives a slightly hot flavour to certain Japanese foods, especially rich foods...	Sapodilla A fruit with a thin brown skin which is slightly rough. The flesh is slightly granular in texture and pale...	Sashimi Raw fillets of fish eaten alone, including seafood. Skill is involved in the slicing, and the spectacular transparent thinness of...
Satay Small pieces of meat and poultry marinated in a spicy mixture, and then threaded onto bamboo skewers and grilled over charcoal....	Sausages, Chinese A sweet and salty salami-like sausage which keeps for weeks without need of refidgeration. The most popular one is made...	Sea Cucumber Shaped like a cucumber, it is sold dried and requires many days soaking and repeated scrubbing to clean out its digestive...
Sesame Oil Sesame oil is made from pressed, toasted sesame seeds. It has a deeply nutty flavour, dark brown colour, and is...	Sesame Paste Very similar to Tahini. It is primarily used in Sichuan cooking. It is used in savoury dishes and shouldn't...	Shaoxing Wine Originates from the south-eastern part of China, the Zhejiang region. A key ingredient in many Chinese dishes. It is brewed in...
Shichimi A japanese spice blend that translates literally as 'seven flavours'. Traditionally it contains dried red chilli flakes, sansho, dried tangerine...	Shiitake Also referred to as fragrant mushrooms and Chinese Black mushrooms, they have an earthy smell and gold to deep-brown caps with...	Shiitake, Dried Dried Shiitake are preferred by most Asian cooks because their flavour is more pronounced than when fresh. They reconstitute well...
Shimeji Usually sold fresh, these small mushrooms have an appealing dimple in their concave cap as if someone has pushed down on...	Shiso Aromatic, nettle-shaped leaf, member of the mint family with pungency and a hint of basil. Also known as: Perilla, Beefsteak...	Shoyu This is the most widely used Japanese soy sauce, less salty and lighter in colour than Chinese soy sauce. Made...
Shrimp, Dried Usually sold in plastic packets either whole, or shredded. They should be a deep salmon pink in colour and yeild...	Sichuan Pepper Native to the Sichuan province in China. It is one of the ingredients of five-spice powder. It is not...	Snake Beans/ Yard Long Beans These beans grow several foot in length and are used in stir fries and as a garnish in relishes such as...
Snow Pea A flat crescent shaped green pod commonly known in the West as 'Mange Tout'....	Soba Or buckwheat noodles, a speciality of Northern Japan which are slender noodles made from buckwheat flour. In Korea, buckwheat noodles are...	Somen Japanese noodles, these are extremely thin noodles made from wheat. The variety which is made with egg yolk is known as...
Soursop Elongated heart-shaped fruit with deep green to yellow skin dotted at intervals with short, fleshy hooks. Sometimes called prickly custard...	Soy Bean The only pulse that contains protein. They are one of the hardest beans when dried and need around 15 hours...	Soy Sauce, Dark Used for colour and flavour. Suitable for red meat and chicken, red-cooking and `master sauce` (also called `flavour pot` or...
Soy Sauce, Light Usually labelled `superior soy`, it is saltier and will not darken food. Ideal for soups, seafood, vegetables and dipping sauces....	Spring Onions Native to Mongolia and Siberia, the spring onion is now found all over the world. In China the spring onions...	Spring Rolls Pastry wrappers stuffed with protein and/or vegetables, then deep fried until crispy. Usually served with a dipping sauce, as a...
Star Anise The dried, eight-pointed star-shaped seed pod of a tree belonging to the magnolia family. In spite of its licorice flavour...	Steamed Buns These used to be the staple 'fan' of North China when rice was regarded as a luxury for the better-off....	Sushi Sliced raw fish and seasoned vinagered rice, formed into bite sized pieces. Two main types; nigiri is hand formed pieces...
Sweet Bean Paste There are red and black pastes, but both are made using red beans. They are boiled, ground and strained to...	Sweet Chilli Sauce Thai sauce made from sugar, vinegar and chillies. Used for dipping....	Sweet Potato An orangey red root vegetable, with a sweet starchy flavour. Goes pulpy when roasted, and the skin caramelises. Works...