Sugar

The role of sugar in the Chinese kitchen is as much of a flavor-expander as a sweetener. Certainly, in my kitchen this is true. I’d guess that nine out of ten times, I use sugar to enlarge the spiciness of a dish. For example, if you season something with chili, it will often read as a sharpness on the tip of the tongue—a sear without dimension. Add sugar and the sensation of hotness spreads around the lips. I often tell students not to eliminate or lessen the sugar in my recipes, even if they’re wanting to lose that extra pound! Cut back on the sugar and the flavor will suffer.