My Asian Pantry Staples

These are tried-and-true staples that I always have on hand. Thankfully, many sauces and pastes are pretty similar across cultures, so you can just buy one type, instead of having, say, both shoyu (Japanese soy sauce) and Chinese soy sauce. I try to buy these essentials at an Asian market because they’re usually cheaper, but all items should be available in the Asian/Ethnic aisle at your neighborhood grocery store; if not, then at a specialty market.

I’m only featuring the items used in this book, so this list is merely a fraction of what’s out there. But these basics will keep you well-supplied for all your Asian dishes, whether prepared in a pressure cooker or otherwise.