Glossary of Ingredients

I am a firm believer that one cannot cook well without good ingredients, and that one cannot cook good Chinese food without certain very specific, quality ingredients. The problem for a non-Chinese-speaking cook or someone who is new to Chinese cooking is immense. English names on labels are thoroughly confusing and inconsistent, quality Chinese ingredients are often very difficult to find even in well-stocked Oriental groceries, and the market is fairly flooded with “imitation” Chinese ingredients wearing reassuring English labels that make us think we’re getting something good. How to remedy this?