A continuation on from my Pantry Essentials, this post will share basically EVERYTHING ELSE in my pantry. For most of these ingredients, I purchased them for a specific recipe and have learned to keep them on hand. It’s not necessarily essential to have these always stocked, but it’s nice to notice when you’re low and repurchase it if you’re at the store. Planning ahead and keeping these items in stock can save so much time on your weekly grocery hauls, and can help you focus on just getting fresh items each week like produce, meats, and seafood.
Nice to haves – Non-Asian Pantry Items:
Balsamic Glaze – Store bought glazes are a great easy, gourmet shortcut. No need to spend 20 minutes simmering balsamic vinegar to potentially end up with burnt sauce. Store bought brands also uses pectin, a natural thickener that gets a nice glaze-like texture. This is a pantry item I especially love to use during the summer months on my stone fruit burrata caprese salad. I love the Whole Foods Organic O365 brand.
Flakey Sea Salt (Maldon Salt) – A salt that is luxurious and perfect for topping on burrata cheese, pastas, and cookies. They typically sell this at Whole Foods, or you can also get it on Amazon or specialty stores. Another great brand is Jacobsen salt.
Dijon Mustard – A nice ingredient to have for vinaigrettes. I rotate between this and whole grain dijon mustard if I’m looking to switch things up. The Trader Joe’s brand is great.
Chickpeas – I love keeping some canned chickpeas in my pantry for either a quick protein addition to dishes or to make homemade hummus. I get most of my beans from the pantry section of my neighborhood produce shop.
White Beans – Again, another great quick addition to dishes that don’t require the long overnight soaking process. This is great to add to soups and stews to make them heartier and to incorporate more fiber into your diet.
Green Lentils – I get the ones from trader joes and also LOVE the French Green heirloom Lentils that are usually at Whole Foods. Green lentils also don’t require an overnight soak, and typically cook within 20 minutes – love adding these to soups, stews and pastas for a heartier meal.
Canned Fish – I love keeping canned fish in my pantry. It’s an easy, healthy protein source that can be spruced up into something delicious. I’ve also recently loved making canned fish salads and melts. I’ve enjoyed the Trader Joe’s Atlantic Canned Salmon, Portofino Yellowfin tuna, and all Wild Planet products!
Vanilla Extract – A baking essential and another ingredient I love to add to Shiping’s homemade granola. Getting a pure vanilla extract vs a vanilla “flavor” is important. I currently keep 2 vanillas in my pantry – one pure vanilla extract from Costco that I typically use in granolas and cookies, and another Nielsen Massey brand super high quality vanilla for homemade whipped creams and other special homemade desserts.
Ground Cinnamon – Another baking essential that I frequently use for Shiping’s granola and my homemade apple crisp topping. Since I go through it pretty quickly, I get this from Costco, but if you don’t bake as frequently, I’d recommend getting a smaller pack so it stays fresh.
Guittard 64% Semisweet Chocolate Bars – I used to buy so much of this when I private cheffed. I would make this easy homemade chocolate bark with chopped toasted almonds, and I still think it’s a perfect sweet treat at the end of a meal. Getting a high quality chocolate is really important for this recipe since there are so few ingredients. I typically buy this at Whole Foods or my neighborhood produce shop (Church Produce!).
Peanut Butter – Peanut butter is a delicious, creamy, treat, and honestly I love a good PB&J. My favorite brand is Santa Cruz Creamy Peanut Butter – it’s worth the splurge 🙂
Strawberry Preserves – Bonne Maman has the best strawberry preserves (besides homemade) and this + Santa Cruz roasted PB is a match made in heaven. I also like to keep this around for cheese boards and the occasional breakfast toast / English muffin. For both the peanut butter and jam, I also get these at my neighborhood produce shop.
Cocoa Powder – An essential ingredient in the chocolate cake I make, and the Guittard brand is the best! I’ve gotten this from target, Safeway, Whole Foods, etc.
Coconut Oil – I love using coconut oil for baking and keep a jar around mainly for this purpose. When I was baking more frequently with coconut oil, I would get the Costco sized container, but now I just keep a 14 ounce jar from Whole Foods in my pantry.
Almond Butter – I love to add a tablespoon of almond butter into my morning oats and keep a jar around for this purpose. I prefer adding nut butter to oats rather than using milks because 1. It adds more flavor, and 2. the fat from the butter adds a really nice luxurious texture and is delicious! I get the Almond Butter from Costco, but when I finish this jar, I really want to try the Living Tree Brand (I LOVE their tahini!).
Chipotles in Adobo – A smokey, amazing flavor booster to add to meat braises. I keep a can of this in my pantry for the times I’m craving that smokey flavor and freeze the rest of the can if I don’t use it all.
Red Pepper Flakes – a staple spice I use to elevate flavor in many pasta dishes. A pinch of red pepper flake can really enhance a dish without adding spice. I highly recommend trying this if you haven’t already.
Bay Leaves – a leaf that I like to use in soups and stews, this aromatic is common in both western and asian cuisines.
Paprika – this is a great non-spicy flavor and color booster and is essentially dried ground red bell pepper. This is another key ingredient in any of my BBQ seasonings or spiced marinades. Several recipes include my BBQ salmon salad, and spiced chicken.
Ground Cumin – cumin can be a bit strong on it’s own, but I keep this in my pantry to create any mediterranean type dishes. This spice is key!
Cayenne Pepper – A very spicy spice, and a little bit goes a long way. I add this to add heat and color to a dish.
Ground Coriander – this is cumin’s right hand man and is the seed of cilantro. I add this to mediterranean spiced recipes as well, like my greek meatballs.
Bonus Items – Non-Asian Pantry Items:
Maple Syrup – A sweetener I keep stocked in my fridge, and I use this for desserts, syrup for pancakes / waffles, and I love adding this to my morning oats. I get the large 1L bottle from Costco.
Farro – A grain that is packed with fiber, protein, and is a great alternative to rice. I love to make salads with farro and add it to soups and stews. I get my Farro from Trader Joe’s.
Jarred Roasted Red Peppers – I used this very frequently when I private cheffed and loved to add these to my leafy green Greek Salad. I now love to keep this in my pantry to use in pasta salads and quinoa bowls for a vibrant, fun addition. I get these at either Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods.
Pitted Kalamata Olives – Another flavor booster that is an essential ingredient in my leafy green Greek Salad. I know olives can be a polarizing ingredient because of it’s briny, salty flavor, but added to the right recipe – it can pull everything together. The pitted, chopped, kalamata olives are my favorite (saves a step from chopping), and the Trader Joe’s brand is great.
Tomato Paste – A concentrated paste that I use for an even more enhanced tomato flavor for soups, pasta sauces, and stews. I don’t find there to be a huge difference in flavor when using tomato paste, but it’s a good bonus item to have on hand. That being said, if you’re making a really creamy tomato vodka pasta, tomato paste is essential unless you want to spend an hour simmering out the water from your canned tomatoes. I get the double concentrated tomato paste from Whole Foods.
Ketchup – Not an ingredient I use all the time, but it’s something that when you want it, it makes such a difference. I love the Sir Kensington and Primal Kitchen brands.
Anchovies – A secret ingredient in the classic caesar, I love to keep a tin on these around or freeze a half open tin. The Cento brand is great and they sell these at Whole Foods or Trader Joes.
Turmeric – A golden yellow southeast asian spice that is a great color enhancer or flavor addition for this Burmese chicken I love to make! I don’t particularly use this spice very frequently, but people also like to consume turmeric for other health purposes, so this spice can be multifunctional.
Garam Masala – A flavor packed Indian spice that I like to use for my easy tomato butter chicken. You can get this at most grocery stores.
Cinnamon Sticks – A fun garnish I like to add in the fall for apple cider drinks and cocktails. I’ll also use this for a few recipes that call for cinnamon sticks while stewing (like my culinary school lentil soup recipe). You can get these at most any grocery store.
Za’atar Spice – A middle eastern spice that contains sesame seeds, oregano, thyme, cumin, and corriander, I love this to add to vinaigrettes and to top on hummus bowls. I use this in my Leafy Green Greek Salad I love to use for entertaining.
Nice to Have Asian Pantry Items:
Lao Gan Ma Chili Crisp – A classic flavor booster. This chili crisp has MSG, which gives it that extra flare. I keep this in my fridge purely for the one recipe Shiping loves (his hometown favorite Liang Pi – cold noodles). If you’re using this brand, just remember a little bit goes a long way! This can be found at any asian store or here: Lao Gan Ma Chili Crisp
Sriracha – To be honest, I didn’t like Sriracha growing up. It’s a bit too acidic on it’s own, but it’s now become one of my favorite ingredients to add in an Asian sauce for some spice and a little bit of tang. I also love adding this for my buffalo chicken marinade.
Dried Woodear Mushrooms – A dark brown funky dried little mushroom that is a Chinese household staple. I also grew up with these always in our pantry, and love to add them to my hot and sour soups. I get these at H mart or any asian store: Dried Woodear.
Somen Style Dry Noodles – A thinner dry Chinese noodle that I love to use in broth-y soups. This is the Noodle Garden brand that I get: Thin Somen Noodles.
Knife Cut (Dao Xiao) Dry Noodles – This is a thicker dry Chinese noodle that I love for chunkier sauces and stir fry noodle dishes. This would be comparable to the Momofuku thicker style noodle packs. This is the one I like to get: Knife Cut Dry Noodles.
Five Spice powder – A very fragrant grounded combination of 5 spices: fennel, star anise, cloves, cinnamon, and Sichuan peppercorns. This isn’t spicy, but adds a very distinct flavor to dishes.
Miso Paste – Another fermented paste that is typically made from soybeans and koji (a type of mold). With it’s fermented nature, this paste adds umami to a dish and I love using this for a miso sesame fish and to add into soups. I’ve used both this Hikari brand from H mart and also this Marukame brand that can be found in Whole Foods.
Gochujaru – Korean pepper powder that I like to use for an extra kick and for my quick pickled cucumber kimchi. This pepper is spicy so take caution when using. I get this at the H mart and it looks like this: Gochujaru – Korean Red Pepper Powder.
Tapioca Balls – The only reason why I keep these stocked in my pantry is so I can make one of my favorite dessert soups. This chilled coconut mung bean soup with tapioca hits all my cravings AND is nutritious 🙂 When I’m in a pinch and need to make a dessert, I also can whip this up with pantry ingredients, and it’s ALWAYS a hit! This is similar to the one I get: Tapioca Balls.
Kewpie Mayo – A Japanese style mayo that has recently become really popular. It’s delicious, and I like to use this for sauces, poke bowls, and asian dishes (like chobap!). I think it has a more umami flavor than regular mayo, and tend to use it less as an ingredient, and more as a topping (for example, if I’m not mixing mayo with a lot of other ingredients, I’ll use Kewpie). This can be found at most asian stores and online here: Kewpie Mayo.
Roasted Sesame Seeds – An excellent garnish to elevate your dishes and add some of that roast toasty flavor and texture. I get this one: Roasted Sesame Seeds.
Sichuan Peppercorns – That numbing spice that is an important ingredient in the homemade chili oil I make and a few other asian style braises. You can get them at most asian stores, or online here: Sichuan Peppercorns.
Crispy Shallots or Onions – A delicious, crunchy, and flavor packed topping that I stock up on during thanksgiving (I love the Whole Foods or western brands more than what I’ve tried from the asian store).
Star Anise – Another critical spice for the Asian home cook. I add this to beef or pork braises, and get it at any asian store.
Bonus Asian Items:
Dark Soy Sauce – this sauce is great for braises and adds a deep dark color to whatever you’re making. This is similar to the one I get: Dark Soy Sauce.
Fish Sauce – An umami bomb that is a staple ingredient in many Vietnamese dishes. I like to use this in a few certain instances – like in a Jalapeño Lime Vinaigrette, quick pickled cucumber kimchi, or a homemade nuoc cham. The Red Boat fish sauce brand is great, and I got my bottle from Costco years ago (because it’s so salty, it will last a long time). I’ve also seen this brand at Whole Foods and other markets.
Shaoxing Cooking Wine (optional) – A staple in chinese cooking, but I use this relatively sparingly. There is a very unique flavor in this wine and I most frequently use it when cooking fish. I get this from the Chinese store (99 Ranch), and the one I have in my pantry is this one: Shao Xing Wine.
Chinese Rock Sugar (bingtan) – A traditional chinese ingredient to sweeten desserts, and especially dessert soups. This is also a staple ingredient in making sweet and sour sticky short ribs, as it creates that glossy finish that makes it unique. The best compliment to receive serving dessert to a crowd of Chinese friends is that “it’s not too sweet”. Chinese rock sugar is known to be “less sweet” than granulated sugar. I’m a bit skeptical about that aspect (since you can control sweetness based on the amount you add), but nevertheless, I like the taste of it and continue to use it occasionally. If I run out, I substitute this with a bit less regular or brown sugar, and it works great. This rock sugar is also known as rock candy and can be found at most asian stores or online here: Rock Sugar.
Korean Pancake Batter Mix – Korean seafood pancakes are one of my favorite treats, and this batter makes it super easy to make! This is similar to the one I have – it’s also the green bag in the photo shown above.
Koda Farms Sticky Rice Flour – I LOVE sticky rice… and this rice is used for numerous things like my sticky rice stuffing, Fan Tuan, mango sticky rice, etc. It’s not a very frequent ingredient that I use, but every time I make it, I love it! I got the Koda Farms brand from 99 Ranch and think it’s great.
Glutinous Rice Flour (or Mochiko Flour) – Mochi’s key ingredient, and the flour that makes an incredible chewy texture. I usually either get this brand (what I grew up seeing around my house and can be found at 99 Ranch) or Mochiko flour, which is also common in Western stores now.
Rice Flour – Rice flour is different than Glutinous rice flour so be careful when reading the recipe and selecting which type you need. I specifically use rice flour for dredging fried foods for an extra crispy fried texture (think tempura – I use it infrequently, but it’s nice to have). A few additional differences to note (credit to chatgpt):
- Type of rice: Rice flour is typically made from long-grain rice, while glutinous rice flour is made from short-grain glutinous rice.
- Gluten content: Rice flour is gluten-free, while glutinous rice flour contains a type of gluten called “amylopectin”, which gives it its sticky, chewy texture.
- Texture: Rice flour has a light and powdery texture, while glutinous rice flour is stickier and denser.
- Uses: Rice flour is often used as a thickening agent or in gluten-free baking, while glutinous rice flour is commonly used in Asian desserts, such as mochi and rice cakes, to give them their chewy texture.
Soybeans – I keep these on hand to make homemade soy milk. All you need is a blender and a cheesecloth and if you haven’t had homemade soy milk, you need to try it – it’s amazing! This is the one I get: soybeans.
Dried Seaweed – I like to keep this type of dried seaweed in my pantry to add to bone broths and soups. My mom would frequently add this to our soups and always promote the traditional Chinese health benefits. I may not believe that 100%, but I still love adding seaweed to my soups 🙂
Roasted Seaweed Sheets – I use this for kimbap and onigiris – a super fun meal idea and always so yummy! This is the one I get: Roasted Seaweed Sheets.
Furikake Seasoning – A common Japanese seasoning that is used to top onigiris, rice bowls, asian style salads, you name it. As this is just a combination of dried vegetables, fish, and seasoning, this seasoning adds great texture and flavor to many asian dishes. This is the one I have: Furikake Seasoning.
Red Bean Paste – I love having this in my pantry when I’m looking to make a spontaneous sweet treat. My red bean pancakes use this, yogurt, and a few other pantry staples for an easy yet special breakfast. I’ve used multiple brands – either with the actual red beans (also known as Azuki beans), or just the paste itself.
Spring Roll Wrappers – The rice paper wrappers that are used for Vietnamese fresh rolls and other crispy rice paper snacks. I usually get the Three Ladies Brand.
Rice Vermicelli – The noodles that go into traditional fresh rolls, and I prefer the thinner noodles. This is similar to the one I get: Fine Rice Vermicelli.
Dried Tofu Skin (Fuzhu): Braised dried tofu skin with shiitake mushrooms used to be one of my favorite childhood dishes, and I keep this on hand for the few times a year I want to make it. These are also great to add to soups or hot pot (it’s also a great protein source!). This is the product: Dried Beancurd Sticks.
Pork Floss: A traditional Chinese breakfast ingredient used to pair with congee, pork floss was a STAPLE ingredient in my house as a kid and I still enjoy it. This Formosa brand is the one I grew up eating and still get.
Preserved Vegetables: Another common congee topping, these are salty, flavor packed, and very traditional. These are also used in one of my favorite Chinese breakfast items, fan tuan. This is the one I get: Preserved Pickled Radish.
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