Asian Food Spices



Quick Notes:


Common Asian food spices are shown in the following chart. An "X" indicates that the cuisine uses the given herb or spice to flavor foods.

All of the Asian cuisines incorporate generous uses of rice and noodles. Some other notable influences are as follows: 

Chinese

Szechuan, Fagara, berries from a prickly Ash tree; cornstarch used to thicken sauces and soups; generous use of dried seafood (e.g., oysters, scallops)

Indonesian

Hot chilies, blachan (pungent dark brown dried shrimp paste), garlic, onions, tamarind

Japanese

Dashi - soup stock made from dried Bonito (tuna) flakes; Sansho berries from an Ash tree; miso; wasabi; tempura; Zen Buddhism and Shinto influences on food flavors; limited use of spices

Korean

Chicken, pork; unique flavors of ginseng and ginkgo; more limited use of other spices

Malaysian

Hot chilies peppers, shallots, turmeric, lemon grass, garlic, blachan (pungent dark brown dried shrimp paste)  

Thai

Curries are made with pastes, not powders; main ingredients are slivered, not diced; coconut milk instead of dairy; hot chilies; Krachi; lighter fare than Chinese food; blachan (pungent dark brown dried shrimp paste)

Vietnamese

Chinese (northern areas) and French (southern areas) influences; herbs, peanuts, chicken, pork and beef are used heavily for soups and entrees 


Asian Food Spices:

SeasoningChineseKoreanJapaneseThai/SE AsianVietnamese
Agar-AgarSeaweedXNori
Ash Tree BerriesSzechuanSanshoX
Anise SeedX
BasilX
ChiliesXXX
ChivesXXXX
CilantroXXXX
Cinnamon
CuminX
DillXX
Spice Blends5 - Spice7 - Spice5 - Spice
GalangalXX
GarlicXXXXX
Ginger RootXXX
LemongrassXX
MintX
Sesame SeedsXXXX
ShallotsXX
Star AniseXXXX
PeppercornsWhiteWhiteWhiteWhite
TamarindXX
TurmericX
WasabiX




Return to WikiSpices.com Home Page from Asian Food Spices 

Return to List of Spices - Herbs from Asian Food Spices 


Sign up for eZine "Spotlight On Spices" ...

Enter Your E-mail Address
Enter Your First Name (optional)
Then

Don't worry — your e-mail address is totally secure.
I promise to use it only to send you Spotlight On Spices.

New! Comments

Have something to say about what you just read? Leave me a comment in the box below.
Share this page: