Dashi

This is a very common Japanese soup stock, usually made with bonito flakes and kelp.  Variations include katsuo dashi (made without kelp), konbu dashi (made without bonito flakes), niboshi dashi and iriko dashi (made with different kinds of fish; more flavorful than ordinary dashi), and koi dashi (made with vegetables).  Dash-no-moto is an instant version. Available packaged in ground form, as granules or in flakes - simply add hot water to make up stock.

mirin  = sweet rice wine = sweet sake 

This is a very sweet Japanese rice wine with a low alcohol content. It is widely used in cooking to flavor rice and sauces, and is usually added towards the end, so that the subtle flavor is retained. It's not usually consumed as a beverage. Mirin is now available in the west, if you cannot locate it, dry sherry can be used instead, but the results will not be the same.

sake = rice wine  

This is a Japanese rice wine &  is the national drink of Japan. It made from fermented rice & its alcohol content is approximately 18 %. It varies widely in differing strengths & quality, with some kinds being used for cooking which has a lower alcohol content and others being served warm with meals.  Most types of sake are served warm, with the exception of Ginjo, a fine, dry wine which is invariably served chilled.

The traditional way of serving sake is in a porcelain jug, which is immersed in hot water until the wine is judged to be at the right temperature for serving. It is then poured into small cups. The host lifts a cup in both hands and passes it to his guest with a courteous bow. The cup must not be passed in one hand, as this shows disrespect. Having received the cup, also in both hands, the gust bows and downs the warm wine in one swift movement.

Some trendy American restaurants served it chilled like white wine.  Sake doesn't age well in the bottle and should be consumed within a year of bottling.

Shao Xing wine = Shao Hsing wine = Chinese rice wine

As can be expected in a country where rice is the staple food, rice wine leads the field. There are hundreds of different varieties of rice wine in China, but only a few of these are exported.

Chinese rice wine is generally known as huang jiu (yellow wine) in Chinese, because of its golden amber color. The best known and best quality rice wine is Shao Xing, named after the district where it is made. The main grains used for making Shao Xing are glutinous rice, millet and ordinary rice, and the water comes from a large lake .

There are several varieties of Shao Xing wines, ranging in color from golden amber to dark brown, and in the percentage of alcohol by volume from 14 -16 percent. The aroma is always quite distinctive, smelling subtly fragrant and smoky. shao Xing should be drunk warm, and always with food. It is also used in cooking, and is added to the food towards the end of the cooking time so that the aroma is retained. One of the most famous Shao Xing wines is Hua Tiao, meaning "carved flower". This is a reference to the pretty patterns carved on the urns in which the wine is stored in underground cellars to mature.

As in beer brewing and whisky distilling, what distinguishes Shao Xing rice wine from all its imitators is the  water used, which just cannot be replicated elsewhere. So beware of Shao Xing/Hsing wine made in Taiwan, which pales, literally, by comparison. Read the small print on the label; if it says" made in ROC (Republic of China)" it is a fake.

yogurt = yoghurt 

This is milk that's cultured with bacteria to make it thick and tangy.  Ready-made yogurts are made from whole milk, low fat milk, and skim milk.  Health buffs prefer brands that contain active cultures, which help keep their intestines populated with friendly bacteria.  Many brands are heat-treated to destroy these cultures and increase shelf life. Yogurt often comes with added flavorings and thickeners.  "Light" flavored yogurts are made with artificial sweeteners to reduce calories.  Lactaid makes a lactose-reduced yogurt, but many people with lactose intolerance can tolerate ordinary yogurt, especially brands that contains active yogurt cultures. Larger  markets also carry yogurt made from soy milk and goat's milk, but these don't work well in delicate desserts. Organic yogurts also are available.