The equipment in the average Asian kitchen will be
perfectly adequate for most of the recipes in this Asian-Recipes site,
particularly now that the wok has become an indispensable item in many
households. There are some items, however, that will make cooking Asian
food easier and more pleasurable. The fact that many of these simple
pieces of equipment also look good, and instantly establish you as an
adventurous cook in the eye of your friends is a bonus.
The best way to build up your store of specialist items
is to start slowly, with a few basics such as a cleaver, bamboo steamer
and wok, then gradually add extra pieces as you experiment with the
exciting and different style of cooking that are explored within these
online pages. If you enjoy making sushi, for instance, you will need a
mat for rolling, and molds for shaping the rice; if Thai curries are
your current favorite, you'll be glad of a rough mortar and a pestle for
grinding wet spice mixtures.
Visit an Asian or Chinese store and you'll be amazed at
the array of items on sale at very reasonable prices. The design of many
utensils has not changed in centuries, and items made from basic
materials are often more effective than modern equivalents.
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