Culinary Inspiration by Otao Kitchen

What's The Difference?

Generally, they refer to the same group of foods, but there are a few minor differences. The word ‘pulse’ describes crops harvested for their dry grains, such as lentils or chickpeas. Pulses are part of the legume family, but the name ‘pulse’ refers only to the dried inner seed. The term ‘legume’ includes those dry grains, as well as fresh peas, beans and crops such as soya beans and peanuts. Think of legumes as the plants whose fruit is enclosed in a pod. Variances between the two terms are small, so it’s easy to see how use them interchangeably. Legumes and pulses come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours and can be consumed in many forms including whole or split, ground into flours or separated into fractions such as protein, fibre and starch.

Ghee

Ghee gives the rich and distinctive flavour to Indian foods. Ghee is made from clarified butter and has high burning point. You can make your own by adding a block of butter to a saucepan. Heat it up until it begins to look foamy. You’ll notice the milk solids will sink in the bottom of the pan. Drain the clear butter off the top and discard the remaining solids. You will need to pour the ghee through a cheese cloth (or clean chux) to strain. Store at room temperature for up to 3 months.  

The term ‘noodles’ was manufactured the west, describing foods that are long and stringy. However, in China, a noodle is not called a ‘noodle’, it is called ‘miàn’ or ‘mein’.  Miàn is not related to the shape of the food, but the fact it is made from flour in a liquid. Funnily enough in this sense, dumplings and tortellini are both are miàn! The Malaysian word ‘mee’ is derived from the Chinese name.

Rice is one of the most used grains on the planet. It’s a staple food for a large portion of the world’s population with hundreds of varieties. When selecting rice, enthusiasts will look carefully for the colour, fragrance, flavour and texture.

Stir-frying is a method of cooking where ingredients are fried in a small amount of very hot oil while being stirred. This technique originated in China but has spread into other parts of Asia and the West. To traditionally stir-fry, the most obvious tool you need is a good wok and spatula. However, if you don’t have a wok, that shouldn’t stop you! Simply use a large, wide frying pan with some other basic pantry ingredients. You’ll soon be able to whip up the most delicious stir-fry recipes.

Soy Sauce 

 We can’t talk about Chinese cuisine without mentioning soy sauce! It is foundational to so many Chinese dishes we have grown to love. It’s also used across an array of other Asian countries who use it as a staple for cooking, dipping sauces, marinades and dressings.

Chinese food has influenced many other cuisines, catering to local palates for many years. Food staples are rice, soy sauce, noodles, tea and tofu. Many day-to-day utensils such as chopsticks, woks and rice cookers can now be found in kitchens globally. China has many ethnic backgrounds which have their own preference for seasoning and cooking techniques.

A substance called capsaicin gives chillies their distinctive hot, peppery taste. The chemical stimulates areas of your skin and tongue that normally sense heat and pain, fooling your brain into thinking they are burning! Capsaicin has been found to repel or poison mammals but not birds, according to BBC. These are some main fresh and dried varieties available in Australia.

It’s not that you've formed an emotional bond to your food, 'onion tears' are just caused by a gas called Propanethiol S-oxide. When mixed with an onion’s enzymes, they create a sulphur gas that irritates your eyes.