Culinary Inspiration by Otao Kitchen

Whether they’re behind the counter of a major supermarket or running their own business, find a fishmonger who cares about cooking, eating and selling seafood. Wherever you are, don’t buy seafood in the same way you’d buy frozen meat or vegetables. Make it an occasion and try to eat it the same day if possible. Fish and seafood aren’t commodities you want to buy and eat the following week!

If you’ve ever been unsure of what fish sauce to buy for a particular recipe, or just wanted to stock your kitchen with some good quality fish sauce, then read on for our fish sauce guide.

A 'Dim Sim' is traditionally made with pork and cabbage wrapped in a delicate, pastry skin. It is lightly seasoned and delivers a delicious meaty crunch with each bite. 'Dim Sum' is an umbrella term and refers to a whole range of small dishes and parcels served at Yum Cha. Dim sum is a traditional Chinese meal made up of small plates of dumplings and other snack dishes and is usually accompanied by tea. Similar to the way that the Spanish eat tapas, the dishes are shared among family and friends. Typically, dim sum is consumed during brunch hours, late morning to early afternoon.

A couple of our dishes this week require you to cook a dough-based recipe using two different methods. The Spring onion pancakes are made using an unleavened dough and fried on the stove in a pan. The bao buns are created using a leavened (raising agent added) dough. They need to prove (rise) twice before being steamed into a soft, fluffy bread which will hold your sticky braised pork.

Steaming is one of the three main cooking techniques used in Chinese cuisine, alongside stir-frying and deep-frying. It is a healthy cooking method that allows the ingredients to truly shine without adding oils. It doesn't require mixing or stirring so it’s the preferred cooking method for delicate foods that might otherwise break apart.

Chillies were brought to China around 300 years ago and quickly found a home in the Sichuan province. The combination of Sichuan peppercorns (ma) and dried chilies (la) is perhaps the most known flavours of Sichuan cuisine. Ma denotes the sensation of pins and needles and la refers to spice and heat. When these two flavour profiles come together, you get ‘ma la’, literally meaning ‘numbing hot’. All the humidity makes Sichuan an exceptional chilli-growing region. It grows prolifically throughout this area of China. The reason the Sichuan province embraced chilli with such open arms - monsoonal weather. Oppressively hot and steamy summers give way to freezing, wet winters.

It doesn't take long for tourists to Thailand to realise that street food is practically a way of life there. Considering that many houses aren't equipped with proper kitchens, (and raw ingredients can cost more than prepared meals), it's no surprise that eating out is more common than eating in.

The best Thai curries are created using fresh pastes made from punchy aromatics and spices. Whether you bought a packaged curry paste (designed for more than one use), or you’ve made a large batch yourself, there’s no way you want to waste a single bit of that delicious flavour bomb!