Uwajipedia

A glossary of common, and not-so-common, Asian ingredients and terms.

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Pantry

Paratha 

While it’s less famous in the West than its cousin, roti, paratha is another unleavened flatbread originally...
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Yakiniku  

Originating in Korean table-barbecuing techniques, yakiniku is the Japanese adaptation of this cooking method. It translates to...
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Tsukemono 

If you’re familiar with Japanese cuisine, you’ve likely had tsukemono on occasion. They’re not any one dish,...
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Shrimp Paste (Balchao, Kapi, Mam Tom)  

The name might sound self-explanatory, and in some ways, it is: Shrimp paste is a paste made...
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Bánh Mì Baguette  

Hailing from a mix of traditional Vietnamese ingredients and French colonial influences, the banh mi sandwich is...
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Gaeng Keow Wan 

While the transliteration from the Thai alphabet to English can vary, gaeng keow wan — also known...
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Naan

You’ve probably had it, and you certainly love it. Naan is a type of flatbread found in...
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Pilav/Pilaf/Osh 

With seemingly endless regional variations and similarly endless names thereof, pilav, pilaf, plov, osh — whatever you...
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Mandarin Pancakes

Also known as spring pancakes, these are thin, simple pancakes originating in northern China. They’re used kind...
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Red Kidney Bean

Although there are many different types of kidney beans such as the white cannellini, the first kind...
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Cumin

Common in cuisines from the eastern Mediterranean to South Asia plus certain cuisines in the Americas, cumin...
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Nori

Perhaps the most well-known edible seaweed in the West, nori is a thin sheet made by shredding...
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