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glossary

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SAFFRON

The world's most expensive spice, actually the dried stigma of a type of crocus. Infuse saffron strands in warm milk before adding to rice and dessert dishes. Store saffron in the freezer as it loses its fragrance quickly.

SAGO PEARLS

The pith of the sago palm that has been ground to a paste and pressed through a sieve. It is very glutinous, with a little taste, and used in Asia for desserts.

SAKE

Japanese rice wine that is popular as a drink. Available in many different qualities and is an important cooking ingredient. It is almost always heated to get rid of the alcohol for Japanese cuisine. A bottle sake will keep for about a month after opening. Regular sake is a good substitute for red sake.

SALAM LEAF

A subtly flavored leaf of a member of the cassia family, infused in curried. If you cannot obtain fresh or dried leaf, omit altogether.

SALTED FISH

Salted and sun-dried freshwater fish that so not require soaking before using. Grill whole or cut into fine slices and fry to a crisp, and serve as a condiment. Salted fish is also sometimes pickled.

SALTED CABBAGE

Various types of heavily salted cabbage are used in some Chinese and Nonya dishes; the most common is made from mustard cabbage. Soak in fresh water for at least 15 minutes to remove excess salt, repeating if necessary.

SALTED DUCK EGG

A popular accompaniment to rice and savory Malay dishes. Wash off the black coating (often added to protect the egg), boil for 10 minutes, then cut egg in half while still in the shell.

SALTED SAYA BEANS

Salty and with a distinctive tang, these are often lightly pounded before being used to season fish, noodle or vegetable dishes. Varieties from China are sometimes labelled "Yellow Bean Sauce". Mash slightly before using. Sichuan brands contain additional chili. Keeps indefinitely on the shelf.

SANSHO

A peppery powder made from the seeds of the prickly ash, available in small glass bottles in Japanese stores. The dried Sichuan pepper is an exact substitute.

SAUSAGE, CHINESE (lap cheong)

Cured pork sausages about 15 cm (6 in) in length with a sweet flavor. Refrigerate up to one month or freeze up to several months.

SCALLION

Also known as spring onion, this popular herb is often used as a garnish and to add flavor to many dishes. It has slender white stalks and dark green strap-like leaves.

SCREWPINE LEAVES

Popular in the cooking of Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesian, Malasian and Thailand, screwpine leaves have a floral flavor and are used most often to flavor rice dishes and puddings. Their intense green hue also makes them useful as a natural food coloring. Screwpine leaves are available in Asian markets-sometimes fresh and always dried. They're also called daun pandan, pandanus and kewra.

SEAWEED, dried

Dried seaweed is usually available in sheets. Keeps indefinitely on the shelf. Some seaweed sheets are more expensive because they are roasted and seasoned. These are used in Japanese cooking. Dark green dried kelp or konbu is an essential ingredient in basic stock is dashi. Wipe clean with a damp cloth but do not soak before using. Other varieties include a fine golden kelp (shiraita konbu), mozuku, which are hair-like shreds, small squares of salted dried kelp (shio-kobu), and laver (nori), which is dried and sold in very thin, dark green sheets. Wakame is sold either dried or in salted form in plastic bags. Reconstitute by soaking in water.

SEMOLINA

Semolina is coarsely ground durum wheat, a highly glutinous (hard) wheat. When other grains, such as rice or corn, are similarly ground, they are referred to as "semolina," i.e., "corn semolina" or "rice semolina."  Semolina is used to make pasta, gnocchi, puddings, and a variety of confections

SESAME

Both black and white sesame seeds, the latter more common, are used in Japanese cooking. White sesame seeds are toasted and crushed to make a paste; if you do not want to do this yourself, you can buy either a Chinese of Japanese brand of sesame paste. Middle-Eastern tahina has a slightly different flavor as the sesame seeds are not toasted.

SESAME SEED OIL

Golden brown oil of sesame seeds. Buy in small quantities and keep refrigerated after opening. Add to dishes just before serving for its flavor, but never use on its own as a frying medium.

SESAME RICE CRACKERS

Thin crackers made from rice flour sprinkled with sesame seeds. Grill or lightly bake before serving, and used like a cracker for dipping. Prawn crackers or puffed rice crackers may be used as a substitute.

SEVEN-SPICE POWDER

A mixture of different spices and flavors, shichimi contains sansho, ground chilies, hemp seeds, dried orange peel, nori flakes, white sesame seeds and white poppy seeds. Shichimi togarashi contains chili. Both are available in bottles in Japanese stores.

SHALLOTS

Small, round and pinkish-purple, shallots add a sweet onion flavor to sambals and curries. Packets of deep-fried shallots are generally available in Asian markets and general stores. If they loose their crispness, scatter in a large baking dish and put in a very low oven for a few moments to dry thoroughly. Cool before storing. Indonesian shallots are smaller and milder than those found in many Western countries.

SHARK'S FIN

Dried shark's fin, appearing like transparent threads are highly valued for their gelatinous texture and added to soups or sometimes cooked with eggs. Soak in boiling water for about 30 minutes to soften before use. Shark's fin is also available in cans.

SHISO

The tangy, attractive green leaves of the Perilla frutescens or beefsteak plant, related to the mint family, are a common garnish in Japan. There is no substitute for the flavor of shiso leaf. The flower is often used as a garnish, and the tiny seeds for cooking. If the seeds are not available, omit as there is no good substitute.

SHRIMP, dried

Dried tiny shrimp. Soak in warm water for about 1/2 hour to soften before use. Keeps on shelf indefinitely in covered jars. A popular seasoning in many Asian dishes, particularly in sauces, condiments (sambals) and vegetable dishes.

SHRIMP PASTE

Known variously as kapi, trasi, and belacan. A dense mixture of fermented ground shrimp used extensively in Southeast Asian cooking. There are different types ranging in color from pink to dark brown. The former is good for curry paste and the latter for making dipping sauces. Shrimp paste should be cooked before eating; if the recipe you are using does not call for it to be fried together with other ingredients, either grill or fry-dry the shrimp paste before pounding. To grill, wrap a piece of the paste in a piece of foil and toast under a grill or dry-fry in a pan for 2 minutes on each side.

SHRIMP SAUCE, black

A very thick syrupy paste, usually sold in jars or plastic tubs, with a strong shrimp flavor. It is commonly added to rojak, a fruit and vegetable salad, and Penang laksa. Known as hei-ko among the Hokkien Chinese of Southeast Asia.

SICHUAN PEPPER

A round, reddish-brown berry with a pronounced fragrance and flavor, used primarily in Sichuan cuisine and as an ingredient in five-spice powder. It is also known as prickly ash or fagara, and often in powder form under the Japanese name sansho.

SNOW PEAS (Chinese pea pods)

Flat edible pea pod. Has a delicate taste and comes fresh or frozen. Must string as in green beans before cooking.

SOUR PLUMS

Popular in Japan to accompany plain rise for breakfast, it is actually pickled in salt solution. Known as umeboshi, they are believe to aid digestion. These dull-red plums are available in jars, and should be refrigerated after opening.

SOY SAUCE

The extract of fermented soybeans combined with salt. Soy sauce range from light to dark. Light soy sauce is the most delicate, and is used as a dip or in cooking; gives little color. Three types are used in Chinese cooking. Light soy sauce is thinner, lighter in color and saltier than dark soy sauce, which is often added to give a dark coloring to a dish. Delicately flavored, red soy sauce is seldom used and can be substituted with light soy sauce.

For Japanese cooking, tamari is very strong, thick and black and available from Japanese stores: dark soy sauce is a good substitute.

In Indonesia, thick sweet soy sauce (kicap manis) is most frequently used as a condiment, followed by the thinner, saltier light soy sauce (kicap asin). If kicap manis is not available, use the thick black Chinese soy sauce and sweeten with brown sugar.

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SPRING ONION

See SCALLION.

STAR ANISE

A sweet-smelling star-shaped, eight-pointed pod with a pungent flavor of aniseed or licorice. Frequently used in soups.

STARFRUIT

A star-shaped fruit, eaten raw and finely sliced. Young starfruit has a tart taste and is often served on Vietnamese vegetable platter as a complement to grilled or fried food.

SUGAR CANE

Fresh sugar cane juice - extracted from the stalks by a crushing machine - is a very popular drink in Vietnam. In addition to the familiar uses of sugar cane, the peeled stalks are also used as skewers in cooking.

SZECHUAN VEGETABLE

The knobby bulb of a radish preserved in chili pepper and salt. Rinse before using. Store airtight in jar. Refrigerate indefinitely. No substitutes.