Having certain pantry staples in your home is one of the easiest way to enhance the flavors in all your dishes, not just the cuisine that the ingredients belong to. This is especially true of Asian pantry staples because many of them are huge umami bombs. Umami is one of the five basic flavors and is usually described as the savory sense. There is a lot of umami in Asian cooking, and emulating that flavor in other cuisines will take your cooking to the next level.
Chili Paste
Chili paste is an awesome ingredient because it provides a good amount of spice while still maintaining the flavors of the chili pepper itself. This can be used in curries, soups, and even in different non-Asian dishes like three bean chili.
Coconut Milk
Creamy coconut milk is used in a lot of dishes and sauces and is a great way to tone done the heat and amp up the smoothness of a dish. Beyond that, coconut milk is a great milk substitute for vegan people, so it will definitely not go to waste.
Sesame Oil
A little goes a long way for sesame oil, but gives you that great nutty taste when you’re frying dumplings or even in a stirfry.
