- chinkiang-vinegar鎮江醋Chinkiang cu/tʂɛn.tɕjɑŋ tsʰu/
- Chinese aged black vinegar from Jiangsu province. Smoky-sweet, more complex than rice vinegar. Used in stir-fries and dipping sauces.
- doubanjiang豆瓣醬doubanjiang/tow.ban.tɕjɑŋ/
- Fermented broad bean and chili paste from Sichuan. The umami foundation of mapo tofu and many Sichuan dishes.
- hoisin海鮮醬hoisin/hɔj.sin/
- Cantonese sweet-savory dipping sauce. Soybean + sugar + spices. Used with Peking duck and as table condiment.
- huangjiang黃醬huangjiang/xwɑŋ.tɕjɑŋ/
- Chinese fermented yellow bean paste. The savory base of zhajiangmian. Less sweet than Korean chunjang.
- lao-gan-ma老乾媽lao gan ma/laʊ kan ma/
- 'Old Godmother' chili crisp — the cult Chinese chili oil brand with crunchy fried garlic and chili. Spoonable, addictive.
- ma-la麻辣ma la/ma la/
- 'Numbing-spicy' — Sichuan flavor combination of Sichuan peppercorn (má, numbing) + chili (là, spicy). Defines Sichuan cuisine.
- shaoxing-wine紹興酒Shaoxing jiu/ʂɑʊ.ɕiŋ tɕjoʊ/
- Chinese rice cooking wine from Zhejiang province. Essential for marinades and stir-fry deglazing.
- sichuan-peppercorn花椒huajiao/xwa.tɕjɑʊ/
- Sichuan peppercorn — provides the 'má' (numbing) sensation in má-là. Not actually peppercorns; a citrus relative.
- wok-hei鑊氣wok hei/wɔk hej/
- 'Breath of the wok' — smoky-charred flavor from very high-heat wok cooking. The signature of great Cantonese stir-fry.
- ya-cai芽菜ya cai/ja tsʰaj/
- Sichuan preserved mustard greens — chopped, sealed in pouches. Essential topping for dan dan noodles.