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Uwajipedia

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

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Starts with S

Samosas 

Samosas might be the most popular South Asian snack this side of the Pacific Ocean, and for...
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Sesame Balls

Transliterated from Chinese as jiandui (and known by other names in different regions of China), these sesame balls are...
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Soju 

If there's one constant in human history, it's making (and drinking) alcohol. In the case of soju,...
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Sunomono 

Sunomono literally translates to “vinegared things” in Japanese, however, it typically refers to a Japanese cucumber salad....
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Sashimi 

Known now as a delicacy worldwide, sashimi has been so in Japan for hundreds of years. It’s...
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Shokupan 

Eaten almost daily by many in Japan, shokupan is Japanese milk bread (also called Hokkaido milk bread)....
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Sesame Seeds

Not only are sesame seeds and their oil used in many Asian cuisines, they’re used in almost...
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Satoimo 

If you’re familiar with a bit of Japanese linguistic trends, you’ll notice the “imo” here and infer...
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Ssamjang

If you’re familiar with Korean cooking, you might have figured based on the suffix “jang” that ssamjang...
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Sambal

A staple of Indonesian cuisine, sambal is a chili sauce — some might say it’s more a...
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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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Shiso

A member of the mint family, shiso is also sometimes referred to as “Chinese basil” or “beefsteak...
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Shiitake

Shiitake are one of the most well-known types of mushrooms, especially in the Japanese cuisine in which...
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Scallions

Scallions, green onions, what are they? Well, for starters, the same thing.
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Satay

Satay isn’t just one dish, but. more of a family of Southeast Asian skewered, grilled meats.
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Soba

A popular buckwheat noodle in Japan, there are tons of dishes made up of soba. These include...
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Senbei

Senbei are simply a type of Japanese rice cracker.
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Somen

Often less well-known in North America than other Japanese noodles like ramen, udon, and soba, somen are...
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Star Fruit

Originally from India, the star fruit has a smooth, yellow skin with five lateral ridges running the...
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Santoku Knife

Santoku is a multi-purpose Japanese kitchen knife that can be used to cut fish, meat and vegetables
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Sengiri Cabbage

Thinly cut cabbage that is a common side dish in Japanese cuisine.
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Sakura Denbu

When you hear the word “condiment,” you might not think of something made from codfish, but that’s...
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Szechuan

A province in inland southwest China, Szechuan is known for its vibrant, spicy cuisine.
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Sansai

'"Sansai" vegetables are those vegetables that in olden times were harvested from the wild (the "san" in...
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Salted Salmon Roe

Salted salmon roe is a popular Japanese rice topping and sushi ingredient.
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Salted Herring Roe

Traditionally eaten at New Year’s in Japan, salted herring roe or “kazunoko” are associated with health, fertility,...
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Sea Urchin Roe

While referred to as “roe,” uni is actually the sea urchin gonads. It’s considered a delicacy in...
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Smelt Roe

Also called masago, smelt roe are the eggs from the type of smelt fish called a capelin....
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Sukiyaki Meat

thin slices of fat-marbled beef
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Sushi

Sushi is the Japanese term for a food item made from cooked vinegared rice combined with a...
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Sake Kasu

Japanese pickling agent or marinade ingredient
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Sake

Japanese alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice
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Shochu

One of Japan's most popular alcoholic beverages
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Soba Cha

Soba cha is the Japanese name for tea made from roasted buckwheat that’s popular in Japan, Korea,...
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Soba Noodles

Noodles made from buckwheat flour
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Shiso

A member of the mint family, shiso has many uses in Japanese cooking
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Squid Sauce

Made popular in Thailand, Squid Brand fish sauce a popular season to add to a variety of...
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Sesame Oil

If you’ve eaten food from East Asia, Southeast Asia, India, and beyond, chances are you’ve tasted sesame...
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