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"The more you understand the ingredients, the better cook you will become."
-Martin Yan

These are common ingredients found in local cuisine. You can find these ingredients readily available in your local supermarket.

Rock Sugar

Rock sugar, or rock candy, looks like a large, pale amber-colored crystal. It is made from a combination of refined and unrefined sugars and honey. This type of sugar adds a smooth, refreshing sweetness to foods unlike the cloying sweetness of common white sugar.

Rock sugar is used in braised meat dishes and in savory sauces. It contributes a lightly sweet flavor and glossy sheen. Rock sugar is also used to sweeten teas and hot and cold dessert soups. A 1-inch piece is about the same as 1 1/2-tablespoons of white sugar. Place large pieces of rock sugar in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin to obtain pieces of a manageable measuring size.

Rock sugar is available in plastic packages and in cellophane-wrapped boxes. Store rock sugar in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place. It will keep for several months.

Adapted from Martin Yan’s A Simple Guide To Chinese Ingredients And Other Asian Specialties

Copyright © 2006 Yan Can Cook Group.