Have you ever read one of my recipes and been confused about an ingredient? Have you wondered where to find some of the ingredients? I’m here to help. Hopefully I will demystify these exotic ingredients and encourage you to taste them for yourself.

1. Preserved cabbage: salty, sour, pickled cabbage product. Used in Thai dishes such as pad Thai. Can be found at Asian markets.
2. Asian fried garlic: slightly salty, fried garlic flakes. Can be found at Asian markets.
3. Oyster sauce: brown, thick, slightly salty, slightly sweet sauce made from oysters. This is a staple ingredient in many Southeast Asian cuisine. As an alternative, there is a vegetarian version of this sauce made from oyster mushrooms. These sauces can be found at your area Asian Market, or the international aisle of your local grocery store.
4. Tamarind: since fresh tamarind pods are very difficult to find, I like to buy my tamarind in “brick” form. The flesh from the tamarind is packed together. To use, simply cut off a 1” chunk and soak it in 1/4 c warm water for about 30 minutes. To create the tamarind paste, squeeze the pulp and mix it into the water. Remove pulp before using. Tamarind can be found at the Asian market.
5. Fish sauce: stinky and salty are the best words to describe fish sauce. But as stinky as this sauce is, it has such a unique flavor that can not be created any other way. Fermented anchovies, salt, and sugar make up a good fish sauce. Thai fish sauce (nam pla), which I use exclusively to cook, has a different flavor from Vietnamese fish sauce (nuoc mam), so be careful when shopping to buy the right one. Generally, the Thai version is easier to find. It can be found at most super markets (international foods aisle), specialty stores, and Asian markets.

1. Dried shiitake mushrooms: while fresh mushrooms work wonderfully, dried shiitake mushrooms create an amazing mushroom stock when soaked. The flavor is more concentrated therefore slightly salty. Dried shiitake mushrooms have a long shelf life. They can be found at specialty stores and Asian markets.
2. Star anise: this fragrant seed has a taste similar to licorice. This somewhat exotic spice has become easier to find. It is available in most spice aisles or international aisles of your favorite grocery store as well as all Asian markets.
3. Thai bird chili peppers: be careful when handling these chili peppers, as they are hot! On the Scoville scale they rate 100,000-225,000 SHU. They are no joke, so use sparingly unless you like spicy stuff. They can be found in the produce section of your grocery store by the jalapeño and scotch bonnet peppers. They are also available at Asian markets. If the peppers are only available in a pack, the peppers freeze well. All you need is to run them under water for about 30 seconds to thaw.