Ingredient Guide

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

	Galangal (see Laos) ...........................................................................
	Garlics ........................................................................... A major spice in Korea and North China where it is often eaten raw and whole, it's strangely absent from the Japanese kitchen. Used widely in Southeast Asia in spice mix. Freshly harversted young garlics with fresh stems are not used in Southeast Asian kitchen.
	Ghee ........................................................................... Clarified butter with no milk solids. Preferred over butter as it produces no residue which may cause food to stick or burn. It was the main cooking fat used in India and Pakistan. Prepare your own by heating butter in very low heat till it melts (spoon off the foam), allow sediment to settle, pour oil into a new pan and reheat, then strain through muslin. Should keep for several months without refrigeration.
	Ginger ........................................................................... Widely used in Asia and especially important in the Chinese kitchen where it is often coupled with spring onion in stir fry dishes. The skin need not be peeled but all dried out bits should be removed. Older ginger is hotter than younger ones. Photo below : Chinese preserved ginger is made of young ginger and is somewhat sweet and saltish. Japanese preserved ginger is similar but somewhat less sweet in taste, pinkish in color and sliced thinner.
	Ginger Bud (Torch Ginger Bud / Bunga Siantan) ........................................................................... The unopened flower buds has a special aromatic smell that add a special taste to curries and salads.
	Ginkgo Nuts ........................................................................... Seed of the maidenhair tree(which contains toxic substance when fresh?), it's often used in Chinese cuisine for its medicinal property. The hard shells and thin skin has to be removed. The young shoot within the nut is bitter and usually removed when used as food. Canned nuts is a time saving replacement.
	Glutinous Rice (Sweet/sticky Rice) ........................................................................... It's white in color and a major ingredients in Southeast Asian snacks and desserts where sugar and coconut milk are often added. When cooked, it is sticky thus it's also called sticky rice. Though also known as sweet rice, it is not sweet. Glutinous rice flour is also a major dessert ingredient.
	Glutinous Rice, Black (Black Rice) ........................................................................... It's used in Southeast Asia for black rice porridge where palm sugar, salt and coconut milk are added. When cooked, it's sticky and the rice porridge is purplish black in color.
	Gram Flour ........................................................................... A flour made from black gram (Urid Dhal?) used for making papadums, dosay, vaday ...
	Green Beans (mung bean) ........................................................................... A popular snack and dessert ingredient where both whole and split beans are used. Used like a lentil in the indian kitchen, it's known as mung beans. Mung bean flour is also available and used in making desserts.
	Gypsum Powder ........................................................................... Powdered calcium sulphate. Used as a coagulating agent when making beancurd. (A tablespoon to a litre soya bean milk)
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