{"product_id":"spicy-chinese-pantry-collection","title":"Spicy Chinese Pantry Collection","description":"\u003ch2\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn All-Purpose Chinese Pantry That Leans Spicy\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThis Spicy Chinese Pantry Collection is a cross between our Chinese Essentials Collection and our Complete Sichuan Collection: It's an all-purpose Chinese pantry that leans spicy. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe collection was inspired by the core seasonings Fuchsia Dunlop recommends to cook most dishes from her 2026 book \u003cem\u003eFive Tastes. \u003c\/em\u003eThe 10 essential products allow you to create the five classic tastes of Chinese food—\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003esour, bitter, sweet, pungent or spicy, and salty, as well as the two modern taste additions, umami and numbing—along with the vast array of complex flavors made from combining them in infinite ways. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book asks you to think about a Chinese pantry by identifying a product's taste and the flavor profiles you can create with it. \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eFor example, sweet-and-sour; sour-and-hot; sweet-and-spicy with garlic; spicy-and-savory; numbing-and-spicy; \"fish-fragrant,\" etc. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCategorized by taste, the Salty and Umami category includes the most important Chinese ingredient, soy sauce, and related ingredient fermented soybeans. This collection includes a \u003cstrong\u003elight soy sauce\u003c\/strong\u003e naturally brewed for one year and a \u003cstrong\u003edark soy sauce\u003c\/strong\u003e from Sichuan heritage brand Zhongba. The \u003cstrong\u003epreserved black\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003ebeans\u003c\/strong\u003e, or douchi, are fermented for 3 years by Sichuan heritage brand Tongchuan; plump and moist, they do not need rinsing or prepping before use. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Sour category includes Chinese \u003cstrong\u003eblack vinegar\u003c\/strong\u003e, in this case a premium, full-bodied Shanxi mature vinegar, age 9 years. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Spicy and Pungent category is the largest in the collection, as many recipes in the book (and on our site!) are Sichuan-inspired, where complex flavors often include a spicy element. The essential foundation of Sichuan cooking is \u003cstrong\u003ePixian\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003edoubanjiang\u003c\/strong\u003e, or chili bean paste, which is a ferment of fava beans and chilies. This collection includes the pinnacle of douban production, a deeply flavorful 3-year doubanjiang from heritage brand Yi Feng He. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eChili heat is also used in the form of dried chilies and chili oil. \u003cstrong\u003eZi dan tou chilies\u003c\/strong\u003e are the workhorse of Sichuan food, with intense fragrance and coloring ability and moderate heat. Our own Mala Market \u003cstrong\u003eChengdu Crispy Chili Oil\u003c\/strong\u003e is made for us in small batches in Sichuan and is the ideal match for Sichuan food and cooking, with enough free oil to dress noodles and cold dishes. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the newer taste category of Ma, or numbing, is Sichuan's defining spice, Sichuan pepper, which is used extensively throughout western China cuisines. This collection includes the legendary and rare variety  called \u003cstrong\u003eTribute Pepper\u003c\/strong\u003e, as it was the favorite of the emperors. It is a robust red peppercorn with incomparable fragrance and numbing power.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlong with the core tastes, there are a few other vital ingredients to a Chinese pantry. Chief among those are cooking wine and sesame oil. The appealing taste and fragrance of \u003cstrong\u003eShaoxing cooking wine\u003c\/strong\u003e make it the favorite for marinades and meat\/fish dishes. And \u003cstrong\u003eroasted sesame oil\u003c\/strong\u003e is often the crowning touch of a stir-fry and a key ingredient in cold sauces for its nutty, toasty aroma. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll products in this collection are full size and all (except the dark soy sauce) are free of additives and preservatives. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis collection is sold at a 10% discount off individual product prices. \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003ePurchase \u003cem\u003eFive Tastes\u003c\/em\u003e separately as your guide to the infinite number of flavors you can make with this collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNote\u003c\/strong\u003e that collections are not packed separately from other items in the same order. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Mala Market","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48308098695366,"sku":"409","price":149.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1495\/7408\/files\/spicychinesepantry3_145255b1-77fb-4eb1-b2f3-9b87fb04cf07.jpg?v=1792612038","url":"https:\/\/themalamarket.com\/products\/spicy-chinese-pantry-collection","provider":"The Mala Market","version":"1.0","type":"link"}