Kitchen Preparation

Before reading and referencing the recipes, assume that you have already prepared the following items in the kitchen. These items are not mentioned in the ingredients and tools section.

燃气灶，饮用水，炒锅，蒸锅，煮锅，电饭锅，食用油，洗菜盆，碟子，碗，筷子，勺子，汤勺，漏勺，洗涤剂，抹布，钢丝球，菜刀，生食案板，熟食案板，削皮刀，热水壶

Among these, detergents, cleaning cloths, and steel wool are categorized as dishwashing supplies. For the complete dishwashing process, see How to Wash Dishes.

The following materials are likely to be used frequently. It is recommended to purchase them in advance for the kitchen and to always ensure that fresh supplies are available for use.

大葱，小葱，生姜，大蒜，花椒，八角，桂皮，香叶
干辣椒，小米椒，生抽，老抽，蚝油，料酒（黄酒，可选）
黑醋(香醋、陈醋)，白醋，豆瓣酱，冰糖，棉白糖，盐，味精\鸡精
黑胡椒，白胡椒，五香粉，玉米淀粉，番薯淀粉

If you need to handle emergencies or have long-term stay-at-home needs, it is recommended that you also procure the following items:

冰箱、微波炉、保鲜膜、保鲜袋
鸡蛋、青椒、胡萝卜、黄瓜、西红柿、木耳、里脊肉、茄子、米、挂面或方便面

If you are very keen on pursuing formality, standardization, and a sense of ritual, and want to have a uniquely interesting kitchen, then also procure the following items:

电子秤（或天平）、游标卡尺、量筒、停表、烧杯、测温枪、移液器

If you want to save time, you can buy semi-finished products and simply prepare them before eating:

预炸过的炸鸡块、冷冻手抓饼、包好的饺子、袋装咖喱、各种丼类（盖饭）、自热食品、拌面料包、外卖包、方便食品

For other raw materials specific to each dish, please refer to the Required Raw Materials section of the dish itself.

Buying Oil

Before choosing an oil, it's important to understand some basic knowledge about fatty acids.

Classification of Fatty Acids

Fatty acids are classified into:

• Saturated fatty acids (avoid as much as possible)
• Unsaturated fatty acids
  • Cis fatty acids
  • Trans fatty acids (pay special attention to avoiding these)
  • Polyunsaturated fatty acids
  • Monounsaturated fatty acids

Saturated fatty acids are solid at room temperature, while unsaturated fatty acids are liquid at room temperature.

Avoided Fatty Acids

Among them, saturated fatty acids and trans fatty acids are generally considered unhealthy.

Saturated fatty acids increase the risk of obesity, high cholesterol, and heart disease.

Research indicates that long-term excessive consumption of trans fatty acids produced through hydrogenation processing can lead to abnormal lipid metabolism in the human body, thereby increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Other studies also suggest that it may increase the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity.

The World Health Organization recommends: To promote cardiovascular health, the intake of trans fatty acids in the diet should be controlled as much as possible, with maximum intake not exceeding 1% of total energy. In other words, if an adult's average daily energy intake is calculated at 2,000 kilocalories, the daily intake of trans fatty acids should not exceed 2.2 grams.

GB 28050-2011 stipulates that if food ingredients contain, or if hydrogenated and/or partially hydrogenated oils are used during production, the content of trans fat (acid) must also be declared in the nutrition facts panel.

Trans Fatty Acids in Food

According to relevant surveys, the average trans fat content in baked goods (pastries, biscuits, bread, etc.), seasonings, and fried foods ranges from 0.30 to 0.50 g/100g.

Therefore, there is no need to worry excessively—trans fats in everyday foods are not sufficient to harm health. However, just to be safe, when purchasing snacks, it is advisable to check the trans fat (acid) content listed on the nutrition facts label.

Trans Fatty Acids in Cooking

According to a 2021 survey, the average trans fatty acid content in vegetable oils in our country is 0.86 g/100g, so there is no need to worry excessively.

The source of trans fatty acids to pay extra attention to is the cooking process:

Vegetable oils often contain a high proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which have poor thermal stability and are prone to converting into trans fats at high temperatures.

Therefore, in different scenarios, we need to choose oils reasonably and minimize the heating time of the oil as much as possible.

Choosing Vegetable Oil

Oil Name	Saturated Fatty Acids (%)	Omega 3 (%)	Omega 6 (%)	Omega 9 (%)
Canola Oil	7%	11%	21%	61%
Flaxseed Oil	9%	57%	16%	18%
Sunflower Oil	12%	1%	71%	16%
Corn Oil	13%	1%	57%	29%
Olive Oil	15%	1%	9%	75%
Soybean Oil	15%	8%	54%	23%
Peanut Oil	19%	0%	33%	48%
Cottonseed Oil	27%	0%	54%	19%
Lard	43%	1%	9%	47%
Palm Oil	51%	0%	10%	39%
Tallow	68%	1%	3%	28%
Coconut Oil	91%	0%	2%	7%

• 花生油 is rich in 单不饱和脂肪. However, it is recommended to choose only high-quality options. Also, be careful not to heat it for too long during processing to avoid the formation of 反式脂肪酸.
• 橄榄油 is rich in 单不饱和脂肪, which has only one unsaturated bond. 橄榄油 has a low content of 饱和脂肪酸.
  • Dressing/Cold or Low-Temperature Cooking: It is recommended to choose Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which retains more antioxidants such as polyphenols. However, its smoke point is relatively low (approximately 160-190℃), making it unsuitable for high-temperature stir-frying.
  • Medium-to-High Temperature Stir-Frying: It is recommended to choose Refined Olive Oil (labeled as Pure or Refined), which has a higher smoke point (above 230℃) and is more suitable for Chinese-style cooking.
• 大豆油 contains approximately 15% 饱和脂肪酸 and includes linoleic acid and vitamins. However, soybean oil has a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, making it chemically unstable and prone to producing 反式脂肪酸 during processing. Therefore, it is not recommended for long-term use in high-temperature stir-frying, but it can be used for dressing or regular stewing.
• 菜籽油 has good thermal stability.
  • Traditional Rapeseed Oil: May contain high levels of erucic acid, which could be detrimental to cardiovascular health if consumed in large quantities over a long period.
  • Double-Low Rapeseed Oil (i.e., Canola Oil): Improved to have extremely low erucic acid content (<2%) and an excellent fatty acid profile (high in monounsaturated fatty acids and containing Omega-3). It is highly recommended by the nutritional science community as a daily cooking oil.
• 椰子油 has a very high 饱和脂肪酸 content and excellent thermal stability. However, note that some foods use hydrogenated coconut oil. It is suitable for frying in the kitchen.
• 棕榈油 has a very high 饱和脂肪酸 content and good thermal stability. It is commonly used for commercial frying, and frequent consumption increases the risk of high cholesterol.
• Animal fats such as 猪油 and 牛油 are rich in 饱和脂肪酸 and have excellent thermal stability. Although they are less likely to produce harmful substances at high temperatures, due to their potential negative impact on cardiovascular health, it is recommended to control intake and they are not recommended as the sole long-term cooking oil.

Therefore, based on the above table, we can draw the following conclusions:

• No single oil is perfect; each type has its own pros and cons. We should choose different oils based on different cooking scenarios (cold, hot, frying).
• Avoid Using a Single Oil: Modern people often consume excessive amounts of Omega-6 while severely lacking in Omega-3. It is recommended to keep 2-3 different types of oils at home and alternate their use.
• To avoid consuming too much 反式脂肪酸, do not choose oils with poor thermal stability (such as soybean oil or corn oil) for stir-frying, and do not heat oils for too long.
• Do not consume large amounts of fried foods. Although saturated fats have good thermal stability, excessive intake of saturated fat itself is a burden on health.
• Do not reuse cooking oil. Repeated heating produces large amounts of trans fatty acids and oxidation products.
• Do not consume takeout food for extended periods, as it is difficult to determine what type of oil is used (typically cheap and unstable fats).

Stir-frying Oil (Medium Heat)

• Canola oil (double low rapeseed oil)
• Peanut oil
• Refined olive oil

These oils contain a high proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids and have a moderate to high smoke point, making them suitable for most Chinese stir-frying needs.

Frying Oil (High Temperature)

• Coconut oil
• Palm oil
• Lard/Beef tallow

For high-heat cooking methods like stir-frying and deep-frying, it is necessary to use saturated fats with better thermal stability, as they produce fewer harmful oxidation byproducts. However, from the perspective of cardiovascular health, the most fundamental strategy is to reduce the frequency of frying.

Cold Tossing, Low-Temperature, and Stewing Oils

• Flaxseed oil
• Perilla oil
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Sesame oil / Walnut oil

Flaxseed oil and perilla oil are rich in the highly valuable Omega-3, but they are extremely heat-sensitive. Even slight heating causes them to oxidize, spoil, and develop off-flavors. Using them as a cold dressing oil is the "perfect strategy" for supplementing Omega-3.