Auxiliary Material Techniques

• The basic order for adding aromatics is as follows: first ginger, then scallions and garlic, followed by chili peppers, then dried spices (star anise / Sichuan peppercorns /麻麻 pepper), and finally dried chili peppers. For each step, you may remove any aromatics that are not needed for the specific dish from the sequence.
• Ginger has the highest water content, which means it requires more time to render out its juices.
• If you are using scallion sections (it is recommended to lightly smash them with a cleaver first), I recommend adding the scallion sections first, followed by minced garlic. If you are using chopped scallions, you can add both aromatics to the pan at the same time. Note: The juices in scallion sections are harder to render out.
• If you are making a stir-fry, I recommend adding the dried spices before the ginger. This infuses the oil with more flavor, resulting in a more aromatic dish. The reason we do not do this for braised or stewed dishes is that you may need to stir-fry many aromatics for an extended period, which can cause the dried spices to turn black and bitter.
• Dried chili peppers are added last because they easily scorch and turn black due to the pan's temperature. They only need to be stir-fried for a few seconds.
• Note: Regardless of the cuisine style you prefer, sautéing these aromatics over low heat until they turn golden brown can significantly enhance the aroma of the entire dish, a quality that standard seasonings alone cannot provide.

Timing and Amount of Salt Addition

• For quick-stir-fry dishes, add salt first; salt amount = total ingredient weight × 0.9%;
• For meat dishes, add salt when the meat is 80% cooked; salt amount = (total ingredient weight + 30 mL of juice) × (1–1.2%);
• For soup dishes, add salt at the very end; salt amount = initial water volume × 0.8%.
• It is recommended not to exceed 5 g of total daily salt intake. See WHO for reference.