Cooking Basics

Guides to essential kitchen equipment and cookware used in Chinese, Indian, Thai and Vietnamese cooking. Each article focuses on the specific tools needed for authentic preparation.

Chinese Cooking Equipment

Chinese home kitchens skip ovens and fridges, relying instead on powerful hob cooking and the versatile wok for nearly everything.

In the Indian Kitchen

How Indian kitchens blend spiritual traditions with practical cooking, using sacred rules and traditional equipment that still matter today.

In the Thai Kitchen

Thai kitchens are simple spaces with charcoal stoves and no ovens, yet they produce fresher, more flavorful food than most modern kitchens.

In the Vietnamese Kitchen

Vietnamese kitchens honour Tao Quan, the hearth god, while cooking over open flames using traditional woks and clay pots passed down through generations.