Sauce

pure form Ftsh sauce ts often combtned wtth other tngredtents such as sugar.

garlic and lime JUICe to

make the vanous dtpptng sauces known as nuoc mam cham Use spanngly and always look for a quality brand for a better flavor Refngerate after opentng Ftve sp1ce powder 1s a

blend of fragrant, sweet sp1ces 1nclud1ng cmnamon.

star antse.

cloves.

fennel seeds and Stchuan peppercorns.

th1s reddish-brown pow- der IS popular as a seasontng m Chtnese cu1s1ne and some That and V1etnamese d1shes Pre-packaged live sptce powder tS avatlable tn Astan mar- kets and well stocked supermarkets Ftve sptce powder IS generally used tn small amounts as tl ts a very strong seasonmg To keep fresh as long as posstble, store tn the refngerator Galangal ts a fragrant root belongtng to the gtnger famtty that tS used tn much the same way as gtnger Known as kha tn Thailand, laos tn lndonesta and lengkuas tn Malaysta and Stngapore, 11 adds a dtstlncttve fragrance and flavor to many dtshes Though avatlable dned or as a powder.

try to purchase the fresh root.

whtch has a ncher flavor Fresh galangal should be peeled before ustng The young.

ptnktsh galangal ts the most tender and tmparts the best fla- vor Fresh galangal wtll keep for sever- al months tf stored tn an atrttght con- tatner tn the freezer Jackfruit ts a large, green frUit wtlh a tough.

knobbly sktn whtch reveals a yellow.

segmented flesh when opened It has a taste that IS naturally sweet In Vtetnam, the young jackfrutl ts used like a vegetable tn cooktng Readtly avatl- able fresh tn Southeast Asta.

the frutl can be purchased canned tn the West.

Lemongrass.

also known as cttronella, tS an tntensely fragrant stalk used to part of the stem nearest the roots ts the edtble portton Otscard the outer leaves until you reach the tnner core.

whtch should be motst and tender.

When ustng the stalk.

brUise 11 before cooktng and after cookmg.

remove 11 from the dish before servtng.

Lemongrass ts readtly avatlable fresh or frozen now m most well-stocked supermarkets Loofah ts a type of gourd wtth a woody.

earthy flavor often used tn Vietnamese soups Any type of squash may be