Glutinous rice flour 糯米粉 (nuò mǐ fěn)

Contrary to its name, glutinous rice flour does not contain gluten and is fine for gluten-free diets. It is made from a type of short-grain rice that becomes very sticky and gluey when cooked. You can find this flour at Asian grocery stores.
Sometimes it is called sticky rice flour.

Ginger 生姜 (shēng jiāng)

Fresh gingerroot is a spice added to many Chinese dishes. The tan-colored roots are knobby and look kind of like stubby fingered hands. Gingerroot has a refreshing lemony flavor and a light spiciness. It should usually be peeled before cooking. In addition to its culinary use, traditional Chinese medicine hails ginger as a cure for everything from the common cold to poison ingestion to nausea. Ground ginger is not a substitute because it has a completely different flavor.

Fish sauce 鱼露 (yú lù)

Popular throughout Southeast Asia, fish sauce is a thin, amber-colored liquid made from salt and fermented fish. It is typically used as a flavor enhancer in soups and sauces. At first whiff it smells like dirty socks, but when it is combined with other ingredients its unpleasant smell disappears and it brings out a dish’s natural umami flavor. We like to add a dash of fish sauce to non-Asian dishes, like spaghetti Bolognese, to increase their flavor. It is sold bottled at Asian grocery stores.

Fenugreek seeds 胡芦巴籽 (hú lú bā zǐ)

These tan colored seeds are used as a spice in Tibetan and Indian cooking. The aromatic seeds have a sweet, slightly bitter flavor that is somewhat similar to maple syrup. The seeds are very hard and should be first dry-roasted in a pan and then crushed before using. Find them in the spice sections of specialty grocery stores or at an Indian grocery store.

Edamame beans 毛豆 (máo dòu)

Edamame is the Japanese name for fresh soybeans, and they can be bought fresh or frozen at most supermarkets. They should be blanched or steamed before eating. If they come in pods, they must first be shelled. The beans are extremely healthy and are rich in protein and vitamins A, B, and C.