Dumpling wrappers 饺子皮 (jiǎo zi pí)

These round dough wrappers form the skin around a variety of Chinese dumplings, such as Jiaozi Dumplings, Guotie Pot Stickers, and Shanghai Soup Dumplings. They are usually made with only wheat flour. Making them from scratch can be quite time-consuming, so if you are short on time, we recommend buying them premade from an Asian grocery store. If you want to make them yourself, follow the recipe on page 258. They are also known as dumpling skins.

Dried tangerine peel 陈皮 (chén pí)

When cooked in a dish, these dried brownish orange pieces of peel add a nutty, faintly orangy flavor; they are usually discarded before serving the dish. When the peels are simmered in a soup, they can be added directly, but otherwise they should be rehydrated in warm water before using. According to traditional Chinese medicine, dried tangerine peel can be used to treat indigestion problems, and eating it plain can cure a hangover. It is sold in bags at Asian grocery stores, but you can easily dry your own. The next time you eat a tangerine, save the skin and use a spoon to scrape off most of the white pith. Leave the peels in a dry place until they are hard and dry. Store in a tightly covered container for up to 1 year. These are also called dried mandarin orange peel.

Dried red chiles 干辣椒 (gān là jiāo)

Whole Asian dried red chile peppers are 2 to 3 inches long. You can buy inexpensive bags of them at Asian grocery stores or pricier jars of Asian chiles at most Western supermarkets in the spice section. Their spicy seeds are usually removed before cooking.

Curry powder 咖喱粉 (gā lí fěn)

A bright yellow powdered spice made from a blend of more than a dozen spices such as fennel seed, fenugreek, saffron, coriander, and turmeric (which gives the spice its distinctive yellow color). Common in Indian cuisine, it is used in Tibet, Xinjiang, and also Macau, where it was introduced by Portuguese traders who brought it from India.

Cumin 孜然 (zī rán)

This yellowish brown spice is sold as whole seeds or ground into a powder. It has an aromatic, nutty flavor and is used in Tibetan and Xinjiang cuisine.