Spring roll wrappers 春卷皮 (chūn juǎn pí)

These thin, square sheets of dough are used to wrap egg rolls, spring rolls, and popiah rolls. They are sometimes referred to as spring roll skins. Find them frozen at any Asian grocery store and most supermarkets.

Star anise 八角 (bā jiǎo)

This small star-shaped spice (the Chinese name literally means “eight corners”) has a flavor similar to fennel seed. It is sometimes called whole star anise and should not be confused with aniseed. Find it in its whole star form or ground into a powder in the spice section at most supermarkets or at Asian grocery stores.

Steamed bread 馒头 (mán tou)

Chinese kitchens do nottraditionally have ovens. Instead, bread dough is cooked by steaming it in stacked bamboo steamers. There are a variety of sizes available of steamed bread buns. Small buns are often fried and dipped in condensed milk, and clamshell-shaped buns can be filled with meat. You can find steamed bread buns frozen at Asian grocery stores.

Sweet red bean paste 红豆沙 (hóng dòu shā)

This paste is made from red azuki beans boiled with sugar. It is commonly added to desserts as a filling and a flavoring. It is sold canned at Asian grocery stores. You may substitute sweet lotus paste.

Dark soy sauce 老抽 (lǎo chōu)

This is used primarily in cooking to add a brownish red coloring to a dish. It gets its distinctive color and viscosity from fermented soybeans and dark molasses. It is sometimes called superior soy sauce and can be found at specialty grocery stores or Asian grocery stores.