Aromatics in Chinese Cooking: Ginger, Garlic, and Spring Onions

French cooking has its mirepoix, Italian cuisine builds on soffritto, and Chinese cooking relies on what many call the holy trinity: ginger, garlic, and spring onions. These three aromatics appear in virtually every Chinese savoury dish, providing the foundation upon which other flavours build. Understanding how to select, prepare, and cook these ingredients elevates Chinese cooking from merely following recipes to truly commanding the cuisine. Their aromas sizzling in hot oil represent the authentic beginning of countless Chinese dishes.

Ginger: The Warming Essential

Ginger holds special importance in Chinese cuisine and traditional medicine. Its warming properties balance cooling ingredients like seafood and vegetables, creating the harmony that defines Chinese culinary philosophy. Beyond philosophical considerations, ginger masks fishy odours in seafood dishes, tenderises proteins in marinades, and provides a spicy-sweet undertone that distinguishes Chinese cooking from other Asian cuisines that rely more heavily on galangal or lemongrass.

Fresh ginger should feel firm with taut, unwrinkled skin. Soft, wrinkled rhizomes indicate age and diminished flavour. Young ginger, available seasonally at Asian groceries, has thinner skin and milder flavour suitable for pickling and raw preparations. Mature ginger provides more intense flavour for cooking. Store ginger unpeeled in the refrigerator vegetable drawer, where it keeps for several weeks. Some cooks freeze ginger, grating it directly from frozen, though fresh remains preferable for dishes where ginger plays a starring role.

Cut ginger according to cooking method and desired flavour intensity. Thick slices infuse braising liquids and soups, providing flavour while remaining easy to avoid when eating. Matchstick julienne disperses throughout stir-fries, providing ginger in every bite. Fine mince or grated ginger releases maximum flavour for marinades and sauces. The size of your ginger cut directly affects how prominently its flavour features in finished dishes.

Garlic: Intensity and Depth

Chinese cooking uses garlic differently than Mediterranean cuisines, often cooking it at higher temperatures that develop toasted, mellow sweetness rather than the pungent bite of raw or lightly cooked garlic. This approach creates background depth rather than assertive garlicky flavour. However, certain dishes deliberately feature raw or barely cooked garlic for its sharpness, particularly in northern Chinese cooking and cold appetisers.

Select firm, plump garlic heads with tight cloves and no signs of sprouting. Green shoots indicate old garlic with diminished flavour. Peel cloves by crushing gently with the flat side of a knife, which loosens skins for easy removal. Slice, mince, or crush according to the recipe's needs, keeping in mind that more finely cut garlic releases more flavour more quickly during cooking.

Add garlic to hot oil after ginger, as it burns more easily due to its higher sugar content. The garlic should sizzle and become fragrant almost immediately. Within seconds, add other ingredients to prevent the garlic from browning beyond golden, which creates bitter flavours. This timing seems demanding initially but becomes intuitive with practice. The aroma of perfectly cooked garlic and ginger in hot oil signals the authentic beginning of a Chinese stir-fry.

Spring Onions: Colour and Freshness

Spring onions, called scallions in some regions, contribute fresh, grassy notes that brighten otherwise rich dishes. Chinese cooking uses both white and green parts, treating them differently based on their flavour profiles. The white portions, closer to the root, have more pungent onion flavour and withstand longer cooking. The green tops offer milder flavour and vibrant colour, typically added at the end of cooking or used raw as garnish.

Separate white and green portions when prepping spring onions, treating them as distinct ingredients. Slice whites into rings or mince for cooking with ginger and garlic at the start of stir-fries. Cut greens into lengths or rings for adding in the final moments of cooking or scattering over finished dishes. This two-stage approach maximises both the flavour contribution and visual impact of this versatile ingredient.

Beyond the basic trinity approach, spring onions star in preparations like Chinese spring onion pancakes, where they flavour crispy, flaky flatbreads. Ginger-scallion sauce, a simple condiment of finely minced ginger and spring onions doused with hot oil, accompanies steamed chicken and other mild preparations. Spring onions also feature in oil-poached fish and numerous noodle dishes. Their versatility makes them worth always having on hand.

Cooking Techniques for Aromatics

The standard sequence for Chinese stir-frying begins with heating oil until shimmering, then adding aromatics to infuse the oil before introducing other ingredients. Ginger typically enters first, as it tolerates higher heat. Garlic follows within seconds, with spring onion whites joining shortly after. This brief fragrant cooking, lasting perhaps thirty seconds total, creates the flavoured oil that seasons the entire dish.

Variations exist for specific preparations. Dry-frying techniques char aromatics for smoky depth. Steamed dishes often place sliced ginger and spring onions atop proteins to steam together. Braising liquids may include large ginger slices and whole spring onions as aromatic components removed before serving. Understanding these variations allows adaptation based on cooking method rather than rigid recipe following.

Buying and Storing Fresh Aromatics

Purchase aromatics in quantities you will use within one to two weeks, as freshness matters significantly for flavour. Asian groceries typically offer better quality and pricing than mainstream supermarkets for these staples. Look for spring onions with bright green tops and firm white bases. Avoid garlic in plastic packaging, which promotes moisture and sprouting.

Proper storage extends usability. Ginger keeps refrigerated for weeks in the crisper drawer. Garlic prefers cool, dry conditions with good airflow. Spring onions last longest wrapped loosely in damp paper towels inside a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Some cooks trim spring onion roots and stand them in water, though this encourages regrowth rather than optimal eating quality. Explore our complete guide to Chinese cooking essentials for equipment and ingredients that complement your aromatics.