Introduction to the Basic Principles of Spice Usage

　　Spices used in cooking not only help eliminate some of the fishy, gamey, or unpleasant odors inherent in the ingredients themselves but also enhance the aroma of the dish. However, when using spices, it’s important to follow these principles:
　　1) To fully experience the fragrant aroma of bay leaves, they need to be steamed first. Nowadays, many people simply stir-fry them at the bottom of the pot, resulting only in a pungent, spicy aroma—without any trace of the bay leaf’s true fragrance.
　　2) The seasoning packet should not be left in the braising liquid indefinitely; generally, it should be removed after boiling for about 50 minutes.
　　3) For ingredients with a bean-like aroma, we try to use as few spices as possible, so as not to overpower the ingredient’s natural flavor—just enough to enhance its fragrance.
　　4) For offal, since it tends to have a strong, fishy or gamey odor, we need to address the issue directly by adding more spices that effectively remove these undesirable smells—such as nutmeg, amomum tsao-ko, cardamom, cloves, angelica root, sandalwood, and galangal—along with other pungent spices, thereby eliminating unwanted odors and enhancing the overall aroma.
　　5) Some fat-soluble spices, such as mint and perilla, must be stir-fried in oil to release their aroma. However, it’s crucial to use low heat and a low oil temperature; otherwise, they’ll easily burn. The order in which you add the spices during stir-frying is also important: spices that take longer to release their aroma should be stir-fried first (such as cardamom and star anise), while those that release aroma quickly should be added later (such as lemongrass and cumin). Spices with larger particles should be added before those with smaller particles; if the particles are too large, crush them slightly before stir-frying.
　　6) You need to learn how to properly combine aromatic and bitter-scented ingredients—don’t just toss any random combination of spices into the braising liquid. If your attitude toward cooking is already off, how could you possibly create delicious food? Generally speaking, aromatic ingredients should be used in slightly larger quantities than bitter-scented ones.
　　7) Different ingredients call for different spices: beef should be paired with fennel and cinnamon; lamb with cardamom, white angelica root, and Sichuan pepper; chicken with galangal, white angelica root, and cloves; aquatic products with nutmeg and bay leaves; pork with galangal, amomum kravanh, and nutmeg; and dog meat with mint. All of these recipes require star anise, while you can adjust the amounts of chili peppers and Sichuan pepper to suit your personal taste.
　　8) If the spice blend contains mostly pungent and warming spices, it’s necessary to pair it with cooling and fire-clearing spices such as monk fruit and licorice.
　　9) If the spice blend contains mostly cooling ingredients, you’ll need to add warming spices such as cardamom and pepper.
　　10) When using spices, it’s crucial to control the quantity—especially with strongly pungent spices like cloves and Sichuan pepper, which can develop a harsh medicinal flavor if used in excess. Always exercise caution.
　　11) Spices themselves may have a slight odor and bitterness. Before use, aromatic spices can be soaked briefly in clean water, while bitter-aromatic spices should be soaked in white liquor—but not for too long.