1# Chinese techniques and pantry nuance
 2
 3Wok stir-fry needs mise en place, heat, sequence, and space. But _wok hei_ is not the goal of every stir-fry and is often a restaurant-burner effect. Home cooking can still be excellent with controlled heat, smaller batches, and correct sauce timing.
 4
 5Velveting can use cornstarch, egg white, oil, water, baking soda, or combinations depending on protein and dish. It is not mandatory for all meat, but it explains the silky restaurant texture.
 6
 7Light soy and dark soy do different jobs. Dark soy is color/body; light soy is salt. Shaoxing wine adds depth, but if the dish doesn't belong to a Shaoxing/soy-wine logic, don't force it. Chinkiang vinegar, rice vinegar, mature vinegar, and black vinegars vary by region.
 8
 9Oyster sauce is useful but not universal. Sesame oil is usually a finishing aroma, not the main cooking fat. Fermented bean pastes vary by region; doubanjiang, yellow bean paste, sweet bean sauce, black beans, and fermented tofu are not interchangeable.
10
11Restaurant banquet, home cooking, street snacks, diaspora cooking, Chinese-American takeout, and regional rural traditions answer different needs. Chinese-American food is not "wrong Chinese"; it is a diaspora cuisine. The mistake is using it as a stand-in for all Chinese regional cooking.