Citrus Ginger Stir Fry

Combining sweet, sour, salty, and savory with just a bit of heat, our Citrus Ginger Stir Fry is a balanced seasoning blend that perks up food with its relentless brightness. The sweet and sour interplay kicks off the flavors in this blend, going back and forth between lime and vinegar and the caramel notes of demerara sugar. The bold florals from ginger come in behind the lime, and ginger’s own lemony notes add an extra citrus boost. The playful funk of tamari soy powder rings in next, holding up the middle ground with onions and garlic. These hold the door open for the heat; cayenne comes in fast, and red pepper maintains the burn to the end. This blend ends with a nutty crunch of sesame and a little hug of onion from the chives. We blend our Citrus Ginger Stir Fry in our facility in small batches, to guarantee freshness and flavor in our products.

One popular theory about the development of the wok, and subsequently, the emergence of the stir-fry cooking technique, involved shortages in China—both in food and in cooking fuel and supplies—during the Han dynasty, circa 206 BCE – 220 CE. This was a period that saw a tremendous period of population growth in China and increased urbanization and expanded trade, all of which often went hand-in-hand with a decline in active farming. Required to figure out how to make do with less, the portable, versatile wok—an all-in-one pot that can act as a steamer, deep fryer, and boiler—emerged as the cooking vehicle of choice. When placed over high-heat charcoal fires it would cook thinly-sliced food very quickly, with a minimum of cooking oil required even for large batches. Because stir-fries use thin slices of various ingredients, frugal cooks making the most of limited resources could use meat that was less tender, since a thin cut is a poor man’s tenderizer.

Tips From Our Kitchen

We paired our Citrus Ginger Stir Fry with a creamy pasta sauce in our Citrus Ginger Stir Fry Linguine because we wanted the dairy to round out the flavors in this blend. We love how the citrus pairs with lighter meats like shrimp, and along those lines this dish could easily be made with chicken or scallops. Or, you could have a meatless meal and enjoy this in a vegetable stir fry; this would be equally at home on tofu or jackfruit. Try it on sweeter vegetables like winter squash and stir a spoonful into pumpkin soup. We also like the tart snap stirred into bean soups or corn chowder, and on trays of hearty roasted vegetables, especially yams or broccoli.

Our Citrus Ginger Stir Fry Seasoning is blended from demerara sugar, ginger, sea salt, soy sauce, lime, sesame, vinegar, citric acid, garlic, onion, red pepper, cayenne and chives.

Hungry for more information?

All about Sichuan Cuisine
Vegan Spices and Seasonings
How to Fry Spices
Culinary Institute of America Techniques: Stir Fry