The skin that forms on top of soybean milk when it is brought to a simmer is skimmed off and dried in thin sheets, later to be reconstituted in water. It is then deep fried, simmered of sautéed. Bean curd skin is sold fresh, frozen or dried, and is very high in protein.

A thick coconut milk can be made for cooking by mixing grated coconut flesh with warm water, and extracting two pressings. The first pressing is rich and creamy, and can curdle if cooked on high heat. The second pressing is much thinner and imparts far less flavor. Canned coconut milk is now widely available.

The spicy and highly nutritious leaf of a vine related to the plant, which produces black pepper. The large, round and crinkled leaf is used as leafy green in soups, as an outer wrapping for beef to grill. Grape leaves are good substitute.

Several different types of basil are used in Vietnamese and Thai cooking. The one most commonly used is similar to American sweet basil. It is used liberally as a seasoning and sprigs are often added to platters of fresh, raw vegetables. Similar, yet paler in color, and with distinctive lemony fragrance, lemon basil is used in soups and salads.

This pointed pink bud, sliced finely and soaked in cold water, is used as garnish for noodle soup, and eaten raw in salads. It tastes like very tender wood shavings. Cabbage can be used as a substitute.

Fresh, vinegared or dried, bamboo shoots are eaten frequently in Vietnam. Fresh shoots, which have a savory sweetness and crunchiness, should be peeled and boiled for about 30 minutes before using. Dried shoots should be soaked and boiled.

The dark red dish-brown seed of the “lipstick plant” is commonly used as a coloring agent. Usually seeds are fried in oil to extract the pale orange color, then discarded. May available where Caribbean foods are sold.

Edamame is a green vegetable more commonly known as a soybean, harvested at the peak of ripening right before it reaches the "hardening" time. The word Edamame means "Beans on Branches," and it grows in clusters on bushy branches. To retain the freshness and its natural flavor, it is parboiled and quick-frozen. In East Asia, the soybean has been used for over two thousand years as a major source of protein. Edamame is consumed as a snack, a vegetable dish, used in soups or processed into sweets. As a snack, the pods are lightly boiled in salted water, and then the seeds are squeezed directly from the pods into the mouth with the fingers.

This Japanese version of horseradish comes from the root of an Asian plant. It's used to make a green-colored condiment that has a sharp, pungent, fiery flavor. Wasabi, which is also called Japanese horseradish, is available in both paste and powder form in specialty and Asian markets as well as supermarkets. Some specialty produce markets carry fresh wasabi, which may be grated like horseradish In Japan, sushi and sashimi are served with a condiment of wasabi mixed with soy sauce.