The one Chinese ingredient I would miss most and which has truly been life-changing is one I use l most every day - garlic.
I'm not talking regular garlic 大蒜 (dà suàn), although China has plenty of that - it is the world's largest exporter.
99.99% of the time I use S: 独蒜; T: 獨蒜 (dú suàn), which is single-headed garlic. This cultivar does not split into separate cloves, but usually remains in one segment. (I have occasionally met twins.) This saves on a lot of chopping and mincing.
But best of all is that the skin falls off easily, if you so much as give it a dirty look. One bulb is equal to about two to three cloves of the regular stuff.
This garlic is often associated with Sichuan, but actually originated in Yunnan. It is not so common in northern China. Many of my Chinese friends have 'corrected' me when I mention it, thinking I have mispronounced dà suàn as dú suàn. I then have to correct them!
I'm told it is sometimes available in London's Chinatown and the much missed Anna N could find it in Ontario. Beyond that, I don't know.
