Asian Cooking: An Exotic Journey
30 03 2009
When we think about Asian cooking, we envision rich, flavorful food mixed with exotic spices. In terms of size, Asian cuisine is probably the largest, consisting of many different cooking styles from different regions and countries.
Asian cuisine is made up of many types of cooking, foods and preparation styles. Some of these include: East Asia (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese) Some of the cuisine that represents Asian cooking to the rest of the world comes from East Asia.Even those countries have several different cooking styles depending on the locality.
A staple of East Asian cooking is rice and/or noodles, followed by dishes that contain fish, meat and vegetables. While rice is considered as an important part of the meal, noodles and buns may also be used as substitutes, depending on the region. Flavors vary and so do cooking styles but there are also similarities. Many types of chicken recipes are also typical.
Chopsticks are also practical for the type of cooking practiced in these regions, since most of the foods are cut up and prepared in small pieces, allowing for direct eating.In the East Asian region, the use of chopsticks is predominant when partaking of solid food while flat bottomed spoons are used for soups.
Interestingly, forks and knives are not used for eating because they are considered and were often used as weapons. South and Southeast Asian cuisine (Indian, Sri Lankan, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Singaporean, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Filipino, Indonesian, Cambodian, Laotian, Burmese) Subtlety and surprise are two of the characteristics of Southeast Asian cuisine, particularly because it puts emphasis not only in taste and choice of ingredients but also in presentation.
A taste of a country’s cuisine will provide a glimpse into the history of that country. You’ll meet the area’s people along as you chow down on the bounty of its land.
The region boasts wide diversity yet is united in certain food preferences. French flavors abound in Vietnamese cooking, yet the cuisine of the Phillipines features influences from Spain and America.
Middle Eastern cooking (Some Greek, Arab, Afghan, Palestinian, Egyptian, Turkish, North African, Lebanese, Moroccan) Middle Eastern cooking is also diverse and many of the dishes are quite exotic compared to Western tastes.Noodles and spices are commonly used in most regions.
Greek cooking, for example, is considered partly Asian but its taste and appearance is Mediterranean. As for the other cooking styles, there are certain similarities that vary slightly as you go from one region to the next.
The most commonly used ingredients in the region’s cuisine include specialty breads such as pita, herbs such as sumac, parsley, and mint, and other spices including the fragrant sesame seed.
