INTRODUCTION TO ASIAN FOOD

Asian cooking can generally be classified into several categories on the basis of the regional styles of cooking and the people and culture of those regions. Some of the main categories of Asian food are East Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian, Central Asian and Middle Eastern. Some of the main categories of Asian food are East Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian, Central Asian and Middle Eastern. In common usage however, Asian food (also referred to as Asian cuisine) primarily includes South and Southeast Asian cuisine. The main countries that constitute this region are India, Pakistan, China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma etc.

Essential of Asia Cuisines

Curries are very important to the cuisines of the South East example Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei and South West like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Burma, less so in the cuisine of the North East countries such as China, Korea and Japan.

South Western curries are generally based on yogurt, whereas the curries of the South East and North East are generally based on coconut milk.

Rice is a main starch in all asia cuisines. Besides rice, South West cuisines include a variety of breads and South East and North East cuisines include rice and egg noodles.

In the South West, the major oil used in frying is ghee, or clarified butter. In the South East and North East, the major oils are vegetable oils.

Spices and Herbs in Asia Cooking

Garlic and ginger are used in all cuisines areas, so are chili peppers, although chilies are much more common in the South West and South East. The North Eastern cuisines use soy sauce in almost everything; the South East substitutes with fish sauce. In the South East, there are two additional flavorings that are not used in the other cuisines - galangal and lemon grass. They are undoubtedly of local origin, for they are used nowhere else in the world.

Curries are a very common across the region, but less common in Vietnam where the Chinese influence is strong. The concept probably came from India and spread east, but the people of the South East modified the original by substituting coconut milk for yogurt as the basis for the sauce.

There are many spices used in the region; cinnamon comes from Sri Lanka, cardamom and cumin from India, coriander and star anise from China, cloves, nutmeg and mace are native.

Several herbs are common in the region, Thai basil, sweet basil and mint being the most common. These herbs grow almost everywhere across tropical and subtropical Eurasia, so, while the idea of using them in cooking may have been imported, the actual herbs used are native varieties. This is especially true of Thai basil, with its purple stems and licorice flavor.

Citrus flavors are important to the region's cuisines, especially lime, which is native to the islands of Indonesia and Malaysia. Not just the juice and pulp are used, but also the zest and leaves.

Asian recipes were casually shared among the womenfolk in Asia, who generally got together after a long day’s work, to discuss the day’s events. Many of these recipes were guarded as important family secrets and carefully passed down from one generation to another. Asian cooking has enormous potential in modern times, as Asian food chains are springing up all over the world very rapidly, and are also enjoying immense popularity.