The 7 Continents

Asia
 48 Countries of Asia • Philippines
• China • Kyrgyzstan • Russia
• Afghanistan
• Georgia • Laos • Singapore
• Armenia
• Hong Kong • Macau • Sri Lanka
• Azerbaijan • Malaysia
• India • Taiwan
• Bangladesh • Maldives
• Indonesia • Mongolia • Tajikistan
• Bhutan
• Japan • Nepal • Thailand
• Brunei
• Kazakhstan • Pakistan • Turkey
• Burma • Papua
• Korea, North • Turkmenistan
• Cambodia New Guinea
• Korea, South • Uzbekistan
• Vietnam
Evolution of the Cuisine

 Geography (temperate, cold, tropical climate)

 Influenced by their habitat
 Colonists(Spain for Philippines, Dutch for
Singapore or Malaysia, France for Vietnam)
 Unique Ingredients
 Cooking methods
 Cooking Equipment
Geography

 Either temperate, cold or tropical

 Diverse land features from rich rainforests in
Borneo to dry arid lands in the deserts of
Afghanistan to high mountain ranges in the
Himalayas
Unique Ingredients

• Some ingredients are not available

anywhere and do not have any
substitutes
Habitat

 Where they live highly influence

what they eat
Colonial Influences

 Colonial influences affect local culture

 Use of foreign products such as milk,
cheese, tomato products
 REGIONS

1. East Asia
2. Central Asia
3. South Asia
4. Southeast Asia
EAST ASIA
CENTRAL ASIA
SOUTH ASIA
SOUTH EAST ASIA
 Rice, Garlic and Ginger are used in all three cuisines areas.
 Rice is the staple grain of the
North East and South East.

 It is the original crop that

caused the conversion from
hunter-gatherer to
subsistence farmer in this
area; as such it spread across
the region before regional
cuisines began to evolve.

 Noodles came to this region

from China.
 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.
 Garlic and ginger are
common all across Asia.

 Chili peppers, indeed all

peppers, are native to the
Americas and arrived in
the region with
European explorers.
 Fish sauce is common
seasoning in other parts of
Asia.

 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

 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.
 This is the recommended
process if you are cooking
curries daily, but the pastes
have a limited shelf life.

 If you are only cooking

them from time to time it
is more convenient to
make up curry powders
in advance and add the
fresh ingredients at
cooking time.
 Can be made fresh by
grinding fresh chilies in a
mortar and pestle or food
processor.

 A little salt and vinegar may

be added to thin the mixture
slightly
 milk still the best to use. But if you have to use Fresh coconut
canned coconut milk, use with no dilution.
 When making curry, the first
part of most recipes calls for you
to put about 1/2 cup of coconut
milk in a pan and heat it up.

 It is very important that you not

shake the can first. Open the
can and skim the top cream off
and heat it until you see the oils
starting to separate. Then add the
curry paste/powder.
 The Tamarind Liquid referred to in
the recipes can be made as follows:

1. Take 3 tablespoons of tamarind

pulp, and soak in 1/2 cup warm
water for 10 minutes.
2. Knead and rub with your fingers
until the pulp dissolves.
3. Strain the liquid to remove the
seeds and fibers.
 The original cuisine of the
South East is probably the
peasant cuisine of Thailand.

 Archaeology has recently

discovered that the working
cultures of the central plain of
Thailand date back to at least
3000 BC, easily in the same
class as the ancient cultures of
China and India.

.
◦ Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia
were French colonies

◦ Malaysia was a British Colony

◦ Indonesia was a Dutch colony

◦ Thailand was a rarity in that it

successfully resisted European
colonization.

Muay Thai
 A widely held view is that nearly
all of the region’s food must be
essentially ‘hot and spicy’ but this
is not so.

 Classical Chinese cuisine from

Kwandung, considered as
universally popular Asian food
with substantial influence
throughout the whole of South
East Asia, renowned for its
mildness and delicate fragrance.
 The true spirit of Asian
cooking are balance and
harmony

 A balance of spices, herbs,

roots and leaves, all carefully
blended to enhance the natural
flavors of the main ingredient
to produce a harmony of taste,
aroma, color, and texture
designed to appeal to all the
senses.
 A typical home-cooked Asian
meal might consist of a soup,
three or four main courses
(seafood, poultry, meat, and
vegetable)

 A selection of condiments,
dips, and side dishes (soy sauce,
chili sauce, salted eggs and
pickles) and a bowl of rice.
  No Chinese meal would be complete without the
seemingly bottomless teapot, while in India and Pakistan
a cooling glass of Lassi (a salted yoghurt drink) makes
an ideal liquid refreshment to go with a curry.
  Although some restaurant menus may offer many
tempting desserts, a meal at home is more likely to be
concluded with a selection of fresh fruits.
 Asian family meals are
most likely to consist of a
number of dishes being
served simultaneously.

 Asians don’t regularly have

a separate starter they
certainly do eat snacks at
all times of the day and
night.
• The Wok
• Wok tools
• Steamers
• Clay pot
• Cleavers
• Rice Cooker
• Hand Held Blender
• Small Food Processor
The wok is the most important piece of cooking
equipment in South East Asia and China.
 Large steamers with
multiple stacking are
available in stainless and
aluminum but more
common are the stackable
bamboo steamers.

 These are designed to be

used in a wok over boiling
water, and are often used as
serving dishes.
 "hot pots", glazed on
the inside but unglazed
on the outside are used
for baking or stewing.

 They are available in a

range of sizes and like
woks, with either one
handle or two.
 The oriental cleaver is a
very versatile instrument - it
performs all the functions of
the various knives of
western kitchens.

 Light cleavers are used for

general chopping, slicing
and carving; heavier, thicker
cleavers are used for
chopping bones.
 Southeast Asian curries are normally based on curry pastes
which are made from a variety of fresh and dried ingredients
ground together in a mortar and pestle.
Rice Cooker

Hand Held Blender or Small Food Processor

 ¼ Sheet Yellow Pad Paper
Write your name, section and the date.
1. Asia is made up of _______ countries.
2. True of False: Colonial influence has
affected the local culture of Asian countries
3 – 6. Give the 4 main regions of Asia
7. True of False: India is in Central Asia
8. Rice, garlic and _______ are staples in Asia.
9. Indian curries use yogurt as base while
South East Asian curries use _________.
10. _______ is a citrus fruit that is native to the
islands of Indonesia and Malaysia
11. True of False: Freshly pounded curry pastes
have limited shelf life.
12. When making fresh chili sauce, a little salt
and _______ can be added to thin it out
extend shelf life.
13.True of False: Canned coconut milk must be
diluted before using in cooking.
14. The original cuisine of South East Asia is
said to have come from the peasant cuisine of
_________.
15. Indonesia was a _______ colony.
1. Asia is made up of 48 countries.
2. True of False: Colonial influence has
affected the local culture of Asian countries
3 – 6. Give the 4 main regions of Asia
East, South East, South and Central Asia
7. True of False: India is in Central Asia
8. Rice, garlic and ginger are staples in Asia.
9. Indian curries use yogurt as base while
South East Asian curries use coconut milk.
10. Lime is a citrus fruit that is native to the
islands of Indonesia and Malaysia
11. True of False: Freshly pounded curry pastes
have limited shelf life.
12. When making fresh chili sauce, a little salt
and vinegar can be added to thin it out
extend shelf life.
13.True of False: Canned coconut milk must be
diluted before using in cooking.
14. The original cuisine of South East Asia is
said to have come from the peasant cuisine of
Thailand.
15. Indonesia was a Dutch colony.