Introduction To Asian Cuisine

INTRODUCTION TO
ASIAN CUISINE
The Evolution of Asian Cuisine
• Cooking is of the oldest human
activity and a basic human survival.
• Cooking equipment consists of a few
sticks for skewering meat and
vegetables, leaves for wrapping and
baking, maybe a hot flat rock.
• At the next level of society,
subsistence farming, cooking is a little
more complex.
• It is in subsistence farming societies
that the regional cuisine begins to take
shape, usually referred to as a
“peasant” cuisine.
Subsistence Farming
Peasant Cooking
• At the next stage of development of a
society, central authority and trade
begin to emerge.
• Central authority implies castles and
palaces, a ruling class who like to
indulge their whims and show off for
their neighbors and subjects.
• Trade implies towns and cities,
specialization of labor ,exotic
foodstuffs from far away, and
processed food products. Taverns
appear in the market place, and food
is served, creating the first restaurant.
Ma Yu Ching’s Bucket Chicken House, China
Oldest restaurant in the world
• Trade implies towns and cities,
specialization of labor ,exotic
foodstuffs from far away, and
processed food products.
The Three Cuisine Areas of Asia
• The South West – India, Pakistan, Sri
Lanka, Burma
• The North East – China, Korea,
Japan
• The South East – Thailand, Laos,
Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei
Presence of Curry
• Curries are very important to the cuisines of the

South East and SouthWest, less so in the cuisine of
the North East.
Yogurt based Curry
• South Western curries are generally based on yogurt

Coconut based Curry
• South East and North East curries are generally based

on coconut milk
Rice as staple starch in Asia
Jasmine Rice
• A long- to medium-grain rice originally from Southeast Asia

(most commonly Thailand, but also Vietnam and Cambodia).
Basmati Rice
• Basmati grows in the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India and Pakistan.
Grains stay separate and firm when cooked. Dehra Dun from India is the most
prized of the basmati varieties and is available at well-stocked South Asian
markets.
Japanese/Sushi Rice
• A short- to medium-grain rice, the raw grains of sushi rice are slightly glassy
and translucent. Although the grains still separate when cooked, this rice has a
stickier texture in comparison to long-grain rice. That’s why it’s often called
sticky rice.
Haiga Mai Rice
• Haiga is the Japanese word for germ, and this “germ” rice undergoes a special milling process
that preserves the nutritious germ. Easier to digest than brown rice and just as flavorful as white,
haigamai is a wonderful compromise for those who want a more nutritious rice but don’t like
the chewy texture of brown rice. Haigamai cooks just like white rice.
Bhutanese Red Rice
• Bhutanese red rice is a medium-grain rice that is slightly milled so the red of the outer bran layer is
still on the rice in patches. The cooked rice is pale pink with a soft and slightly clingy texture. Other
countries, including Thailand, Vietnam, and India (Kerala red rice is needle-thin and long like
basmati), also produce similar red rices. Because it is semi-milled, it cooks in about 20 minutes.
Chinese Black Rice
• In ancient China, black rice was considered the finest grain, reserved for the Emperor. Hence its
trademarked name of “Forbidden Rice” (Lotus Foods). Rich in anthocyanins and antioxidants, this
medium-size heirloom rice has a dark purple color and also contains more vitamin B, niacin, vitamin E,
calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc than white rice. Grown in northern China, black rice is traditionally
made into congee, but its roasted nutty taste is delicious in salads and fried rice, too. A whole grain,
black rice has a white kernel underneath the black-colored bran layer. Cook it as you would brown rice.
White Long-Grained Glutinous Rice
• At the Asian market, this rice is often sold in bags labeled “malagkit,” its Tagalog name, even though the
rice most likely comes from Thailand. In the Philippines, malagkit is cooked in coconut milk, then
wrapped in banana leaves. Also a staple in northern Thailand and Laos, it is served with curries and
grilled meats, and in the dessert sticky rice with mango. Before cooking (steaming is the ideal method),
wash the raw rice well and soak it overnight.
Short-Grained Glutinous Rice
• Most often sold as Japanese sweet rice (mochi gome), this rice is pounded into flour for making mochi,
the traditional rice cakes eaten at New Year, and an array of Japanese sweets and confections. When raw,
white glutinous rice is opaque and white. It turns translucent and clumps together after cooking and is
slightly nutty and sweet. Brown sweet rice is also available.
• In addition to rice, South Western

cuisines include a variety of leavened
and unleavened breads
Leavened Bread: Naan / Nan.
Origin: IRAN
Unleavened Bread: Chapati/Roti
Origin: INDIA and PAKISTAN
• South East and North East cuisines include rice and egg noodles.
How to call your noodles
• China: mein, min, mian

• Philippines: pancit
• Indonesia: mi, mei
• Japan: menrui
• Korea: myun
• Malaysia: mee
• Vietnamese: mi
Chinese Vermicelli/Cellophane Noodle
Origin: CHINA
• (also known as Chinese vermicelli, bean threads, bean thread noodles, crystal
noodles, or glass noodles) are a type of transparent noodle made from starch (mung
bean, yam, potato, cassava) and water
Japchae
• Korean dish made from sweet potato noodles called dangmyeon, stir fried in
sesame oil and vegetables
Yaw Wun Sen
• Thai glass noodle (made of mung bean) salad

Pho Xao
• Pho xao is a wok fried flat noodle served with crunchy greens and a choice
of three toppings - tender beef, prawn and chicken or tofu and mushroom.
All are topped with roasted peanuts and fresh beanshoots. Vietnamese
version of Pad Thai.
Udon
• Udon is a type of thick wheat flour noodle of Japanese cuisine. Udon is often served
hot as a noodle soup in its simplest form, as kake udon, in a mildly flavoured broth
called kakejiru, which is made of dashi, soy sauce, and mirin.
• 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.
Ghee
Oils used in Asia
Oils used in Asia
Spices used in Asian Cuisine
• Garlic and ginger are used in all

three cuisine areas, as are chili
peppers, although chilies are
much more common in the South
West and South East.
Common spices used in Asian Cuisine
Common spices used in Asian Cuisine
Chili in Asia
• India is the world's largest

producer, consumer and
exporter of chili peppers.
Hottest Chili in India: Naja Jolokia
• The Naja Jolokia has been confirmed by the Guinness World Records as
the most potent pepper on earth. It has a rating of between 800,000 and
1,000,000 SR. Also called as Ghost Pepper.
• This tongue-burner, also
known as the Naga
Morich, Ghost Pepper,
Ghost Chili, and Bhut
Jolokia, is found mostly
in Northeastern India,
and a few regions in
Bangladesh and Sri
Lanka. Equally as lethal
as its red flesh are its
seeds, which when
ingested can literally
leave one incapacitated
for up to thirty minutes.
Hottest Chili in SE Asia:
Bird’s Eye Chili
• Has a Scoville index of 50,000-100,000 SR, all you need to do to try this scorcher is take a
short trip to your local Thai restaurant and order any dish with the word "Prik" in its name.
Flavorings in Asian Cuisine
• The North Eastern cuisines use

soy sauce in nearly everything;
the South East substitutes fish
sauce; there is no equivalent in
South Western cooking.
• In the South East, there are two

additional flavorings that are not
used in the other cuisines –
galangal and lemon grass.
Southeast Asian Cuisine
• The original
cuisine of the
South East is
probably the
peasant cuisine
of Thailand.
• Archaeology has recently

discovered that the metal 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.
• The peasant cuisine associated with these early metal

workers spread east across the mountains into Laos,
Cambodia and Vietnam, and south down the Malayan
peninsula and the island arc of Indonesia.
• As it spread, it was influenced by

ideas coming from the North East
and South West, and influenced
them in return. Most recently, of
course, the cuisines of Europe
have influenced the native ones.
• 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.
Vietnamese Dishes influenced by French
Malaysian Dish influenced by British
Indonesian Culinary influenced by Dutch
• A large meal to be shared amongst a group, rijsttafel (rice table) is said to be Dutch
invention. It consists of rice with many small dishes of spiced vegetables and meats.
Rijsttafel is commonly seen on the menu of Indonesian restaurants
Spekkoek
• The pretty spiced layer cake known as spekkoek is a Dutch-Indonesian invention. Some
believe that this tasty treat is related to the Dutch speculaas cookies with their similar clove,
cinnamon, and ginger flavor. Spekkoek is very labor intensive to prepare, and therefore is
priced quite high in many stores.
• Rice is the staple grain of the

North East and South East and is
only slightly less important in the
South West.
• 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.
• The cooking utensil called the wok, and the stir fry technique using vegetable
oils came to the area from the China.
• Garlic and ginger are common

all across Eurasia and probably
arrived in the area at almost the
same time as rice.
• The arrival of chili peppers in the

area can be placed with relative
accuracy. Chili peppers, indeed all
peppers, are native to the Americas
and arrived in the region with
European explorers
• Fish sauce is
probably a local
invention, but the
Romans had a
similar concoction
(liquamen), so it is
possible the idea
was imported.
Southeast Asian Cuisine Spices
• 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.
Southeast Asian Cuisine Herbs
• 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.
Use of citrus fruits in
• 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.
Kaffir Lime.
Origin: Indonesia, Malaysia
Kumquat
Origin: China
Pomelo
Origin: Southeast Asia
Use of spices in
• Lemon grass and galangal. These two

flavors are the flavors which make the
cuisines of the region unique. They are
undoubtedly of local origin, for they
are used nowhere else in the world.
Use of LEMONGRASS in
Use of GALANGAL in
Cooking equipment used in
• The wok is the most important piece of cooking equipment in SouthEast Asia and China
• Steamers used in SE Asia

• Claypots used in SE Asia

• Cleaver used in SE Asia

• Cleaver used in SE Asia

• Rice cookers are dominant in SE Asian Cooking

• Hand Held Blenders or Small Food Processor

• 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.
This is the recommended process if you are
cooking curries daily, but the pastes have a
limited shelf life.
Curry in
• The chili paste referred to in the recipes

can be made at home 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.
Chili Paste in
Coconut Milk in
Tamarind Juice in
THANK YOU.
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Introduction To Asian Cuisine

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Introduction To Asian Cuisine

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INTRODUCTION TO

• Curries are very important to the cuisines of the

• South Western curries are generally based on yogurt

• South East and North East curries are generally based

• A long- to medium-grain rice originally from Southeast Asia

• In addition to rice, South Western

• China: mein, min, mian

• Thai glass noodle (made of mung bean) salad

• Garlic and ginger are used in all

• India is the world's largest

• The North Eastern cuisines use

• In the South East, there are two

• Archaeology has recently

• The peasant cuisine associated with these early metal

• As it spread, it was influenced by

• Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia

• Rice is the staple grain of the

• Curries are a very common across

• The concept probably came from

• Garlic and ginger are common

• The arrival of chili peppers in the

• There are many spices used in the

• Several herbs are common in the

• Citrus flavors are important to the

• Lemon grass and galangal. These two

• Steamers used in SE Asia

• Claypots used in SE Asia

• Cleaver used in SE Asia

• Cleaver used in SE Asia

• Rice cookers are dominant in SE Asian Cooking

• Hand Held Blenders or Small Food Processor

• Southeast Asian curries are normally based

• The chili paste referred to in the recipes

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