Asian recipes | Gourmandelle (2024)

FAQs

What is traditional Asian food? ›

East and Southeast Asian countries have a thousand-year cooking tradition. Neolithic Chinese grew rice, and it's now the key ingredient in most East Asian meals. Rice and wheat noodles are popular. Popular proteins include pig, chicken, shellfish, and soy products. Vegetables provide nourishment, flavor, and color.

Asian Cuisine History

Asian cooking originated in 3000 B.C when the earliest agriculture, with one of the primary Asian and Indian civilisations, was discovered. Throughout history, traces of European influence in Asian cuisine have been found due to the colonisation of the Europeans in some countries in the southeast.

Encompassing a diverse array of cultures, countries and cuisines, 'modern Asian' is a new member in the contemporary foodscape. Classic Asian flavours are complemented with popular Western dishes to have a universal appeal. Using fresh local ingredients and adapting dishes to local flavours is the order of the day.

The Asian diet is relatively low in meat and dairy foods. Protein and iron are obtained from nuts, seeds, and legumes. Iron is also provided through certain vegetables, such as dark leafy greens. Calcium is obtained from soy products, nuts, seeds, and green leafy vegetables.

Seasonings such as fresh ginger root, garlic, scallion, cilantro and sesame are widely used in many regional cuisines. Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, fennel, cloves and white peppers and smart weed are also used in different regions.

When it comes to the pantry essentials, here are a few things you'll want to pick up: soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, doubanjiang, and spices like cinnamon, ginger, Chinese five-spice, cardamom, and, of course, our chili crisp.

What is the main common food in Asian cuisines? ›

Examples of staple foods include rice, noodles, mung beans, soybeans, seafood (Japan has the highest per capita consumption of seafood), mutton (Mongolia), bok choy (Chinese cabbage), and tea.

Asian food is different from typical American and European food because it has a strong Asian influence. It is not about the manner in which it is cooked, but more about the ingredients used. Asian cuisine is rich in vegetables and contains a large variety of spices that contributes a lot of flavor to its dishes.

Wheat and rice are the major and preferred sources of staple foods. Barley is also widely used in the region and maize has become common in some areas as well. Bread is a universal staple, eaten in one form or another by all classes and groups practically at every meal.

Asian cuisine is rich in vegetables and contains a large variety of spices that contributes a lot of flavor to its dishes. Authentic Asian food has the best combination of salty, sweet, and spicy flavors. The food has a variety of textures, which makes it interesting to the taste buds.

In many countries in Asia, rice accounts for more than 70% of human caloric intake.

Almost all Asian countries share one food in common: rice, which is prepared and eaten somewhat differently from country to country. But as the staple food central to survival, especially during times of famine, rice has acquired an almost sacred status in Asian societies, and it is served in many ways.