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. Even those countries have several different cooking styles depending on the locality.
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. Flavors vary and so do cooking styles but there are also similarities. 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.
In the East Asian region, the use of chopsticks is predominant when partaking of solid food while flat bottomed spoons are used for soups. 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. 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. If you want to know about an Asian country's history, have a taste of its food. Not only will you taste what the country produces from its own land but you’ll also encounter the people who came and from there.
The diversity is staggering although similarity also exists to unite the region. For example, Vietnamese cooking features some French flavors while Filipino cooking has dishes that are similar to those found in Spain and America. Noodles and spices are commonly used in most regions.
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. 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. Common ingredients such as pita, sesame seeds, honey, sumac, parsley, mint and other herbs and spices are often used.
By: Amelia Kahpi
Other Cooking Tips And Information :
Related Articles On Cooking
- Easy Tips and Tricks for Quick Cooking. If an hours worth of cooking takes a lot of your energy and gets you frustrated, imagine how your female ancestors felt when they had to spend 6 hours or more each day to prepare meals. These days..... read more
- Home Cooking Tips and Tactics. Home cooking has its various advantages and disadvantages. Still, it deserves to be tried by every budding chef. For one thing, home cooking is highly economical. Also, you might find this to be one of the most rewarding endeavors you can try. Her are some things you can try as you venture into home cooking..... read more
- How to cook beef. Beef is an extremely interesting subject in the arena of food preparation. If cooking were compared to an art gallery, beef may be the medium with….. read more
- French Cooking. For many people, French cooking is the pinnacle of all regional cuisines all over the world. When people hear French food, they immediately associate it with.... read more
