Oct
31
Asian cooking
Filed Under Miscellaneous
Asian food can primarily be classified into a few categories on the basis of the regional styles of cooking and the locale and culture of those area. 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 primarily includes South and Southeast Asian cuisine. The main countries that constitute this region are India, China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma etc.
Chinese food is primarily considered to be East Asian cooking, even though China stretches from across mid-Asia to the Far East. Rice is the most important staple through most of China. In some regions however, noodles are preferred to rice. Most cooking are prepared by mincing or cooking, and are cooked in a wok, using very little oil.
Since Japan is an island area, much of its food includes fish and fish-based ingredients. Rice and sliced, salted vegetables are staples in Japanese delicacies. Soy products such as soya sauce, soya paste and tofu are primarily used in many Japanese preparations. Japanese cuisine primarily includes sushi, meats in teriyaki sauce, lightly battered and fried meat and fish, as well as shellfish called tempura.
While different parts of India are known for their different cultural backgrounds, they are usually known for their different flavors and food. Vegetarian food includes khakra and dhokla from Gujarat, daal-baati-choorma from Rajasthan, the Kashmiri dum-aloo, as well as dosas and kesari bhaat from South India. Non-vegetarian cooking, especially the tandoori kind, were generally devised for the Nawabs of India.
