Post by Keith on May 23, 2007 22:33:27 GMT -8
Asian cuisine is pretty much an umbrella term that envelops over various cuisines that come out from Asia. There's South Asian cuisine, Central Asian cuisine, East Asian cuisine, and Southeast Asian cuisine. Each of those cuisines are also umbrella terms of their own. When you talk about Asian cuisine, there are so many different categories and sub-categories. It doesn't necessarily mean it's Oriental cuisine.
Cuisines from the numerous countries in the Middle East are considered West Asian cuisines. For example food from Turkey, Syriq, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and various other countries in that region fall under the umbrella term of West Asian cuisine. I can't explain much about West Asian cuisine since I have yet to try their foods. Currently the area I live in, there's little to no restaurants that serve any West Asian cuisines. At the same time they're considered cuisines from the Middle East, they fall under the umbrellas of West Asian cuisine and Asian cuisine.
It says that Afghani cuisine is based mainly on bread and wheat products since the landscape allows for them to grow various crops. From what I read that most of the dishes in Afghanistan are similar to the ones in served in Iraq and Tajikistan.
One example of a dish popular in the Middle East is called baklava which is a sweet pastry. However, baklava is also part of the Mediterranean cuisine in Greek cuisine. Another example is Nan-i-Afghani which is Afghani bread which is a flat bread similar to tortillas and pita bread. A good number of the various Middle Eastern dishes are mainly wheat and vegetables with a good number being considered as pastries.
Mongolian dishes are mainly consist of meats and various dairy products. Authentic Mongolian dishes consist of the typical cattle which is beef. However, their dishes also consist of camel, sheep, goats, yak, and horse. Yes, the Mongolians do eat horse meat. Certain animals such as horses and camels are strictly forbidden in certain religious laws. If you do follow the strict dietary laws of certain religions, be very careful if you do decided to ever try out Mongolian cuisine.
Also Mongolian Barbeque isn't really classified as part of the Mongolian cuisine. Most Chinese restaurants in North American will say they have Mongolian Grill or Mongolian Barbeque, it's just stir-fried meats, vegetables, and rice. Nothing about Mongolian Barbeque is linked or related to actual Mongolian cuisine. That's something people that are open to various dishes should know. Mongolian Barbeque is just something fabricated by restaurants in the United States. It's "Mongolian" by name but it's not even close to being Mongolian.
South Asian cuisine consists of: Bangladeshi cuisine, Indian cuisine, Napalese cuisine, Pakistani cuisine, etc. Some cuisines are a fusion of two or three types of cuisines. One example is Punjabi cuisine which is supposed to be a mix of Indian and Pakistani dishes and delicacies. Learning about these dishes is the same as learning about the various countries and cultures. These dishes happen to be a very important part of their cultures. Such as Indian cuisine being a huge part of Indian culture. Their dishes a symbol of their nationality, history, and culture.
There are also East Asian cuisine that consists of the following: Japanese cuisine, Korean cuisine, Taiwanese cuisine, and Chinese cuisine. There are traditional Chinese dishes that can be found in Taiwan due to Chinese influence after the Communist regime had taken over China. Keep in mind that the time of the Japanese occupation in Taiwan also contributed to various Taiwanese dishes as well. Like Chinese cuisine, the common ingredients in Taiwanese dishes are pork, rice, and soy. You really can't find authentic Taiwanese food unless you visit Taiwan mainly because they sell their various snacks at night time at the night markets from the various vendors. It seemes that Taiwanese cuisine is most known for their various snacks such as grilled corn, Taiwanese sausages, scallion pancakes, etc.
Chinese cuisine mainly consists of rice, noodles, and buns(veggie buns, beef buns, pork buns, etc). Keep in mind that most of the ingredients in Italian dishes came from China. If you enjoy eating rice and noodles, then Chinese cuisine is definitely the one to try out. However, Chinese cuisine and the Chinese food that's served in North America are very different from each other. Chances are very high that the food you eat at a Chinese restaurant isn't really Chinese food. Also when learning to eat Chinese dishes, be prepared to learn how to use chopsticks. Chopsticks are a pretty common utensil in East and Southeast Asian dishes.
If you're a vegetarian or vegan, there are plenty of dishes that accomodate your dietary needs. There are plenty of vegetarian dishes in various Asian cuisines let alone Chinese cuisine. However Chinese cuisine happens to be an umbrella term as well because there is Mandarin cuisine and Cantonese cuisine such as there is the Mandarin and Cantonese dialects. For true vegetarian dishes, go for the Chinese Buddhist cuisines. Strict followers of Buddhism do not consume any meat, fish, or poultry.
Keep in mind that authentic Chinese dishes do not use any chemicals or additives such as MSGs. Most Chinese restaurants in North America especially the buffets tend to add MSGs even though they're not supposed to. If you're prone from migraines or any type of allergic reaction from MSGs, do not eat at a Chinese buffet. Also make sure whatever Chinese restaurant you eat at doesn't put MSGs into their foods.
Only few parts of China do eat dogmeat. That's mainly if you're raised a Catholic as Buddhists let alone moderate Buddhists do not recognize the slaughtering of dogs for food.
There are two things that are notable in Korean cuisine: the Korean Barbeque and kimchi. Like the other Oriental cuisines, Korean cuisine is notable for using rice, vegetables, noodles, meats, and tofu. Kimchi is a spicy marinated cabbage that gives off a strong odor of garlic. If you do not like the scent or raw garlic, kimchi is not something you want to try. Kimchi is one of the various vegetables that are pickled in Korean cuisine.
Korean BBQ is served at many traditional restaurants. I was at a traditional Korean casual dining area a long time ago in Philadelphia. We all sat around a charcoal grill were we were given pieces of raw meat such as chicken, beef, and pork along with small bowls of rice. The meats were seasoned and marinated. One of the meats is a sliced beef called bulgogi which is marinated in soy sauce and sesame oil(which is used in a lot of Korean dishes). You basically place the stuff on top of the grill and let it cook just like any typical barbeque. Like Chinese dishes, main utensils of Korean dishes are chopsticks.
Asides from beef, chicken, and pork, you can have pork and beef ribs(galbi), unseasoned pork bacon, squid, octopus, pork intestines, etc. Keep in mind that like in some parts of China, there are some parts of Korea that do consume dogmeat. Same goes for Korea as in China, Buddhists who do consume meat do not recognize killing dogs and using their meat for food. There are plenty of Korean dishes that do not have any meat and can be prepared for vegetarians and vegans.
Aspects of Japanese cuisine is starting to become a trend in North America and Europe. One such aspect is sushi which is raw fish wrapped around rice and seaweed. What makes Japanese cuisine differ from the other East Asian cuisines is that the dishers coincide with the seasons of the year. Like Chinese and Korean dishes, the Japanese do eat plenty of rice and noodles. One example is Japanese buckwheat noodles known as soba noodles. Due to the Buddhist influence in Japan, most dishes do not have meat in them. However, there are plenty of Japanese dishes with fish, shrimp, crab, etc.
Their breakfast pretty much differs from that served in North America. Which in my opinion is the best way to go. Their breakfast mainly consists of carbs such as a bowl of rice. Miso soup and fish is also served alone with the bowl or rice. With carbohydrates, you'll be filled until lunch. Dinner dishes are mostly consisted of proteins from fish and other meats. The reason I say that Japanese cuisine is a good way to go is at night time when you're sleeping, carbs tend to break down and digest slowly. Plus the carbs turn into sugar and all that unused sugar turns into fat. Health reports say that the Japanese are some of the healthiest people in the world.
One alcoholic drink that's notable in Japanese cuisine is sake which is a Japanese rice wine. It can be served either cold, warm, or hot. However, the most popular dish in Japanese cuisine that expanded into other parts of the world is sushi. And sushi happens to be a healthy delicacy. But it's best that you eat freshly made sushi. Sushi that's at least a few hours old loses its integrity. Most non-Japanese Asian restaurants are now serving sushi as part of the menu in order to attract more customers. I used to work at a Vietnamese restaurant that started to serve sushi after four in the afternoon. Many Japanese steakhouses also have a sushi bar.
I've even went into an all you can eat buffet that served sushi. However, you don't know how long that sushi has been laying out there for. So I'm not going to risk touching that one.
There there is the Southeast Asian cuisines consisting of: Vietnamese, Thai, Burmese, Laotian, Filipino, etc. Being Vietnamese myself, I can explain enough of Vietnamese dishes. One notable dish is the Vietnamese noodle soup known as pho which is pronounced as "fuh." Like the other East Asian cuisines, we eat meat such as pork, beef, chicken, vegetables, rice, noodles, fish, etc.
There are French influences in some of the Vietnamese dishes. One example is the Banh Mi Thit that is a sandwich with French bread. It contains pate which is a meat spread, mayonaise, Vietnamese meats, and vegetables such as carrots and cucumbers. It's a very common casual meal or snack in Vietnam. Just about at any casual or formal Vietnamese restuarant, you can find Banh Mi Thit on the menu. Happens to be a personal favorite of mine as well. Those sandwiches are pretty good.
Like in Chinese cuisine, there are steams buns that are also served. It's called the Banh bao but more to fit Vietnamese cuisine. For Buddists, there is the vegetarian buns that can be consumed.
Keep in mind that the cuisines differ from one province to another and one country to another. The dishes served vary by the people, the territory, and religious faith. Before eating at an Asian restaurant, it's advised that you take the time and research the various cuisines and dishes. Of course there are servers and managers willing to explain the dishes and their ingredients, but it doesn't hurt to do additional research. Important from what I learned from personal experience is that the Asian dishes served here in North America are very different than the dishes from their countries of origin.
For people who want to open an Asian restaurant, one piece of advice: do lots of research. That includes the following: market research, demographic research, social research, etc. The Vietnamese restaurant I worked at for a summer job died within under a year. One of the fatal flaws was that in the area, not many people knew the difference between Chinese and Vietnamese. There happened to be a Chinese restaurant a few doors down from the Vietnamese restaurant. Chinese restaurant was more casual and the prices were lower while the Vietnamese restaurant was fine dining and the prices were higher.
www.helium.com/tm/243890/asian-cuisine-pretty-umbrella
Cuisines from the numerous countries in the Middle East are considered West Asian cuisines. For example food from Turkey, Syriq, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and various other countries in that region fall under the umbrella term of West Asian cuisine. I can't explain much about West Asian cuisine since I have yet to try their foods. Currently the area I live in, there's little to no restaurants that serve any West Asian cuisines. At the same time they're considered cuisines from the Middle East, they fall under the umbrellas of West Asian cuisine and Asian cuisine.
It says that Afghani cuisine is based mainly on bread and wheat products since the landscape allows for them to grow various crops. From what I read that most of the dishes in Afghanistan are similar to the ones in served in Iraq and Tajikistan.
One example of a dish popular in the Middle East is called baklava which is a sweet pastry. However, baklava is also part of the Mediterranean cuisine in Greek cuisine. Another example is Nan-i-Afghani which is Afghani bread which is a flat bread similar to tortillas and pita bread. A good number of the various Middle Eastern dishes are mainly wheat and vegetables with a good number being considered as pastries.
Mongolian dishes are mainly consist of meats and various dairy products. Authentic Mongolian dishes consist of the typical cattle which is beef. However, their dishes also consist of camel, sheep, goats, yak, and horse. Yes, the Mongolians do eat horse meat. Certain animals such as horses and camels are strictly forbidden in certain religious laws. If you do follow the strict dietary laws of certain religions, be very careful if you do decided to ever try out Mongolian cuisine.
Also Mongolian Barbeque isn't really classified as part of the Mongolian cuisine. Most Chinese restaurants in North American will say they have Mongolian Grill or Mongolian Barbeque, it's just stir-fried meats, vegetables, and rice. Nothing about Mongolian Barbeque is linked or related to actual Mongolian cuisine. That's something people that are open to various dishes should know. Mongolian Barbeque is just something fabricated by restaurants in the United States. It's "Mongolian" by name but it's not even close to being Mongolian.
South Asian cuisine consists of: Bangladeshi cuisine, Indian cuisine, Napalese cuisine, Pakistani cuisine, etc. Some cuisines are a fusion of two or three types of cuisines. One example is Punjabi cuisine which is supposed to be a mix of Indian and Pakistani dishes and delicacies. Learning about these dishes is the same as learning about the various countries and cultures. These dishes happen to be a very important part of their cultures. Such as Indian cuisine being a huge part of Indian culture. Their dishes a symbol of their nationality, history, and culture.
There are also East Asian cuisine that consists of the following: Japanese cuisine, Korean cuisine, Taiwanese cuisine, and Chinese cuisine. There are traditional Chinese dishes that can be found in Taiwan due to Chinese influence after the Communist regime had taken over China. Keep in mind that the time of the Japanese occupation in Taiwan also contributed to various Taiwanese dishes as well. Like Chinese cuisine, the common ingredients in Taiwanese dishes are pork, rice, and soy. You really can't find authentic Taiwanese food unless you visit Taiwan mainly because they sell their various snacks at night time at the night markets from the various vendors. It seemes that Taiwanese cuisine is most known for their various snacks such as grilled corn, Taiwanese sausages, scallion pancakes, etc.
Chinese cuisine mainly consists of rice, noodles, and buns(veggie buns, beef buns, pork buns, etc). Keep in mind that most of the ingredients in Italian dishes came from China. If you enjoy eating rice and noodles, then Chinese cuisine is definitely the one to try out. However, Chinese cuisine and the Chinese food that's served in North America are very different from each other. Chances are very high that the food you eat at a Chinese restaurant isn't really Chinese food. Also when learning to eat Chinese dishes, be prepared to learn how to use chopsticks. Chopsticks are a pretty common utensil in East and Southeast Asian dishes.
If you're a vegetarian or vegan, there are plenty of dishes that accomodate your dietary needs. There are plenty of vegetarian dishes in various Asian cuisines let alone Chinese cuisine. However Chinese cuisine happens to be an umbrella term as well because there is Mandarin cuisine and Cantonese cuisine such as there is the Mandarin and Cantonese dialects. For true vegetarian dishes, go for the Chinese Buddhist cuisines. Strict followers of Buddhism do not consume any meat, fish, or poultry.
Keep in mind that authentic Chinese dishes do not use any chemicals or additives such as MSGs. Most Chinese restaurants in North America especially the buffets tend to add MSGs even though they're not supposed to. If you're prone from migraines or any type of allergic reaction from MSGs, do not eat at a Chinese buffet. Also make sure whatever Chinese restaurant you eat at doesn't put MSGs into their foods.
Only few parts of China do eat dogmeat. That's mainly if you're raised a Catholic as Buddhists let alone moderate Buddhists do not recognize the slaughtering of dogs for food.
There are two things that are notable in Korean cuisine: the Korean Barbeque and kimchi. Like the other Oriental cuisines, Korean cuisine is notable for using rice, vegetables, noodles, meats, and tofu. Kimchi is a spicy marinated cabbage that gives off a strong odor of garlic. If you do not like the scent or raw garlic, kimchi is not something you want to try. Kimchi is one of the various vegetables that are pickled in Korean cuisine.
Korean BBQ is served at many traditional restaurants. I was at a traditional Korean casual dining area a long time ago in Philadelphia. We all sat around a charcoal grill were we were given pieces of raw meat such as chicken, beef, and pork along with small bowls of rice. The meats were seasoned and marinated. One of the meats is a sliced beef called bulgogi which is marinated in soy sauce and sesame oil(which is used in a lot of Korean dishes). You basically place the stuff on top of the grill and let it cook just like any typical barbeque. Like Chinese dishes, main utensils of Korean dishes are chopsticks.
Asides from beef, chicken, and pork, you can have pork and beef ribs(galbi), unseasoned pork bacon, squid, octopus, pork intestines, etc. Keep in mind that like in some parts of China, there are some parts of Korea that do consume dogmeat. Same goes for Korea as in China, Buddhists who do consume meat do not recognize killing dogs and using their meat for food. There are plenty of Korean dishes that do not have any meat and can be prepared for vegetarians and vegans.
Aspects of Japanese cuisine is starting to become a trend in North America and Europe. One such aspect is sushi which is raw fish wrapped around rice and seaweed. What makes Japanese cuisine differ from the other East Asian cuisines is that the dishers coincide with the seasons of the year. Like Chinese and Korean dishes, the Japanese do eat plenty of rice and noodles. One example is Japanese buckwheat noodles known as soba noodles. Due to the Buddhist influence in Japan, most dishes do not have meat in them. However, there are plenty of Japanese dishes with fish, shrimp, crab, etc.
Their breakfast pretty much differs from that served in North America. Which in my opinion is the best way to go. Their breakfast mainly consists of carbs such as a bowl of rice. Miso soup and fish is also served alone with the bowl or rice. With carbohydrates, you'll be filled until lunch. Dinner dishes are mostly consisted of proteins from fish and other meats. The reason I say that Japanese cuisine is a good way to go is at night time when you're sleeping, carbs tend to break down and digest slowly. Plus the carbs turn into sugar and all that unused sugar turns into fat. Health reports say that the Japanese are some of the healthiest people in the world.
One alcoholic drink that's notable in Japanese cuisine is sake which is a Japanese rice wine. It can be served either cold, warm, or hot. However, the most popular dish in Japanese cuisine that expanded into other parts of the world is sushi. And sushi happens to be a healthy delicacy. But it's best that you eat freshly made sushi. Sushi that's at least a few hours old loses its integrity. Most non-Japanese Asian restaurants are now serving sushi as part of the menu in order to attract more customers. I used to work at a Vietnamese restaurant that started to serve sushi after four in the afternoon. Many Japanese steakhouses also have a sushi bar.
I've even went into an all you can eat buffet that served sushi. However, you don't know how long that sushi has been laying out there for. So I'm not going to risk touching that one.
There there is the Southeast Asian cuisines consisting of: Vietnamese, Thai, Burmese, Laotian, Filipino, etc. Being Vietnamese myself, I can explain enough of Vietnamese dishes. One notable dish is the Vietnamese noodle soup known as pho which is pronounced as "fuh." Like the other East Asian cuisines, we eat meat such as pork, beef, chicken, vegetables, rice, noodles, fish, etc.
There are French influences in some of the Vietnamese dishes. One example is the Banh Mi Thit that is a sandwich with French bread. It contains pate which is a meat spread, mayonaise, Vietnamese meats, and vegetables such as carrots and cucumbers. It's a very common casual meal or snack in Vietnam. Just about at any casual or formal Vietnamese restuarant, you can find Banh Mi Thit on the menu. Happens to be a personal favorite of mine as well. Those sandwiches are pretty good.
Like in Chinese cuisine, there are steams buns that are also served. It's called the Banh bao but more to fit Vietnamese cuisine. For Buddists, there is the vegetarian buns that can be consumed.
Keep in mind that the cuisines differ from one province to another and one country to another. The dishes served vary by the people, the territory, and religious faith. Before eating at an Asian restaurant, it's advised that you take the time and research the various cuisines and dishes. Of course there are servers and managers willing to explain the dishes and their ingredients, but it doesn't hurt to do additional research. Important from what I learned from personal experience is that the Asian dishes served here in North America are very different than the dishes from their countries of origin.
For people who want to open an Asian restaurant, one piece of advice: do lots of research. That includes the following: market research, demographic research, social research, etc. The Vietnamese restaurant I worked at for a summer job died within under a year. One of the fatal flaws was that in the area, not many people knew the difference between Chinese and Vietnamese. There happened to be a Chinese restaurant a few doors down from the Vietnamese restaurant. Chinese restaurant was more casual and the prices were lower while the Vietnamese restaurant was fine dining and the prices were higher.
www.helium.com/tm/243890/asian-cuisine-pretty-umbrella