This book provides a framework for understanding the global flows of cuisine both into and out of Asia and describes the development of transnational culinary fields connecting Asia to the broader world. Individual chapters provide historical and ethnographic accounts of the people, places, and activities involved in Asia's culinary globalization.
With eight major national cuisines, and dozens of regional variations, a comprehensive exploration of Asian cuisine might seem too daunting to present in one volume. But with Essentials of Asian Cuisine: Fundamentals and Favorite Recipes, award-winning author Corinne Trang successfully brings the fundamentals of Asian cooking into the home kitchen in a collection that includes both contemporary and time-honored recipes. Trang takes the reader on a journey of Eastern culinary discovery as seen through a practiced Western culinary lens. Explaining how and why Chinese cuisine is at the root of all Asian cooking, she describes in familiar terms the techniques that incorporate the five senses and embody the Chinese yin yang philosophy of balanced opposites. Trang uses Asian ingredients commonly found in supermarkets and through mail-order sources -- such as fish sauce, lemongrass, and rice noodles -- to guide home cooks through the preparation of healthy, sensual meals. She illuminates the mysteries of authentic Asian cooking, explaining the aromatic herbs and spices that make Asian cuisine vibrant, colorful, and distinctive. Trang brings together more than three hundred traditional and cutting-edge recipes for condiments, appetizers, main courses, vegetables, and sweets and drinks from China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia. Mouthwatering items include Chinese Scallion Pancakes, Filipino Fried Spring Rolls, Spicy Indonesian Crab Fried Rice, Japanese Miso-Marinated Black Cod, Japanese Spring Water Tofu with Sweet Sake Sauce, Stir-Fried Leafy Greens, Chinese Pork Ribs with Black Bean and Garlic Sauce, Green Tea Ice Cream, and Thai Coffee. In organizing the book by type of food, Trang allows cooks to see both the common elements and the distinctive individualities of Asian national and regional cooking. Trang explains the roots of major recipes and discusses where they appear in various guises in different countries. Vietnam's Canh Ca Chua (Hot and Sour Fish Soup), for example, can also be found in Cambodian, Indonesian, and Thai cuisines; Trang provides the recipes for both the master soup and its variations. Trang includes a comprehensive glossary of Asian ingredients, plus a detailed list of resources for purchasing special ingredients and equipment. She offers sample menus, including a Chinese Dim Sum, a Filipino Dinner, and a Japanese Lunch. A special section on feng shui demonstrates how to organize and beautifully present a meal. In this lavishly designed and illustrated volume, more than eighty-five original black-and-white and color photographs bring to life the ingredients, dishes, and people of Asia. The book is rich with personal anecdotes and intriguing information about Asian culture, and nowhere else will you find such a clear, comprehensive, and accessible treatment of Asian cuisine. More than a cookbook, Essentials of Asian Cuisine is a celebration of exotic culinary delights.
This comprehensive new book provides up-to-date information on many types of Asian prepared foods-their origin, preparation methods, processing principles, technical innovation, quality factors, nutritional values, and market potential. Written by experts who specialize in the field, it includes information on Asian dietary habits and the health significance of Asian diets. Asian Foods also discusses differences in preparations and varieties among diverse Asian ethnic groups and regions, cultural aspects associated with the consumption of the products, and the market status or potential of more than 400 varieties of Asian foods. These foods include products made from rice, wheat, other starchy grains, soybeans, meat, poultry, fish, fruits, and vegetables, as well as functional foods and alcoholic beverages. This timely book will be of interest to food professionals in product development, dieticians interested in Asian diets and dietary habits, business developers seeking market potential for Asian prepared foods, and food science and human nutrition students who need supplemental information.
Sushi, kimchi, baklava, and tofu once seemed exotic. These Asian foods have made their way around the world. But how representative are they of their home cuisines? Asian Cuisines: Food Culture from East Asia to Turkey and Afghanistan covers the food history, food culture, and food science of the world’s largest and most diverse continent, not only East, Southeast, and South Asia, but also Central and West Asia, including the countries that straddle Asia and the Middle East. Contributors to Asian Cuisines include renowned scholars E. N. Anderson, Paul D. Buell, and Darra Goldstein. A glossary provides a quick overview of culinary terms specific to the cuisines. Chapters discuss local ingredients and dishes, and look at the connection between food and social, political, economic, and cultural developments. Each article comes with an easy-to-make recipe to give readers a taste of more than a dozen tantalizing and varied cuisines. This compact volume will be valuable in food studies programs and fills a unique spot on the shelf of anyone who loves to explore the meanings and flavors of world cuisines.
Southeast Asian cuisines, such as Thai, have become quite popular in the United States even though immigrant numbers are low. The food is appealing because it is tasty, attractive, and generally healthful, with plentiful vegetables, fish, noodles, and rice. Food Culture in Southeast Asia is a richly informative overview of the food and foodways of the mainland countries including Burma, Thailand, Lao, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Malaysia, and the island countries of Singapore, Brunei, East Timor, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Students and other readers will learn how diverse peoples from diverse geographies feed themselves and the value they place on eating as a material, social, and symbolic act. Chapter 1, Historical Overview, surveys the archaeological and historical evidence concerning mainland Southeast Asia, with emphasis on the Indianized kingdoms of the mainland and the influence of the spice trade on subsequent European colonization. Chapter 2, Major Foods and Ingredients, particularly illuminates the rice culture as the central source of calories and a dominant cultural symbol of feminine nurture plus fish and fermented fish products, local fresh vegetables and herbs, and meat in variable amounts. The Cooking chapter discusses the division of labor in the kitchen, kitchens and their equipment, and the steps in acquiring, processing and preparing food. The Typical Meals chapter approaches typical meals by describing some common meal elements, meal format, and the timing of meals. Typical meals are presented as variations on a common theme, with particular attention to contrasts such as rural-urban and palace-village. Iconic meals and dishes that carry special meaning as markers of ethnic or national identity are also covered. Chapter 6, Eating Out, reviews some of the options for public eating away from home in the region, including the newly developed popularity of Southeast Asian restaurants overseas. The chapter has an urban, middle-class bias, as those are the people who are eating out on a regular basis. The Special Occasions chapter examines ritual events such as feeding the spirits of rice and the ancestors, Buddhist and Muslim rituals involving food, rites of passage, and universal celebrations around the coming of the New Year. The final chapter on diet and health looks at some of the ideologies underlying the relation between food and disease, particularly the humoral system, and then considers the nutritional challenges related to recent changes in local food systems, including food safety.
For the estimated three million Americans suffering from Celiac disease, wheat allergies, and severe gluten sensitivities, Asian food is usually off-limits because its signature ingredients—noodles, soy sauce, and oyster sauce—typically contain wheat. In the Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen, food writer Laura B. Russell shows home cooks how to convert the vibrant cuisines of China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam into gluten-free favorites. Authentically flavored dishes such as Crispy Spring Rolls, Gingery Pork Pot Stickers, Korean Green Onion Pancakes, Soba Noodles with Stir-Fried Shiitake Mushrooms, Salt and Pepper Squid, and Pork Tonkatsu will be delicious additions to any gluten-free repertoire. Along with sharing approachable and delicious recipes, Russell demystifies Asian ingredients and helps readers navigate the grocery store. Beautifully photographed and designed for easy weeknight eating, this unique cookbook’s wide range of dishes from a variety of Asian cuisines will appeal to the discriminating tastes of today’s gluten-free cooks.
Dining out on dim sum and looking for the perfect wine to accompany your meal? Wondering which bottle to uncork when serving up Thai? In Pairing Wine with Asian Food, enologist, wine judge, and wine writer Edwin Soon explores the most important theories of matching wine and Asian cuisine. Discover hundreds of inspired food and wine marriages from Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as from Burgher, Eurasian, and Nyonya cuisines. Also featured is a special section on matching wine by occasion, such as an Asian finger food party or barbecue, or by type, such as curries, vegetarian dishes or seafood. Imagine serving a crisp, tangy aged Riesling with a steamed river fish with ginger, soy, and chili, or a peppery California Zinfandel with succulent Chinese barbecued pork ribs. For sheer indulgence, savor Hainanese chicken rice with lashings of chili, ginger, and sweet soy and a glass of Sauternes – surely a match made in heaven. Whether you’re a wine lover or new to the subject, this book encourages you to have fun and experiment for there is no reason why you can’t enjoy wine with all your favorite Asian dishes.
Demystifying Southeast Asia's cuisine, this cookbook translates years of photography, culinary training, education, and resulting expertise into an adventure of recipes, stories, and practical advice on cooking. Regardless of exotic flavors, foreign ingredients, and unfamiliar techniques, the guide demonstrates how cooking remains universal and the science of food holds fast. Including more than 100 recipes, 700 photographs, and vivid anecdotes, this is the perfect book for anyone seeking to learn about the flavors of Southeast Asian cuisine or just looking for a unique, recreational read.
By documenting, analysing and interpreting the transformations in the local diets of Asian peoples within the last hundred years, this volume pinpoints the consequences of the tension between homogenisation and cultural heterogenisation, which is so characteristic for today's global interaction.
Some of the world's most exciting cuisines are found in Asia. From the vastness of China to the island states of Indonesia and the Philippines, each country has its own unique style of cooking, but they share many of the classic ingredients. This book is a fascinating guide to the food and cooking of this wonderful region. It is brimming with useful information about the ingredients and cuisines, as well as a wonderful collection of enticing and easy-to-prepare recipes. There are over 650 colour pictures in total: step-by-step how-to sequences for every recipes, and a glorious photograph of every finished dish. With a wide range of ingredients now available in supermarkets, there's never been a better time to discover the enticing flavours of Asia.
