A cuisine is characterized as a style of cooking practice and tradition that is associated with a specific culture. An Asian cuisine encompasses several major regional cuisines, including Southwest Asia (India, Pakistani and Sri Lanka), Northeast Asia (China, Korea and Japan) and Southeast Asia (Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore).
In Southeast Asia, there are numerous delectable cuisines. Some of the well-known dishes in Southeast Asia are Thai Green Chicken Curry, Vietnamese Beef Pho Noodles and Malaysian Nasi Lemak.
Gaeng Khiao Wan Gai, better known as Thai Green Chicken Curry, is one of the popular curry dishes in Thai cuisine1. Loved by locals and easily found in many eateries worldwide, this authentic Thai dish is scrumptious. Curry is a staple dish in Thailand2. It is prepared by combining fresh vegetables with meat. Boneless chicken is commonly used when concocting this curry dish. This famous curry dish forms a healthy part of the Thai diet, as it is high in vitamins and rich in protein3. There also plenty of other alternatives used instead of chicken, such as prawns, beef and pork. Many would have assumed that green curry will be less spicy as compared to red curry. On the contrary, green curry is just as spicy as red curry, but the sweetness oozing from this dish balances the heat. The ready-made paste to make Thai Green Chicken Curry can be purchased from major supermarkets. This curry is best served piping hot with a bowl of steamed jasmine rice.
Vietnamese Pho serves a bowl of linguine-shaped rice noodles called banh pho, fresh herbs and tender slices of beef in a tasty beef broth. There are instances where slim cuts of beef, such as steak, flank and brisket, are used in this dish. The beef broth is created by simmering beef bones with spices and herbs. Chickens can be also used as an alternative to beef. Some of the nutrients that can be found in this dish are iron, vitamin C and calcium4. It is a popular street food in Vietnam and a specialty dish found globally in many restaurants serving Asian cuisine5. According to villagers, the locals have been consuming this staple dish long before the French colonial period. As relations between the United States and Vietnam improved during the 1990s, this appetizing dish becomes more widely spread to the US and on to the rest of the world6. Vietnamese Beef Pho Noodle is listed as one of the “World’s 50 Most Delicious Foods” by CNN Go in 20117.
Malaysian Nasi Lemak is a fragrant rice dish, soaked in rich coconut milk with pandan leaves and steamed. It is typically served with anchovies, crunchy peanuts, sunny-side up egg, traditional chilli paste, sliced cucumber and fish. It is Malaysia’s national dish and has become very popular throughout Southeast Asia8. The variations to this dish are endless – some would add lamb curry, barbequed squid, fried chicken wings, fried chicken cutlets and omelettes etc. This mouth-watering dish is also a good source of protein and fibre. Nasi Lemak is recently highlighted in the “Top 10 Healthy Breakfasts” by TIME Magazine earlier in this year9.
References:
1 Temple of Thai (2016). What is Thai curry? [online] Available at: http://www.templeofthai.com/cooking/about_thai_curry.php
2 Temple of Thai (2016). Staples of Thai Cuisine. [online] Available at: http://www.templeofthai.com/cooking/staple-thai-cuisine.php
3 Calorie Count (2016). Thai Green Curry. [online] Available at: https://www.caloriecount.com/thai-chicken-curry-recipe-r11732
4 Calorie Count (2016). Vietnamese Pho. [online] Available at: https://www.caloriecount.com/vietnamese-pho-recipe-r28900
5 Viet Street Food (2012). 10 Vietnamese foods we can’t live without. [online] Available at: http://www.vietstreetfood.com/2012/07/10-vietnamese-street-foods-we-cant-live.html
6 Lucky Peach (2016). The history of Pho. [online] Available at: http://luckypeach.com/the-history-of-pho-andrea-nguyen/
7 CNN Go (2011). World’s 50 Most Delicious Foods. [online] Available at: http://travel.cnn.com/explorations/eat/readers-choice-worlds-50-most-delicious-foods-012321/
8 Yes To Travel (2015). Nasi Lemak: The Malaysian National Dish. [online] Available at: http://www.yestotravelblog.com/2015/08/nasi-lemak-malaysian-national-dish.html 9 Time Magazine (2016). 10 Healthy Breakfasts. [online] Available at: http://time.com/4254125/healthy-international-breakfast/