Asian cuisine description. Southeast Asian cuisine.

In the last decade, Pan-Asian cuisine has successfully won pizza and pasta seats on European plates. Are you preparing for a trip to Southeast Asia, or just want to try something exotic for a long time? We asked the chef of the lounge bar BAR: DOT XX1 Randi Ekatama Miharja to tell us which dishes it is better to begin acquaintance with Asian food, where to look for it and how to determine by eye whether it is worthwhile to eat this incomprehensible thing on a skewer.

The chief, who could become a lawyer

My grandfather was a baker, then his business passed to his father. My mother also has a small culinary business. From childhood, I opened a refrigerator, chose food there and asked the nanny to cook. I really enjoyed watching the process, watching culinary shows on TV. At school I thought about cooking only as a hobby. I could become a lawyer, I had already passed the entrance exams, but in 1998, Indonesia had a financial crisis and my parents could not pay for my studies at that university. Fortunately, in my city of Bandung there was another good university, a school of hotel and culinary industry. They offered scholarships for applicants who successfully pass the exams. I tried and went. At that moment, I realized that I was destined to be a cook, not a lawyer.

The university provided me with a scholarship for three years, after that there was practice in Malaysia, Indonesia, a year of probation in Holland. I could open my own business, but it's not so easy for a young man in Indonesia. So I started working in Abu Dhabi at the Shangri-La hotel. And then I was invited to Minsk, where I have been working for about 5 months. I like to take life's challenges and try something new. For me, as an Indonesian, it is very interesting to represent Asian cuisine in your area, because it is incredibly diverse.

World Food and Street Food

What do we mean when we talk about Asian cuisine?

The term "Asian" is very broad. Japanese, Korean cuisine is also Asian. Even when you talk about the Middle East, it is also supposed to be "Asian". If European cuisine, I think, is centralized around France and Italy, then Asian cuisine is incredibly different: the Middle East, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Southeast Asia. Everywhere in these countries and regions it will be different. By the way, Asian cuisine is not necessarily always sharp, as it is customary to imagine.

I also often think of this: there is a paste in Italy, there are noodles in Asia. In fact, the difference is small, you can interfere with them, with what you want. For me, all the world's food, in fact, is not that different. The soil and climate differ, in which food is grown and produced, because of this, different tastes arise. The bottom line is to take the best product in a particular region and country and prepare it. In Asia, for example, it is Kalgan. This plant belongs to the same family as ginger, but its root is much more fragrant and more interesting than ginger.

Where and how is it best to try Asian cuisine?

If we talk about Southeast Asia, then, in the first place, I recommend trying street food. In street benches and markets there really is everything! If you go to a restaurant, then they will have a certain set of several different dishes, in some of them the boss will be very good, in some - less. But on the street in each outlet, as a rule, there are only one or two dishes. One dish is one boss, and he is the best at this. For example, in some place only fried rice is cooked. And the cook will do the best he can do. That's why I like street food so much. Of course, restaurants do not only serve food, but also a special atmosphere, sensations. But on the street they will be their own, absolutely unique. For example, in Bali, there is a luxury hotel with a Double Six restaurant that owns the entire beach. But nearby there is a small eatery where mitbols are cooked and beer is sold. So she, unlike the restaurant, is always crowded with people.

In Asia, you can find street food 24/7. When you are hungry, you will not have problems finding food. Here I only know the 24-hour Preston. On the other hand, food delivery is fine here in restaurants, it's cool. In Asia, this does not work, because it simply does not need - a shop with a snack you have on every corner.

Grandma's soup and clean plates

With what dishes is better to begin an acquaintance with the cuisine of Southeast Asia?

One of my favorite dishes comes from Malaysia and Singapore. In Chinese cuisine, there is Hainan rice with chicken, and here there is Singapore rice with chicken. It is not very sharp, but fragrant, is prepared with ginger, garlic and broth. The chicken is tender inside, but crispy on the outside. This meal will suit everyone who does not like spicy. You can still try the Indian chicken in a creamy tomato sauce ("butterfly chicken masala"). If you are not afraid of a sharp, I advise you to start with nasi-goreng or pad-tai.

In our lounge bar I also cook nasi-goreng, this is an Indonesian dish. It's not just fried rice, which you can try in China and other countries. In fried rice, whole grains are separate and separate from each other, and in nasi-goreng more sauce, more spice, it is softer and more tender in texture. I can cook it here almost as much as in Indonesia, because there are appropriate products and equipment for cooking.

Even in Southeast Asia there is a marbak - it's pastry with stuffing. The dough is fried in oil and stuffed with eggs, meat, and looks like a pie.

What other Asian dishes can I try in BAR: DOT XX1?

Here I like to cook lax. It is a spicy seafood soup with coconut milk and rice noodles. It reminds me of a family - we ate it always when we came home to my grandmother. In addition to Indonesia, lax is also in the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, but the taste is always different. Even inside this region, climate and soil are different, their secrets are from cooks, so in every restaurant the soup will be slightly different. I like to make lax a little spicy, but balancing it with the creamy taste of coconut milk. It is prepared for several hours, so that the dish can be saturated with all the flavors.

"When the waiter brings the plates, I check them"

If you do not like the spicy, in our lunch menu you can find chicken satay. It's like a chicken kebab, we grill it with six seasonings and soy sauce. Usually it is served with peanut sauce, but I make another sauce - cashew with palm sugar, more bold and refined. I can very well serve these six pieces of chicken. I'm ready to argue that if local establishments with pan-Asian cuisine arrange a championship for chicken satay, I'll cook it and serve it best.

Another great dish is salmon. In Asia, it is made on a grill or steamed in a banana leaf. There is no banana leaf, so I use a Papillot (parchment paper) and bake it with coconut cream for 5-6 minutes, which makes the fish get a spicy creamy taste. When the waiter brings the plates, I check them. So, I have never seen our customers leave anything from this dish, although the portion is decent.

And what sweets are common in Southeast Asia?

In Indonesia we cook fried bananas for dessert. Banana turns crunchy outside and soft inside, hot and with a caramel crust. Perhaps, for Europeans, it will seem a bit greasy, but the oil gives a special flavor and texture to the products. There are no bananas of the desired texture, so you can not cook such a dessert. We also have a popular tapioca. We do not have sweet pastry, because fruit is a dessert. By the way, in Indonesia there is no division into the first, second course and desserts, but you can find them all, but they are not systematized like the Europeans.

In our restaurant we discuss sweet things together with the confectioner. I really like caramelized pineapple. Pineapple is marinated in ginger and cinnamon, after that we lightly burn it and serve it with sand crumbs and ginger ice cream. You feel at the same time and creamy taste, and the acute taste of ginger, and the fried taste of pineapple. In addition, we have jasmine cream-brulee with mango cream and coconut tapioca. For me it's too sweet, I'm already sweet.

So, in the kitchen you use only local products?

Local products and ingredients are good, above all, its freshness. A few hours pass from the farm table to your plate. Of course, we import spices from Thailand. They are real, they are good, but some of the taste is lost in the airplane, in the sea, in the cooler. Therefore, if I once find good ingredients here, then I will cook with them with pleasure.

"We have jasmine creme brulee with mango cream and coconut tapioca. It's too sweet for me, I'm already sweet "

Forget about the fork and knife

Caught on a street market in Indonesia or Malaysia, can you understand by smell and mind, what should I try, and what should I avoid?

Of course, I can prompt something, but believe me, when you find yourself there - among all this variety and smells - you will instantly forget all the advice. Your eyes and nose will tell you what's tasty, what's fresh. Fresh products will let the juice and grumble on the grill. The smell blocks even what they see. On the street market you will forget about everything, you will forget about the fork and knife. You will drink juice through a tubule from a cellophane bag. What else do I like street food markets - there is cheap and you can try just a little bit. Satay from lamb, sweet potato with rice, triangular coconut rice - it is possible that the products will be familiar to you, but their way of cooking and serving will be unique and very unusual. Even I can not reproduce with accuracy my mom's recipe so that the dish turns out to be identical to the taste.

"I have never eaten in restaurants better than on the street"

It may sound strange for the restaurant chef, but I really think that the best Asian food is street food. I have never eaten in restaurants better than on the street. Not always with the help of a fork and a knife you can feel the most relish of food as when you touch it with hands, break off pieces. Here, for example, I do not specifically open the papylet with salmon completely, so that a person can open it himself and instantly feel the fragrance. When I put the satay on a plate, I do not want the sticks to be perfectly clean, without traces of the grill, so you still have a fragrance on your hands after eating. Or a piece of lemon, which you need to squeeze out and after which there is an acid taste on your fingers.

I was very happy when I found out that in 2016 in the TOP-10 of the best restaurants in the world an Asian restaurant in Thailand got. There is a chief from India, they serve Indian cuisine. I think in 10 years, Asian food will be super-popular in the world, because it is incredibly diverse, but I'm forgiven by the Italians.

These and other dishes from Randy you can try at lunch in the lounge bar BAR: DOT XX1 from 12:00 to 16:00 from Monday to Friday.

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South-East Asia includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Food occupies such an important place in the social life of Southeast Asia that many residents of these countries ask each other instead of greeting: "Have you already eaten?" In particular, the Thais ask: "Have you already eaten your rice?" And the meal here is accepted Discuss what dish will bring next. Southeast Asia with its longest coastline has always served as a gateway to the Asian world and therefore has been influenced by a multitude of cultures, each of which has left its mark on the kitchens of individual countries, resulting in the region's unique culinary fusion style. The unique form of the local cuisine helps to maintain and local spices, giving a delicious taste to many dishes. Additional colors in local cooking are brought about by the fact that in the above ten countries people speak twenty completely different languages ​​and profess twelve religions.

Southeast Asia is the mountainous regions of northeastern Thailand, the impressive shores of Vietnam and the volcanic belt, consisting of almost 17,000 Indonesian islands that stretch from the western part of the Malay Peninsula to northern Australia. Wet tropical forests, mountains, islands, elongated coastline, lowlands and hills create a unique and diverse landscape - it suits the local cuisine. However, the current industrialization is gradually turning a significant part of these lands into developed settlements, industrial zones and business centers.

The developed network of waterways and the longest coastline have led to the fact that the cuisine of South-East Asia is strongly dependent on seafood. The inhabitants of this region receive twice as much animal protein from freshwater fish and seafood as from all other sources. The Mekong, Salween, Chauphraya and Krasnaya rivers feed a huge network of streams and lakes that provide fresh fish to local residents and allow large-scale aquaculture: for example, most of the shrimp cultivated in the world is grown in South-East Asia. The resurgent Mekong begins its flow in Tibet, makes a twisty path through Southeast China, shares Laos and Myanmar, continues its southward movement between Thailand and Myanmar and ends with a dense delta in southern Vietnam. The abundance of seafood has also led to the emergence of a wide variety of sauces made from these products. In particular, fish sauces are widely used in Thai, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Philippine and Laotian cuisines, while cooks in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia prefer fermented shrimp paste.

The local climate is exceptionally diverse, which is not surprising for the region that begins at sea level with tropical forests and ends with the Hkakabo Razi Mountain, located on the border between Myanmar and China and towering 6 km above sea level. On the terraces, located in the mountains and hills, rice is grown; rice fields are many - and on the coastal lowlands, and on other plains. Wide and temperature range of the region - from scorching 38 to ° C in the mountains. In most of Southeast Asia are long, hot and humid days, which end in long-awaited heavy downpours. Monsoons with their storms and floods are considered a part of everyday life, and most locals believe that the rainy season is not the worst time to come to these places, because if some of the land is flooded with water, then the rest is dry and sunny.

At one time, the southern part of the region (Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines) was called "spice islands", as many unique spices were grown here, primarily pepper, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg. As early as 1509, the first expedition of the Portuguese, which sought to subdue the spice trade, reached the small Malacca harbor in present-day Malaysia, but only by 1511 the Portuguese established complete control over this busy port. Interestingly, until that time the only spicy in the Thai cuisine was black pepper. But the Portuguese brought the Chilean pepper to the region from South America, and now it is an integral part of not only the Malay and Thai cuisines, but also the cooking of other countries of Southeast Asia. Two forms of the berries of the local pepper plant are widely used: black and white pepper. Black pepper is a wrinkled dried balls, and white is different in that it removes the shell. Across the region, the Indonesian carnation is used in acidic dishes, which is dried buds of the local evergreen shrub.

An integral feature of the cuisine of the region was the use of many other local agricultural plants. So, a large family of local palms provides raw materials for the production of palm sugar, palm oil, palm vinegar, coconuts. Coconut milk is generally one of the main food products in Southeast Asia, especially in southern Thailand and throughout Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. In the United States, in the majority of cases, canned coconut milk is used in the kitchen, but in Southeast Asia it is still customary to obtain this product on its own - and more often to contact local traders who always crack fresh coconuts for customers. Preparing coconut milk is simple: enough to grind the white pulp of coconut, add a little warm water to it, quickly "massage" the mixture and squeeze out the finished product from it. The first portions of the liquid are called dense coconut milk, and if you add a little water and re-press the mixture, you will get more liquid coconut milk. Do not confuse this product with coconut water, which is contained in the core of the coconut. Such water is often used as a refreshing drink or as a broth in which meat and seafood are stewed.

A lot of applications are found in local bamboo: cages are made for small domestic animals, weave baskets for fresh gifts of fields or steamers for kitchens, split it into chopsticks. Some species of bamboo are specially bred because of their young sprouts that go into food. Dried bamboo leaves are used as packaging for local dumplings. In Malaysia, you can even try a dish that consists of rice wrapped in banana leaves, placed in a bamboo knee and fried in coals.

About countless varieties of fruits of this region, you can write a separate book, especially since many of them are characteristic only of these places and are not yet available fresh in other parts of the world. Tourists and other guests of these countries quickly get used to such fruits as lychees, carambola, rambutan, mangosteen, numerous varieties of bananas.

Banana tree gives the leaves, flowers, core and fruits - and all of this is used in popular local dishes. So, banana leaves are used as plates, they are wrapped in foods before they are cooked on a steak, fried in coals or in oil. Banana leaves are used and simply as an exquisite dessert. Before eating banana leaves should be doused with boiling water - then they will become flexible and will easily bend. Flowers of a banana appreciate for astringent taste - they are often put in salads. Such flowers can also be cut into pieces and cooked with curry. In Burma, fish soup was invented, into which the core of the main "trunk" of a banana is laid (among other things, from a botanical point of view, a banana is not a tree, but a giant grass that does not have a trunk).

And, of course, there are many fruits here that require some courage from those who want to try them. Thus, Durian, known throughout Southeast Asia as the "King of Fruits", except for the spines that stick out, has a sweet creamy core that tastes like a pineapple or a fermented sweet onion. This is one of those delicacies that you need to try to appreciate their taste! However, at the same time, this stinking fruit is in fact forbidden to bring in rented cars, hotels, buses - and all because of the smell that many find disgusting (but the tigers are said to be very fond of it).

Cuisine of Southeast Asia

Ingredients that are used in the kitchen of Southeast Asia, little differ from country to country - the peculiarities of individual cuisines lie in the ways in which these ingredients are mixed and prepared. Each region has its own, unique combinations of these methods - and, accordingly, its own special culinary traditions. So, Vietnamese cuisine is glorious with the abundant use of fresh herbs, and also the fact that guests sitting at the Vietnamese table themselves collect dishes from individual ingredients, creating textures and tastes of their choice. Thais are known for their coconut-based sauces, spicy and sour soups, as well as crispy salads made of green papaya. An icon of the whole cuisine of Southeast Asia can be considered the dish created in Indonesia called satay, served with a nut sauce. However, now in many cases, regional culinary traditions are blurred, because in most developing countries modernization leads to the replacement of local culinary characteristics.

Varieties of curry

Curry can be found on the dining tables in any of the countries of the region. However, it should be borne in mind that the term "curry" is often misunderstood. The very word "curry" comes from the Indian "kari", which means simply "sauce" or a dish cooked with sauce. Thais also use the word "kaeng" (often pronounced "king") to refer to any liquid mass seasoned with spices. Such masses are divided into thick (for example, red curry) and liquid (broth-based soups), but all Thai curry pastes consist of the same basic ingredients: cimbalogon (lemon sorghum), calgano, shallot, garlic, pepper , kaffir-lime peel, fermented shrimp paste and salt. In this case, each mass can include a component that makes it unique. Thus, green curry contains, in addition to the listed ingredients, also the coriander root and green chilli powder, and the yellow curry to turmeric. At the core of curry, used in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, is a ripa. The word "turnip" literally translates as "spice", but they are usually referred to as a blended mixture of fragrant components. Rempa, as a rule, contains garlic, shallot, lemon sorghum, kalgan, chili powder, shrimp paste. Often the soup serves as a thickener for soups and stews. In some countries - for example, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia - there is another sauce, or sauce base, called sambal. In a broad sense, the sambal is a seasoning based on chili peppers. The most common variants of sambal also include garlic, shallots, sugar, and some contain vinegar, shrimp paste, salt and tamarind. Sambal is served both cooked and raw - it depends on the cuisine and the region.

Rice

Speaking about Asian cuisine, we can not say about rice. It is believed that rice was first grown in central Thailand. The fragrant rice of the jasmine variety remains today one of the main exports of this country. Most of the region grows long-grain rice Indica, as well as a less common variety with medium and long grains. Most often, rice is prepared as follows: it is poured with water, put on fire and cook until the grains completely absorb the liquid; salt during cooking is rarely used. Welded in this way, rice is served almost all dishes. In many countries, glutinous rice is also highly valued, which is sometimes referred to as rice with a high content of gluten, which is actually wrong, because there is no gluten in rice at all. In fact, "sticky" in this case means simply "sticky", "sticking together". Glutinous rice is first soaked, and then steamed in a special conical bamboo steamer.

In many dishes, typical for the countries of South-East Asia, long-grain rice is used. Usually it is poured with water and coconut milk, which creates the basis for violence (translated as "coconut rice"). This dish serves as the basis of many Malay delicacies. Often, "coconut rice" is served on banana leaves surrounded by dry beef with curry sauce (beef roe), shrimp sambalo, hard-boiled eggs, curry chicken, sliced ​​cucumber, nuts roasted in oil, or fried ikan bilis (a kind of anchovies). Local people often serve such a dish for breakfast. Crown Singaporean rice with chicken haynaniz (no-hainanese) is a piece of lightly roasted chicken meat, mixed with rice. This rice is prepared in a special way: before cooking it is mixed with chicken fat, fried garlic and ginger. Ready-made dish is served with a hot sauce made from chili pepper and garlic, as well as sliced ​​cucumbers.

Noodles

In terms of the importance of noodles in the cooking of Southeast Asia goes right after rice. In the region there are a variety of types of noodles: flat, thick, thin, dry, fresh, silky, soft ... In addition to rice, egg noodles and mung bean noodles are common, but most of the inhabitants of the region consume rice noodles - simply because of the abundance of rice. Rice noodles are often made from liquid dough, and egg noodles are made from dough. Liquid dough, which is prepared by soaking rice or rice flour in water, can be kneaded in a variety of ways. In particular, some chefs add to it cassava starch or wheat starch to increase the elasticity. The traditional way of making this product is as follows: a pan with boiling water is covered with a thin cloth, pouring liquid dough on top. As a result, it is brewed directly on the fabric, forming layers like rice cakes. Such layers, dried or fresh, cut into strips, resulting in real noodles. Today, most of the noodle making process is mechanized, but the main ingredients of the product remain the same - rice and water.

Fresh rice noodles, known in Malaysia and Singapore as quasi tu, are most often used in a dish called cha kwai tiu. For its preparation, bean sprouts, green onions, finely chopped garlic and rice noodles are fried in a hot wok frying pan until the products become golden and slightly viscous. After that they are pushed to the sides of the frying pan, and the vacant place is poured vegetable oil, break the egg, fry it, and then mix with a golden mixture of noodles and vegetables. Thin dried rice noodles are sold under a variety of names: vermicelli, rice sticks, mibon, bihon, bunha (the thinnest). Dried rice noodles 6 mm wide can be easily found in the famous Thai dish, consisting of noodles fried with bamboo shoots and peanuts.

A significant role in the local cuisine is also played by wheat noodles. Prepare it simply: the wheat flour is mixed with water, salt is added and rolled into a dough, from which noodles are cut. In some types of wheat noodles, add eggs or yolks. Adding a pure starch, either wheat or tapioca, to the mixture allows the noodle texture to vary over a wide range; some of its varieties are obtained by elastic, while others are more viscous. Most of the dough for noodles is prepared similarly to the test for Italian pasta, and the noodles are obtained by cutting this test into strips with a thickness of 1.5 to 6 mm. Dry noodles in the kitchen of Southeast Asia are used infrequently, but, like in the US, there is always a cook at hand - in extreme cases.

In Malaysia, on trays of street vendors, you can often see machines for making Italian pasta - here with their help they make wontons mi - a typical local dish made from egg noodles, which has Chinese roots. To make it, very thin egg noodles are quickly cooked, seasoned with soy sauce, boiled greens, white pepper and spread on a plate, and then put on the noodles several slices of fried in Chinese pork. Such noodles are served, as a rule, in a cup of light chicken broth, where in addition to noodles are several Chinese dumplings (wonton). Among such dishes is also the Severo-Chinese hao soy, which is believed to have been brought here from Myanmar (Burma). The preparation of this dish is special, in particular, the chefs of Chiang Mai. Xao soy is a curry filled coconut broth with egg noodles, chicken, pork or beef, complemented by crispy egg noodles and fresh lime juice. This dish has such a vivid scent that it will haunt you even against the background of other delicious dishes.

Indonesia is home to the dishes of goreng - it's a spaghetti-like egg noodle fried with onion slices, a lot of garlic, shrimps, chopped cabbage, bean sprouts and green onions. Some chefs use a tracer-fermented shrimp paste to give this dish a special depth of taste.

Another popular dish in the region is the "noodles from starch" imported from China, which are obtained from mung beans; such noodles are sometimes called glass or cellophane. So, Thais use all the advantages of transparent noodles in their variant of the yam wun sen dish, which is a salad made of boiled noodles, seasoned with lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and red pepper of Chile. In this case, each cook makes such salads in their own way, but they almost always include minced pork, coriander and green onions.

Soups

For local residents, soups are a very convenient dish. Usually, soup is served during lunch as an extra, not the main dish, so it can be used to "extinguish" the spiciness of another food or, on the contrary, to give a sharp boiled white rice. So, the Malaysian island of Penang is famous for its soup with tamarind, which is called acam laxa. It is a fish broth with rice noodles, to which are added strips of pineapples and cucumbers, as well as mint and leaves of lax, a plant that in Vietnam is called raum and is considered Vietnamese coriander. In North Vietnam, there was a dish called foobo (pronounced as a fan bo), which became a national dish and was used for breakfast, lunch or as an appetizer. Fo bo is a fragrant soup made from a thick beef broth flavored with cinnamon, star anise, fried ginger and onions to which rice noodles, thinly sliced ​​onions and meat are added. In this case, pieces of meat can be cut and cooked in different ways, which provides a great variety of tastes and textures within one dish. So, the meat in such soup can be represented by a tendon (thick jelly-like pieces of slightly braised meat), boiled brisket cut into strips, or finely stratified fresh beef, which is put in a cup and poured with hot broth, resulting in it almost instantaneously reaches readiness . Following the tradition of final cooking on the dining table, which became a trademark of Vietnamese cuisine, each guest can add to their soup their own seasoning from Asian basil, fragrant erginum (a kind of coriander), pieces of green chili pepper, bean sprouts or squeeze into the soup juice from fresh lime . It should be noted that during the movement of the dish to the south of Vietnam, a kind of pho-ga was brewed from it, with the same cooking features, but on chicken broth.

Vegetables

In Southeast Asia, vegetables are very fond of, including those that grow under the ground - potatoes, lotus root, hikamu, radish, tapioca (other names - cassava, cassava). Such vegetables as Chinese cabbage bok choy, Chinese broccoli, water spinach, cabbage or mustard, try to cook so that they retain their green color and crunchiness. Green sprouts of mung beans are also put in fried dishes at the last moment, so that they do not lose color and taste. A large variety of forms and flowers are eggplants for which this region is home. So, one of the Thai varieties of eggplant is distinguished by small white oval fruits (perhaps, hence the English name eggplant, literally - "plant-egg"). Pulses are used everywhere - white chickpeas, long Chinese beans, bean sprouts and unique, foul-smelling beans that grow on trees. In the kitchen of Southeast Asia, mushrooms are also widely represented, in particular thatched mushrooms, which are named after they grow on rice straw.

Desserts and sweets

Desserts play not the most significant role in the traditional everyday culture of South-East Asia. Of course, sweets can be tried here at any time of the day, but still they are more typical for the holidays. Most local sweets are cakes, but Westerners hardly recognize cakes in those mixtures of rice flour, palm sugar, coconut milk and pandanas (the green leaves of the fragrant plant of Southeast Asia that have the aftertaste of vanilla and nuts), which are served here for afternoon tea . Most of the dense local sweets are steamed, as in conventional local houses, stoves are still infrequent. Desserts often use sticky rice or rice flour, which serves to bind and compact foods. The usual rice after soaking, steaming and sweetening together with sliced ​​mango slices can also play a role of sweetness - this is how it is cooked in Thailand. Malaysia is known for its cake cu (nyvna cuisine). The most popular of these sweets is the poultry kai - it is a stick of sticky rice, which is filled with icing from eggs and coconut milk and cooked for a couple until cooked. Slightly cooled sweets are cut into diamonds and immediately put up for sale in local markets. In the Philippines, a popular version of the flan is a sweet egg omelet. However, none of the other countries in the region are paying such attention to sweets, as in Thailand. Thais, in particular, take priority in such a category of sweets as cano - these are perfected Portuguese "golden threads" made from egg yolks, sugar and jasmine essence and are a sugar syrup, hardened in the form of bunches of brilliant bright yellow yarns. One of the local varieties of sweets, kan krok, serves as an excellent illustration to the ability of Thai people to find a balance between sweet and slightly salty. Kahn Krok is a small, about 3 cm, product made of liquid dough, which includes coconut milk, rice, tapioca flour, sugar and salt. During the frying of such pancakes in a frying pan standing on the coals, I add to the test tzarna corn or finely chopped green onions with a small amount of sweetened batter. As a result, you get an appetizing hemisphere with a fried, crispy crust outside and a velvety sweet-salted cream inside.

In Indonesia, sweets are represented by a dish called pisang goreng, which is a pasta made from small bananas - it is fried in oil until it becomes firm and crispy. Some chefs add sesame seeds to this mass, which are also fried during cooking. The main component of local jelly-like sweets is the agar-agar extracted from algae, which is widely used in the local cuisine as a binding component for the simple reason that it does not melt in the tropical heat. Thus, it can be said that the bulk of sweets in Southeast Asia are made from rice, coconuts, palm oil, pandanas and eggs.

The influence of culture on the kitchen of the countries of South-East Asia

In the early 1400s, the Chinese, led by Admiral Zheng He, subdued the region - and brought here chopsticks, round frying pans wok, noodles and soy sauce. At first, most of the Chinese settlers were men, many of whom found Malay wives here and formed the basis of an ethnic group called Peranakan. Later, women from this group were called nyonya, and men were women, Baba-nyonya and their descendants created a refined culture and original cuisine, which in the region is still highly valued. A good example of how the Chinese tradition of cooking egg rolls led to the emergence of purely Malay delicacies, can serve as a dish of popi. The shell of rolls for popia in Malaysia is done similarly to crepes, and the filling is usually prepared from hikama, to which is added a fermented bean paste of own production and traditional Chinese soy sauce. Another example of a harmonious fusion of Chinese ingredients with Malay culinary technologies can serve as a dish pong te. When it is made, the dried Chinese mushrooms of that variety, sometimes called the Japanese word siitake, are mixed with dark soy sauce, potatoes and chicken pieces. The Malayan contribution to the technology of cooking consists in using as a primary thickener of this dish a mixture of shallots and garlic, thanks to which the dish immediately falls into the category of fusion.

Vietnamese and Vietnamese cuisine were indelibly imprinted on the century of Chinese rule. It is enough to say that the very word "Vietnam" consists of two parts: "vie", or "yue" (in Chinese this means "clan"), and "us" ( which means "south"). Thus, "Vietnam" is only "southern (from China) clans". It is not surprising that the preparation of products in clay "Chinese" pots is still an integral part of Vietnamese cuisine, and one of the typical Vietnamese dishes perfectly combines caramel from sugar, fish sauce, shallots, black pepper and seafood in Chinese. This mixture is stewed until the sauce becomes like a deep golden yellow syrup.

In Vietnamese kitchen utensils, as well as in the way of life in general, one can notice the influence of almost century-old French domination - for example, in Vietnamese cuisine wok often neighbors a saucepan for making saute. Another piece of French culture - the inclination of local residents to drink coffee in a cafe, which many in the streets of Vietnamese cities. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that the first coffee trees were planted by French missionaries in Vietnam in 1857, and now the country is one of the world's leading coffee producers.

Beliefs and Traditions

Obviously, in Southeast Asia and Chinese influence - at least in the form of Chinese Taoism with its principles of Yin and Yang, the harmony of which is achieved through the interpenetration of complementary opposites. Such concepts are visibly embodied in kitchens and dining tables throughout Southeast Asia, especially in many cultures the process of cooking is considered as a means of promoting health, and often as a medicine. It is considered, for example, that the right combination of hot dishes (Yang keepers) and cold dishes (Yin's center) allows you to regulate body temperature and control its organs. Food products are also divided into these two categories: ingredients such as Yin include sugar, soy sauce, white vegetables and salt, and the rest, including Chile's pepper, garlic, ginger, vinegar, rice wine and Szechuan pepper, belong to the Yang category. Hence, in particular, it becomes clear why in the kitchens of Southeast Asia the combination of sweet and sour is so prevalent-in yogurt and sweet sauces the balance of Yin and Yang is ensured. Steam cooking belongs to the category Yin, deep frying - to the category of Yan, so roasting in oil until a golden crust pre-cooked for a couple of ducks is nothing but a cook's achievement of a balance between contrasting textures. The dominant position of such a concept can also be demonstrated by the example of making a menu of Chinese dinner, which consists of a variety of dishes. During the planning of the dinner, much attention is paid to what dishes will be served at the same time and in what order the dishes will be replaced. In particular, a soft, steamed Chinese cabbage bok choy (pok choy) can find its partner in the face of a spicy, fish-fried fish.

Malaysia, along with the strong impact of Chinese and Indian culture for more than 8o years, has been influenced by the Middle Eastern, in particular Arab, culture. Today in Malaysia there is a truly multinational society in which Malaysians, Indians and Chinese peacefully exist, and Islam is the national religion. Due to the laws of Islam, pork was to disappear from the Malaysian menu, but a strong Chinese presence, which lasted several hundred years, does not completely exclude from the menu the beloved and widely distributed protein products. As a result, today in the country you can find restaurants that serve exclusively Muslims, but at the same time they serve Chinese dishes, of which pork is excluded. Hindus consider cows sacred animals, therefore do not eat beef, however with pleasure they drink cow's milk and eat butter. At the same time, purified cow oil (ghee) is not only one of the important cooking fats, but is also used in the Hindu wedding ceremony. The mutual penetration of Chinese and Indian cultures is clearly seen in the example of the dishes of the mi rebus. When it is cooked, the Chinese egg noodles are mixed with Indian curry powder and coconut milk-and as a result, a unique, typically Malaysian dish is obtained. The Indian presence in Malaysia is also noticeable on a variety of flat cakes.

The Spanish, who captured the Philippines in the 16th century, left their mark on the Philippine cuisine in the form of tomatoes and bay leaves. A vivid illustration of the Spanish influence on the Philippine cuisine can be served as a dish of the guasado pansit, which is a combination of rice noodles, bishons, fish and soy sauce; however, it can also detect ham strips, sliced ​​tomatoes, pieces of red pepper and carrots. It is characteristic that instead of slices of lime, characteristic for all South East Asia, slices of lemon must be used in this dish.