Cuisine of South and Southeast Asia. Southeast Asian cuisine.

In the last decade, Pan-Asian cuisine has successfully won back places on European plates from pizza and pasta. Are you preparing for a trip to Southeast Asia, or just want to try something exotic for a long time? We asked BAR:DOT XX1 Lounge Bar Chef Randy Ekatama Miharj to tell us what dishes are best to start your acquaintance with Asian food, where to look for it and how to determine by eye whether this obscure thing is worth eating 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 the refrigerator, chose food there and asked the nanny to cook it. I really enjoyed watching the process, watching cooking shows on TV. At school, I thought of cooking only as a hobby. I could have become a lawyer, I had already passed the entrance exams, but in 1998 there was a financial crisis in Indonesia and my parents could not pay for my studies at that university. Fortunately, there was another good university in my city of Bandung, the School of Hospitality and Culinary Industry. They offered scholarships for applicants who successfully passed the exams. I tried it and passed. 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 I had an internship in Malaysia, Indonesia, and trained for a year in Holland. I could start my own business, but it's not easy for a young person in Indonesia. So I started working in Abu Dhabi at a Shangri-La hotel chain. And then I was invited to Minsk, where I have been working for about 5 months. I like to take on life's challenges and try new things. As an Indonesian, it is very interesting for me to represent Asian cuisine in your region, because it is incredibly diverse.

Food of the world 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, "Asian" is also assumed. If European cuisine seems to me to be centralized around France and Italy, then Asian cuisine is incredibly diverse: the Middle East, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Southeast Asia. Everywhere in these countries and regions, it will taste different. By the way, Asian cuisine is not necessarily always spicy, as is commonly believed.

Another thing I often think about is: Italy has pasta, Asia has noodles. In fact, the difference is small, you can mix them with whatever you want. To me, all the food in the world isn't really that different. The soil and climate in which food is grown and produced is different, and because of this, different tastes arise. The point is to take best product in a specific region and country and cook it. In Asia, for example, it is galangal. This plant belongs to the same family as ginger, but its root is much more aromatic and interesting than ginger.

Where and how is the best place to try Asian cuisine?

If we talk about Southeast Asia, then, first of all, I recommend trying street food. The street shops and markets really have everything! If you go to a restaurant, they will have a certain set of several different dishes, in some of them the chef 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, one chef, and he's the best at it. For example, in some place they cook only fried rice. And the chef will do the best he can. That's why I love street food so much. Of course, restaurants serve not only the food itself, but also a special atmosphere, sensations. But on the street they will be their own, completely unique. Let's say in Bali there is a luxury hotel with a Double Six restaurant that owns the entire beach. But nearby is a small eatery that cooks meatballs and sells beer. So, unlike a restaurant, it is always crowded with people.

In Asia, you can find street food 24/7. When you are hungry, you will have no problem finding food. Here I only know the 24-hour Preston. On the other hand, food delivery is well established in restaurants here, which is cool. In Asia, this does not work, because it is simply not needed - you have a snack shop on every corner.

Grandma's soup and clean plates

What are the best dishes to start acquaintance with the cuisine of Southeast Asia?

One of my favorite dishes comes from Malaysia and Singapore. Chinese cuisine has Hainanese rice with chicken, and here there is Singaporean rice with chicken. It is not very spicy, but fragrant, cooked with ginger, garlic and broth. The chicken is tender on the inside but crispy on the outside. This food is suitable for anyone who does not like spicy. From mild, you can also try Indian chicken in a creamy tomato sauce (“butter chicken masala”). If you are not afraid of spicy, I advise you to start with nasi goreng or pad thai.

In our lounge bar, I also cook nasi goreng, which is an Indonesian dish. This is not just fried rice that you can try in China and other countries. In fried rice, the grains are whole and separate from each other, while in nasi goreng there is more sauce, more spice, it is softer and more delicate in texture. I can cook it here almost the same as in Indonesia, because there are appropriate products and cooking equipment.

Even in Southeast Asia, there is a martabak - a pastry with a filling. The dough is fried in oil and stuffed with eggs, meat, and looks like a pie.

What else asian food you can try in BAR:DOT XX1?

Here I like to cook laksa. it spicy soup seafood with coconut milk and rice noodles. It reminds me of the family - we always ate it when we came to my grandmother's house. In addition to Indonesia, laksa is also found in the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, but the taste is different everywhere. Even within this region, the climate and soil are different, the chefs have their own secrets, so the soup will be slightly different in each restaurant. I like to make the laksa a bit tangy, spicy, but balance it with the creamy taste of coconut milk. It is prepared for several hours so that the dish has time to get enough of all the flavors.

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

If you don't like spicy, you can find chicken satay on our lunch menu. It's kind of like a chicken kebab, we grill it with six seasonings and soy sauce. It is usually served with peanut sauce, but I make a different sauce - cashews with palm sugar, more daring and sophisticated. I can serve these six pieces of chicken very well. I bet if local pan-Asian establishments put on a chicken satay championship, I'll cook and serve it the best.

Another great dish- salmon. In Asia, it is grilled or steamed in a banana leaf. There is no banana leaf here, so I use papillot (parchment paper) and bake with coconut cream for 5-6 minutes, which gives the fish 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 have fried bananas for dessert. The banana is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, hot and caramelized. It may seem a little greasy to Europeans, but the oil gives a special flavor and texture to the products. There are no bananas of the desired texture, so you can’t cook such a dessert. We also have tapioca. We are not common sweet pastries because fruits are used as desserts. By the way, in Indonesia there is no division into the first, second course and desserts, but you can find them all, they just are not systematized the way Europeans do.

In our restaurant, we discuss sweets with the confectioner. I really like caramelized pineapple. Pineapple is marinated in ginger and cinnamon for a day, after which we lightly roast it and serve it with shortbread and ginger ice cream. You feel the creamy taste, and the sharp taste of ginger, and the roasted taste of pineapple at the same time. In addition, we have jasmine creme brulee with mango cream and coconut tapioca. It's too sweet for me, I'm already sweet myself.

So you only use local ingredients in your kitchen?

Local products and ingredients are good, first of all, for their freshness. From the farmer's table to your plate, it takes a maximum of several hours. We, of course, import spices from Thailand. They are real, they are good, but part of the taste is still lost on the plane, in the sea, in the cooler. So if one day I find good ingredients here, I'll be happy to cook with them.

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

Forget the fork and knife

Once at a street market in Indonesia or Malaysia, is it possible to understand by smell and sight what to try and what to avoid?

Of course, I can suggest 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 is delicious, what is fresh. Fresh food will let juice and sizzle on the grill. The smell covers even what the eyes see. At the street market you will forget about everything, you will forget about the fork and knife. You will drink juice through a straw from a plastic bag. What else I like about street food markets is that they are cheap and you can try a little bit of everything. Lamb satay, sweet potato with rice, triangular coconut rice - you may be familiar with the products, but their method of preparation and serving will be unique and very unusual. Even I can't replicate my mom's recipe exactly so that the dish tastes identical.

“I have never eaten in restaurants better than on the street”

It may sound strange for a restaurant chef, but I really think that the best asian food- It's street food. I have never eaten in restaurants better than on the street. It is not always possible to feel the very taste of food with the help of a fork and a knife, as when you touch it with your hands, you break off pieces. Here, for example, I deliberately do not fully open the salmon papillot so that a person can open it himself and instantly feel the aroma. When I put the satay on a plate, I don't strive for the sticks to be perfectly clean, without any traces of the grill, so there is still aroma on your hands after eating. Or a piece of lemon that you need to squeeze out with your hands and after which a sour taste remains on your fingers.

I was very happy when I found out that in 2016 in the TOP-10 the best restaurants world hit Asian restaurant in Thailand. There is a chef from India working there, they serve Indian food. I think in 10 years Asian food will be super popular in the world because it is incredibly diverse, forgive me 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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Southeast Asia includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Food occupies so much of the social life of Southeast Asia important place that many residents of these countries instead of greeting ask each other: “Have you already eaten?” In particular, Thais ask: “Have you already eaten your rice?”, And at the meal it is customary to discuss which dish will be brought next. Southeast Asia, with its longest coastline, has always served as a gateway to the Asian world and has therefore been influenced by many cultures, each of which has left its mark on the cuisines of individual countries, resulting in a unique fusion culinary style dominating the region. The unique shape of the local cuisine is also supported by local spices, which give delicious taste many dishes. Additional colors in the local cuisine are brought by the fact that in the ten countries listed above, people speak twenty completely different languages ​​and profess twelve religions.

Southeast Asia is the mountainous regions of northeast Thailand, the spectacular shores of Vietnam, and a volcanic belt of nearly 17,000 Indonesian islands that stretch from the western part of the Malay Peninsula to northern Australia. Tropical rainforests, mountains, islands, long coastline, lowlands and highlands create a unique and varied landscape - and the local cuisine is a match for it. 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 Southeast Asia is highly dependent on seafood. Residents of this region get twice as much animal protein from freshwater fish and seafood than from all other sources. The Mekong, Salween, Chao Phraya and Red rivers feed a huge network of channels and lakes that provide local residents with fresh fish and allow for large-scale aquaculture: for example, most of the shrimp bred in the world is grown in Southeast Asia. The life-giving Mekong begins its course in Tibet, winding its way through Southeast China, separating Laos and Myanmar, continuing south between Thailand and Myanmar, and ending in a dense delta in southern Vietnam. The abundance of seafood has also led to a wide variety of sauces made from these products. In particular, fish sauces are widely used in Thai, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Filipino and Lao cuisines, while chefs in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia prefer fermented shrimp paste.

The local climate is extremely diverse, which is not surprising for a region that begins at sea level with tropical forests and ends with Mount Hkakabo Razi, located on the border between Myanmar and China and towering 6 km above sea level. Rice is grown on terraces located in the mountains and on the hills; there are many rice fields - both in the coastal lowlands and in other flat places. The temperature range of the region is also wide - from scalding 38 to 10°C in the mountains. Much of Southeast Asia has long, hot, and humid days, culminating in long-awaited heavy downpours. Monsoons with their storms and floods are considered part of everyday life here, and most locals believe that the rainy season is not the worst time to come to these places, because if part of the land is flooded with water, then the rest is dry and sunny.

Once upon a time, the southern part of this region (Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines) was called the "spice islands", because many unique spices were really grown here - primarily pepper, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg. Back in 1509, the first expedition of the Portuguese, who sought to subjugate the spice trade, reached the small harbor of Malacca in present-day Malaysia, but it was not until 1511 that the Portuguese established complete control over this busy port. Interestingly, until then the only hot spice Thai food had black pepper. Ho the Portuguese brought chili pepper to the region from South America, and now it is an integral part of not only Malay and Thai cuisines but also the culinary arts of other Southeast Asian countries. Two forms of the berries of the local pepper plant are widely used - black and white pepper. Black pepper is wrinkled dried balls, and white pepper is different in that it is removed from the shell. Across the region, Indonesian cloves, which are the dried buds of a local evergreen shrub, are used in sour dishes.

The use of many other local agricultural plants has also become an integral feature of the region's cuisine. Thus, a large family of local palms provides raw materials for the production of palm sugar, palm oil, palm vinegar, and 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, canned coconut milk is used most of the time in the kitchen, but in Southeast Asia it is still customary to extract this product yourself - and more often to turn to local merchants, who will always crack fresh coconuts for buyers. Preparing coconut milk is simple: just grind the white flesh of the coconut, add a little warm water to it, quickly “massage” the mixture and squeeze it out finished product. In this case, the first portions of the liquid are called thick coconut milk, and if you add a little water and squeeze the mixture again, you will get thinner coconut milk. Do not confuse this product coconut water found 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.

Local bamboo finds many uses: it is used to make cages for small animals, weave baskets for fresh gifts from the fields or steamers for kitchens, split it into chopsticks. Some types of bamboo are specially bred for their young sprouts, which are used as 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 grilled over charcoal.

A book could be written about the countless varieties of fruits from this region, 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 fruits such as lychee, carambola, rambutan, mangosteen, and numerous varieties of bananas.

The banana tree produces leaves, flowers, pith, and fruit, all of which are used in popular local dishes. So, banana leaves are used as plates, food is wrapped in them before being steamed, fried on coals or in oil. Banana leaves are used and just as a gourmet dessert. Before use, banana leaves should be poured over with boiling water - then they will become flexible and will easily bend. Banana flowers are valued for their astringent taste and are often added to salads. Such flowers can also be cut into pieces and cooked with curry. In Burma was invented fish soup, in which the core of the main “trunk” of a banana is placed (by the way, 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. So, durian, known throughout Southeast Asia as the “king of fruits”, in addition to protruding thorns, has a sweet creamy core that tastes like pineapple or fermented sweet onions. This is one of those delicacies that you need to try to appreciate their taste! However, at the same time, this fetid fruit is actually forbidden to be brought into rented cars, hotels, buses - all because of the smell, which many find disgusting (but tigers, they say, love it very much).

Southeast Asian Cuisine

The ingredients that are used in Southeast Asian cuisine vary little from country to country - the characteristics of individual cuisines lie in the way these ingredients are mixed and cooked. Each region has its own, unique combinations of these methods - and, accordingly, its own special culinary traditions. Thus, Vietnamese cuisine is famous for its abundant use of fresh herbs, as well as the fact that guests sitting at the Vietnamese table themselves assemble dishes from individual ingredients, creating textures and flavors of their choice. The Thais are known for their coconut-based sauces, spicy and sour soups and crispy green papaya salads. An icon of all Southeast Asian cuisine can be considered an Indonesian dish called satay, served with walnut sauce. However, now in many cases regional culinary traditions are being eroded, because in most developing countries modernization leads to the displacement of local culinary features.

Varieties of curry

Curry can be found on dining tables throughout the region. However, it should be borne in mind that the term "curry" is often misunderstood. The word "curry" itself comes from the Indian "curry", which simply means "sauce" or a dish cooked with sauce. The Thais use the word “kaeng” (often pronounced as “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), however, all Thai curry pastes consist of the same basic ingredients: this is cymbologon (lemongrass), galangal, shallots, garlic, pepper , kaffir lime zest, fermented shrimp paste and salt. Moreover, each mass can include a component that makes it unique. So, green curry contains in addition to the listed components also coriander root and green chili powder, and yellow curry contains turmeric. Rumpa is the basis of the curries used in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia. The word "rempa" literally translates as "spice", but usually it refers to a pureed mixture of aromatic components. Rempa usually contains garlic, shallots, lemongrass, galangal, chili powder, shrimp paste. Rempa often serves as a thickener for soups and stews. In some countries - such as Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia - there is another sauce, or sauce base, called sambal. In a broad sense, sambal is a seasoning based on chili peppers. The most common varieties of sambal also include garlic, shallots, sugar, and some contain vinegar, shrimp paste, salt, and tamarind. Sambal is served both boiled and raw, depending on the cuisine and the region.

Rice

Speaking of Asian cuisine, one cannot but mention rice. It is believed that rice was first cultivated in central Thailand. Aromatic jasmine rice remains today one of the main export items of this country. Most of the region grows long grain rice Indica, as well as the less common variety Javanica with medium to long grains. Most often, rice is prepared as follows: it is poured with water, put on fire and boiled until the grains completely absorb the liquid; salt is rarely used in cooking. Rice cooked in this way is served with 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 not true, since there is no gluten in rice at all. In fact, "sticky" in this case simply means "sticky", "sticky". Sticky rice is first soaked and then steamed in special conical bamboo steamers.

Many Southeast Asian dishes use long-grain rice. It is usually filled with water and coconut milk, which forms the basis for nasi lemak (translated as "coconut rice"). This dish is the basis of many Malay delicacies. Often, "coconut rice" is served on banana leaves, surrounded by dry curried beef (beef rendang), shrimp sambal, hard-boiled eggs, curried chicken, sliced ​​cucumbers, sautéed nuts, or fried ikan bilis (a type of anchovy). Locals often serve this dish for breakfast. Singapore's signature dish rice with chicken Hainanese (no-Hainanese) is pieces of lightly fried 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. To ready meal serve spicy sauce, made from chili peppers and garlic, as well as sliced ​​cucumbers.

Noodles

In terms of importance, noodles come just after rice in Southeast Asian cooking. The region has the most different types noodles: flat, thick, thin, dry, fresh, silky, soft ... In addition to rice, egg noodles and mung bean noodles, but most people in the region consume rice noodles— just because of the abundance of rice. Rice noodles are most commonly made from liquid dough, a egg - from thick. The batter, which is made by soaking rice or rice flour in water, can be kneaded in a variety of ways. In particular, some cooks add cassava starch or wheat starch to it to increase elasticity. The traditional way of preparing this product is as follows: a pot of boiling water is covered with a thin cloth, poured on top batter. As a result, it is cooked directly on the fabric, forming layers like rice cakes. Such layers, dried or fresh, are 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.

Known as kwai tew in Malaysia and Singapore, fresh rice noodles are most often used in a dish called cha kwai tew. For its preparation, bean sprouts, green onions, finely chopped garlic and rice noodles are fried in a hot wok pan until the products become golden and slightly viscous. After that, they are pushed back to the sides of the pan, and poured into the vacant place vegetable oil, break an egg, fry it, then mix it with a golden mixture of noodles and vegetables. Thin dried rice noodles are sold under a variety of names: vermicelli, rice sticks, mibon, bihon, bunhoi (the thinnest). 6mm wide dried rice noodles are easy to spot in the famous Thai dish of noodles fried with bamboo shoots and peanuts.

Wheat noodles also play a significant role in the local cuisine. It is prepared simply: wheat flour is mixed with water, salt is added and rolled into the dough, from which the noodles are cut. Some types of wheat noodles are added chicken eggs or yolks. Adding pure starch - wheat or tapioca - to the mixture allows you to vary the texture of the noodles over a wide range; some of its varieties are elastic, while others are more viscous. For the most part, noodle dough is prepared similarly to dough for Italian pasta, and the noodles themselves are obtained by cutting such a dough into strips with a thickness of 1.5 to 6 mm. Dry noodles are not often used in Southeast Asian cuisine, but, as in the United States, cooks always have them on hand - in case of emergency.

In Malaysia, on the stalls of street vendors, you can often see machines for making Italian pasta - here they are used to make wonton me - a typical local dish of egg noodles, which has Chinese roots. For its preparation, very thin egg noodles are quickly boiled, seasoned with soy sauce, boiled herbs, white pepper and laid out on a plate, after which several slices of Chinese-style fried pork are placed on the noodles. Such noodles are served, as a rule, in a lung cup. chicken broth, where, in addition to noodles, several Chinese dumplings (wonton) float. Such dishes also include the northern Thai delicacy hoo soi, which is believed to have been brought here from Myanmar (Burma). Chefs from Chiang Mai specialize in making this dish. Xao soi is curried coconut broth with egg noodles, chicken, pork or beef topped with crispy egg noodles and fresh lime juice. This dish has such a bright aroma that it will haunt you even against the background of other delicious dishes.

Indonesia is home to mi goreng, spaghetti-like egg noodles sautéed with onion slices, lots of garlic, shrimp, shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, and green onion. Some chefs are happy to use trassi, a fermented shrimp paste, to give this dish a special depth of taste.

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

Soups

For the locals, soups are a very convenient meal. Soup is usually served as an accompaniment to a meal rather than a main course, so it can be used to 'damp down' another meal or spice up boiled white rice. For example, the Malaysian island of Penang is known for its tamarind soup, which is called asam laksa. He is fish broth with rice noodles, to which are added pineapples and cucumbers cut into strips, as well as mint and lax leaves, a plant that is called raum in Vietnam and is considered Vietnamese coriander. In North Vietnam, a dish called pho bo (pronounced also like fan bo) originated, which became national dish and is consumed for breakfast, lunch or as a snack. Pho bo is fragrant soup from thick beef broth seasoned with cinnamon, star anise, fried ginger and onion, to which are added rice noodles, thinly sliced ​​onion and meat. At the same time, pieces of meat are cut and cooked in different ways, which provides a wide variety of tastes and textures within one dish. So, the meat in such a soup can be represented by tendon (thick jelly-like pieces of lightly stewed meat), boiled brisket, cut into strips, or thinly sliced ​​​​fresh beef, which is put in a cup and poured with hot broth, as a result of which it almost instantly comes to readiness. . In keeping with the dinner table tradition that has become a trademark of Vietnamese cuisine, each guest can add their own seasoning of Asian basil, aromatic erginum (a type of coriander), green chili pieces, bean sprouts, or squeezing fresh lime juice into the soup. . Note that when the pho bo dish moved to the south of Vietnam, a variety called fo ga budded from it with the same cooking features, but in chicken broth.

Vegetables

Vegetables are very popular in Southeast Asia, including those grown underground - potatoes, lotus root, jicama, radish, tapioca (other names are cassava, cassava). Vegetables such as Chinese kale bok choy, Chinese broccoli, water spinach, common cabbage or mustard, try to cook so that they retain their green color and crunchiness. Green mung bean sprouts are also put in fried foods at the last moment so that they do not lose color and taste. Eggplant, for which this region is home, is represented by a wide variety of shapes and colors. So, one of the Thai varieties of eggplant is distinguished by small white oval fruits (perhaps this is where the English name eggplant comes from, literally - “egg plant”). Legumes are widely used as food - white chickpeas, Chinese long beans, bean sprouts and unique, foul-smelling beans that grow on trees. Mushrooms are also prominent in Southeast Asian cuisine, in particular straw mushrooms, which get their name from the fact that they grow on rice straw.

Desserts and sweets

Desserts do not play the most significant role in the traditional daily culture of Southeast Asia. Of course, sweets can be tasted here at any time of the day, but still they are more typical for the holidays. Most local sweets are considered cakes, but Westerners are unlikely to recognize cakes in the mixtures of rice flour, palm sugar, coconut milk and pandan (the green leaves of a fragrant Southeast Asian plant that tastes like vanilla and nuts) that are served here with afternoon tea. . Most of the dense local sweets are steamed, as ovens are still rare in typical local homes. Desserts often use glutinous rice or rice flour, which serves to bind and seal foods. regular rice after soaking, steaming and sweetening, along with sliced ​​mango, it can also play the role of sweetness - this is how it is prepared in Thailand. Malaysia is famous for its kyu (Nywya cuisine) cakes. The most popular of these sweets, pulutsen kaya, are glutinous rice sticks that are dipped in egg and coconut milk icing and steamed until tender. Slightly cooled sweets are cut into diamonds and immediately put up for sale in local markets. In the Philippines, a local version of flan, a sweet egg omelet, is popular. However, no other country in the region pays as much attention to sweets as Thailand. Thais, in particular, excel in such a category of sweets as kanom - these are improved Portuguese "golden threads" that are made from egg yolks, sugar and jasmine essence and are sugar syrup, hardened in the form of bundles of shiny bright yellow threads. One of the local varieties of sweets, kanom krok, serves as an excellent illustration of the Thais' ability to find a balance between sweet and slightly salty. Kanom krok are small, about 3 cm, products made from batter, which includes coconut milk, rice, tapioca flour, sugar and salt. During the frying of such fritters in a frying pan over coals, I add corn kernels or finely chopped green onions with a small amount of sweetened batter to the dough. The result is mouth-watering hemispheres with a fried, crispy crust on the outside and a velvety sweet-and-salty cream on the inside.

In Indonesia, sweets are represented by a dish called pisang goreng, which is a paste of small bananas that is fried in oil until it is 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 agar-agar, extracted from algae, which is widely used in local cuisine as a binder 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 is made from rice, coconuts, palm oil, pandan and eggs.

The influence of culture on the cuisine of Southeast Asian countries

In the early 1400s, the Chinese, led by admiral Zheng He, subjugated the region and brought chopsticks, round wok pans, noodles and soy sauce. At first, the majority of 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 became known as nyonya, and men - baba, Baba-nyonya and their descendants created a refined culture and original cuisine, which is still highly valued in the region today. Popia is a good example of how the Chinese tradition of making egg rolls has led to pure Malay delicacies. The shell of popia rolls in Malaysia is made similar to crepes, and the filling is usually made from jicama to which fermented bean paste is added. own production and traditional Chinese soy sauce. Another example of the harmonious fusion of Chinese ingredients with Malay culinary technologies is pong te. It is made with dried Chinese mushrooms of the variety sometimes referred to by the Japanese word shiitake, mixed with dark soy sauce, potatoes and pieces of chicken meat. The Malay contribution to cooking technology consists in using a mashed mixture of shallots and garlic as the primary thickener of this dish, thanks to which the dish immediately falls into the category of fusion.

Vietnamese people and Vietnamese cuisine have been left with an indelible imprint of a century of Chinese rule. Suffice it to say that the word "Vietnam" itself consists of two parts: "vie" or "yue" (in Chinese it means "clan"), and "nam" ( what does "south" mean? Thus, "Vietnam" is just "southern (from China) clans." It is not surprising that cooking in clay "Chinese" pots is still an integral part of Vietnamese cuisine, and in one of the typical Vietnamese dishes sugar caramel, fish sauce, shallots, black pepper and seafood are combined in a completely Chinese way. This mixture is stewed until the sauce becomes like a deep golden yellow syrup.

In Vietnamese kitchen utensils, as in the way of life in general, one can notice the influence of almost a century of French domination - for example, on vietnamese cuisine a wok is often adjacent to a saucepan for sautéing. Another piece of French culture is the propensity of locals to drink coffee in cafes, which are numerous on the streets of Vietnamese cities. This phenomenon is explained by the fact that French missionaries planted the first coffee trees in Vietnam back 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. Concepts like these are visibly embodied in kitchens and dining tables throughout Southeast Asia, especially since in many cultures the process of cooking is seen as a means of promoting health, and often as a medicine. It is believed, for example, that the correct combination of hot foods (Yang guardians) and cold foods (Yin centers) allows you to regulate body temperature and control its organs. food products are also divided into these two categories: Yin-type ingredients include sugar, soy sauce, white vegetables, and salt, while the rest, including chili, garlic, ginger, vinegar, rice wine, and Sichuan pepper, belong to the Yang category. From this, in particular, it becomes clear why the combination of sweet and sour is so common in the cuisines of Southeast Asia - in sweet and sour sauces Yin and Yang are balanced. Steaming is yin, deep frying is yang, so frying the pre-steamed duck in oil until golden brown is nothing more than a cook balancing contrasting textures. The dominant position of such a concept can also be illustrated by the example of compiling a Chinese lunch menu, which consists of many dishes. When planning a meal, much attention is paid to which dishes will be served at the same time and in what order the dishes will replace each other. In particular, soft, steamed Chinese cabbage bok choy (pok choy) can find its partner in spicy, oil-fried fish.

Malaysia, along with the strong influence of Chinese and Indian culture for more than 800 years, has been influenced by the Middle Eastern, in particular Arab, culture. Today in Malaysia there is a truly multi-ethnic society in which the Malays, Indians and Chinese live peacefully, and Islam is the national religion. Pork was supposed to disappear from the Malaysian menu due to Islamic laws, but the strong Chinese presence, which lasted several hundred years, does not allow the beloved and widespread protein products to be completely excluded from the menu. As a result, today you can find restaurants in the country that cater exclusively to Muslims, but at the same time serve Chinese dishes, from which pork is excluded. Hindus consider cows to be sacred animals, therefore they do not eat beef, but they drink cow's milk with pleasure and eat butter. At the same time, refined cow butter (ghee) is not only one of the important cooking fats, but is also used in the Hindu wedding ceremony. The interpenetration of Chinese and Indian cultures is clearly seen in the example of the mi rebus dish. In its preparation, Chinese egg noodles are mixed with Indian curry powder and coconut milk, and the result is a unique, typically Malaysian dish. The Indian presence in Malaysia is also noticeable in a variety of flatbreads.

The Spaniards, who conquered the Philippines in the 16th century, left their mark on Philippine cuisine in the form of tomatoes and bay leaves. A vivid illustration of the Spanish influence on Filipino cuisine is pancit guisado, which is a combination of bijon rice noodles, fish and soy sauce; however, you can also find strips of ham, chopped tomatoes, pieces of red pepper and carrots in it. It is characteristic that instead of lime slices, which is typical for the whole of Southeast Asia, lemon slices are necessarily used in this dish.