Module 3

CUISINES OF INDIA, SINGAPORE AND TAIWAN

I. INTRODUCTION

II. OBJECTIVES. Specifically, after working on this module, you should be able to do the following:

1. Understand the history, culture and tradition, climate, topography, religion and people of a
particular country in relation to food.
2. Identify their menu pattern and cookery.
3. Enumerate common terms and international ingredients.

III. PRELIMINARY ACTIVITIES

IV. LESSON PROPER

INDIAN CUISINE

India can be organized into north, south, east, and west regions. North India is the country’s largest
region, an area with terrain varying from arid mountains in the far north to lake country and forests.
Along the Indus river valley, the north becomes flatter and more hospitable, widening into the fertile
plains, the Himalayan foothills, and the Ganges river valley to the east. India’s capital city, Delhi, is
found in the north. Uttar Pradesh, the most populated state in the country, has beautiful monuments
like Taj Mahal.
East India is home to the sacred Ganges River and the majority of Himalayan foothills. East
India also contains the Eastern Triangle, a small piece of land that extends beyond Bangladesh,
culminating in the Naga Hills along the Burmese border.
West India includes the Thar Desert and the remarkable “pink city” of Jaipur.
Because of India’s size, its climate depends not only on the time of year, but also the location. In
general, temperatures tend to be cooler in the north, especially between September and March. The
south is coolest from November to January. In June, winds and warm surface currents begin to move
northward and westward, heading out of the Indian Ocean and into the Arabian Gulf. This creates a
phenomenon known as the southwest monsoon, and it brings heavy rains to the west coast. Between
October and December, a similar climatic pattern called the northeast monsoon appears in the Bay
of Bengal, bringing rains to the east coast. In addition to the two monsoons, there are two other
seasons, spring and autumn.

HISTORY

The births of Mahavira (Jainism) and Buddhism around 550 B.C. mark the beginning of well-recorded
Indian history. For the next 1500 years, India developed its civilization, and is estimated to have had the
largest economy of the ancient world between the first and fifteenth centuries A.D., controlling
between one-third and one-fourth of the world’s wealth. It rapidly declined during European rule in the
course of the Mughals Empire.
Incursions by Arab and Central Asian armies in the eighth and twelfth centuries were followed by
inroads by traders from Europe, beginning in the late fifteenth century. By 1858 the British Crown had
assumed political control over virtually all of India. Indian armed forces in the British army played a vital
role in both the World Wars.
Nonviolent resistance to British colonialism, led by Mohandas Gandhi (more commonly known as
Mahatma Ghandi), Vallabhbhai Patel, and Jawaharlal Nehru, brought independence in 1947. The
subcontinent was divided into the Secular Democratic Republic of India and the smaller Islamic
Republic of Pakistan. A war between the two countries in 1971 resulted in East Pakistan becoming the
separate nation of Bangladesh.
 PEOPLE

India excelled in international trade. Five thousand years ago the thriving cities of the Indus Valley
traded with Mesopotamia. Indian traders spread their goods and influence through
Southeast Asia. Spices, gems, pearls, and silks flowed out of India into the rest of the world.
Crafts, textiles, and exotic birds and animals were also traded. Hannibal’s elephants came from
India. So did many of the lavish fabrics craved by Roman nobility. At one point, so much gold was
leaving Rome for India that the Roman economy was seriously weakened. Ideas and culture spread
with trade goods. Philosophy, sciences, and medicine reached unrivaled heights, enriching the great
scientific achievements of China and the Arab world. The influences of
Indian thought can be found in early European culture, and still today, Indian philosophy influences
modern global cultures.

THE FOOD

Throughout history India has been invaded and occupied by other cultures and each has left its own
mark on Indian cuisine. Some of the predominant influences have been:
During the Aryan period the cuisine of the great Hindu empires concentrated on the fine
aspects of food and on understanding its essence and how it contributed to the development of
mind, body, and spirit. After this period the cuisine was influenced by the following conquests from
other cultures.
▪ Mongolians brought their hotpot cooking to India
▪ Persian rulers who established the Mughal Rule in India.
o Introduced their fondness for elegant dining and rich food with dry fruit and nuts.
o Muslims from western Asia brought their rich artistic and gastronomic culture to
India.
This influence lasted for more than four hundred years and is now part of the fabric of Indian culinary
culture. The two cultures resulted in a magnificent cuisine called Mughlai cuisine. The lamb kebabs were
laced with spices, the rice pilaf (pilau) of India was turned into biryanis (any number of layered rice,
meat/vegetable, spice, and yogurt recipes) and lamb and meat roasts were flavored with Indian herbs,
spices, and seasonings.
▪ The Chinese: stir-fries to and a sweet taste to food. Their influence is mostly felt in western India.
▪ The tomato, chile, and potato, which are staple components of today’s Indian cuisine, were brought to
India by the Portuguese and the Indian vindaloo dish.
▪ The British made ketchup and tea popular in India.

The essential ingredient that distinguishes Indian cooking from all other cuisines is the use of spices.

➢ Curry is an all-purpose term devised by the English to cover the whole range of Indian food spicing.
➢ Garam masala is a combination of cloves and cinnamon with peppercorns
➢ Saffron that is used to give biryani that yellow color and delicate fragrance.
➢ Turmeric has a coloring property and acts as a preservative.
➢ Red and green chiles are ground, dried, or added whole to give a hot taste to curries.
➢ Ginger is considered to be good for digestion.
➢ Coriander is added to many masalas to cool the body.
➢ Cardamom is used in many sweet dishes and in meat preparations.

Indian dishes are cooked in three stages.

➢ The first stage is to prepare the base, or the gravy. This requires warming the oil with the spices
and salt.
➢ The second stage involves adding the vegetables and stirring it into the gravy base.
➢ The third stage is to allow the dish to simmer until completely cooked.

Blend of spices, which are broadly divided into two categories:

1. Powdered spices that have been freshly ground using a mortar and pestle.
2. The whole spices such as clove, cardamom, mustard seeds, nutmeg, and others
Meal
− Appetizers, which are usually fried or baked
− Main course that comprises one or two vegetable dishes, along with pulses or a curry.
o Indian food has a number of side dishes to go with the main meal. The most
popular is probably the dahi, or curd of yogurt.
− Desserts such as kulfi (a kind of Indian ice cream), rasgullas (sweet little balls of rose-
flavored cream cheese), and rice or milk puddings in sweet syrup are popular.
− An Indian meal finishes with paan, the name given to the collection of spices and
condiments chewed with betel leaves (is mildly intoxicating and addictive, but after
meal it is taken as a mild digestive in small amounts)

FOUR CULINARY REGIONS OF INDIA

North India - North India has extreme climates; summers are hot and winters are cold. There is an
abundance of fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables. Its geographical position with relation to the rest of
the subcontinent means that this region of the country has had strong Central Asian influences both in
its culture and its food. Mughlai and Kashmiri styles of cooking are prevalent.
A typical north Indian meal would consist of;
− pilafs, thick, creamy dals (the Indian word for their many types of dried pulses)
− vegetables seasoned with yogurt or pomegranate powder, greens like spinach and mustard
greens cooked with paneer (a fresh and delicate cottage cheese made from whole milk),
− Pickles, fresh tomato, mint, cilantro chutneys, and yogurt raitas.
− North Indian curries usually have thick, moderately spicy and creamy gravies.
− The use of dried fruits and nuts is common even in everyday foods.
− Dairy products like milk, cream, cottage cheese, ghee (clarified butter), and yogurt play an
important role in the cooking of both savory and sweet dishes.
− Prefer breads to rice.
− Home to the stuffed parathas (flaky Indian bread with different kinds of vegetarian and
nonvegetarian fillings), and kulchas (bread made from fermented dough). Chappatis,
parantha, or pooris are their unleavened flat breads.
− Desserts and sweets are made of milk, paneer, lentil flour, and wheat flour combined with dried
nuts and garnished with a thin sheet of pure silver.
− Nimbu Pani (lemon drink) and lassi (iced buttermilk) are popular drinks of the north

West India - The Arabian Sea guards the western region of India. West Indian states of
Maharastra, Gujarat, Goa, and Rajasthan are regarded as the gateway to the western countries,
particularly the Gulf region. The state of Maharashtra (which means “The Great State”), is one of the
largest in India in terms of both size and population, and stands mostly on the high Deccan Plateau. It
was the main historical center for the Maratha Empire, which defied the Mughals for almost 150 years,
and which carved out a large part of central India as its domain. The capital of Maharashtra was once
called Bombay, but the name of the city was changed to Mumbai by an act of the parliament in 1997.
− Rice is the staple food grain and as in other coastal states, there is an enormous variety of
vegetables, fish, and grated coconuts in the regular diet.
− Peanut oil is the main cooking medium and peanuts and cashew nuts are widely used in
vegetable dishes.
− Kokum, a deep purple berry that has the same souring qualities as tamarind, is used to enhance
coconut-based curries or vegetable dishes like potatoes, okra, or lentils. Kokum is especially
used with fish curries, three or four skins being enough to season an average dish.
− Jaggery (the traditional unrefined sugar in India) and tamarind are used in most vegetables or
lentils dishes so that the food has a sweet-and-sour flavor, while the kala masala (special blend
of spices) is added to make the food piquant.
− Among seafood, the popular delicacy is bombil (a very strong-smelling fish also known as
Bombay duck or dak), which is normally served batter fried and crisp or dried and salted to be
used in a curry.
− Bangda, or mackerel, is another popular fish in coastal Maharashtra is curried with red chiles
and ginger.
 − Pomfret is a fish eaten barbecued, stuffed, fried, or curried. Pamphlet triphal ambat is a
traditional dish in which fish is cooked in creamy coconut gravy.

East India - Fish and rice are a very important part of the diet of east India as a result of the
many rivers and tributaries originating in the Himalayas. Centuries of silt carried from the Himalayan
Plains and the shifting of river courses has resulted in uniquely fertile soil capable of producing a wide
variety of crops and choice vegetables. The population is a balanced mix of vegetarian and non-
vegetarian. The geographical location of this region means its food shows a strong influence of Chinese
and Mongolian cuisine.
− The market is busy at all times with all sizes and shapes of carp, salmon, hilsa, bhekti, rui, magur,
and prawns. Macherjhol (fish curry) is legendary all over India. Fish are also smoked, grilled, fried,
made into pakoras (patties),
− Steaming and frying are popular methods of cooking.
− Mustard oil is used for cooking instead of ghee or peanut or coconut oil.
− The specialty of Bengali cuisine is the use of panchphoron: five basic spices of nigella (similar to
black cumin or black caraway seed), fennel, cumin, mustard, and fenugreek.
− Sweets of east India are based on chena (light cottage cheese) and are lighter on the palate
and overall very delicate.

South India - Has hot, humid climate and all its states are coastal. Rainfall is abundant and so is
the supply of fresh fruit, vegetables, and rice. South Indian cuisine is rice based.
Rice are of three basic categories:
1. The white long-grain rice is most commonly used
2. Short-grain rice used to make sweet dishes
3. A round grain rice that is used for worship representing Health, Wealth, and Fertility.
Steamed rice dumplings (idlis) and roasted rice pancakes (dosais) are paired with coconut
chutneys for breakfast. The famous masala dosai is stuffed with spiced potatoes, vegetables, or
even minced lamb.

A formal South Indian meal is divided into three courses of rice.

A. The first is rice with sambhar, the everyday food of South India. Made from a handful
of lentils or mung beans simmered in a pot of water until they disintegrate into a
smooth, creamy mixture, sambhar is flavored with turmeric, sour tamarind, asafetida
(a gum resin used for flavor and digestion), curry leaves, and toasted mustard seeds
B. The second course is rice served with rasam, a tangy, spicy tamarind and tomato-
based soup with lentils. A small amount of one or two vegetables, fresh herbs, and
spices are added.
C. The third course is a cooling mixture of rice and buttermilk or yogurt. It may be served
with nonspicy assorted vegetable dishes, namely the aviyal (mixed vegetable stew),
kari (dry masala vegetables), and kootu (coconut and vegetable saute).

SINGAPORE CUISINE

Singaporean cuisine derived from several ethnic groups which have developed through
centuries of political, economic, and social changes of this cosmopolitan city-state.
Influences include the cuisines of the Malays, the Chinese and the Indians as well as
Indonesian, Peranakan and Western traditions (particularly English and Portuguese-influenced Eurasian,
known as Kristang). Influences from neighbouring regions such as Japan, Korea, and Thailand are also
majorly present.
In Singapore, food is viewed as crucial to its national identity and a unifying cultural thread.
Singaporean literature declares eating a national pastime and food a national obsession. Food is a
frequent topic of conversation among Singaporeans. Religious dietary strictures do exist; Muslims do not
eat pork and Hindus do not eat beef, and there is also a significant group of vegetarians/vegans.
People from different communities often eat together, while being mindful of each other's culture and
choosing food that is acceptable for all.
HISTORY

Singapore is geographically located in between the Pacific and Indian oceans but it also has the
shape of a peninsula and an island at the same time, where various cultures and trades used to and
continue to occur. Indonesia is located to the south, Thailand, China, the Philippines and Malaysia are
located to the north and India is located to the west. Since Singapore's position is between various
Asian countries, there is a diversity in food and culture. "When Stamford Raffles sought to convert
Singapore into a trading post for the East India Company in 1819, immigrants from China, Malaya, India,
Indonesia, Europe, the United States and the Middle East flocked to the island. The culture of Singapore
is made up of diverse influences from different continents and countries. This led Singapore cuisine to be
mixed-cultural society food. Singaporean cuisine has also been influenced by it's colonial history, as it
established as a British colony from the early 19th century until the mid-20th century when it became
part of Malaysia before becoming independent; Singapore was also occupied by Imperial Japan
during the Second World War. Colonization of Japan also influenced Singaporean cuisine. For instance,
yee sang, which Singaporean Chinese enjoy eating during the Lunar New Year, includes raw fish, which
is a rare ingredient to put in dishes except for Japanese or Korean dishes.

FOOD CULTURE

A common greeting for the Singaporean Chinese is the question "Have you eaten?", asked in
the various Chinese dialects. It is one way to express a greeting to another person. It is also possible to
assume that this is how Singaporeans think about the meal and food. Since Singapore is a mixed
cultural nation there is a diverse range of people who might have different and restricted diets, such as
Muslims and Hindus. Since Singapore is influenced by so many different regions, religion, and areas,
there are also many events or anniversaries. During the Lunar New Year, people eat nian gao, which is
originally from China, and is traditionally eaten around the Chinese New Year. Singapore's cuisine is as
diverse as its culture. It is an extension of Malay cuisine but influenced by the Chinese – not to mention
the Indians, Arabs, British and other immigrants who have contributed to making Singapore one of the
world's most important trading ports.

Singaporean food can be divided into five types:

1. Meat
2. Seafood
3. Rice
4. Noodles
5. dessert
6. snacks.
Famous Chili crab and black pepper crab are two quintessential dishes that dominate the
scene and are greatly recommended to tourists. Another favourite is sambal stingray. In the meat
category, Hainanese chicken rice is the most popular dish. Essentially, it is rice cooked with chicken fat,
served with boiled chicken, accompanied with chili sauce. Three noodle dishes stand out in Singapore
cuisine. "Fried Hokkien mee", fried egg noodles with prawns, sliced pork and gravy, "Nyonya laksa", rice
noodles served in a coconut prawn broth and "Char Kuey Teow", stir-fried rice noodles with prawns,
Chinese sausage, lard and cockles. In the dessert category, tau-suan is one of many types of desserts
commonly found in hawker centres around Singapore. Tāu-suàn (split mung bean soup), is a dessert of
Teochew origin. It is a sweet and starchy soup made from split mung beans, usually eaten with Youtiao.
In the snack category, kaya toast is the representative dish, primarily due to the use of kaya. "Kaya
kopitiams" are a common sight on the island. These affordable coffee shops dish out bread toasts,
spread with coconut egg jam and butter, served with coffee and tea as well as two soft Boiled eggs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singaporean_cuisine
TAIWAN CUISINE

Taiwanese cuisine itself is often associated with influences from mid to southern provinces of
China, most notably from the south of Fujian (Hokkien) which often leads to it being classified as or
grouped with 'Southern Fujianese cuisine'. However, influences from all of China can easily be found
after the Kuomintang retreat to the island which brought along many Chinese cuisines. There are also
influences from Japanese cuisine due to the period when Taiwan was under Japanese rule. Traditional
Chinese food can be found in Taiwan, alongside Fujian and Hakka-style as well as native Taiwanese
dishes, including dishes from Guangdong, Jiangxi, Chaoshan, Shanghai, Hunan, Sichuan and Beijing.

HISTORY

Taiwanese culinary history is murky and is intricately tied to patterns of migration and
colonization. Both locally and internationally Taiwanese cuisine, particularly its history, is a politically
contentious topic. Pork, seafood, chicken, rice, and soy are common ingredients.
Traditionally rice formed the basis of most Taiwanese diets. Before the Japanese colonial period
most rice grown in Taiwan was long-grained Indica rice, the Japanese introduced short-grained
Japonica rice which quickly changed both the farming and eating patterns of the Taiwanese. Due to
this legacy Taiwanese generally prefer rice that is plump, aromatic, slightly firm, and sweet. Differences
in the Taiwanese and Japanese taste in rice are driven by differences in their cuisine with Taiwan's more
flavorful and aggressive cooking methods calling for highly aromatic rice while the Japanese prefer a
more subtle and pure taste and smell. During the Japanese Colonial period Taiwanese cuisine was
divided with high-end restaurants, known as wine houses, serving Chinese influenced cuisine such as
Peking duck, shark fin with bird's nest soup and braised turtle to the colonial elite while those without
wealth or connections primarily ate rice, porridge, pickled vegetables, and sweet potato leaves.
Cooking oil was considered a luxury and was only used for special occasions.
American food aid in the decades following WWII which primarily consisted of wheat, beef, and
spam like processed meats forever changed the Taiwanese diet with wheat based noodles, breads,
and dumplings taking a more central role in the cuisine. Rice consumption in Taiwan reached a height
of 80-90 kilograms per person per year in the 1960s and 1970s before falling as consumers shifted
consumption to wheat based foods.

PEOPLE

Taiwan's food and food culture is very much diversified and largely influenced by the exodus of
Han people. However, one part of the Taiwanese food culture that remains integral is that of the
Taiwanese indigenous peoples. Though the indigenous population only make up less than 2% of
Taiwan's overall population, it is notable that their foods eaten and ways of preparation are
distinguishable from the more typical Chinese-influenced cuisine.
The aborigines' diet very much depends on nature. With profuse vegetation and wild animals, the
aborigines were natural hunter-gatherers. Essentially, much of what Aborigines ate depended on their
environment – that is, whether they lived in coastal or mountainous areas. Tribes like Amis, Atayal,
Saisiyat and Bunun hunt what they can, and gather what they cultivate. On the other hand, tribes like
the Yamis and the Thao have fish as a predominant source of food. Most foods consisted of millet, taro,
sweet potato, wild greens and game like boar and rat. This is in contrast to the main foods eaten by the
Han, which consisted of rice and chicken.
Game meats for those living in the mountainous areas include deer, and flying squirrel intestines, a
delicacy as regarded by the Bunun people. Another is 'stinky' meat – that is, 'maggoty game' that has
begun to rot, which is then barbecued, fried, seasoned with garlic and ginger then served with spicy
sauce.
 FOOD
Taiwan's cuisine has also been influenced by its geographic location. Living on a crowded
island, the Taiwanese had to look aside from the farmlands for sources of protein. As a result, seafood
figures prominently in their cuisine. This seafood encompasses many different things, from large fish such
as tuna and grouper, to sardines and even smaller fish such as anchovies. Crustaceans, squid and
cuttlefish are also eaten. Milkfish is the most popular fish in Taiwanese cuisine, it is valued for its versatility
as well as its tender meat and economical price.
Beef is less common than other proteins, and some Taiwanese (particularly the elderly
generation) still refrain from eating it. A traditional reluctance towards slaughtering precious cattle
needed for agriculture, and an emotional attachment and feeling of gratitude and thanks to the
animals traditionally used for very hard labor. However, due to influences from the influx of mainland
Chinese in the 1900s, the Taiwanese version of beef noodle soup is now one of the most popular dishes
in Taiwan. However the Taiwanese still consume a large quantity of rice, particularly brown rice and
exotic varieties like black, purple, and red rice. Recently rice consumption in Taiwan has enjoyed a
renaissance with both growers and consumers devoting the level of care and attention to the rice that
is given to high value crops like tea.
Because of the island's sub-tropical location, Taiwan has an abundant supply of various fruit,
such as papayas, starfruit, melons, and citrus fruit. A wide variety of tropical fruits, imported and native,
are also enjoyed in Taiwan. Other agricultural products in general are rice, corn, tea, pork, poultry, beef,
fish and other fruits and vegetables. Fresh ingredients in Taiwan are readily available from markets.
In many of their dishes, the Taiwanese have shown their creativity in their selection of spices.
Taiwanese cuisine relies on an abundant array of seasonings for flavor: soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil,
fermented black beans, pickled radish, pickled mustard greens, peanuts, chili peppers, cilantro and a
local variety of basil.
An important part of Taiwanese cuisine are xiaochi, substantial snacks along the lines of Spanish
tapas or Levantine meze. The Taiwanese xiǎochī has been improving to a higher level. Nowadays,
Taiwanese xiǎochī not only served in night markets but some luxury and high-end restaurants. These
restaurants use higher quality ingredients and creative presentations, reinventing dishes whilst keeping
the robust flavors. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwanese_cuisine

V. PRACTICE EXERCISES

Vocabulary creation

VI. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

https://en.wikipedia.org/
www.youtube.com

VII. ASSESSMENT

Quiz
Assignment
Rubrics

VIII. REFERENCES

• Claudio, Virginia Serraon, PHD, Ruiz, Adela Jamorabo 2007. International Cuisine. National Bookstore,
Inc. Mandaluyong City, Philippines
• MacVeigh, Jeremy, 2009, International Cuisine First Edition, Delmar Cengage Learning, United State of
America
• Ullmann, H.F. Culina Mundi, Ullman Publishing
• Nenes, Michael, 2009, International Cuisine First Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey