ASIAN

INFLUENCE
 ASIAN INFLUENCE
The Five Condiment Types

• 1. Extracts
• This are essentially highly concentrated fluids taken from a single-flavor bearing
item.
• 2. Paste
• Are also concentrates, thick, silky or coarse rather than fluid and typically contain
one or more ingredients
• 3. Marinades
• These are the most often liquids in which meat, poultry and seafood are soaked
for a period of time. Many marinades are the foundation of Asian meat-poultry,
and fish-based stir-fries.
• 4. Dipping Sauces
• Enjoying dipping sauces is a big part of any Asian meal.
• 5. Garnishes
• These are essentially leaves, flowers, herbs or other similar color and texture
items used to enhance food visually and lift the palate a final flavour note.
 China: Mother of Asian Cuisine

• Chinese cuisine is one of the world’s most

ancient cuisines. China was the spring of life
for Asian food, and its influences spread
across mountains, plains, rivers and through
cities and villages.
 Peace and Harmony Through Food
• As Confucius concluded, “The enjoyment of food is one of the things that
contribute to the peace and harmony to a society. The key concepts in Chinese
cooking are proportion, harmony and balance.
• Peace and harmony are achieved through applying the principles of yin and
yang which form all aspects of Chinese culture. According to the Chinese, by
consuming a balanced diet, a person will achieve a balanced and healthy food.
• Food that is Yin
• Food that is Yang
• Dark, feminine qualities-is cooling and mild
• Light and masculine-is warming and hot
• Yin reduces body heat
• Yang increases body temperature
• Yin foods are often vegetables, fish or seafood
• Yang Foods are often meats, fruits such as apricots or cherries ands some
vegetables such as carrots and onions
• Yin foods are sweet, like sugar
• Yang foods are tart, like vinegar.
 Regions of China

• A. The North: Beijing (Peking)

• The north features great street food, as well as
the tradition of imperial food, which is more
refined. The cooking of the north is vey
sensual and gutsy. The most striking difference
in the north is the use of wheat.
• B. The East: Shanghai
• In shanghai, there is a refinement of cooking
styles and subtlety in the saucing and
techniques. Carved vegetables and fruit
garnishes often accompany dishes and the
region is known for its use of sugar as a
flavoring.
• C. The South: Canton (Guangzhou)
• The food of the south is most commonly
thought of as Cantonese. Cantonese food is
widely considered the finest, most
sophisticated and most innovative cuisine in
china. Simple and light, Cantonese cuisine
dishes are never heavily sauced. The cooking
is even more refined and focused than in the
east and the north.
• D. The West: Szechwan, Hunan and Yunnan
• The food of the west has been influenced by the
many countries that border it. The food is a little
simpler and less subtle than the south. This is the
region of spicy food.
• Two of its cuisines are famous: Hunan and Szechwan,
both of which are typified by intense heat, with
Hunan food being spicier than the two, because of
the use or more fresh chilies. This is also the region of
multiple cooking techniques applied within one dish.
 Ingredients
• a. Meat
• Pork is the most common meat in China
• b. Vegetables
• Stir-fried, steamed, blanched or pickled – are an integral part of
Chinese cuisine.
• c. Preserved Foods
• These are eaten on their own or used as ingredients in other
dishes.
• d. Soy Products
• Soybean is a staple in Chinese cuisine.
• e. Flavorings
• Some flavorings are universal throughout most of china.
 Key Chinese Techniques
• a. Stir-frying
• It allows food to retain its flavor and character. It is
a practical technique, making it important in Asia.
• b. Deep-frying
• This is fundamental to Chinese cooking .It is used
often at the beginning of the cooking process.
• c. Steaming
• Steaming has multiple purposes in the Chinese
kitchen.
 The Art of Tea
• A Chinese proverb says “Better to e deprived
of food for three days, than tea for one. The
difference between green, black and oolong
tea is not in the trees themselves, but in the
extent to which the leaves are fermented
Green tea is unfermented (therefore the
lightest), oolong is semi-fermented, and black
tea is fully fermented. China produces all
three kinds of tea.