The history of Asian food actually comprises food from three regions with distinctly different types of food.
We start with Southwest Asia and the countries of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar (formerly Burma). Food from this region has a lot of Persian or Arabic influences. There will be a lot of mutton and kebabs along with the use of flat-breads of various types that is used in place of utensils in many areas.
There is also the use of very strong spices like hot peppers and cloves. These are in many cases done as rubs with the meat being roasted in various types of clay ovens and containers.
Continuing to the east we have Southeast Asia which includes the countries of Thailand, Cambodia, Viet Nam, Laos, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia. Here the emphasis is on much more mild spices along with citrus juices and light herbs such as Cilantro and Basil.
Finally we get to Northeast Asia and the countries that most Americans tend to relate to Asian food. Those countries are China, Korea and Japan. The emphasis here is cooking with oils and a lot of sauces. In China you also have a very strong belief in food for medicinal reasons. You find this to some degree throughout Asia but China seems to have taken this to a high art.
Southwest Asian food is very aromatic and tends to be very colorful. Depending on the country you are in there are a number of meat dishes. India tends to be primarily vegetarian. Non- vegetarian meals would include fish, meat or chicken along with spiced vegetables, a lentil dish, yogurt and either rice or some kind of flat-bread to be used in place of utensils to scoop the food and transport it to your mouth.
Southeast Asian food is very colorful cuisine that includes local herbs, spices and marinades such as Fish Sauce in Vietnam. The food tends to be cooked very quickly using stir-frying, steaming and boiling.
Many countries cuisines are influenced by the colonial occupations of various other countries. The Philippines for instance has many strong Spanish and Portuguese influences as well as American influences from the last 100 years or so. In Southeast Asian cooking there are also no courses. All food is brought to the table at the same time.
Northeast Asian food has developed to use fats, oils and sauces and much of the Northeast food style is taking root in many countries around the world, specifically Chinese and Japanese with a bit of Korean cooking as well. Chinese food has had an impact on food styles around the world while there are very few places that are of any substantial size where you cannot find Sushi.
Asian food in my opinion, is some of the best in the world and you can taste the history in some. For instance, Lemon Grass in some of the Southeast style dishes. The people used what they had available to add flavors and depth to the meals.
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