20 Popular Traditional Asian Foods You Should Try

There are 20 Traditional Asian Dishes that you should Try!

Welcome to Asia, the largest continent on earth! The most exquisite and diversified cuisines may be found in Asia. The combination of spices, cultures, scenery, and vegetation makes up the best food you'll ever eat, giving each dish and bowl a distinctive flavor. Whatever region you are from, Asian cuisine should undoubtedly be on your list of things to eat. It includes everything from gourmet food to street food to Asian fusion. But as they say, the original is always best. Learn more about Asian cuisine and experience some of it!

20 Traditional foods around Asia

            1. Adobo from the Philippines

Adobo is a popular Filipino cuisine in Asia. Meat, seafood, or vegetables are marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and black peppercorns.

            2. Tom Yam from Thailand

Tom Yam is a type of hot and sour soup that typically contains shrimp. The words "tom" and "yam," which both refer to the boiling of the dish, accurately reflect what is contained within. This soup is well-known for its spicy, sour, and aromatic herbs and spices. This meal is typically prepared with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, lime juice, fish sauce, and red chili peppers that have been crushed.

            3. Nasi Goreng from Indonesia

Nasi Goreng, a delicious fried rice meal that is made with a superb combination of meat and veggies, is known as Indonesia's national dish. Nasi Goreng is distinguished from other fried rice dishes by its distinctively smoky scent, caramelized taste, and savory flavor.

There is no single specific recipe for this Asian specialty cuisine and there are numerous varieties that have been created, some of which even vary from household to household.

            4. Hummus from Lebanon

This Levantine breakfast dish can also be a dip or appetizer and is part of a mezze, a buffet of tiny dishes served before a multicourse dinner. Middle Eastern dishes like falafel and sabich contain it. Hummus is made with chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and cumin. It's topped with olive oil, paprika, and parsley. Often it is decorated with chickpeas or pine nuts.

            5. Tonkatsu from Korea

Tonkatsu is a fried pork dish from Japan that tastes a lot like schnitzel. Even though it comes from Japan, it is a very popular dish in Korea. There is a Tonkatsu place in almost every area of Seoul. The first step is choosing the meat; in Japan, you can ask for a tonkatsu cut specifically, but elsewhere in the globe, a plain tenderloin or a boneless pork cutlet that is about 1 centimeter (1/2 inch) thick would do.

The purported source of the best tonkatsu in Japan is the Kagoshima Prefecture's kurobuta, in short a black pig. Salt and pepper should be added, and the meat should be lightly smashed to make it softer. Then, panko, which is Japanese breadcrumbs is applied, followed by a roll in white flour, whisked egg, and then back to panko.

            6. Baozi from China

Baozi, or bao, is a steamed bun made of mantou bread and filled with salty or sweet fillings, such as pork, fish, or vegetables. It's a popular Chinese breakfast and snack. Most common is char siu bao, filled with Cantonese-style barbecued pork, xiao long bao or Shengjian mantou, smaller Shanghai-style baozi stuffed with mincemeat, and tangbao or guantang bau, giant soup-filled bao buns prepared with pork or crab stock.

            7. Kimchi from Korea

Kimchi is a traditional side dish or appetizer that is popular in both North and South Korea. It is created from vegetables that have been brined, spiced, and fermented. There are many types of kimchi in Korea, but the most well-known ones include baechu-kimchi, which is just Korean for "cabbage kimchi," kkakdugi, which is Korean for "radish kimchi," and cucumber kimchi.

Kimchi preparation is time-consuming and labour-intensive. Often households make a batch of kimchi that will last them all winter from as many as 200 cabbage heads. The napa cabbage heads are first chopped in half, then rubbed with coarse salt in between the leaves and brined for many hours.

            8. Onigiri from Japan

Onigiri is a traditional Japanese snack that may be prepared without any tools and is best eaten either by itself or as a component of a bento box. Onigiri, to put it simply, is a Japanese rice ball that is generally filled with a variety of ingredients, including salmon, umeboshi (sour Japanese plum), katsuobushi (dried, fermented, and smoked skipjack tuna), and tsukudani (small pieces of seafood, meat or seaweed that has been simmered in soy sauce and mirin).

Additionally, unlike sushi, onigiri uses only cooked Japanese short-grain rice that is manually molded, most often into balls or triangles and then covered in nori.

            9. Satay from Indonesia

Tender pieces of meat that have been marinated, put on skewers, and grilled over flaming hot charcoals. Satay is served with a fiery, hot peanut sauce. This is a common Asian dish, but it can be made less spicy and more sweet in different parts of Asia. Satay is best in its home country of Java, Indonesia, which is where it came from.

            10. Candied haws from China

In China, tanghulu, or candied haw, is a popular and traditional fruit snack. This sweet treat tastes a lot like candy apples. It is often eaten in the winter. It is made from red and yellow Chinese hawthorn fruits that are dipped in sugar syrup and stuck on bamboo skewers.

            11. Ramen from Japan

Ramen is a kind of noodle soup that was first made by Chinese cooks in Japan in 1910. They put noodles in a salty broth and boiled them. These curly noodles were bright yellow and more flexible than the Japanese noodles made at the time.

It got its name from how people in 1958 said the Chinese word "lamian," which means "pulled noodles." In the same year, Nissin Foods made the first instant noodles with a chicken-flavored broth. These were called Chickin Ramen.

            12. Sushi from Japan

Sushi is probably the most well-known Japanese dish. It is usually made by rolling rice and fillings in a sheet of dry seaweed. But the word "sushi" is really an umbrella term for a lot of different kinds of dishes. Sushi that can be made with a lot of different ingredients and in a lot of different ways.

Even though the word "sushi" has come to mean "raw fish," the main ingredient in all types of sushi is just vinegared rice.

            13. Sans Rival Cake from the Philippines

Sans rival is made of three layers of cashew nut meringue separated by French buttercream. Depending on the recipe, the French buttercream can be made by adding whole cashew nuts. Once the cake is put together, the remaining buttercream is spread over it, and chopped cashews are sprinkled on top.

The rich, buttery cream, the crunchy nuts in the meringue, and the chopped cashews on top give the dessert its unique texture. A real Sans Rival cake should have layers of crunchy meringue, so it should be kept in the freezer until it's time to serve.

            14. Black Sesame Soup from China

This traditional Chinese dessert is very popular in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the southern provinces. It's sweet and nutty, so it's a good choice for dessert. It only needs black sesame seeds, rice flour, sugar (rock sugar), and water, but there are many ways to make it.

Usually, the rice is soaked overnight and the sesame seeds are toasted, but some recipes call for both the rice and sesame seeds to be soaked overnight and then ground into a powder the next day. The next step is to mix this powder with water and sugar and cook it until it gets a little thicker.

           15. Yakiniku from Japan

Yakiniku is a Japanese cooking method for making meat chops and vegetables that are small enough to eat with one bite. This dish was based on the famous Korean meals galbi and bulgogi.

Raw meats and vegetables are cut up and put on a table for the customers to cook themselves. Pork, beef, chicken, and shellfish are some of the most popular ingredients for yakiniku. You can put soy sauce, garlic oil sauce, or miso sauce on it.

            16. Dim Sum from China

Dim sum is a small dish that can be eaten with tea. It could be a roll of noodles, a dumpling, or a bun. The name "dim sum" means "to touch the heart," and it comes from when royal cooks in China made snacks for the Chinese emperors many years ago.

            17. Roti from India

Roti is an Indian snack. It is a flat, unleavened bread made with wholemeal flour that is traditionally cooked on an iron girdle called a Tava. People used to say that when rotis were first made in Persia, they were much bigger and thicker than they are now.

            18. Mochi from Japan

Mochi, sticky rice cakes, are prominent in Japanese food and culture. Mochi is made by pressing cooked or steamed mochigome rice into a thick paste.

Later, it's rolled into little circles. Despite its Chinese origins, mochi is a Japanese staple. During the Yayoi period, it was only consumed by the elite. During the Heian period, it became a delicacy regularly cooked and offered during religious ceremonies.

Mochi can be used in savory foods, such as soups and snacks, although it's mainly sweet. Mochi is often dyed for dessert, creating a rainbow of colours. Daifuku are round cakes filled with red bean paste, strawberries, or ice cream.

Due to its chewy texture, mochi is best eaten in little chunks.

            19. Biryani form Iran

Biryani is a dish from the Mughal era. The main parts of biryani are rice (preferably basmati), spices, a base of meat, eggs, or vegetables, and dried fruits, nuts, and yoghurt. The dish travelled from Persia to India with traders and people who moved there and in the 1600s, the dish was named after Mumtaz Mahal, who was Shah Jahan's queen.

Over time, biryani became popular in India and other countries, so there are now different kinds, like sindhi biryani, which is made with yoghurt, Bombay biryani, which is made with spices and kevra, and Lucknowi biryani (made with a special technique of cooking the meat and rice separately, then together until fully cooked).

What used to be served only to the royal family is now a speciality dish at almost every Indian restaurant. Biryani is a popular choice for many people around the world. It is often flavored with cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, coriander, or mint leaves.

            20. Shabu shabu from Japan

Shabu-shabu is a popular Japanese dish that is made by boiling thinly sliced meat and vegetables in water. Shabu is usually made with beef, but it can also be made with chicken, lamb, pork, crabs, or lobsters.

Top 4 Cuisines You Should Try When You Visit Asia

• A must-try from Western Asia

Western Asian Cuisine has recipes from many different countries. In the past, it was where the empires of Sumeria, Akkad, Assyria, and Babylon were born. As a trade hub between Europe and Asia, the Middle East has seen a lot, which has brought a lot of new ingredients to their food. So Turkish cuisine is a must-try when you visit Western Asia.

Turkish Cuisine - Recipes for one of the world's oldest and most sophisticated cuisines. There are many kinds of grilled meat dishes that come with vegetables, rice, salads, or potatoes. Meze, which is a small dish, includes meat dishes like kofte, fish dishes like rice-stuffed mussels, and vegetables stuffed with meat or rice. The desserts are real treats made of phyllo or kataifi dough filled with cheese and dried fruit and soaked in sugar or honey syrups flavored with rose water or orange blossom.

• A must-try from Southern Asia

Your taste buds are in for a treat if you go to Southeast Asia. Southeast Asian food is some of the best in the world. Thailand and Vietnam, for example, are known for their delicious food, especially their great street food. Even the less well-known kitchens in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar make food that is surprisingly good.

Southeast Asia has strange snacks and street cuisine. Hard circumstances, Asia's "no waste" policy, and the demand for protein and minerals led to many strange and unusual improvisations. In Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, travelers can consume deep-fried scorpions, grilled wild rat meat, garlic, salt, and oil-fried tarantulas. Cambodia and Thailand are known for their spicy red ant salads and stir-fries and deep-fried crickets and grasshoppers.

• A must-try from Northern Asia

North Asia's diverse cuisine, which is based on rice, noodles, and soybeans, comes to life with bold, vibrant flavors that have been perfected over hundreds of years.

North Asian food is the food that is eaten in Siberia. North Asian food is often thought of as Russian food because it is part of the Russian Federation. One of its most popular dishes is pelmeni, which means "Russian dumplings."

• A must-try from Eastern Asia

East and Southeast Asian countries have a thousand-year cooking tradition. Neolithic Chinese grew rice, and it's now the key ingredient in most East Asian meals. Rice and wheat noodles are popular.

Popular proteins include pig, chicken, shellfish, and soy products. Vegetables provide nourishment, flavor, and color. Cabbage, greens, onions, sprouts, and mushrooms are used.

Many cooking components are the same or similar, yet they are combined and prepared differently and are definitely a must-try. Japanese appreciate simple, delicate cuisine, while Koreans like spicy foods. Vietnam has clean, light meals, whereas Malaysia has flavorful curries.

FAQs

1. What are the characteristics of Asian cuisine?

Asian cuisine is known for vegetables, fruits, and herbs.

Asian food is known for its herbs and spices, especially coriander. It is used in many dishes and goes well with soups and seafood (especially in China).

2. Do Asian eat rice?

Yes, most Asians eat rice every day. Some of us even eat rice three times a day. But that doesn't mean we have to eat only white rice. There are so many ways to cook rice, and they all taste good.

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