Tuesday, June 19, 2012

The Best Food in the World

     Why hello hello! It's been so long, I know, but life often gets in the way of writing and there isn't a whole lot of profound stuff to say about finishing up grad school. However, I'm beginning embrace the joys of limbo. The long term un-knowns (in six short weeks I'll be homeless and jobless) can be stressful, but I'm not too busy with work as I'm only taking one class and I've had some time to work on some side projects. Speaking of which, I'll be launching my new blog later this week...yay!

    Enough about my recent shenanigans, in lieu of musing about my next great adventure back to SE Asia I figured this is one overdue post on why Asian food is the best food in the world.




     Before I get started on the topic there are a few things to mention. I am well aware of the broad genre I am addressing. Asia is a huge continent and believe me, not all of their food is great. Mongolia, I loved you, don't get me wrong, but your food simply leaves a lot to be desired (Mongolian BBQ is about as Mongolian as Cuban food). So I guess I should be more specific about what I mean by Asian food: South East Asian (Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesian etc. for the geographically challenged), Chinese, Indian, Bangladeshi, Japanese and a dash of Korean. I don't know enough about Burma, Cambodia, Philippines, Laos, and Sri Lanka to pass judgement.

     Obviously it is also a little unfair to compare all of these countries cuisines to say, just Spanish food (my second favorite) so I'm not going to even try. I'm just going to simply tell you what makes Asian food so awesome.

1. The wok. No one can really argue with the wok. It's pretty damn versatile, used widely across the world, and has been around for thousands of years. The wok represents a perfect marriage between pan and pot. Its shape allows for food to be cooked from the sides as well as the bottom. I know there are several different kinds of woks out there, but I'm talking about your universal, basic, well-seasoned, versatile-as-hell, carbon steel wok over a flame stove. It is a fundamental element of most Asian food spanning (in some form or another) across much of the Asian continent. For anyone who has been to Asia or around authentic Asian cooking can recognize the sound of a wok from miles away. The dull, hollowed, metal clanking of something tasty being cooked on a wok beckons like a dinner bell.

2. Bread - they do it better. It's true, you would think a culture so faithful to rice wouldn't really care about bread, but they do. Naan and its thinner, fried cousin roti essentially stomp out all competition. You can get your bread fix without eating too much of what is essentially filler. Not to mention, watching roti be pulled out on a hot plate is quite the art, making the process almost as sweet as the result. The steamed bread used to make pao deserves an honorable mention. Another plus, if you still crave your western style bread, Vietnam has embraced the baguette.

3. Noodles are perfected - sorry Italy. If there is a food challenge that needs to be done it is a Japan vs. Italy noodle off (whatever that entails). Fried, dried, boiled, or steamed the noodles of Japan and China have been perfected for as long as anyone can remember and it shows.

4. Vegetarians take note! India and Bangladesh are home to vegetarian cuisine. I am a meat eater and personally think all vegetarian food lacks something except for the vegetarian food of these two cultures. I would seriously (and for quite some time last summer did) eat this stuff every day. The spices and care that goes into the food in these regions makes the lack of meat un-noticable.

5. Finger food - figurative and literally. Asian food has a tradition of being served on a stick or wrapped up in an edible container (ie pao, dumplings, sushi, etc.). This quality makes it the ideal bite-sized snack that can easily be turned into a meal. Although, I can see why chopsticks and small, awkward noodle spoons can be a royal pain, they ensure you are paying attention to your food. Put simply, they force you to eat smaller quantities and really enjoy your meal. If the food falls into a I-think-I-need-utensils category, think again. In several several Asian countries it's preferred to eat food with your hands or rather, on hand if possible. Of course you wash up before and after your meal. Not only does this method use a lot less, it's freakin fun. So what if you get your hands dirty? It's fun to be able to act like a kid again.

     I could go on forever about the awesomeness that embodies Asian food culture, but you get the point and my laptop is dying. So instead I think I'll sign off and enjoy the rest of my time here on my balcony.

Until next time,
-M

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