Worcester Infusions from the East

JAPAN

Japan has been cooking for thousands of years and, as an island nation, tends to find its own way. Japan has developed a unique culinary tradition, but Japanese food is also a living part of the culture that is always evolving even today.

Food is considered an art form in Japan, with many cities claiming their own regional specialty. Osaka isknown for its okonomiyaki (Japanese pancakes) and Hokkaido for its quality of salmon. Within each city,most restaurants focus on one specialty. The exception are izakaya, or pub eateries, which offer typicalJapanese foods like sashimi and grilled fish alongside Western-style foods like fries, with beer and saké.

If you want to try Japanese cuisine in Worcester, head to YO SUSHI on the High Street.

CHINA

China boasts four major regional styles: Cantonese from the southern region and Hong Kong, Sichuan from the West, Huaiyang from the East, and Beijing or ‘Northern’ food.

CHINESE REGULARLY TOPS THE POLLS AS OUR NATION’S FAVOURITE TAKEAWAY, BUT HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT CHINESE FOOD?

Cantonese style cooking was the first to become popular in the West, including many of the more instantly recognisable dishes such as stir-fries, sweet and sour, and chop suey. The spicier food from Szechuan and Shanghai have become better known in recent years.

Regional varieties were developed over time according to geography, climate, history, and lifestyle. All areas use ginger, garlic, spring onions, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil and bean paste, but they combine them in different ways.

Sichuan (or Szechuan) cuisine is known for bold, hot, strong flavours that come from a lot of garlic and chillies, whereas Jiangsu cuisine prefers to match its ingredients according to season, colour and shape.

Rice is an essential part of any Chinese meal, no matter the region, and the Chinese table is always a shared one. A typical meal combines several complementary small dishes, all served at the same time and shared. Tea is drunk before and after a meal, but rarely during.

To taste these different styles, why not try Chung Ying Garden on Friar Street. Or, if you fancy something a bit different, Q Panda in Cathedral Square, marries Asia-Chinese culinary creativity with the discerning standards of the modern dining scene.