Since both Asian and Western food has been influenced by various cooking techniques and traditions of a specific culture, it has its own set of dissimilarities. Asian cuisine is comprised of several ingredients such as seafood, garlic, rice, soy, chilli and lemongrass that are mainly used in stir-fried, steamed and deep-fried preparations. The perfect amalgamation of sweet, salty and sour flavours is something that makes Asian food very distinctive from Western dishes in which these flavours are separately used. Adding the right amount of spices and authentic ingredients to the Asian recipes makes them super delicious and unique in taste.
On the other hand, Western cuisine is categorised by the prominence of meat and poultry products. But Western food also makes the use of the same flavours of seasonings and condiments as Asian cooking. There is no point to argue on which food is better as it entirely depends on personal preferences’ in terms of taste, culinary skills, and flavours. But in this post, we will cover some fascinating ways in which these two differ. So let’s get started!
1. Differences in Culinary Cultures There is a huge difference in the culinary history and culture between the West and East. Asian food is often prepared with rice while European dishes are likely built around wheat or corn. The Southeast culture has tremendously dominated the cuisine, especially when it comes to vegetables used in Chinese dishes and spices in Indian cuisine.
In the UK, you will be served salt and vegetables when you order fish and chips while at some places, sushi mainly comes with sliced ginger, wasabi and soy sauce. While seasoning is usually used in European dishes, Asian dishes are frequently built around a variety of spices and seasonings.
2. Differences in Cooking Methods In the West, people tend to use frying pans, saucepans and oven, also enjoy grilling and barbequing fish and meats. But in many places of Asia, this isn’t common, which can make all the difference in taste. Meat in Europe is cooked entirely while in Asia, it is usually cut into smaller pieces as fine as possible before preparing.
3. Differences in Taste Cooking in Europe and Asia differ from each other due to the use of five key flavours i.e. salt, sour, sweet, bitter and spicy. Be it Japanese, Vietnamese, Indian or Chinese, Asian food is very different when it comes to taste. Western dishes are more likely to concentrate either on salt or sweet and make less use of sour and bitter flavours. Since everyone has their own opinions and taste bud senses, nothing can stop you from enjoying and satisfying your cravings with both of them. Also, their culinary techniques and taste preferences are giving everyone a great opportunity to do experimental cooking. You’d love to try out some authentic Asian recipes such as stirfry noodles, chicken satay skewers served with a peanut dipping sauce, lentil dhal, shrimp pad Thai and more.
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