Plumbing the secrets of Southeast Asian Cuisine
Asian Inspirations
Home to an incredibly rich food history, Southeast Asia not only plates up flavourful dishes, it celebrates them. Authentic Asian recipes are as tasty as they are because of the emphasis that Southeast Asian cuisine places on aroma, flavour and light preparation. Citrus, mint, cilantro, basil and lemon grass all form part of this fantastic cuisine, and it is because of these herbs that simple beverages and drinks have become so enhanced. History tells us that the original cuisine of Southeast Asia is probably the peasant cuisine of Thailand. Archaeological records reveal that the metal-working cultures of the central plain of Thailand date back to at least 3000 BC,easily in the same class as the ancient cultures of China and India. The peasant cuisine spoken of in the same context as these early metal workers spread east into the lands of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Then, it journeyed south down the Malay Peninsula and the islands of Indonesia.
Southeast Asian cuisine lends itself to several regions. For instance, although Singapore and Indonesia form part of Southeast Asia, their platters are quite different from each other. Singaporean cuisine is a reflection of the ethnic diversity of the culture of Singapore. Centuries of cultural interaction have influenced Singaporean cuisine greatly. The native Malay, the prime Chinese, Indonesian, Indian, and Western traditions are all present in Singaporean Cuisine. On the other hand, Indonesian cuisine ropes in somewhat indigenous flavours from its approximately 6,000 populated islands. Many regional cuisines exist, often based upon cultural and foreign influences. Sumatran cuisine often has Indian influences, including curried meats and vegetables, while Javanese cuisine and Sudanese cuisine are more indigenous in taste and texture.
Within layers of Indonesian cuisine itself, one can find Balinese cuisine, Batak cuisine, Indonesian Chinese cuisine, Javanese cuisine, Sundanese cuisine and Minangkabau cuisine, also known as Padang food. Apart from these cuisines, Southeast Asian cuisine also includes Laotian cuisine, Malaysian cuisine, Philippine cuisine, Thai cuisine and Vietnamese cuisine.
One thing that all these cuisines have in common is their use of ingredients like fish sauce, soy sauce, rice, fresh herbs, and fruits and vegetables. Lemongrass, ginger, mint, long coriander, Saigon cinnamon, bird's eye chilli, lime and basil leaves are also quite common in a Southeast Asian pantry. But every country that is netted together to form Southeast Asia brings something special to the collective platter. It is noteworthy that curries are very important to the cuisine of Southeast Asia. Tomato curry, prawn curry, garlic curry - it doesn’t matter which; they’re seldom seen off a Southeast Asian platter. You also find curries based on yogurt and coconut milk. Another staple is rice, especially in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. In addition to rice, Southeast Asian cuisine includes a variety of leavened and unleavened breads.
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