It's All in the Ingredients
Asian ingredients are finding their way into all kinds of Western dishes (Asian tapas, anyone?) and consequently, onto store shelves. Here is a brief look at some of the more common ones:
* BOK CHOY. Why people aren't cooking more bok choy is a mystery. A delicious and easy-to-cook vegetable, it pairs well with almost any meat or fish, and works great in stir-frys and soups. It has been grown in China since ancient times and is highly valued there. The dark green leaves resemble spinach in flavor, and the lighter-colored sterns are almost sweet. Braised in a light broth, it takes hardly anytime to cook and the results are delicious and very nutritious.
* CHINESE LONGBEANS. Sometimes, they are called yard-long beans, as they can attain lengths of three feet or more. They have an interesting mild flavor and pair brilliantly with hot chiles and other strongly flavored foods. According to Ken Hom, they are often deep fried in Sichuan. They also cook quickly, making them suitable for stir-fry.
* FISH SAUCES. Various sauces made from dried and fermented fish have their genesis in the ancient art of preserving the foods available for leaner times. They have come to be basic ingredients in the cooking of Thailand and Vietnam in particular, but are used elsewhere. They taste very strong right out of the bottle but when mixed in and cooked with other foods, they mellow considerably and lend a depth of flavor to the dish. It's not surprising that the best brands are said to hail from Thailand and Vietnam. To feel the authentic flavors ò Vietnamese fish sauces, If having a chance to visit Hanoi, you don't hesitate to join the street food tour in Hanoi to directly taste this great flavor.
* GINGER. One of the five ancient spices of China (along with red pepper, scallions, garlic, and cinnamon), ginger is one of the most versatile ingredients in the kitchen, both for its flavor and remedial qualifies. Though not unfamiliar to American cooks, it is more often known in powdered form and pulled out at Thanksgiving to enliven pumpkin pie. It is a wonderful addition to soups, stews, and fish dishes, and can be preserved and even candied.
* LEMONGRASS. This versatile grass is turning up in restaurants in everything from teas to desserts. It has an intense lemony flavor as implied by the name, and is said to possess good digestive properties.
* NOODLES. If Asian cooking is the new Italian, then this is the new pasta. Asian noodles are made from both rice and wheat, the latter mostly from the northern Chinese tradition. Asian-style noodles tend to be more delicate than western types, and they can be used in many of the same ways, such as in soups, salads, or served with all sorts of sauces.
* RICE. The other white starch. Rice is a staple grain for most of Asia but not all. In northern China, for example, wheat, mostly in the form of noodles, is far more prevalent than flee, and in Vietnam, although flee is a staple, there is a grand tradition of bread making left over from the French. Asian rice has been available in supermarkets for some time but increasingly more exotic strains are coming to the gourmet market. Lotus Foods, for example, has been pioneering such ancient varieties as Forbidden Rice, Bhutanese Red Rice, Kalijira Rice, and Jasmine.
* SOY. What is left to be said about this extraordinary little legume? The nutritional benefits have been expounded by nutritionists and scientists, and the number of ways to consume it is staggering. An ancient food, it is far more nutritious than wheat or flee, the two foods it rivals as a world staple. In addition to all of its virtues in warding off diseases such as cancer and heart disease, it provides complete protein and is often thought of as the "meat" of China and other areas where it is commonly consumed. It is something of a miracle food and is now a major crop in the United States, finding its way into everything from milk for one's morning cereal to the cereal itself.
