Asian cuisine

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Location of Asia.

Asian cuisine can be categorized into several major regional families, including East Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian, Central Asian, and Middle Eastern cuisines. A cuisine is a characteristic style of cooking practices and traditions,[1] usually associated with a specific culture. Asia, being the largest and most populous continent, is home to many cultures, many of which have their own characteristic cuisine.


While rice is common to most Asian cuisines, different varieties are popular in the various regions. Basmati rice is popular in the subcontinent, Jasmine rice is often found across the southeast, while long-grain rice is popular in China and short-grain in Japan and Korea.[2]

Curry is a common dish in southern and eastern Asia, however it is not as popular in eastern cuisines[clarification needed]. Curry dishes with origins in India and other South Asian countries usually have a yogurt base while Southeastern and Eastern curries generally use coconut milk as their foundation.[3]

East Asian cuisine[edit]

Location of East Asia.
Main article: East Asian cuisine

East Asian cuisine includes Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Mongolian, and Taiwanese food. Considering this is the most populated region of the world, it has a lot of regional cuisines (especially China). Examples of staple foods include rice, noodles, mung beans, soy beans, seafood (Japan has the highest per capita consumption of seafood), mutton (Mongolia), bok choy (Chinese cabbage), and tea.

Southeast Asian cuisine[edit]

Location of Southeast Asia.


South Asian cuisine[edit]

Location of South Asia.
Main article: South Asian cuisine

South Asian cuisine, also known as Desi cuisine, includes the cuisines from the Indian subcontinent. It has roots in the Hindu beliefs, customs and practices practiced by the large population found in the region. Foods in this area of the world are flavoured with various types of chili, black pepper, cloves, and other strong herbs and spices along with the flavoured butter ghee. Ginger is an ingredient that can be used in both savory and sweet recipes in South Asian cuisine. Chopped ginger is fried with meat and pickled ginger is often an accompaniment to boiled rice. Ginger juice and ginger boiled in syrup are used to make desserts. Turmeric and cumin are often used to make curries.

Common meats include lamb, goat, fish and chicken. Beef is less common than in Western cuisines because cattle have a special place in Hinduism. Prohibitions against beef extend to the meat of (water) buffalo and yaks to some extent. Pork is considered as a taboo food item by all Muslims and is avoided by most Hindus.

Central Asian cuisine[edit]

Location of Central Asia. In some definitions, it also includes Afghanistan.
Main article: Central Asian cuisine

Most Central Asian nations have similar cuisines to each other as well as their neighbors, taking many features of the neighboring cuisines of Western and Eastern Asia, particularly Mongolia. A dish known as "plov", or "osh", for example, is a widespread variation of pilaf. However, many of the same countries use horse meat and mutton as the most common meats, similar to beef in the U.S.. This is owing to Mongolian cuisine. In Kazakhstan, cuisine has evolved to meet the needs of a nomad lifestyle.


Central Asia is also noted for being the birthplace of yogurt. Like Kumis, it is widespread among Turkic peoples.

West Asian (Middle East) cuisine[edit]

Location of Western Asia.

West Asian cuisine is the cuisine of the Middle East, minus Egypt.

Middle Eastern cuisine is the cuisine of the various countries and peoples of the Middle East. The cuisine of the region is diverse while having a degree of homogeneity.[4] Some commonly used ingredients include olives and olive oil, pitas, honey, sesame seeds, dates,[4] sumac, chickpeas, mint and parsley. Some popular dishes include kibbeh and shawarma.

Cereals constitute the basis of the Middle Eastern diet, both historically and today. Wheat and rice are the major and preferred sources of staple foods. Barley is also widely used in the region and maize has became common in some areas as well. Bread is a universal staple —eaten in one form or another by all classes and groups— practically at every meal.




North Asian cuisine[edit]

Location of Northern Asia.


Pelmeni, originally a Permic or Ugric dish, has entered into mainstream Russian cuisine as a well-known dish, but it can still be considered part of the Yamal cuisine for its area of origin. Some speculate them to be a simplified version of the Chinese wonton. In Siberia, pelmeni are frozen outdoors to preserve the meat inside through the long winter. In Yamal, other types of drying and preservation are common. Key ingredients in most northern Siberian cuisine include fish and cowberries, sometimes known as lingonberries in Europe and North America. Yakuts, like many other Turkic-speaking peoples, traditionally enjoy Kumis as a common drink.

The Nenets people are infamous for their practice of eating an animal raw and drinking its blood; however, this is among the only options in the cold and desolate tundra.

See also[edit]


  1. ^ "Cuisine." Accessed June 2011.
  2. ^ "The flavors of Asia". Quaker Oats Company. Retrieved 2008-12-19. [dead link]
  4. ^ a b "The Middle East: Background.", Accessed January 2007.

External links[edit]