Sunday, October 29, 2006

 

When most people think of asian food, what comes to mind is usually basic information that's not particularly interesting or beneficial. But there's a lot more to asian food than just the basics.

Auhui province is located in east China. Anhui cuisine, one of the eight major cuisines in China, features the local culinary arts of Huizhou, a city close to Huangshan Mountain, which is not only the most beautiful mountain in china, but also provides abundant products for dish cooking. The major ingredients in Anhui cuisine, such as stone frog, mushroom, bayberry, tea leaves, bamboo shoot, dates, pangolin, etc., are from mountain area.

One distinctive characteristic of Anhui cuisine is the elaborate choices of cooking materials. The chef uses fresh and high quality material to prepare dishes. Anhui dishes preserve most of the original taste and nutrition of the materials. Some of the Anhui dishes actually are also medicine cuisine, which it good to health. For example, Chukka has tender flesh and a sweet taste. It can be boiled in clear soup or braised in soy sauce. The dishes help relieve internal fever and build up vital energy. Huangshan bamboo shoots are tender and delicious; it can be made into very delicious food. Shitake is also very tasty, and it helps prevent cancer.

It seems like new information is discovered about something every day. And the topic of asian food is no exception. Keep reading to get more fresh news about asian food.

Anhui Cuisine chef were trained to master the art of the strict control of the temperature and the cooking process, which is the key to good taste and color of dishes.

Anhui Cuisine chefs are good at braising and stewing. They are experts especially in cooking delicacies from mountains and sea. Generally the food here is slightly spicy and salty. Some master dishes usually stewed in brown sauce with stress on heavy oil and sauce. Chinese Ham is often added to improve the taste and sugar candy added to gain freshness.

There's a lot to understand about asian food. We were able to provide you with some of the facts above, but there is still plenty more to write about in subsequent articles.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

 

Want to enjoy the tantalizing taste of Asian food at home? Invest in a wok! Stir-frying is one of the easiest ways to create a delicious, healthy dinner in minutes. Learn to prepare meals the Asian way: light on meat, heavy on the vegetables, and quick-cooked on high heat to retain vitamins and flavors. A few basics is all you need to get cooking!

Season your wok. Before you use your wok for the first time, you must season it. Seasoning the wok is a way to "break it in" to ensure even heat-distribution during stir-frying, and helps lock in the flavors of the food as it's cooking. When you remove your wok from its packaging, you may notice a greasy film on the surface. Wipe this film away, and wash your wok in warm, soapy water. To season your wok, put it on the stove over medium-high heat for a few minutes. Add a drop or two of oil, and swirl it around to coat the surface evenly. Remove from the stovetop to let cool for a bit, and then use a paper towel to wipe out the oily residue. You may want to season your wok once more before you begin cooking with it.

Always have some Asian cooking staples on hand: soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, fish sauce. Fresh ginger, garlic, chillies, galangal, Asian shallots, scallions, kaffir lime leaves, cilantro and lemongrass. Green or red curry paste, shrimp paste. Noodles and rice. And of course... plenty of fresh meat, fish, tofu and vegetables. Pork, chicken, beef, shrimp, prawns, scallops. Onions, carrots, broccoli, snow peas, bok choi (Chinese cabbage), mushrooms (regular, oyster mushrooms, shitake mushrooms).

There really is no limit to what you can do with a wok, an assortment of meats, vegetables, spices and sauces. If you're the creative chef, feel free to experiment. If you're a "by the book" cook, go out and purchase a stir-fry cookbook which will explain each technique in detail as well as familiarize you with the exotic ingredients. Above all: know that stir-frying is a healthy way to prepare and enjoy the foods you love in the comfort of home.

Friday, October 13, 2006

 

Have you ever wondered if what you know about asian food is accurate? Consider the following paragraphs and compare what you know to the latest info on asian food.

In China, food and its preparation has been developed so highly that it has reached the status of an art form. Rich and poor, the Chinese people consider that delicious and nutritious food is a basic necessity. There is an old Chinese saying “Food is the first necessity of the people”.

This art has been cultivated and refined over hundreds of years. Legend has it that the culture of Chinese cuisine originated in the 15th century BC during the Shang dynasty and was originally introduced by Yi Yin, it’s first Prime Minister.

Confucius also encouraged the blending of ingredients and flavourings to become a cohesive dish, rather than tasting the individual components. Harmony was his priority. He believed and taught that without harmony of ingredients there could be no taste. He also emphasised the importance of presentation and the use of colour, texture and decoration of a dish. Most importantly, cooking became an art rather than a task to be endured and certainly he was instrumental in promulgating the philosophy of “live to eat” rather than “eat to live”.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on asian food now have at least a basic understanding. But there's more to come.

On the other hand, Tao encouraged research into the nourishment aspects of food and cookery. Rather than concentrating on taste and appearance, Taoists were more interested in the life-giving properties of food.

Home cooked Chinese food is extremely healthy, even though much of it is fried. This is due to the use of polyunsaturated oils (used only once and discarded) and the exclusion of dairy products. In addition the inclusion of animal fat is minimal because portions of meat are small.

Now you can understand why there's a growing interest in asian food. When people start looking for more information about asian food, you'll be in a position to meet their needs.

Monday, October 09, 2006

 

Wine color primarily comes from the contact with the skin of the grape. So you can even get white wine from red grapes, prepared without the skin. Dry, off-dry, sweet, semi-sweet, new, premium, vintage or mature, wine can broadly be presented as Red Wine (Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Syrah, blends and other varieties), White Wine (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris/Grigio, blends and other combinations), Dessert Wine (Sherry, Icewine, Tokaii, Muscat, Sauternes), Champagne varieties and rare wine from around the world.

Food and wine go together. Your innovative basket can include a bottle of wine and a ready-to-eat meal for instant gratification. The wine can be teamed with crackers, soups, salads or starters, pasta, pizza, fish/seafood, red meat or poultry, cheeses and desserts. Wines can also go well with spicy Asian food, quiche, eggs or vegetables.

A smart wine basket can have a personalized label and include the family too. A great way is to combine the custom-labeled wine with wine accessories like decanters or crystal wine glasses, corkscrews, wine totes, fine coffee table books on grapes and wineries, a whistle-stop wine trail invitation to your favorite vineyard or an exclusive wine club membership. Including gourmet items, fruits or chocolates will also encourage more rapture and self-indulgence!

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

 

This interesting article addresses some of the key issues regarding asian food. A careful reading of this material could make a big difference in how you think about asian food.

Ethnic food has also experienced a popularity explosion in Europe over the last five years. Average annual growth has been running at 14 per cent, far higher than the US 5 per cent, and is expected to continue at a fast rate between now and 2009, according to Business Insights.

The UK remains the prime market. Ethnic food sales of $2.6bn make up more than half the entire European market. Indian food is the second most popular ethnic food after Chinese, driven largely by its enormous popularity in the UK, though other Asian food segments are growing fast.

It is this burgeoning market that Synergy hopes to target, by appealing to consumer demands for exciting exotic food that is also healthy.

Hopefully the information presented so far has been applicable. You might also want to consider the following:

The company said that the ingredients are mixed and ground in the EU rather than being pre-ground. The spices are fried and cooked together with other natural ingredients. Synergy said that this cooking stage eradicates the need for additional flavourings or acids to control pH levels and maximise shelf life.

Typical ingredients are tamarind paste - a combination of spices, herbs, oil, onion, garlic and tomato.

The new range is also designed of course to appeal to manufacturers. The idea is that the pastes provide all the herbs and spices needed in a curry sauce, reducing the amount of raw materials required and avoiding the risk of selection and weighing errors.

When word gets around about your command of asian food facts, others who need to know about asian food will start to actively seek you out.

Sunday, October 01, 2006

 

The more you understand about any subject, the more interesting it becomes. As you read this article you'll find that the subject of asian food is certainly no exception.

The fear for snakeheads has its basis in the fact that they are ferocious predators that can swallow fish of half their own size. This has meant that many now fear that Snakeheads could do massive damage to the eco systems if the where ever to establish themselves in the US. A result of this fear is the ban to import snakeheads that was imposed 2003. This has however not stopped live snakeheads from being available in Asian food markets and the aquarium trade.

I trust that what you've read so far has been informative. The following section should go a long way toward clearing up any uncertainty that may remain.

They are originally found in Africa and South East Asia where they are appreciated food sources. Snakeheads vary in size from very small to very large. The largest species can reach over one yard (almost one meter) in length. Snakeheads differ from many other fishes due to the fact that they breathe air by using something called a labyrinth which enables them to consume oxygen from the atmosphere. This means that they can live for long periods on land as long as they can stay moist. They use this ability to walk to new areas to live and feed in. Snakeheads drown if they can’t access the surface to get air.

They are popular aquarium fishes and many aquarists are opposing the decision to ban snakeheads and believe that snakehead import for the aquarium trade should be allowed. They believe that import at the very least should be permitted in colder states where snakeheads can’t survive in the wild. They have a point in this believe since snakeheads re unable to survive in most areas in the USA due to the fact that they need warm water to survive. Allowing snakehead import in some states will however make it harder to enforce the ban in the states where they could survive which could serve to justify the nation wide ban.

Now might be a good time to write down the main points covered above. The act of putting it down on paper will help you remember what's important about asian food.