Tracking the evolution of Asian food
From Chinese dim sum to Japanese udon and everything in between – Asian food has been at the forefront of hospitality trends for a long time. Often quick to make and easy to offer in meat, fish or vegan options, it is also a firm favourite with many operators looking to bring the flavours of the orient to home shores. This month, we dive into the detail to understand the trends from this region and more specifically, what you need to produce more authentic dishes for your diners.
The Growth of Asian Cuisine
Asia is vast, so naturally the variety of dishes that stem from the area are plentiful. Over the years as the world has become more accessible, our palettes have broadened to regularly enjoy influences from Burma, the Philippines, Japan, Sri Lanka and Korea. This in turn has driven increased curiosity, innovation and opportunity in the hospitality sector. “Compared to where we were 10 years ago, we’ve seen a huge shift towards chefs and restaurants wanting to embody Japanese cuisine authentically. Head Chefs are now far more knowledgeable about the ingredients and cooking styles that create authentic recipes, and we’re seeing menus created with true, Japanese produce and products,” says Mike Shaw, Chef Patron at MUSU.
Today, most operators across all sectors have at least one Asian inspired dish on their menu. Handheld items such as spring rolls, bao buns and sweetcorn fritters are perfect snacks in care homes and stir fries or curries are not only great dishes for themed menus, but with a more culturally diverse population, they are also an important taste of home.
In schools, dining rooms are heavily influenced by social media trends. As such bubble tea, katsu and kimchi are finding their way onto menus as caterers continue to quickly change gear and keep up with the latest flavour of the month.
What Makes an Authentic Asian Dish
In their search for authenticity, chefs have been travelling the world, uncovering cooking techniques and traditional recipes handed down through generations. Traversing a continent as broad as Asia undoubtedly unearths a host of different techniques which are now being used in kitchens in the West.
“Grilling, for example teppanyaki or yakitor proves to be a very popular technique. I also find when applying a grilling technique to a dish, glazing with a Japanese sauce betters the flavour and satisfies customers’ demand for an authentic taste experience,” says Max Want, Chef-Owner, Yamato. Japanese food is a great example of how many different methods of cooking there are within one country. Dan McGeorge, Chef-Owner, Vetch recommends cooking on a hibachi or konro grill over bichotan charcoal due to its versatility and the distinct flavour it imparts.
In Indian cuisine, ‘dum’ cooking is a technique associated with Mughlai cuisine. “In this practice, the dish is left in the large ‘handis’ where they breathe in their own juices and aroma that makes them even more flavourful. The ‘handis’ are sealed with either a cloth or dough for trapping the steam until the rice or meat is cooked. One of the most popular dishes created by this cooking technique is the Dum Biryani,” notes Sohan Bhandari, Executive Chef, Colonel Saab.
In Southeast Asian cuisine, clay pots are often used in cooking, a technique which involves slow-cooking food over fire. “Clay distributes heat evenly, resulting in tender ingredients and flavourful broths,” says Sunita Yousuf, Chef. “It is common in Korea (Dolsot Bibimbap—a rice dish with vegetables and meat), China (Hong Shao Rou—braised pork belly), and Vietnam (Bun Bo Hue—spicy beef noodle soup). The clay pot imparts a subtle earthiness to the food and retains heat for a comforting culinary experience, replicating traditional home-cooked meals.”
Open fire cooking is particularly prevalent in the region, using different types of fuel to impart a variety of flavours. “Personally, I love utilising methods like pruning, where veggies get smoked over woodchip fires for amazing depth, or mastering the precise control of wok hay, that intense sear you get from stir-frying in a blazing hot wok,” says Mimi Nguyen, Cafely.
Of course, its not just the method of cooking that makes a dish authentically Asian. Traditional recipes and ingredients from the region must all combine to hit the right notes. So, what are the go-to ingredients used by chefs to re-create these dishes?
The team at Flesh & Buns recommend miso as a store cupboard staple, the umami flavour balances dishes and can enhance sweet or salty food. Another staple for the team is bonito flakes which are used on top of their okonomiyaki (Japanese savoury pancakes) and Takoyaki (fried octopus). Bonito is another smoky umami flavour and is made from dried and fermented tuna shavings.
Tom Tsappis, Chef-Owner, Killiecrankie House recommends the following ingredients for recreating a number of Japanese dishes; “The basics are soy, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, sake, mirin, rice wine vinegar, and sugar. If you want to make more specialist dishes, ingredients like kudzu, yuzu / sudachi, kinako (ground, toasted soy) and rice flour also become necessary.”
Across the region, seafood is a mainstay ingredient as many Asian countries are either islands or feature large swathes of coastline. “As a mountainous island, Japan is surrounded with waters rich in a diversity of fish and Japan’s affinity with seafood and seaweed
is at the heart of its nation’s cooking,” says Ben English, Operations Director, Marrfish Ltd. “For a delicious Thai dish, monkfish infused with chilli, Thai basil and coconut provides a rich, deep flavoured meal and for a classic Chinese option, try steamed sea bass sprinkled liberally with finely sliced spring onion, sliced fresh root ginger and a dash of toasted sesame oil.”
Creating a completely different flavour profile, spices feature heavily in Indian cooking. “Spices are the backbone of Indian cooking” says Sohan. “A few must-haves are turmeric, cumin, coriander, red chilli powder, mustard seeds and garam masala.”
No matter the dish or origin, sourcing the best quality produce will set you up for success, but you also need to think about how you’re using and preparing those ingredients. “It’s important to look at the little things like what heats your grill,” advises Mike. “The tastes and flavours are so well balanced that it only takes a small mistake or oversight to throw them off completely, so make sure you have control over every single thing that can affect your food.”
What’s on trend
First came K-pop and so it only comes to pass that K-food would follow at some point! Spicy Korean cuisine is fast making a regular appearance on our food scene, with bulgogi, bibimbap and Korean fried chicken the stars of the show. As K-food develops, we expect to see tteokbokki (rice cakes) and japchae (sweet potato noodles) becoming more mainstream.
Lovers of Japanese food will undoubtedly already be aware of Chawanmushi, a savoury set steamed custard which has grown in popularity following an appearance on the Great British Menu. “We make our own version that takes its flavour from a cauliflower cheese, using roasted cauliflower as a base for the stock and combining with pickled onions, truffle and a parmesan foam,” says Dan. Meanwhile at Killicrankie House, Tom makes his with produce grown in his garden, changing the ingredients with the seasons.
At Cafely, Mimi Nguyen has seen success with her Burmese curry noodle dishes, Lao salads and Filipino favourites such as lumpia (a type of spring roll) and adobo (both a type of cooking process and stew). Heading over to India, Sohan is enjoying perfecting Falahari Kofta Curry, featuring kofta rolls of lotus stem served on a mild beetroot and raisin curry, tapping into the growth of plant based dishes. “We serve it with Khameeri roti, a traditional Indian flatbread made using whole wheat flour, yeast, and milk, topped with some fresh green cress and crisp potato,” he says.
There is so much to be excited about when it comes to Asian food, whether you feature one dish or focus your entire menu on a region, chefs and diners alike are not tiring of the continuous stream of new flavours making their way to our table, so start exploring and find new revenue streams you never knew existed!
