International cuisine assignment Essay

Answers: 1. Below are six dishes and seasonings commonly eaten by Southeast Asians or Pacific Islanders: Adobo is the most popular dish in the Philippines. It is meat which is usually cooked with vinegar, garlic, pepper and sometimes soy sauce and coconut milk can also be added. The meat may be pork or chicken. Adobo is usually eaten with steamed rice and eaten as a meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Lumpia is another food from the Philippines. It is usually eaten for merienda or a meal in between lunch and dinner. Merienda is comparable to English high tea. Lumpia is similar to a spring roll. It is usually made of vegetables such as cabbage, bean sprouts, carrots and ground meat wrapped in a thin piece of pastry. Its roots come from the Chinese who brought it to the Philippines. Pancit is another foo from the Philippines which is usually eaten for merienda. The food is also introduced by the Chinese migrants to the Philippines. It is fried noodles with assorted vegetables, shrimp, pork, chicken or ham. It is usually accompanied with calamansi, a citrus fruit similar to lime, which is squeezed onto the noodles. Halo-halo, which literally means to mix, is a favorite dessert among Filipinos especially during the summer. It is made of assorted beans, fruits such as banana, coconut flesh, jackfruit and tapioca balls which are layered on top of shaved ice. The dessert can also be topped with custard or ice cream. It is eaten by mixing all the ingredients which is served in a tall glass. Milk and sugar is also added according to taste. Nuoc Mam or fish sauce is usually used as seasoning to every dish in Vietnam. It is extracted from fermented fish and used in cooking or as a dipping sauce during meals. The Vietnam fish sauce is said to be more pungent than other Southeast Asian fish sauces. It is usually done by adding a bit of shrimp paste into the sauce. The Nuoc Mam Sauce is made from Nuoc Mam with fresh chilies, garlic, sugar, lime and vinegar. This is used as a dipping sauce for meals. Nam Prik is another condiment used in almost all Thai dishes. It is a spicy paste prepared in a variety of ways. One most commonly way of preparing this is by mixing roasted green onions, garlic, softened dried chilis grounded together with Nam Pla of â€Å"fish water† until it becomes a creamy paste. This may be served as a dipping sauce with toast triangles or rice crackers as an appetizer. 2. A. The two countries that will be discussed in this section are Italy and Germany. Three traditional foods from Italy are calzone, risotto and panettone. Knodel, sauges and beer are some of the traditional foods from Germany. B. Calzone originated from Naples in Italy, which is considered the culinary capital Southern France. It is pizza dough folded over a filling of cheese, ham or salami and is baked or fried. The southern part of France is agriculturally poorer than the northern part. Risotto is a creamy rice dish cooked in butted and chicken stock and usually flavoured with parmesan cheese and saffron. This dish originally came from Milan. Last is the panettone which is a special dessert traditionally served during Christmas. It is a type of fruitcake. The climate in Germany is generally cold and damp. Certain crops that grow in such weather conditions include potatoes, cabbage and beats. Knodel is a type of dumpling from Germany usually stuffed with potatoes and cooked with or without yeast. Sausages or wurst are the most common German food. There are four basic types of sausages: Rohwurst which is similar to liverwurst and is ready to eat; Bruwurst of the frankfurter which is scalded which can be eaten as is or by simmering it first; Knockwurst which is like cold cuts and Bratwurst which is raw and must be fried or grilled before eating. The cold climate in Germany encourages people to drink alcohol to keep them warm. Beer usually accompanies sausages. Such as in sausages, there are four types of beer: Pilsner which is light in color and has bitter taste; Lager which is aged about 6 weeks and is the most common type of beer in Germany; Bock which has the strongest flavour; and Marzenbier which is midway between Pilsner and Bock and is usually served during Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest is a 16-day festival observed from September to October and is celebrated by sausage-eating and beer-drinking and polka bands. 3. A. Similarities in cuisine between China, Japan and Korea are mainly because Japan has very strong Chinese influences while Korea has been controlled by China and Japan throughout much of its history. As early as 0-300 AD, record showed the extensive contact between Japan and China. The Japanese consider China as an ancient civilization from which its own culture stems from. Japan is often considered the daughter of Chinese civilization. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Japanese scholars were sent to China to help establish their own identity. The Japanese brought a number of teachings and culture from China which they adopted to Japan. These include: Buddhist teachings, Chinese customs and cultures, bureaucracy, architecture and city planning. These factors have influenced Japanese cuisine. Marine trading between China and Japan was also prevalent during 600-1600AD. Many similar ingredients found in both countries can be owed to this phenomenon. Korea, being under Japan and China through mush of its history, adopted many of these countries customs and culture. Its proximity to the two countries also suggests extensive trading and contact and therefore being influence by culture, tastes and manner of cooking. Their proximity also suggests similar weather patterns and therefore similar vegetation and animal breeds which are used in cooking and meal preparation. Another factor is the isolationist foreign policies of Korea and Japan. Because of this, they were not open to Western culture and have stuck to their Chinese roots. Their differences are due to environmental situation and climate. Although eating raw fish was said to have originated in China, pollution of their rivers made this an impractical custom. Only the Japanese traditionally eat raw fish since they have preserved the cleanliness of their rivers. The travel time of trading goods has also initiated differences in preserving foods. In Korea, food that came from mainland China are preserved in salt and chili to preserve them throughout the changing seasons. B. All three countries prevalently use soybean products in their meals. Tofu which is a soybean by-product is used in soups and viands while soy sauce is often used as a condiment for pre seasoning and as a dipping sauce. Soybean products are also used instead of dairy products. Another similarity is how these countries consider food. Food is considered to be more than just a meal, it is used because of its health benefits and for spiritual purposes. Thus they all used a lot of medicinal herbs in their menu such as ginseng. They also classify food according to spiritual balance such as the yin and yang. As food for the soul, the Chinese, Japanese and Koreans put emphasis in how the food is prepared and served according to their beliefs and customs. C. Japanese cuisine is different from Chinese and Korean in the sense that most of their food is cooked in or over water while other Asian food use oil such as peanut and corn oil, as a medium for cooking. In this way, Japanese have the least events of heart disease and high cholesterol levels. Japanese cuisine is also notably simple as compared to Chinese and Korean fares. As opposed to Chinese and Korean dishes, Japanese use seasonings sparingly, letting the subtle flavors of the ingredients take centerstage. Unlike the Koreans and Chinese who are fond of preserved foods, the Japanese put importance on the freshness of the food and prize the first picks of a season’s harvest. D. As mentioned above, the Japanese uses few spices and value the natural flavors and freshness of foods. Most chefs describe Japanese cuisine as simple and pure. E. Korean food is very spicy and put emphasis in the colors of the food for aesthetic presentation. Kimchi, an example of a spicy food, is vegetable preserved in chili peppers. The colors that constitute Korean dishes are white, red, black, green and yellow. 4. It is interesting to note how culture, climate, religious beliefs, geography, political arrangements and migration patters affect the types of food served in a region or country. In Europe for example, alcohol is normally served with meals because of the climate. It is generally cold in Europe. This also explains the type of crops that grow in such conditions. They usually have potatoes and cabbage. This food pattern was also adopted to Northern America because of migration patterns. In agriculturally abundant regions of Europe, they use tomato and other vegetable produce such as eggplants for their food. They also use dairy products as opposed to countries such as Korea, Japan and China where they use soy products instead of milk. They also use herbs such as basil to flavour their foods. In terms of religion and tradition, countries in Europe eat certain foods during festivals such as Christmas and feast days of saints and during lent. Politics also play a role in influences on food. For example, in Europe, they are able to discover new ingredients from their conquests of other lands. Chutney, which is a condiment of spiced fruits in the British Isles is originally from India. Geography also plays a critical role. Countries near bodies of water tend to eat mostly seafood while those in the inland have meats in their diet. Those who migrate or travel a lot usually discover the method of pickling and come up with different kinds of relish and cured meat.