I'd Like to Order Kung Pao Chicken Smothered with Melted Cheese! (Yuk!)

A few years back, I was having a spirited discussion with co-workers at one of my temp jobs and the discussion turned to food preferences. Mexican versus Chinese. 

I said: “I love Chinese food!”

My co-worker's response was:

“No way! Chinese food doesn't have near enough cheese for me!!”

I laughed and thought to myself: 'Yep! She's right about that!'

But why? ⍰
Why is there hardly any cheese in Chinese cuisine?

Did some research. Here is the quick answer, according to Corinne Trang, affectionately referred to by her many admirers as the “Asian Julia Child”. She says: “In Asian food culture, you have thousands, countless amounts of herbs and spices that we use at any given time. So few of these spices go well with cheese.” *

Nevertheless, there is a food trend going in the “fusion” direction and chefs are experimenting with incorporating cheese into Asian recipes.

I seriously doubt that you can order a plate of kung pao chicken smothered with melted cheese.  I didn't say the chefs had taken leave of their senses.  😋

But what do you think of this "adaptation"?

Do you like Chinese food with or without cheese?

* * *

*Quote Source:

Kuo, Stephanie. "The Real Reason There's No Cheese In Asian Cuisine." CheeseRank : Your Go To Guide for All Things Cheese. N.p., 28 July 2014. Web. 15 June 2017. (NOTE: Links to an archived copy.)

It Turns Out, There is Such a Thing as Chinese Cheese

The Blog: Cookbook author and teacher Diana Kuan writes about traditional and modern takes on Asian home cooking on her blog, Appetite for China. She has also recently launched an online shop called Plate and Pencil, with cute gifts like a "Dumplings Around the World" tote bag.

Discovering Cheese in One of the Most Unsuspecting Places

It's nearly impossible for any Westerners to remember the first time they tried cheese. From pizza to pasta to hunks eaten on their own, cheese's ubiquity in our diets means that we've been enjoying it since before we could eat most other solid foods. For Liu Yang, a cheesemaker in Beijing, the ...

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Healthy Food Trends and Eating Habits for Life!

This article (link below) was published over a year ago via Consumer Reports. I am a firm believer that what might be a food trend one year could become a regular healthy eating habit that same year and beyond.

Healthy Food Trends to Watch for in 2019

~ It's a brand new year! Why not evaluate this list and determine if you have incorporated any of these healthy food trends for 2019 into your healthy eating habits.

Non-Dairy Milks? 

CHECK! I live with family members who are lactose-intolerant. They have to drink non-dairy milks. I drink it cause I like the taste.

Mindful Eating?

Uhh … ??? It's a dietary approach. I'm going to have to do a little more research.

Mindful Eating 101 — A Beginner’s Guide | Healthline

8 steps to mindful eating - Harvard Health

Chickpeas?

CHECK! I started eating chickpeas in the 70s when my university roommate took me to my first salad bar at a restaurant. They made a great addition to a salad. I learned later that you could also put them in soups and make hummus with them. On top of that, the nutritionists say they're good for me? Score!

Chayote?

I live in Texas and our grocery store gets a lot of their produce from Mexico. It's not that expensive to buy. Chayote is a squash that is used in Mexican cuisine. We eat a lot of Mexican food in Texas. (Also used in Jamaican and Brazilian cuisine.)  My only excuse is that … Ummm? I got nothing! I don't have an excuse. I've just never tried this veggie in a recipe. Have you?

10 Impressive Benefits of Chayote Squash

Learn About Chayote Squash : Article - GourmetSleuth

Chayote with Tomato and Green Chile Recipe | SimplyRecipes.com

Sautéed Chayote Squash Recipe | The Spruce Eats

Plant 'Meat'?

CHECK! Everybody is doing it. Right? Well not everybody, but I am. To my surprise, I like the taste. In my personal case, my late husband had to change his diet because of a health condition. I wasn't going to prepare separate meals. One his way and one my way. So I started eating his way. His way was incorporating plant 'meat' into his diet. He's gone now. But I'm OK with still eating meat alternatives.

By the way, you can use chickpeas to make burgers.

Easiest Vegan Chickpea Burgers - Loving It Vegan

Foods for Sensitive Stomachs?

This is not a problem for me. My stomach is lined with iron. But I did learn an interesting food fact. “FODMAP” means fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. Evidently FOMAP foods are big in Australia. I live in the USA. We're starting to come around.

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So have you incorporated any of these 2019 healthy food trends into your diet?

If not, here's another consumer report:

9 Ways to Follow a Healthier Diet in 2020

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I'm no food expert, dietician, nutritionist, or professional in the food industry. I just like writing about my foodie adventures. You can find some more of my writings at My Foodie Luv (my Medium publication) and Food Ways (this blog).

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Would you happen to be interested in pesto?

I’m very proud of this article. It was accepted for publication at Vocal.Media and was selected as a Vocal Staff Pick and featured.

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Pesto

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Original source

Matcha Tea is Body Fuel: Nutrition Trends: 2015 and Beyond!

Taking a quick look at the Nutrition Trends that started in 2015.  Health, fitness, and wellness experts identified food and drink they call "body fuel".  A car needs fuel to run properly and so does your body.  Matcha tea is body fuel.  Find out what other food and drink can power you up.

Many Americans strive daily to take extra steps to ensure their health and well-being. If Austin, Texas, “America's Fittest City”, is a representative sample of fitness habits around the USA, then nutrition trends show a shift in eating habits that will focus on partaking of food that can fuel the body.

In 2012, McCormick and Schwartz (well-known sellers of herbs and spices in the U.S. and the U.K.) released an 8-page report which stated that people would be moving towards honoring their roots; and their eating or dining habits would reflect a celebration of the origins of one’s own ethnic cuisine.

That was the forecast in 2012. Per Tori Jarzabkowski, who writes for Austin Fit Magazine, the nutrition trends for 2015 are in a direction just a tad bit different from eating the meals prepared by momma and grandma. This year (2015) there are five specific foods (listed below) that are “what's hot in the food and nutrition world”. Austin, Texas USA, boasts a very health-conscious community of citizens. Gyms are everywhere. People are into running, jogging, walking, biking, eating organic or whole foods, shopping at stores that specialize in homeopathic products, visiting the local alternative medicine practitioners for health check-ups, etc.

(1) Matcha Tea

Are you of Japanese heritage? The people of Japan have been enjoying this green tea since the 12 century. It was served as part of the traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. Not sure if they knew it was a super-food. If they did, they were way ahead of us.


(2) Bone Broth

Broth made from animal bones is loaded with nutrients. Bone broth improves immunity and has a host of other health benefits. Guess what? That's old news. My parents and my husband's parents always ate all the food on their plate, usually saved the meat serving for last, and when the meat was gone, they went after the bones. Sucked those bones dry! Like it was a religion. My dad and my husband's parents are from The Bahamas. My mother's roots are part African-American, part Native American, Cherokee.


(3) Fermented Foods

Everybody watches or has heard of that popular food show “Kimchi Chronicles”. Right? Well if you didn't know, you know now. Kimchi is a fermented food of Korean origin. Sauerkraut or “sour cabbage” is also a fermented food: German origin. Kombucha is a fermented drink, believed to have originated in China. They are good for healthy intestines and more.

SPOTLIGHT:  Clara Myers publishes Health and Wellness articles here at Writedge.com. In two of her posts she presents a thorough discussion on why we should eat fermented foods, and whether we should ferment our own food. Ms. Myers' expertise in the area of holistic health.

(4) Coconut Sugar

It must be coconut harvesting time. The coconut is being praised for everything! Coconut water. Coconut oil. Coconut jelly. Coconut fruit. Now there's coconut sugar. There is no need to sell me on coconut. Grew up in South Florida and we had a tree in our backyard. My brother used the climb the tree and throw down two or three coconuts. We'd whack them open and eat our fill. One year a hurricane knocked down the tree and my life has never been the same. Didn't realize there were so many good reasons why we were supposed to be eating coconuts.


(5) Seaweed Snacks

Last on the list for foods that fuel the body is seaweed. Seaweed is being touted as the “kale of the sea”. It's the new quinoa. It's green!! The rule is: the darker the green, the better! This particular food is not exactly the tastiest (my opinion) but after experimenting with flavors ranging from wasabi to coconut, check your grocery shelves for seaweed chips. It will be a healthy alternative snack to potato chips.


Gleaned a lot from reviewing the #AFMbestof article. Hope you liked my rehash. :)  

• REFERENCE: Jarzabkowski, Tori. "Nutrition Trends for 2015." Austin Fit Magazine: Best of 2014 Issue Jan. 2015: 22-23. Print. AFM Issue #207. Est. 1997. Official website: http://www.austinfitmagazine.com/

 ♦ ♦ ♦ Original content published January 10, 2015 at Writedge. ♦ ♦ ♦