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:
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.
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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