Rice and noodles are one of the biggest names in Asian Cuisine. For centuries, both rice and noodles have anchored our plates with delicious viands and vegetables that completed our meals. They are prepared in the simplest way and usually cooked together with other ingredients to create a base for more flavor and color.
Rice for instance, have more than 10 different varieties for specific food preparations. Here in South East Asia, you will find that we use more long grain white rice and some glutenous rice for sticky cakes. Travel a bit south and you will find Basmati rice as staple for countries like India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. In the east, you will notice that stickier, shorter grain white rice are being consumed. It’s friendlier for their chopsticks as their main eating utensil.
Depending on the country, rice and noodles takes on a different form considering their culture and tradition which makes it very versatile for newer adaptations, don’t you think?
On the other side of the plate, you will see pork and chicken as our main source of protein, more so than beef. Food preparations are also kept at its simplest like broiling, stewing, baking, and of course frying. To mention a few, we have Sate Babi from Indonesia, the Chasu and soup used for Japanese Ramen, Gua Bao from Taiwan, Chicken Rice from Singapore, Pork and chicken ala King from the Philippines, Korean BBQ from South Korea, Roasted Pork and Moo Shu Pork from China, Bun Cha from Vietnam, Chicken Biryani from Pakistan, and so many others.
Aside from protein, pork and chicken provide adequate B Vitamins and minerals like phosphorus and zinc which helps with various metabolic processes.
Then the colors come from vegetables and fruits. As one of the cheapest sources of calories, vegetables, and fruits are almost always on hand. In India, you’ll find them having raw onions as appetizers. In Vietnam and Thailand, you’ll see street foods with no less than five kinds of vegetables in it. South Korea’s Bibimbap and even Samgyupsal have two parts vegetables, one part meat. Interesting also now that I’m writing about it, my family always have fruits for dessert- banana being the staple. There’s always something yellow on our dining table. In simple terms, vegetables and fruits as more than garnishes and we eat a whole lot of it.
Quality over Quantity
The way of life of Asians have been completely different since the beginning. Going through wars, civil disorders, and starting late for development, we learned important lessons that have served our health very well these past few decades which are, at some extent, still engraved in the way we live.
Our cuisines are prepared very easily, with the freshest ingredients available in our backyards, with little to no added chemicals. My father can cook a decent soup out of pepper, salt, and egg. Moreover, as most of us have seen our families’ ancestral houses in peace and quiet, we know the importance of having mini-gardens and pots of different vegetables that we can grow even in the city center.
Lastly, while Asians love festivals and eating out from time to time, it is intrinsic for us to consume food just enough.
One last thing, we do really prefer not to go to a doctor even though we usually we have at least one in our families. It’s not good, but our aversion makes us more mindful of our bodies. It’s a positive-laughing kind of a reinforcement.
A Colorful Plate
Our usual combo meal includes a meat dish, rice/noodles, vegetables/fruits and ice-cold water. Even in restaurants, it’s a set that Asians go after when they pick their order. If there are no set meals, then we always try to get one dish of each.
We don’t really have salads the way the western people make them. We usually have it stewed or boiled. We love soups and broths with almost anything, except of course, when it’s about 30 degrees Celsius outside.
Consuming a variety of dishes is one way to ensure that we can get all the nutrients that we need while being able to enjoy the different experiences our eclectic foods bring. Asians love a colorful buffet.
Who we choose to eat with?
Food brings together a community. Well, we all eat so it’s inevitable, but Asians have transcended this with us being known as family-centered individuals. Eating together for meals is very common and sometimes even mandatory. On a deeper level, our meals are half eating and half talking with the people we care about the most.
Being healthy should be a holistic approach. We cannot be content with just eating healthy foods while subjecting ourselves to excessive stress at work or school. We can’t be hitting the gym everyday only to lose hours of sleeping at night. We cannot do the earthly things that we do every day without treating our souls to the wonders of art, music, and nature. Being healthy is a package.
Nutrition’s follow the basic principle of MOVABA when creating meal plans. It is short for Moderation, Variety, and Balance. Interestingly, these principles can also be applied to life itself, as we all try to do.
Asians have a profound understanding about this balance, and I think that the younger generation is trying to catch up, I know I do. Traveling has been gaining traction as many tired souls and adventure seeking individuals venture to India to find their inner peace, or go to Bali, Indonesia and Palawan, Philippines to lose themselves in nature. There’s a reason why many admire Japan and their unshakeable tradition in the eye of globalization or follow the challenging way of life of Buddhist monks in Thailand. I believe it’s in the center of the mystery of Asia- this seemingly proud and uncomplicated balance among man, nature and soul.
As Bilbo Baggins said, “It is no bad thing to celebrate a simple life.”
By: Liz Red – Philippines
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