{"id":3990,"date":"2021-09-01T13:44:54","date_gmt":"2021-09-01T18:44:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/griffithfoods.com\/na\/?p=3990"},"modified":"2022-08-11T13:57:09","modified_gmt":"2022-08-11T18:57:09","slug":"experience-asia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/griffithfoods.com\/na\/es\/viewpoints\/experience-asia\/","title":{"rendered":"Experience Asia"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Experience Asia<\/h2> <\/div><\/div>

Striking the balance between what\u2019s new and what\u2019s familiar can be a challenge when it comes to satisfying consumer demand for global fare. Luckily, when it comes to Asian cuisine, culinary creativity knows no bounds. Every city, region and country has a rich history and signature dishes that can drive innovation.<\/strong><\/p>

All around the globe, travel and immigration have created unique fusion fare influenced by Asian cuisines. For example, 74% of the population of Richmond, British Columbia, claims Asian heritage. The city\u2019s renowned Night Market brings dishes like Taiwanese popcorn chicken and Filipino crispy pata to the west coast of Canada. And in Peru, dishes like tallarin saltado (chicken chow mein), sopa wantan (wonton soup) and arroz chaufa (fried rice) combine Chinese and Peruvian ingredients to create what\u2019s known as chifa cuisine.<\/p>

Asian-inspired flavors and techniques are making their way into the global snack category as well. In the UK, popped lotus seeds are positioned as a \u201cbetter-for-you\u201d popcorn alternative, in varieties like smoky Thai, wasabi and Himalayan pink pepper. Cracker nuts are a popular snack originally created by a Japanese immigrant in Mexico. These Japanese-style peanuts are booming in Central and South America, with such mashup-style flavors as pizza, ham and chili-lime.<\/p>

For manufacturers and operators looking to create truly authentic new products or menu offerings, start with a well-known dish and study the differences in preparation or flavor across countries. For instance, nasi goreng, an aromatic and smoky take on fried rice, is the national dish of Indonesia. Even if your customers aren\u2019t familiar with that exact cuisine, seeing a food item that\u2019s not too far from their comfort zone is a great way to test the waters. Another great example is lumpia, or Filipino egg rolls, which are showing strong growth on US menus.<\/p>

When in doubt, turn to regional street food for inspiration. Okonomiyaki (savory pancakes) from the Kansai region of Japan, jianbing (stuffed breakfast crepes) from China\u2019s Shandong Province and kumbilappam (jackfruit dumplings) from Kerala, India, are just a few of the dishes with the potential to make a splash on menus and retail shelves around the world.<\/p>

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Eight Culinary Traditions of China<\/strong><\/h4>

Historically, Chinese cuisine had been described in terms of the Four Great Traditions representing West, North, South and East China. Today, the definition has expanded to include eight regional cuisines:<\/p>

  • Anhui (notable dish: Bagongshan tofu)<\/em><\/li>
  • Fujian (notable dish: pork belly buns)<\/em><\/li>
  • Guangdong (notable dish: Cantonese-style fried rice)<\/em><\/li>
  • Hunan (notable dish: Mao\u2019s braised pork)<\/em><\/li>
  • Jiangsu (notable dish: braised spare ribs)<\/em><\/li>
  • Shandong (notable dish: sweet potato with caramelized sugar)<\/em><\/li>
  • Sichuan (notable dish: Dandan noodles)<\/em><\/li>
  • Zhejiang (notable dish: \u201cA Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix\u201d chicken with steamed dumplings)<\/em><\/li><\/ul>
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