Ever wonder what gives your tom yum soup that distinctive zing? Amy Van roots out the delicious heroes of South-East Asian cuisine ots o – from fragrant herbs to starchy staples, and much else in between.
Photography by Jambu Studio’s Liu Hongde

SPICE IT UP

An assortment of spices is used to uplift various Asian specialities. Mainstays include rhizomes such as turmeric, galangal and ginger which are sold fresh or ground. Both have a welcome pungent flavour and are common elements in curry powders. Turmeric also imparts a bright yellow-orange colour into food and is mainly used to add flavour and colour to many dishes. Burmese curries, which are not heavily spiced, are usually enlivened with a sprinkling of turmeric, alongside ginger, chilli, onion and garlic. Cumin and cardamom hark from India and the Middle East, and have made their way to Thai dishes such as Massaman curry. They have a warm and spicy aroma, and slightly bittersweet taste. Cloves native to Indonesia’s Spice Islands are also used for this type of curry. Star anise (used in a five-spice tofu dish) injects a sweet liquorice taste to stews and is a key ingredient in Vietnamese beef pho stock.

GRAIN OF TRUTH

 

Asia’s staple food comes in several different varietals. Th ailand’s indigenous long-grain Jasmine rice (known as khao hom mali) is highly popular throughout the world thanks to its sweet, floral fragrance. White glutinous rice or kao neaw is a short-grain that becomes sticky when cooked. In Laos and northern Thailand, it is used interchangeably with rice to accompany main meals and is a component in desserts alongside mango, durian or banana. Black glutinous rice has a nutty flavour and is usually served as a dessert. It is cooked until soft, then sweetened and drizzled with coconut milk.

 

 

CAN-NOODLING

 

There are as many types of noodles, some fresh and others dried, as there are varieties of pasta – although the which-came-first debate is best left to the experts.

Flat rice noodles (so-called because they are made of rice flour) are stir-fried phad thai in Th ai cookery. Thin dried rice vermicelli is soaked before cooking and usually fried or dunked in soups alongside other ingredients. In Vietnam, it is partnered with grilled pork and a tangy sweet dressing (bun thit nuong). Myanmar’s national dish, called mohinga, is made with rice vermicelli (freshly made with slightly fermented rice flour) bathed in a curried fish soup.

The thick spaghetti-like rice noodles are mainly used for laksa (noodles in a coconut curry soup, a well-loved Singaporean/ Malaysian dish). Glass noodles, also called mung bean noodles, are used in soups and and served cold in salads. Made from mung bean starch, they become slippery, clear and jelly-like when soaked in water.

Curry Leaves

 

What would South-East Asian food be without these leafy wonders? Lemongrass and pandan leaves infuse dishes with their distinctive aromas. The former adds a citrusy zest to Thai soups and salads while the latter’s delicate scent is wonderful for desserts, sweet soups and drinks. Savoury curry leaves are usually fried in hot oil alongside other ingredients for that distinctive spicy flavour while kaffi r lime leaves are shredded and added over piquant Thai salads or torn and added to soups or curries. Herbs like holy basil and coriander (aka cilantro) are sprinkled raw over cooked dishes such as Vietnamese beef noodles or phô.

 

 

SUPER FOODS: Chili  

 

The chillies used in South-East Asian cooking include red, green and bird’s eye chillies. Red and green chillies, which vary in heat level, are usually added to soups, curries and spicy salads. The tiny bird’s eye chilli is extremely fiery and used sparingly. Dried, powdered chilli is used to inject heat to recipes, while sweet chilli dipping sauce adds that final zing to many a chicken wing and french fry.

 

 

SUPER FOODS: Coconut  

 

Equally popular in South-East Asian cuisine are coconut products. Thick and opaque in colour, coconut cream is the first extraction of grated flesh of mature coconuts. It is generally used to temper hot curries or simply to lend richness to savoury dishes and desserts. Grated and desiccated coconut is also a common ingredient for sweet treats. Not to be confused with coconut milk (a watered-down version of coconut cream), coconut water is the liquid found in the centre of a fresh coconut. The cooling, rehydrating isotonic drink quickly replenishes water lost through sweat in humid, tropical climates.

 

 

SUPER FOODS: Soy

  

Another ‘multi-purpose’ ingredient is soy – whose plethora of products range from soy milk to soy sauce to tofu. The actual soy beans need to be soaked for a long time before being cooked. Popular and healthy soy milk is extracted from soybeans and sweetened. Sold in square blocks, firm tofu (tau kwa in Chinese) is usually deep-fried or stir-fried with vegetables as it has a mild taste and absorbs flavours well. Silken tofu has a smooth, almost custard-like texture and is ideal for soups and cold dishes.

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