The pan-fried variety of the Chinese jiaozi dumpling, known as guotie, is a Northern Chinese dumpling typically filled with minced pork, Chinese cabbage, scallions, ginger, rice wine, and sesame seed oil. Crunchy and soft textures are achieved by a special method of preparing; while the bottom of the dumpling is frying, a small amount of liquid is added to the pan which is then covered, thus allowing the rest of the dumpling and the filling to steam.
When it comes to the shape, guotie should always be long and straight as it can stand more easily and it does not fall over during cooking. Goutie can be literally translated as pot sticks, so these dumplings are often nicknamed potstickers, especially in North America.
MOST ICONIC Guotie
View moreSiomay is an Indonesian dish consisting of steamed cone-shaped fish dumplings, eggs, potatoes, cabbage, tofu, and bitter melon. After they have been steamed, all ingredients are assembled on a plate, cut into bite-sized pieces, and generously drizzled with a spicy peanut sauce.
The final touch to the dish is a splash of sweet soy and chili sauce, along with a drizzle of lime juice. Siomay is derived from Chinese shumai, and it is believed to have originated among Chinese immigrants who came to Indonesia during the Dutch colonial period.
MOST ICONIC Siomay
View moreComing from the North Indian city of Amritsari, Amritsari kulcha is a flatbread stuffed with potatoes, onions, cottage cheese, and spices. The flatbread is commonly garnished with coriander seeds, cilantro, and red chili powder. Thin, crispy, and smeared with ghee butter, it is a staple food in Amritsar, with almost every shop in the city sizzling with the sound of kulchas baked in large tandoor ovens.
Not much is known about the history of this flavorful dish, and even the locals say that kulcha is just something they have always eaten, a variation on numerous flatbreads that the country is known for.
MOST ICONIC Amritsari kulcha
View moreOhn no khao swè, meaning noodles with coconut milk, is a traditional dish that is believed to have inspired the creation of Thailand’s khao sai. It consists of boiled egg noodles and pieces of curried chicken smothered in a creamy coconut-milk-and-chicken soup.
The soup is typically thickened with chickpea flour, and it usually comes with an array of different garnishes and condiments. Typical ingredients added to this dish for enhanced flavor and texture include slices of hard-boiled eggs, crispy fried noodles, bean or chickpea fritters, fresh cilantro, green onions, soaked yellow onions, lime or lemon slices, ngapi fish sauce, and red chili flakes.
Marinated and spit-roasted, shawarma is a delicious Middle Eastern meat treat whose origins can be traced back to the Ottoman Empire era, while its name stems from the Arabic pronunciation of the Turkish word çevirme (lit. to turn; turning), and refers to the rotating skewer on which the meat is cooked.
Shawarmas are made with either lamb, turkey, chicken, beef, or a mix of different meats which are slow-cooked for hours and basted in their own juices and fat, gaining an incomparable succulence, but the real secret to a perfect shawarma is in the marinade.
Bánh mì (pronounced 'bun mee') is a popular Vietnamese variety of sandwiches that share the same core ingredient - a baguette. The baguette was brought over to Vietnam during the colonial period, and nowadays it is one of the few happy legacies from the time.
The crusty bread, condiments, and meats are all a legacy of French and Chinese colonialism, while cilantro, chili, and pickles reflect the Vietnamese taste for fresh vegetables and bright flavors. In the beginning, most banh mi sandwiches consisted of bread, meat, and seasonings, with no added vegetables.
MOST ICONIC Bánh mì
View moreMAIN INGREDIENTS
Roti canai is a traditional pan-fried flatbread made with flour, water, eggs, and fat of Indian origin, but mainly associated with Malaysia, and surrounding countries like Indonesia, Brunei, and Thailand. The dough for roti canai is repeatedly folded, so the final product has a layered texture, a soft interior, and a crispy outer layer.
The most common fat used in roti canai is ghee, the traditional Indian clarified butter. It is believed that the dish originated in India when the Indian laborers who migrated to Malaysia brought the recipe and the tradition of preparing this crispy pastry to the foreign country.
VARIATIONS OF Roti canai
MOST ICONIC Roti canai
View moreMAIN INGREDIENTS
Pempek is a traditional fish cake made with ground fish meat and tapioca. The actual origin of this dish is the city of Palembang, situated in the South Sumatra province. The origin story of pempek says that an old Palembang citizen was tired of the traditional fried or grilled fish, so he thought of an innovative way to ground the meat, mix it with tapioca flour, and deep-fry it to get a crunchy and delicious snack.
He then used to cycle through the city and sell the fish cakes to Palembang citizens. Over time, pempek was recognized as a praise-worthy snack, and today it is considered to be a traditional Indonesian delicacy. These round or rectangular cakes are usually steamed, and right before serving they are fried in vegetable oil and cut into bite-sized pieces.
MOST ICONIC Pempek
View moreSiu mei refers to a style of Chinese cuisine that is primarily characterized by roasting meat on spits over an open fire or in a rotisserie oven. Originating from Guangdong province in southern China, this culinary tradition is particularly prevalent in Hong Kong.
The term siu mei translates to "roast flavor" in Cantonese. Some of the most prominent and beloved examples of siu mei include char siu, siu yuk, soy sauce chicken, and white cut chicken. These dishes are typically served with rice and vegetables and sometimes with noodles.
VARIATIONS OF Siu mei
MOST ICONIC Siu mei
View moreMAIN INGREDIENTS
Sate kambing is a traditional dish and a type of satay prepared with mutton as the main ingredient. The meat is cut into chunks or cubes and it's marinated in a combination of ingredients such as kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), galangal, ground shallots, pineapple juice, and (often) chili peppers.
After it's been marinated, the meat is placed on skewers that are larger and thicker than the ones used for chicken satay as the texture and thickness of mutton is tougher than chicken. The skewers for sate kambing are usually made from bamboo. The meat is grilled, then served with kecap manis sauce, peanut sauce, or chili sauce, consisting of shallots, bird eye chili peppers, and kecap manis.
MOST ICONIC Sate kambing
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