Achieve Authentic Asian Cuisine by Balancing Grain and Protein

Asian concepts of meal preparation and presentation differ greatly from those in the West. In Western cooking the idea is to blend flavors and allow them to harmonize.

Asian concepts of meal preparation and presentation differ greatly from those in the West. In Western cooking the idea is to blend flavors and allow them to harmonize. In Asian cuisines, balance is achieved by contrasting flavors, textures, temperatures and colors.

For instance, in Chinese cuisine the familiar concept of yin-yang is often brought to bear, the mixing of opposites to achieve balance. The concept is probably best demonstrated by mixing of “Fan,” or grain, and “Tsai,” protein like in Dim Sum.

Chinese cooking also typically consists of several different tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, or hot/pungent. (The concept of umami is always a given in Asian cuisines.) Then you must consider textures such as crispy, crunchy, soft, slippery or firm. The mixing and combining of these various tastes and textures, fulfills the yin-yang concept.

Finally, the focus of an Asian meal is centered on staple foods that are either wheat- or rice-based. In China, each individual is given his own bowl of rice. Then, all the other dishes are placed on the table at the same time and one is expected to “nibble” from all of the different dishes. The rice is the main part of the meal and the other dishes are meant to flavor the rice.

Excerpt from Restaurant Business Magazine’s June 2007 article, “Asia’s Sense of Balance is Deeply Rooted in Tradition.” Reprinted with permission of Ideal Media, LLC.