Bachelor of Secondary Education Department

Reaccredited Level IV by the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities of the Philippines

in

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 TSU VMGO

Tarlac State University is envisioned to be a premier university in Asia and the Pacific.
VISION

Tarlac State University commits to promote and sustain the offering of quality and
programs in higher and advanced education ensuring equitable access to education
for people empowerment, professional development, and global competitiveness.

Towards this end, TSU shall:

1. Provide high quality instruction trough qualified, competent and adequately
MISSION
trained faculty members and support staff.
2. Be a premier research institution by enhancing research undertakings in
the fields of technology and sciences and strengthening collaboration with
local and international institutions.
3. Be a champion in community development by strengthening partnership
with public and private organizations and individuals.

E – xcellence
Q - uality
CORE U - nity
VALUES I - ntegrity
T - rust in God, Transparency & True Commitment
Y - earning for Global Competitiveness

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INTERNATIONAL CUISINE
FSM 221

SITI NORLIZA C. MUSA, LPT

Lecturer
BSEd TLE- TARLAC STATE UNIVERSITY
[email protected]

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Table of Contents
About the Module.................................................................................................................................................... 9
CHAPTER 1 THE CUISINE OF MEXICO ..................................................................................................................... 10
I.OBJECTIVES: ..................................................................................................................................................... 11
II. PRE-TEST ........................................................................................................................................................ 11
II. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................. 11
IV. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ....................................................................................................................... 11
THE LAND OF MEXICO .................................................................................................................................... 11
THE FOOD ...................................................................................................................................................... 11
KITCHEN TOOLS.............................................................................................................................................. 15
COOKING METHODS ...................................................................................................................................... 15
GLOSSARY ...................................................................................................................................................... 16
VI. ACTIVITY ....................................................................................................................................................... 21
V. POST-TEST ...................................................................................................................................................... 22
CHAPTER 2 CUISINE OF SOUTH AMERICA .............................................................................................................. 23
I.OBJECTIVES: ..................................................................................................................................................... 24
II. PRE-TEST ........................................................................................................................................................ 24
III. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 24
IV. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ....................................................................................................................... 24
THE LAND OF SOUTH AMERICA...................................................................................................................... 24
HISTORY ......................................................................................................................................................... 25
THE FOOD ...................................................................................................................................................... 26
GLOSARY ........................................................................................................................................................ 30
VI. ACTIVITY ....................................................................................................................................................... 35
V. POST-TEST ...................................................................................................................................................... 35
CHAPTER 3 THE CUISINE CARIBBEAN ..................................................................................................................... 37
I.OBJECTIVES ...................................................................................................................................................... 38
II. PRE-TEST ........................................................................................................................................................ 38
III. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 38
IV. THE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ................................................................................................................ 38
THE LAND OF CARIBBEAN .............................................................................................................................. 38
THE PEOPLE .................................................................................................................................................... 39

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 THE FOOD ...................................................................................................................................................... 40
GLOSSARY ...................................................................................................................................................... 42
VI. ACTIVITY ....................................................................................................................................................... 46
V. POST-TEST ...................................................................................................................................................... 47
CHAPTER 4 THE CUISINE OF JAPAN, CHINA, AND KOREA....................................................................................... 48
I.OBJECTIVE ........................................................................................................................................................ 49
II. PRE-TEST ........................................................................................................................................................ 49
III. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 49
IV. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ....................................................................................................................... 49
THE LAND OF JAPAN ...................................................................................................................................... 49
THE PEOPLE .................................................................................................................................................... 50
THE FOOD ...................................................................................................................................................... 50
COOKING TERMS............................................................................................................................................ 53
KITCHEN TOOLS.............................................................................................................................................. 53
GLOSSARY ...................................................................................................................................................... 55
THE LAND OF CHINA ...................................................................................................................................... 60
THE PEOPLE .................................................................................................................................................... 60
THE FOOD ...................................................................................................................................................... 61
GLOSARY ........................................................................................................................................................ 64
THE LAND OF KOREA ...................................................................................................................................... 68
THE PEOPLE .................................................................................................................................................... 68
THE FOOD ...................................................................................................................................................... 69
GLOSSARY ...................................................................................................................................................... 70
VI. ACTIVITY ....................................................................................................................................................... 73
V. POST-TEST ...................................................................................................................................................... 76
CHAPTER 5 SOUTHEAST ASIA ................................................................................................................................. 77
I.OBJECTIVE ........................................................................................................................................................ 78
II. PRE-TEST ........................................................................................................................................................ 78
III. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 78
IV. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ....................................................................................................................... 78
THE LAND OF SOUTH EAST ASIA .................................................................................................................... 78
THE PEOPLE .................................................................................................................................................... 79
THE FOOD ...................................................................................................................................................... 79
GLOSSARY ...................................................................................................................................................... 82
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 VI. ACTIVITY ....................................................................................................................................................... 86
V. POST-TEST ...................................................................................................................................................... 87
CHAPTER 6: THE CUISINE OF INDIA ........................................................................................................................ 88
I.OBJECTIVES: ..................................................................................................................................................... 89
II. PRE-TEST ........................................................................................................................................................ 89
III. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 89
IV. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ....................................................................................................................... 89
The Land of India............................................................................................................................................ 89
The People ..................................................................................................................................................... 90
The Food ........................................................................................................................................................ 91
Glossary ......................................................................................................................................................... 97
V. ACTIVITY ...................................................................................................................................................... 100
VI. POST-TEST ................................................................................................................................................... 102
CHAPTER 7: THE CUISINE OF MIDDLE EAST ......................................................................................................... 103
I.OBJECTIVE ...................................................................................................................................................... 104
II. PRE-TEST ...................................................................................................................................................... 104
III. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................... 104
IV. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ..................................................................................................................... 104
THE LAND OF MIDDLE EAST ......................................................................................................................... 104
THE PEOPLE .................................................................................................................................................. 105
THE FOOD .................................................................................................................................................... 105
Glossary ....................................................................................................................................................... 108
V. ACTIVITY ...................................................................................................................................................... 112
VI. POST-TEST ................................................................................................................................................... 113
CHAPTER 8: THE CUISINE OF TURKEY, GREECE, AND CRETE ................................................................................ 114
I.OBJECTIVES .................................................................................................................................................... 116
II. PRE-TEST ...................................................................................................................................................... 116
III. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................... 116
IV. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ..................................................................................................................... 116
THE LAND ..................................................................................................................................................... 116
THE PEOPLE .................................................................................................................................................. 117
THE FOOD .................................................................................................................................................... 118
GLOSSARY .................................................................................................................................................... 124
V. ACTIVITY ...................................................................................................................................................... 127
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 VI. POST-TEST ................................................................................................................................................... 128
CHAPTER 9: THE CUISINE OF SPAIN ..................................................................................................................... 129
I.OBJECTIVE ...................................................................................................................................................... 131
II. PRE-TEST ...................................................................................................................................................... 131
III. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................... 131
IV. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ..................................................................................................................... 131
THE LAND OF SPAIN ..................................................................................................................................... 131
THE PEOPLE .................................................................................................................................................. 132
THE FOOD .................................................................................................................................................... 132
GLOSSARY .................................................................................................................................................... 136
V. ACTIVITY ...................................................................................................................................................... 139
VI. POST-TEST ................................................................................................................................................... 141
CHAPTER 10: CUISINE OF FRANCE ....................................................................................................................... 142
I.OBJECTIVES .................................................................................................................................................... 143
II. PRE-TEST ...................................................................................................................................................... 143
III. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................... 143
IV. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ..................................................................................................................... 143
THE LAND ..................................................................................................................................................... 143
THE PEOPLE .................................................................................................................................................. 144
THE FOOD .................................................................................................................................................... 144
GLOSSARY .................................................................................................................................................... 149
V. ACTIVITY ...................................................................................................................................................... 155
VI. POST-TEST ................................................................................................................................................... 156
CHAPTER 11: THE CUISINE OF ITALY .................................................................................................................... 157
I.OBJECTIVES .................................................................................................................................................... 158
II. PRE-TEST ...................................................................................................................................................... 158
III. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................... 158
IV. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ..................................................................................................................... 158
THE LAND ..................................................................................................................................................... 158
THE PEOPLE .................................................................................................................................................. 159
THE FOOD .................................................................................................................................................... 159
GLOSSARY .................................................................................................................................................... 164
V. ACTIVITY ...................................................................................................................................................... 165
VI. POST-TEST ................................................................................................................................................... 166
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REFERENCES......................................................................................................................................................... 167
ANSWER KEYS ...................................................................................................................................................... 168

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 About the Module
Course Description

This course deals with the various cuisine around the world with emphasis on Asian, Mediterranean American, and European
cuisine.

Purpose and Rationale

College of Teacher Education, as part of its commitment in supporting equity of access to Higher Education for all
students, has developed this module for use by both teachers and students to support in building their skills needed
to access quality education.

The purpose of this module is to develop a knowledge and skills on International Cuisine.

1. Differentiate Asian Cuisine, American Cuisine and European Cuisine

2. Demonstrate understanding of international and regional foods through production.
3. Build on foundation of culinary vocabulary and skills
4. Prepare cuisine of Asia, America and Europe
5. Create a dish integrating cuisine of other country to the Philippine cuisine.
6. Apply safety precautions at all times in actual preparation.
7. Appreciate the art of cooking of the each regions.

To get the most from this Module, you need to do the following:
1. Begin by reading and understanding the learning objectives/s. These will tell you what you should know
and be able to do at the end of this module.
2. Perform the Pre-tests (this is non-graded assessment tool) to determine your pre-existing subject
knowledge and your knowledge baseline. Also, this is to test you prior to topical material coverage
throughout the course.
3. Do the required Learning activities. They begin with Things You Need to Know. Things You Need to Know
contains the information that you need to know.
4. After reading the content of Things You Need to Know, test yourself on how much you have learned by
means of Post-test and Activities.
5. You must be able to apply what you have learned in another activity or in real life situation.

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 CHAPTER 1 THE CUISINE OF MEXICO

(imagesourcewww.google.com/search?q=mexico+map&sxsrf=ALeKk03jnnximCBHtOpUuYkVAObZkphkIw:15940
36644321&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjF58WfybjqAhXbdd4KHZgvDIMQ_AUoAXoECA4QAw&
biw=1366&bih=657#imgrc=uElKn8TsMdUG7M)

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I.OBJECTIVES:
In this unit challenge yourself to attain the following objectives:
- Identify the cooking methods, most common ingredients and staples of Mexico.
- Explain the effect of geography and history in Mexican Cuisine.
- Appreciate the art of cooking in Mexico.

II. PRE-TEST
Read the following statements. Write True if the statement is correct and False if not. Write you answer on a sheet of
paper.
1. The food in Central Mexico is based heavily on corn.
2. Caesar Salad was created in Baja California Sur.
3. Zacahuil is a rich dark sauce with chocolate, chiles, spices, herbs, groundnuts, seeds, and a variety of other
ingredients.
4. Guisar refers to the method used for removing the skins from fresh chiles, especially poblanos, which are usually
cooked without skins, either for stuffing or for making rajas, strips of chiles that are used in a great number of dishes.
5. Tortillas Indispensable in Mexican cuisine, made with either corn or wheat flour. Available both fresh and frozen.

II. INTRODUCTION
This unit covers the cuisine of Mexico and factor that affects its cuisine, such as the geography and, the most
commonly used ingredients in this country, the food staples and the cooking methods.

IV. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

THE LAND OF MEXICO

Long and narrow, Mexico forms what looks like a curved horn between the United States to the north and Guatemala
and Belize to the south. To the west is the Pacific Ocean. The Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea lie to the east. Two huge
mountain ranges, the Sierra Madre Occidental to the west, and the Sierra Madre Oriental to the east, run the length of the
country, forming a giant V. Between these mountain ranges lie a series of plateaus. The plateau in the north is largely desert
land, while the long central plateau father south is more fertile. Near the tip of the horn, the Yucatan Peninsula juts into the
Atlantic Ocean. A long, narrow peninsula called Baja dangles from California’s southern border. The southern coasts are
home to tropical rain forests and jungles. With most of its eastern and western borders being on the coast, some Mexican
cuisine is based on seafood. There are good grazing areas in the north, with some fertile agricultural land to the south;
however, between arid conditions and challenging terrain, only 12 percent of the country gets enough rain for crops.

THE FOOD

Mexican food is rich in color and flavor. Areas along the ocean are famous for their abundant mariscos (seafood
dishes). Inland and highland mountain areas are famous for stews, intricate sauces, and corn-based recipes. Desert areas
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have cultivated delicacies of different sorts. In some desert regions, for example, there are numerous dishes containing
varieties of cactus plants. While Mexico is made up of thirty-one states and one federal district, the country can be divided into
six regions: northern Mexico, central Mexico, southern Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, the Pacific
Coast, and the Baja Peninsula.

NORTHER MEXICO
The north is mostly desert—a vast, high, windswept plateau flanked by the Occidental and Oriental chains of the
Sierra Madre Mountains. The cooking of northern Mexico gets its strongest influence from the ranching culture, predominately
cattle, goats, pigs, and sheep. Ranch-style food is prepared with indigenous ingredients and cooked over an open fire. Cabrito
is roast kid goat, a specialty of the city of Monterrey and its state of Nuevo Leon. Flour tortillas were created when the Spanish
brought wheat to the New World; however, they are considered a bread staple in the northern states only. In the valleys of the
eastern states farmers raise peaches, melons, nuts, and more than thirty varieties of apples. Queso Chihuahua or Chihuahua
cheese is a soft white cow’s milk cheese available in braids, balls or rounds. The cheese is named after its place of origin and
is also called queso menonita after the Mennonite communities that first produced it.

CENTRAL MEXICO
The Distrito Federal, or Mexico City as it is called in English, is the Mexican capital in every sense of the word. With
over 20 million people, it is not only many times larger than any other city in Mexico, but is also the second most populous city
in the world, just behind Tokyo. In Mexico City, there is a full range of national cuisine. Because it is the capital, cooking from
every region is available here.
The state of Michoacán derives its name from the Náhuatl terms michin (fish), hua (those who have), and can
(place), which roughly translates into “place of the fisherman. Puebla, Queretaro, and Tlaxcala, are known as “the Central
Breadbasket,” and are one of Mexico’s most important agricultural regions. Sugarcane fields, rice fields, coffee plantations,
and macadamia trees are cultivated. Michoaca is the largest producer of avocados in the country. The area also produces
large quantities of corn, beans, chickpeas, and potatoes. Fruit crops such as mangoes, strawberries, papaya, bananas,
lemons, and limes are grown as well.
The food in this region is based heavily on corn. The early Indian tribes served it as a kind of porridge, called atoll.
Corn kernels were also softened in water and lime and then ground into a fine meal known as masa. The masa is then shaped
into flat, round cakes called tortillas, which are cooked on a comal, or griddle. Specialties include corundas, triangular puffy
tamale made with white corn and unfilled. Huitacoche, a small, dark fungus that grows on a cornstalk, is considered a
particular delicacy. One of the other important crops is agave (also known as maguey), used to produce syrup, vinegar, and
pulque, an alcoholic beverage. Pulque was the historical predecessor of mescal and tequila, which wielded a heavy
sociological influence during both pre-Hispanic and Colonial periods of Mexican history. There are more than 400 species of
agave native to North America and Mexico. It was one of the most sacred and important plants in ancient Mexico and had a
privileged place in mythology, religious rituals, and the economy. Pulque is still made and drunk in limited quantities in parts of
Mexico today. However, because it cannot easily be stored or preserved, it is not well known outside the country. Mezcal (or
mescal) is the name given to a double-distilled spirit that comes from the maguey plant. Tequila is made exclusively from the
agave azul that grows in semiarid soils and takes from eight to twelve years to mature.
The state of Puebla has been considered the gastronomic capital of Mexico. Its location between the coastal city of
Veracruz and Mexico City gives it ample access to fresh seafood. The state produces fresh fruits and vegetables year-round,
and raises some of the best beef and pork in the world. It cultivates cinnamon and nuts, as well as different types of hot
peppers. Mole (the word means stew, or “concoctions”) is a dish regarded with national pride and a culinary touchstone of
Mexican cooking. It is a rich dark sauce with chocolate, chiles, spices, herbs, groundnuts, seeds, and a variety of other
ingredients. Every Mexican house hold has its version of a mole, most of which are named for the color given by the variety of
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chiles used. Without a doubt the most famous type of mole is mole poblano (made from any fresh or dried chiles from the
poblano pepper family). Other commonly prepared moles include mole verde (uses green chiles), mole rojo (uses red chiles)
and mole pipian (uses pumpkin seeds).
The cities in this region all have their own enchiladas, from the Enchiladas Potosinas of San Luis Potos´ı (cheese
and onion, with red chile ground into the masa tortillas) to the Enchiladas Mineras(miners’enchiladas) of Guanajuato (cheese
or chicken filling topped with potatoes and carrots in a guajillo salsa). The zacahuil, a three-foot-long tamale that may weigh
as much as 150 pounds, is perhaps the most famous food of the region. Stuffed with pork and a variety of ingredients
including potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and vegetables, the zacahuil requires nearly all the leaves of a banana tree to wrap it.

SOUTHERN MEXICO AND THE GULF OF MEXICO

This region lies between two major bodies of water—the Gulf and Mexico and the Pacific Ocean—and includes the
states of Veracruz, Chiapas, and Tabasco. Veracruz is located on the eastern shore of Mexico known as the Gulf Lowlands as
it stretches along the Gulf Coast. Veracruz is the busiest port in Mexico and home to one of the most fertile fishing banks in
the world. This is where the European conquest started and where the Spanish first settled, so there are significant
Mediterranean influences. Red Snapper Veracruz is considered representative of the area. Traditionally, the whole fish is
covered in a sauce of tomatoes, onions, capers, Spanish olives, olive oil, and pickled jalapeños. Veracruz is one of the few
places in Mexico where people cook with olive oil, and ingredients like green olives and capers and raisins have been
incorporated into the cuisine.
Sugarcane production made heavy demands on labor, and African slaves were brought to work in the plantations.
These slaves were some of the many thousands to bring their culinary influence with them. The peanut, an important
ingredient in West African cooking, was added to meat, fish, and vegetable dishes and ground with spices as part of a paste-
like condiment. Plantains, yucca, and sweet potatoes, all important elements of West African cooking, also became part of this
region’s cuisine.
More than half of Mexico’s coffee beans are grown in Chiapas, and this state is one of the largest producers of
cacao, used to make chocolate. The ancient Maya were the first to cultivate the cacao tree, native to the Central American
rainforest. They found that by first fermenting the pulpy seeds, then drying, roasting, and crushing them, they could make a
potent and delicious drink that they called xocoatl or chocoatl. When the Aztecs conquered the Maya in Central America, they
demanded cacao seeds as tribute, and in their empire the seeds became a kind of currency. The Aztecs, like the Maya before
them, used the chocoatl in religious ceremonies and considered the seeds a gift from the gods.
Here the tamales are made of fresh corn and pork wrapped in the large leaf of the hoja santa herb. When heated, the leaves
produce a sweet, musky anise steam that flavors the tamale.

TH E YUCATAN PENINSULA
This region comprises the states of Campeche, Yucatan, and Quintana Rol. The Yucatan was once an isolated
region of Mexico due to the mountainous terrain surrounding it.The Mayan civilization originated in the Yucatan near 2500
B.C. The Toltec culture arrived in A.D. 987, followed by the Spanish in the 1500s. Game meats such as venison and wild
turkey, and vegetables like squash, cucumbers, chiles, and tomatoes are from the Mayans. Black beans, rather than pinto
beans or kidney beans, are used in this area. Cooking methods like the pib, a hand-dug pit lined with stones and coals in
which meats wrapped in banana leaves are cooked, are typical of Mayan cooking. The Spanish introduced pork, beef, and
chicken. The Mayans had never fried foods before, but with the pig came lard, and with lard came frying. This produced one of
the most significant changes in Mexican cooking.
Seville oranges came from Spain and are a key ingredient in this region’s cuisine along with herbs and spices such
as garlic, oregano, cinnamon, and cumin. Northern Europeans have a legacy in this region as well, especially the Dutch.
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Holland was an active trading partner in the nineteenth century and Edam cheese continues to be a regional staple. Ground
spice pastes used for marinades are called recado. The red version (rojo) contains annatto, Mexican oregano, cumin, clove,
cinnamon, black pepper, allspice, garlic, and salt. The annatto seeds dye the mixture red, which gives the meat or vegetables
cooked with it a distinctive red hue. There are hundreds of variations and each recado is for a different dish.

THE PACIFIC COAST

Many of the traditions considered characteristically “Mexican” were created in Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco. It is
the country’s second-largest city and has large mountain ranges, volcanoes, valleys, and plateaus. Guadalajara is the origin
for traditions such as mariachi music, the Mexican hat dance, broad-brimmed sombrero hats, the Mexican rodeo, and tequila.
The most important crops in this region include peanuts, sugarcane, and agave(for the production of tequila). In the
mountainous regions ranch cooking dominates. Pozole, Mexico’s pork and hominy stew, originated here, as did birria, mutton
or goat prepared in an adobo sauce and served in a rich tomato and meat broth.
The state of Oaxaca is one of the most mountainous states in Mexico. Most of the people today are farmers and the
most common crops are mangoes and coffee. A festival every December celebrates the radish, which was introduced to
Mexico by the Spanish in the late 1500s. Specially grown radishes, some reaching over seven pounds, are carved into works
of art. Sometimes called the “land of seven moles,” Oaxaca is best known for its seven major varieties of mole. From the most
elaborate to the simplest, the seven types are mole negro (black mole, the one that uses cocoa), mole amarillo (yellow), mole
coloradito (little red), mole almendrado (with almonds), mole chichilo (a local name without translation), mole verde (green),
and mole colorado (red). In the way of wine tasting, mole tasting is also practiced in several regions of Mexico.
Chocolate con leche, or more commonly chocolate con agua (hot chocolate prepared with milk or with water) is one
of the most famous products of Oaxaca. The drink is prepared with fresh paste or tablets of cocoa, which in some stores are
custom made with a mix of fresh cocoa, sugar, and cinnamon. The paste or tablets are dissolved in either water or milk. The
hot liquid is mixed with a special wooden shaker (molinillo), which has loose rings that help produce foam. In many places it is
served inside a large bowl accompanied with traditional bread made with egg and anise (pan de huevo).
The states of Colima, Nayarit, and Sinoloa border the Pacific Ocean. Sinaloa is one of Mexico’s largest agricultural
states, and also has one of the largest fishing fleets. The coast provides deep-sea fish such as marlin, swordfish, tuna, and
sea bass as well as shallow-water fish and shellfish. All three states are important for their coconut, coffee, and banana
plantations and orchards of avocado, limes, mango, mamey, and tamarind. Nayarit is famous for its chile sauce, called Salsa
Huichol. This sauce is made from a variety of chiles, spices, vinegar, and salt and is used like American Tabasco.

THE BAJA CALIFORNIA PENINSULA

This territory is divided into two states, Baja California and Baja California Sur. In Baja California, Tijuana is one of
the most visited border cities in the world. The fertile valleys of Guadalupe, San Antonio, Santo Tomas, and San Vicente make
up part of Mexico’s famous wine-producing region. The state also hosts many food festivals throughout the year, including the
Paella and Wine Fair, the Seafood and Fish Festival, the Tequila Festival, and the Caesar Salad Festival (the caesar salad
was created in this state). The food in this region tends to be influenced by the north with the use of flour tortillas, burritos,
tacos, red meat, and machaca (the Mexican equivalent of beef jerky). Baja California Sur only became a state in 1974, when
tourist resorts such as Cabo San Lucas and San Jos´e del Cabo were developed. In the coastal waters off Baja California and
Baja California Sur the seafood harvested includes sole, tuna, sardines, mackerel, clams, shrimp, and lobster.

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KITCHEN TOOLS

1. Cazuela An earthenware casserole used to make moles. Its great advantage is that it heats evenly, eliminating that
nemesis of all cooks, the dreaded “hot spot.”
2. Coffee/SpiceGrinder A necessity for many Mexican dishes that call for ground achiote, pumpkin or sesame seeds,
or spices.
3. Comal A round plate, usually made of unglazed earthenware, cast iron, or tin, about 1 2 inch thick. It is a Mexican
griddle used for cooking tortillas, toasting chiles, garlic, and the like.
4. Molcajete y Tejolote This mortar and pestle combination, made of basalt, is used for grinding. The tejolote is a
heavy, oval shaped rock used to grind spices, onions, peppers, and tomatoes into thick purees in a molcajete.
5. Molinillo Found in every Mexican kitchen, this wooden implement will, when twirled between the palms of both
hands, give hot chocolate a spectacular collar of froth.
6. Tortilla Press An absolute must if you plan to make your own tortillas, the wooden variety of tortilla presses have
largely been replaced by the cast-iron variety. There is also an aluminum model that is decidedly less popular.

COOKING METHODS

1. Charring, Peeling, and Cleaning Fresh Chiles and Bell Peppers In Mexican peasant cooking this is done by
charring peppers right on the charcoal or wood fire, which also serves to enhance the flavor. They can also be put
directly over a gas flame, grill, or on a tray under the broiler. Char the pepper, turning it frequently, until the skin is
blackened. The entire chile will not be completely black, but it should be charred about 60 percent. They will char
evenly and in all the little irregular surfaces if they are first lightly coated with oil. After charring, place the pepper
immediately into a plastic bag to “sweat” for about 15 minutes. Remove from the bag and when cool enough to work
with, remove the blackened skin. You can use your hands, continually dipping them in water to remove the blackened
bits, or use a paper towel. Use a knife to remove any skin that sticks. Do not peel roasted peppers under running
water because this will wash away juices and flavor.
2. Guisar (Braising or Stewing) This is the most common way of cooking meat and poultry (with the possible exception
of northern Mexico, where much of it is grilled). The meat, poultry, and in some cases vegetables are prepared
separately from the sauce in the making of mole, pipian, and other complex dishes. A heavy-bottomed Dutch oven is
a good substitute for a cazuela when doing this long, slow type of cooking.
3. Moler (Grinding) This is traditionally done in a molcajete but today a blender is more frequently used. The molcajete
allows more control over the final texture of a salsa; however, if the sauce is a smooth one, a blender does quite well.
The process of grinding chiles, herbs, spices, and tomatoes in a molcajete is labor-intensive, and an alternative is to
grind dry ingredients in a spice or coffee mill before combining them with other ingredients. Whether using a
molcajete, blender, or food processor, garlic and salt should be ground together before adding the remaining
ingredients.
4. Ponera Sudar (Sweating) This refers to the method used for removing the skins from fresh chiles, especially
poblanos, which are usually cooked without skins, either for stuffing or for making rajas, strips of chiles that are used
in a great number of dishes.
5. Sofreir (Soft-Frying/Saut´eing) Not much deep-frying is done in Mexican cooking, with the exception of some street
snacks. A far more common technique is “soft-frying” or saut´eing, which is done to soften ingredients and intensify
their flavor. Dried chiles, for example, are sometimes soft-fried in combination with dry-roasting. Tortillas usually need
to be soft-fried before being covered with sauce, as with enchiladas.

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 6. Tostar/Asar Toasting or dry-roasting. This is commonly done on the comal, but any well-seasoned griddle or dry
skillet will work. It is a quick process, done over high heat and involving no liquid or oil. Toasting ingredients adds a
distinctive flavor to the dish in which they are cooked.

GLOSSARY

Achiote Small, hard red seeds of the annatto tree, known as achiote, which are used to give color and flavor. Achiote seeds
are widely available in Caribbean and Latin groceries. The seeds should have a healthy, earthy-red color; avoid seeds that
have a dull brown color. The seeds alone have a slightly musky flavor, but they are most often combined with other herbs and
seasoning to make achiote paste, which is popular in the Yucatan for marinades and sauces. In Mexico, the whole seeds are
ground and used. Achiote should always be cooked in fat to remove any chalkiness.
Avocado Leaves Fresh or dried; used for their flavor in Mexican cooking, particularly in the states of Morelos, Puebla, and
Oaxaca. Avocado leaves should be stored dried in an airtight container away from light.
BananaLeaves Availableyear-round,freshorfrozen,inmostLatinAmericanmarkets.Banana leaves are popular in the southern
and Gulf coast Mexican states for wrapping fish, tamales, pork, and chicken. Items wrapped with banana leaves stay moist
during the cooking process, plus they pick up a fruity flavor.
Beans Two beans are typically associated with Mexican cooking: black beans and larger mottled pink pintos. Small black
beans, eaten extensively in Latin regions of the world including Mexico, are small and quite hard, requiring a longer cooking
time than other dried beans such as the pinto. Beans and rice are normally served at every meal and are a complete protein.
Cactus Paddles (Nopales) The prickly pear cactus is the most common type of cactus eaten in Mexico. Nopal means cactus
in Spanish and nopales is the term for “cactus stem.” Nopalitos refers to the pads once they are cut up and prepared for
eating. Nopales are usually sold already cleaned (needles removed); look for bright green and firm pads. They are typically
eaten grilled or boiled.
Cheeses
Fresh Cheeses .
• Queso Blanco A creamy white cheese made from skimmed cow’s milk. It is described as being a cross between
salty cottage cheese and mozzarella. It is traditionally coagulated with lemon juice, giving it a fresh, distinctive lemon
flavor, although today it is often commercially made with rennet
• Queso Fresco A pale cream-colored, moist, crumbly, soft cheese made in round cakes of different sizes. It has a
slight acidity but with a creamy flavor. It is sometimes called queso de metate because the curds are pressed out on
the metate (grinding stone) until compact enough to be packed into the small wooden hoops that give them shape. It
is usually made with a combination of cow’s milk and goat’s milk.
• Panela The most popular fresh cheese in Mexico, also called queso de canasta because it
carriestheimprintofthebasketinwhichitismolded.Itisawhite,spongy,salty,semi-soft cheese mild in flavor. It absorbs
other flavors easily.
• Requesón A loose, ricotta-like cheese used to fill enchiladas and to make cheese spreads. It is typically sold in the
markets wrapped in fresh corn husks. Requesón has a very mild and semisweet flavor. Its color is white and its
texture is soft, moist, and grainy.
Soft Cheeses
• Oaxaca Also referred to as Asadero or Queso Oaxaca cheese. It is a semi-soft, white, string type cheese. It is
stretched, kneaded, then formed into a ball shape, which is plunged in brine for several minutes. The flavor ranges
from mild to sweet and buttery.

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Semi-Soft Cheeses
• Asadero The literal translation of this cheese’s name is “broiler” or “roaster”; the cheese itself is made by the same
method as the braided Oaxaca cheese. The cheese melts easily when heated and strings appropriately.
• Chihuahua Also called queso menonita, after the Mennonite communities of northern Mexico that first produced it.
This is a mild, spongy, pale-yellow cheese. Unlike most Mexican cheeses, it is pale yellow rather than white, and can
vary in taste from mild to a nearly cheddar-like sharpness.
• Queso Jalapeño A smooth, soft white cow’s milk cheese with bits of jalapeño chile in it.
• Queso Quesadilla This cheese is smooth, soft, mild, and white. It melts easily to make dishes rich and creamy.
Semi-Firm Cheeses
Queso Criollo This pale yellow cheese is a specialty of the region around Taxco, Guerrero, and is similar to Munster.
Edam Although not considered a Mexican cheese, edam has become an intrinsic part of Yucatan regional cooking.
Manchego This cheese has a black, gray, or buff-colored rind with a crosshatch pattern. The interior ranges from stark white
to yellowish, depending on age. It has a number of holes and a mild, slightly briny, nutty flavor.
Firm Cheeses
• Añejo An aged cheese, white and crumbly, often very dry and salty, rather resembling a dry feta. This cheese is not
as strongly flavored as cotija, but can be easily shredded or grated.
• Cotija This is a sharp, crumbly goat cheese. This cheese is strongly flavored, firm and
perfectforgrating.Itwasoriginallymadewithgoat’smilkbuttodaycow’smilkispreferred.
Chiles The most prominent feature of Mexican cooking is the emphasis it places on chiles, with more than seventy varieties.
• Dried Chiles Each chile has its own characteristics, flavor, and quality; you should not interchange chiles within a
recipe unless it is indicated in the recipe.
• Ancho Chile A ripened and dried chile poblano, one of the most commonly used throughout Mexico. Chile Ancho
has a deep, reddish-brown color—brick red when soaked in water—and a wrinkled, fairly shiny skin. It is triangular in
shape, and measures about 3 inches at its widest point and 5 inches in length. The ancho has a pleasant, sweet
flavor, similar to a bell pepper. It may be stuffed; however, it is mostly soaked and ground for cooked sauces. It rates
between 1,000 and 2,000 Scoville units on the heat index. ´
• Arbol Chile The name means“treechile.”Itislongandskinny,21 2 by 1 2 inches on average, and has a brilliant red,
thin, smooth, shiny skin. This chile has a vicious bite, and should be treated with caution. It has a tannic, smoky, and
grassy flavor, and a searing, acidic heat on the tip of the tongue. It rates between 15,000 and 30,000 Scoville units
on the heat index.
• Cascabel Chile Small and round, it is so named because it sounds like a rattle when it is shaken
(cascabelmeans“jinglebells”inSpanish). It has a smooth, brownish-redskin, and usually measures 1 inch in diameter.
Cascabel adds a deep smoky, nutty flavor to dishes. It is typically toasted and ground for sauce. The cascabel rates
between 1,500 and 2,500 Scoville units on the heat index.
• Chipotle Chile This is chile jalapeño, ripened, dried, and then smoked. Its light brown, wrinkled skin smells distinctly
of smoke and its name means “smoked chile.” It measures approximately 2 to 4 inches in length and about an inch
wide. As much as one-fifth of the Mexican jalapeño crop is processed into chipotles. It rates between 5,000 and
8,000 Scoville units on the heat index.
• Guajillo Chile A long, slender, pointed chile whose brownish-red skin is smooth, shiny, and tough, the guajillo
averages 41 2 inches in length and 11 4 inches in width. Sweet and mild, this chile is a base for rich chile con carne

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 and classic Tex-Mex cuisine. The guajillo is used in table and cooked sauces. The skin is extra tough, so it needs
longer time for cooking. It rates between 2,000 and 4,500 Scoville units on the heat index.
• Mora Chile This is a smoked and dried large red jalapeño pepper. Blackish red in color, it has a wrinkled, tough skin,
with a round tip. A typical size is 2 inches long and 3 4 inch wide. Like the chipotle, it has a smoky flavor and is very
picante (hot and spicy). It rates between 5,000 and 8,000 Scoville units on the heat index.
• Morita Chile A small, mulberry-red chile, triangular in shape and about 1 inch long and 1 2 inch wide, with a slightly
smoky flavor. This smoked and dried small red jalape˜no pepper is very hot and spicy. It rates between 5,500 and
8,500 Scoville units on the heat index.
• Mulato Chile This very popular chile looks like the ancho, only slightly larger with tougher and smoother skin and a
brownish black hue. It’s fairly mild and has an earthy flavor; when soaked in water it has a sweetish, almost chocolaty
flavor. This chile is normally used soaked and ground in cooked sauces, the classic example being mole poblano. It
rates between 900 and 1,500 Scoville units on the heat index.
• Pasilla Chile This is a long, slender chile with a rounded tip. The skin is wrinkled with a blackish tone. It is a standard
ingredient in mole sauces. The average size is 6 inches long and 3 4 to 1 inch wide. The seeds and veins clustered
at the top by the stem are very hot; however, the flesh is generally mild and has a slight “tobaccoish” flavor. It is
toasted and ground for table sauces and soaked and ground for cooked sauces. It rates between 1,000 and 1,500
Scoville units on the heat index.
• Chile de la Tierra, Colorado Chile This is the chile verde, or Anaheim, ripened and dried. When dried it has a
tough, dark, reddish brown matte skin. It is very mild and does not have much flavor. It rates between 700 and 1,000
Scoville units on the heat index.
Fresh Chiles
• G¨uero Chile A pale yellow chile that varies in size, averaging 4 to 5 inches long and 1 inch wide. It is pointed at the
end, with a smooth, small-ridged, undulated surface. This chile
canbeveryhotandhasadeliciousanddistinctiveflavor.Itratesbetween2,000and6,500 Scoville units on the heat index.
• Habanero Chile This chile is shaped like a small lantern, about 1 inch across as its widest part and a bit over 2
inches long. This extremely hot chile has a distinctive fruity flavor. It is a light green color and as it ripens it turns to
one of various colors including red, orange, salmon, white, and chocolate, depending on the variety. It rates 200,000
to3 00,000 Scoville units.
• Jalape˜nos Chile The most well-known of Mexico’s chiles. It is a mid- to dark-green chile with a smooth surface and
more often rounded at the tip than pointed. It averages 21 2 inches long and 3 4 inch at its widest part. It has a
unique rich fresh flavor and is hot. Jalape˜nos, like serranos, are used in various ways: fresh in a relish, cut and
cooked, boiled and blended. It rates between 2,500 and 8,000 Scoville units on the heat index.
• Poblano Chile The poblano can vary in shape, color, size, and flavor, depending on where it was grown, the time of
year, and so forth. Typically, they are mild, large, heart-shaped peppers with very thick walls, 5 inches long and about
3 inches wide at the top, tapering to the apex. They are great for stuffing. They can be fairly mild to hot. With minor
exceptions they are always charred and peeled. It rates between 1,200 and 2,500 Scoville units on the heat index.
• Serrano Chile A small, smooth, mid-green chile, mostly rounded but sometimes pointed at the end. It averages 11 2
inch long and about 1 2 inch wide. The flesh has a strong, fresh flavor, and the seeds and veins are very hot and
spicy. It has thin walls, so it doesn’t need to be charred, steamed, and peeled before using. It rates between 8,000
and 22,000 Scoville units on the heat index.
• Chile Verde, Anaheim Chile A light green chile with a rounded tip, averaging 1 inch wide and 6 inches long.
Anaheim chiles range from mild to hot. They have a tough skin that is typically charred and peeled before being
used. When mature and red, an Anaheim is called a chile colorado. It rates between 1,000 and 2,000 Scoville units
on the heat index.

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Chorizos Brought to Mexico by Spanish explorers, this pork sausage is made all over Mexico, and each region has its own
balance of spices, chiles, and herbs. Many cooks believe that lean pork is the important factor when making chorizos. The
pork for Mexican chorizos is chopped (not ground), seasoned, and stuffed into casings made from pigs’ small intestine.
Cilantro The fresh green leaves and tender stems of coriander, or Chinese parsley. The dried seed is occasionally used, but
the two are not interchangeable. There is no substitute for its crisp and pungent flavor. Thick stems should be discarded and
only thin stems and leaves used.
Corn Husks The dried outer sheath that surrounds each ear of corn. They are the traditional wrappers for tamales, but they
can be used to wrap other foods for steaming or grilling. In addition to protecting foods as they cook, they also impart a mild
corn essence. Cornhusks are used fresh as well as dried.
Cumin The flavor of cumin plays a major role in Mexican cuisine. Cumin is the dried seed of the herb Cuminum cyminum, a
member of the parsley family. The cumin plant grows to about 1 to 2 feet tall and is harvested by hand. Cumin is a key
component in both chile powder and curry powder. Always develop the flavor by cooking it first in fat.
Epazote A weed that grows all over North America. It is a strong-tasting herb; the flavor is dominant and should be used
alone, not in combination with other herbs. It is quite pungent and some say it smells like gasoline or kerosene. It is most
commonly used in black bean recipes to ward off some of the “negative” side affects of eating beans.
Huitlacoche An exotic fungus that grows naturally on ears of corn. The kernels are swollen and deformed, black and juicy
inside and covered with a crisp, slivery-gray skin. The texture and inky flavor is unique. The earthy and somewhat smoky
fungus is used to flavor quesadillas, tamales, soups, and other specialty dishes.
Jicama Like potatoes, jicama grows underground as a tuber. It is a round brown-skinned vegetable that yields crisp white
flesh that looks like an apple or raw potato. Raw jicama is sweet and juicy. Always remove the fibrous brown skin. Cooked
lightly it becomes milder but retains its crispness, like a water chest nut. Jicama is primarily a texture food since its flavor is
rather bland.
Lime Mexican cooks use the yellow-skinned key lime, because it tastes sweeter than other limes. If key limes are unavailable,
use half lemon juice and half lime juice. Mexican cuisine uses limes for marinating fish and chicken, in salsas, soups, and best
of all balancing margaritas.
Masa, Masa Harina Masa means “dough” in Spanish, but in Mexico it is generally understood as“corndough.”It is made by
boiling corn kernels in powdered lime (calciumoxide), washing them, and then grinding; water is mixed in to make dough.
Smoother, soft masa is required fortortillas, and coarser, stiff masa is used for tamales. Masa harina is factory-made
powdered masa. It can be used to make anything that calls for masa. Ordinary yellow cornmeal for making cornbread is not a
substitute.
Oregano Mexican oregano has a more assertive flavor than the Mediterranean oregano. Thirteen varieties of oregano grow
throughout Mexico. However, Mexican cooks normally use dried oregano.
Pepitas or Pumpkin Seeds These seeds have been used in Mexican cuisine since pre-Columbian times. Toasted in their
hulls or hulled but unroasted and unsalted, they are used in moles, sauces, salads, and snack foods.
Plantains are popular in Latin American, Asian, and African cuisines, and are prepared and eaten in a number of ways. Unlike
their common sweet banana cousin, plantains have to be cooked. They are starchy, only slightly sweet, and are no more
appealing to eat raw than a potato. They can be pink, green, red, blackish-brown, and yellow with black spots. In Mexican
cooking they must be very ripe, almost juicy, and sweet.
Seville or Sour Oranges Small, brilliantly orange, thin-skinned oranges. There is no real substitute for the sharp, fragrant
juice.
Tomatillos (Tomates Verdes, Mexican Green Tomatoes) The tomatillo is of Mexican origin; however, it now grows
everywhere in the Western Hemisphere. It is a pale green fruit enclosed in a green, papery husk that ripens to yellow. It is not

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an ordinary unripe tomato. In central Mexico it is called tomate verde, and in the northeast fresadilla; elsewhere it is tomatillo,
tomate de cascara, ortomate de bolsa. Generally used when they are green rather than yellow, tomatillos, vary in acidity and
have a very tart flavor. When working with tomatillos always remove the husks and wash the fruit. Tomatoes Tomatoes are
indigenous to Mexico and South America, and are grown year round. The Italian plum tomato, called jitomato guaje
(“gourd”tomato) or guajillo, like the chile, is also grown extensively. However, the skin of the plum tomato is much tougher than
an ordinary tomato.
Tortillas Indispensable in Mexican cuisine, made with either corn or wheat flour. Available both fresh and frozen.

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VI. ACTIVITY
Prepare the given recipe. Follow the procedure for a better result. The product will be graded base on the rubrics for practical
activities.
Artisan Enchilada

About the dish:

This recipe is simple, but the result is

something gourmet and delightful. Hand
crafting the filling for these enchiladas with
fresh ingredients and Sargento ® Shredded
Authentic Mexican Cheese ensures that each
wrapped tortilla is bursting with authentic
Mexican-style flavor.

INGREDIENTS
3/4 lb. ground pork or beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (10 oz. each) enchilada sauce, divided
2 cups (8 oz.) Sargento® Shredded Authentic Mexican Cheese, divided
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, divided
8 (6 to 7-inch) flour tortillas

PROCEDURE
1. Cook meat with onion and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until no longer pink, about 5 minutes; drain.
Stir in 1/2 cup enchilada sauce; simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

2. Spoon 1/2 cup enchilada sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Stir 1 cup cheese and 1/4 cup cilantro into meat
mixture. Spoon about 1/3 cup mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll up; place seam-sides down in dish. Spoon
remaining enchilada sauce over tortillas, spreading to cover. Cover dish with foil.

3. Bake in a preheated 375°F oven 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through. Uncover; top with remaining cheese.
Continue baking 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top with remaining 1/4 cup cilantro.

(Recipe source: https://www.sargento.com/recipes/mexican/artisan-

enchiladas?fbclid=IwAR3BlRGvc1EosaQ90fY40NIR-YufFs8MJR8brqW4v6GzzqDt9UhmVcjxK90)

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V. POST-TEST
Read the following statements. Write True if the statement is correct and False if not. Write you answer on a sheet of paper.
1. The food in Central Mexico is based heavily on corn.
2. Caesar Salad was created in Baja California Sur.
3. Zacahuil is a rich dark sauce with chocolate, chiles, spices, herbs, groundnuts, seeds, and a variety of other
ingredients.
4. Guisar refers to the method used for removing the skins from fresh chiles, especially poblanos, which are usually
cooked without skins, either for stuffing or for making rajas, strips of chiles that are used in a great number of dishes.
5. Tortillas Indispensable in Mexican cuisine, made with either corn or wheat flour. Available both fresh and frozen.

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 CHAPTER 2 CUISINE OF SOUTH AMERICA

(image sourcehttps://www.mapsofworld.com/world-map-image.html)

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I.OBJECTIVES:
In this unit challenge yourself to attain the following objectives:
- Identify the cooking methods, most common ingredients and staples of South America.
- Explain the effect of geography and history in South American Cuisine.
- Appreciate the art of cooking in Mexico.

II. PRE-TEST
Identify the word described in the following statement. Choose among the choices provided below

Matambre Arepas Lechona

Ceviche Churrasco Humitas

1. These thick, flattened balls fried or baked corn or wheat flour, and can be filled with meats, cheeses, jelly, or
vegetables. These are the main staple of Venezuelan cuisine
2. It is a Brazilian word that means “to barbecue” and stems from the pampas of Brazil, where ranchers cook large
portions of marinated meats on long skewers over an open fire pit.
3. It is a whole suckling pig, spit-roasted and stuffed with rice, which is a specialty of Tolima
4. It is the Argentina’s national dish made from thin flank steak rolled with fillings that include spinach, whole hard-boiled
eggs, other vegetables, herbs, and spices.
5. It is a seafood prepared in a centuries-old method of cooking by contact with the acidic juice of citrus juice instead of
heat

III. INTRODUCTION
South America is the fourth largest continent in the world. It is the southern portion of the landmass generally
referred to as the New World, Western Hemisphere or simply the Americas. The continent is compact and roughly triangular
shape. This chapter covers the cuisine of South America.

IV. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

THE LAND OF SOUTH AMERICA

South America, the fourth largest continent, contains the world’s highest waterfall, Angel Falls; the largest river (by
volume), the Amazon River; the longest mountain range, the Andes; the driest desert, Atacama; the largest rain forest, the
Amazon rain forest; the highest capital city, La Paz, Bolivia; and the world’s southernmost city, Ushuaia, Argentina.
In the high reaches of the Andes Mountains, along the border between Bolivia and Peru, lies one of the highest
regions inhabited by people anywhere in the world. Here in the altiplano farmers raise sheep, llamas, and alpacas, as they
have for thousands of years. But unlike most farmlands, the altiplano is surrounded by jagged mountains, volcanic peaks that
drop steeply down to deserts in some places, to rain forests in others, and on the western side, to the deep trench of the
Pacific Ocean. South America is home to some of the planet’s largest
The Eastern Highlands of South America belong to the older geologic period (almost of the same time as that of
North America’s Appalachian Mountains). The northern section of the Eastern Highlands is known as Guiana Highlands,

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which consists of a vast plateau marked by deep gorges and tropical rain forests, and is home to Angel Falls. The southern
section is known as the Brazilian Highlands and includes several mountain ranges.
Venezuela’s rugged Llanos are one of the world’s richest tropical grasslands. This large, very fertile plain is located
in central and southern Venezuela and eastern and central Colombia. It is drained by the Orinoco River and its many
tributaries. This mostly flat, grassy country is teeming with wildlife, including more than 100 species of mammals and over 300
species of birds. Here, a catfish known as the lau-lau weighs up to 330 pounds and is considered a culinary delicacy.
Pampas is a word of Quechua origin that means “a plain without trees.” This flat land is Argentina’s agricultural
heartland, home of the gaucho (cowboy) and is famed for its many cattle ranches.
Patagonia is the area between the Andes Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. It stretches south from the Rio Negro
River in southern Argentina to Tierra del Fuego and the Strait of Magellan and is one of the less populated regions in the
world. Its mostly rugged, barren land is not suitable for extensive farming, but is compatible with sheep raising.

HISTORY

In the sixteenth century, Spanish explorers in the Americas encountered two great civilizations, one in Mesoamerica
(the territory controlled by the Aztecs and the Mayas at the time of the conquest) and the other in South America (the territory
in the central Andean region under Inca rule). The people of these regions included many tribes and nations, with
achievements that include dart, cities, and strong foundations of economic, political, and social organization.
The Inca empire, with its capital at Cuzco (in modern-day Peru), covered a large portion of South America in the
fifteenth century and the first quarter of the sixteenth century. The empire stretched nearly 2,500 miles down the west coast of
South America, and covered coastal desert, high mountains, and low-lying jungle. To control such a huge area, the Incas built
roads, including both mountainous and coastal routes. This road system was the key to farming success since it allowed
distribution of foodstuffs over long distances. Agriculture was an important part of Incan life and farmers used sophisticated
methods of cultivation. By the time of the Spanish conquest, the ancient Americans were some of the greatest plant cultivators
in the world. Maize from Mesoamerica and potatoes from the Andes were some of their contributions to the European diet. To
get the highest yield from their crops, the Incas used terracing and irrigation methods on hillsides in the highlands. Building
terraces meant that they could use more land for cultivation, and it also helped to resist erosion of the land by wind and rain.
By the sixteenth century, rumors of gold and other riches attracted the Spanish to the area. Spanish conquistadors,
led by Francisco Pizarro, explored south from Panama, reaching Inca territory. It was clear that they had reached a wealthy
land with prospects of great treasure, and after one more expedition in 1529, Pizarro traveled to Spain and received royal
approval to conquer the region and be its viceroy.
Pedros Alvares Cabral set sail from Portugal in 1500 to sail to the eastern side of South America. He arrived on the
coast of Brazil and claimed the region for Portugal. Finding the warm climate and rich soil ideal for planting sugarcane, the
Portuguese built large plantations and brought slaves from West Africa. Shiploads of Euorpean settlers poured in to make
their fortune. Many grew coffee in the rich soil around S˜ao Paulo, and Brazil became the foremost coffee producer in the
world at that time. Gold mines flourished in the interior, and a new industry to produce rubber emerged up along the Amazon.
Cattle ranches sprang up to feed developing mining centers. Brazil soon began exporting coffee, rubber, cocoa, and cattle.
Today these are countries of great contrasts. In each one, there are wealthy and cosmopolitan cities, but there are
also areas where many people live in conditions of great poverty. Significant ecological and environmental issues, such as the
destruction of the rain forest, loss of plant and animal species, and air and water pollution, are being addressed. Rich in
natural resources with growing economies, there is great potential for the future.

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 THE FOOD

The inhabitants of the Andean region developed more than half the agricultural products that the world eats today.
Among these are more than 20 varieties of corn, 240 varieties of potato, as well as one or more varieties of squash, beans,
peppers, peanuts, and cassava (a starchy root). Quinoa (which in the language of Incans means “mother of cereals”) is a
cereal grain crop domesticated in the high plains area around Lake Titicaca (on the border of Peru and Bolivia).
By far the most important of the crops was the potato. The Incas planted the potato, which is able to withstand
heavy frosts, in elevations as high as 15,000 feet. At these heights the Incas could use the freezing night temperatures and
the heat of the day to alternately freeze and dry harvested potatoes until all the moisture had been removed. The Incas then
reduced the potato to a light flour. Corn could also be grown up to an altitude of 13,500 feet; it was consumed fresh, dried, or
popped. They also made it into an alcoholic beverage known as saraiaka or chicha.
The manioc tuber, or cassava root, was another important staple of the natives. This carbohydrate-rich food was
easy to propagate but difficult to process, at least for the bitter variety, which is poisonous when raw. To detoxify manioc, the
tubers had to be peeled and grated and the pulp put into long, supple cylinders—called tipitis—made of woven plant fibers.
Each tube was then hung with a heavy weight at the bottom, which compressed the pulp and expressed the poisonous juice.
The pulp could then be removed, washed, and roasted, rendering it safe to eat. The product was toasted into coarse meal or
flour known as farinha de mandioc. Starch settling out from the extracted juice was heated on a flat surface, causing individual
starch grains to pop open and clump together into small, round granules called tapioca. The extracted juice, boiled down to
remove the poison, was used as the basis of the sauce known as tucupi.
Manioc meal became many things in the hands of the Indian women. Pulverized meal was mixed with ground fish to
produce a concoction called pac¸oka, orpac¸oca. For the children, small, sun-dried cakes called carimá were prepared. There
was a porridge or paste known as mingau, and thin, crisp snacks called beijus, made of either tapioca flour or dough from a
nonpoisonous, or sweet variety of manioc known as macaxeira or aipim. These sweet manioc tubers, which are somewhat
fibrous but considerably easier to prepare, were also pared,boiled for several hours to soften them, and eaten like potatoes.
Soups are an indispensable part of the main meal and frequently are a meal in them. Most South American soups
originated in European kitchens; a few date back to pre-Hispanic times. In the Andean countries there are the mazamorroas or
coladoas, creamlike soups made with ground dried corn and ground dried beans, quinoa, amaranth, or squash. Variations of
this type of soup, called sangos, are probably the oldest Indian food. Sango was the sacred dish of the Incas. The Spaniards
introduced potajes (hearty soups), pucheros (pot-au-feu-type soups), and cocidos (meat and vegetables soups) that are
popular in the southern countries of South America. Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia, and Paraguay have locros—thick
soups made with hominy, beans, squash, and sweet potatoes. Chupes, popular in Bolivia, Chile, Peru, and Ecuador, are
stewlike soups prepared with fish, chicken, or other meat along with potatoes, cheese, vegetables, and may include eggs.

Venezuela
The country is one of the world’s top ten producers of oil, which has helped it to develop its economy. Due to the
diversity in the landscape, Venezuela has an ability to grow a wide variety of crops. Its main crop is sugarcane, followed by
fruits such as bananas, oranges, pineapple, papayas, strawberries, passion fruit, watermelons, limes, and avocados. Because
of its long Caribbean coastline Venezuela is as much a Caribbean country as it is a South American one. Venezuela has a
strong fishing industry, famous for sardines, shrimp, clams, mussels, crabs, and tuna.
Arepas, thick, flattened balls of fried or baked corn or wheat flour, are the main staple of Venezuelan cuisine. These
flatbreads can be filled with meats, cheeses, jelly, or vegetables. Favorite fillings include tuna or chicken salad, shredded beef,
or ham and cheese. Arepas usually accompany Venezuela’s national dish, pabelloncriollo. This is a hearty dish that includes
black beans and shredded beef seasoned with onions, garlic, green peppers, tomatoes, and cilantro. This is served atop a

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mound of rice alongside a fried egg and strips of fried plantain. White cheese is grated over the top. Hallaca is a special dish
served only during the holidays. A packet of cornmeal dough is steamed in a wrapping of palm leaves with a filling of pork,
chicken, and beef, and mixed with olives, capers, raisins, tomatoes, peppers, nuts, and spices. Hallaca were first made by
servants trying to use up leftovers from their plantation master’s tables. Among the unusual foods in this country are logarto
sancocho (lizard soup) and fried ants, considered a special treat.

Brazil
The country’s main regions are the Amazon Basin, the dry northeast where farmers raise cattle, and the southeast,
Brazil’s most populated region. Brazil is one of the most urbanized and industrialized countries in Latin America. S˜ao Paulo
and Rio de Janeiro are among the ten largest cities in the world. Yet parts of Brazil’s Amazon region, which has some of the
world’s most extensive wilderness areas, are sparsely inhabited by indigenous peoples who rarely come into contact with the
modern world.
Until 1822 the country was a Portuguese colony and even today its official language is Portuguese. The Portuguese
and Spanish brought African slaves to South America, and nowhere is their influence stronger than in Brazil. Dendê(palm
oil),peppers, okra, and coconut milk, staples of West African cooking, are firmly established on the Brazilian palate. Brazil’s
national dish, feijoada (literally “big bean” stew), is said to have originated during slave times. Originally feijoada contained
inexpensive and less desirable cuts of meat such as tripe and pigs feet, as slaves had only the leftovers of the master’s table
for themselves. Today feijoada consists of a variety of meats slowly cooked with black beans and condiments. A feijoada
completa, or “complete feijoada,” is accompanied by rice, fresh orange slices, a side dish of peppery onion sauce, chopped
greens such as collards, and farinha (toasted manioc flour).
The Portuguese influence shows in the rich, sweet egg breads that are served at nearly every meal, and in the
seafood dishes that blend assorted seafood with coconut and other native fruits and vegetables. Seafood stews predominate
in the north, while the south is the land of churrascos. Churrasco is a Brazilian word that means “to barbecue” and stems
from the pampas of Brazil, where ranchers cook large portions of marinated meats on long skewers over an open fire pit. The
range of barbecued meats includes pork, beef, chicken, goat, and the very special galinha do coracao, or chicken hearts. The
meats are cut straight from the skewer with large butcher knives directly onto the plate. They make great use of their rich
assortment of tubers, squash, and beans. Manioc is at the heart of Brazilian vegetable consumption. It is the “flour” of the
region, and is eaten in one form or another at nearly every meal. Brazilian food, unlike the cuisines of many of the surrounding
countries, favors the sweet rather than the hot.

The Guinas
The Dutch were among the first to settle in Guyana. With the Dutch, many Germans and Austrians also settled in
the area, which added to the cuisine of this region. Peas, rice, and bread are staples in the diet of many Guyanese. Locally
grown vegetables such as manioc, plantains, and breadfruit are widely consumed, but are available only in season. There are
influences from India and many traditional dishes are very spicy, made with curries and habanero peppers, or Scotch bonnet,
which is native to the region.
The Indonesian population has contributed a number of spicy meat and vegetable side dishes, including nasi goring
(fried rice) and bami goring (fried noodles). From the Creole population has come pom (ground tayer roots, which are a
relative of the cassava, mixed with poultry), and pastei (chicken pie with vegetables). The African influence is found in the
popular peanut soup.

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Colombia
Coffee is Colombia’s leading agricultural crop. With its two coastlines, seafood makes a major impact on the cuisine,
along with chicken, pork, potatoes, rice, beans, and soup. Columbia’s cuisine also has a strong Spanish influence. Interesting
regional dishes include ajiaco, a specialty from Bogota that is a potato-based soup accompanied by chicken and maize and
served with cream, capers, and chunks of avocado; the famous hormiga culona, a large ant that is fried and eaten; and
lechona, a whole suckling pig, spit-roasted and stuffed with rice, which is a specialty of Tolima.

Ecuador
Ecuador is renowned for its ceviche, made with bitter orange juice and chilies. Afro Ecuadorians along the northern
coast enjoy seafood seasoned with coconut milk. Peanuts and bananas are found on the lower-coastal regions. Corn and
potato pancakes and soups, as well as grilled cuy (guinea pig), are popular further inland along the Andes. Ecuador is also
known for its fabulous exotic fruits that include cherimoya (custardapple), physalis (capegooseberry), tamarillo (tree tomato),
babaco (mountain papaya), granadilla (passion fruit), baby bananas, and red bananas.
There is also high-quality fish and seafood, and the countless varieties of Andean potatoes. Across the country
national and regional dishes include lemon-marinated shrimp, toasted corn, and pastries stuffed with spiced meats. The core
of the Ecuadorian diet is rice, potatoes, and meat (beef and chicken throughout the country and pork in the Sierra region).
Foods are cooked in achiote oil or lard. Refrito, a fried mixture containing chopped onions, green peppers, tomato, achiote,
and salt and/orgarlic, is added to many cooked dishes. Meats are often seasoned with a spicy aji sauce.The aji sauce (made
from a spicy red pepper )is a national delicacy and is found on most tables. Ecuador’s specialties are fresh soups such as
Locrosoup (cheese, avocado, and potato). Fanesca is a soup made of many ingredients including twelve different grains and
salted cod served during Lent. Other popular dishes include lomo salteado (thin sliced steak, covered with onions and
tomatoes) and chocio (grilled Andean corn) sold by street vendors.

Peru
This “land of the Incas” is the world’s potato capital, with more than three hundred varieties and colors (including
purple, blue, yellow, and shades of brown to pink), as well as various sizes, textures, and flavors. This tuber, in addition to
rice, chicken, pork, lamb, and fish, comprise the basic ingredient from which most Peruvian dishes originate. Most corn and
beans cannot grow in the Andes Mountains because of the cold and the short growing season; thus, the potato was the main
staple grown by the Incas and Indians. The Indians also grew quinoa and the grain kiwicha, which grows at high altitudes and
produces small seeds that are very rich in protein. These were used by the Incas to supplement their diet.
The areas surrounding the Pacific Ocean, the Amazon River, and Lake Titicaca have abundant seafood and turtles.
Ceviche comes in many variations, and is typically served with boiled potato, sweet potato, or cancha (toasted corn kernels).
Meats are served in a variety of ways. Butifarras is a sandwich with Peruvian ham and spicy sauce. Carapulcra is a stew
made with pork, chicken, yellow potatoes, chiles, peanuts, and cumin. Aji de gallina is a peppery chicken served in a creamy,
yellow, spicy nut-based sauce. Seco de cabrito is goat marinated with chichi de jora (a fermented maize drink) or beer,
cilantro, and garlic. Chaiona is cured lamb, alpaca, or llama. Grilled or fried guinea pig (cuy) is a favorite in the highlands. The
cuisine’s flavor is spicy and sweet and it varies by region. Some Peruvian chile peppers are not spicy but give color to sauces.
In Peru rice production is significant and today rice often accompanies Peruvian dishes rather than potatoes.

Bolivia
Bolivia is known for its saltenas and empanadas, which are meat or vegetable pies. Other traditional dishes include
majao a rice dish with eggs, beef, and fried banana; silpancho, meat served with rice and potatoes; and pacumutu,a rice dish

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with grilled beef, fried yuca, and cheese. Spicy sauces and condiments made with ajis are served with stews and soups such
as chairo (with cured lamb or alpaca), chuno (freeze-dried potatoes), or saice (meat soup with onions and tomatoes). Bolivian
beer is popular, but the most favored local drink is chicha cochabambina, a very potent alcohol made from corn.

Paraguay
Although landlocked, Paraguay is bordered and crisscrossed by navigable rivers. Corn and manioc are the
cornerstones of the cuisine in Paraguay. Other principal food crops include beans, peanuts, sorghum, sweet potatoes, and
rice. Many types of beans are grown in Paraguay, including lima beans, French beans, and peas. The most popular dishes
are based on corn, meat, milk, and cheese. Yerba mate is a national drink made from the green dried leaves and stemlets of
the tree Ilex paraguarensis and is an important ritualistic process among the people of Paraguay and Argentina. It is served in
a hollow gourd that is filled two-thirds of the way with the moistened mate herb. Hot water is then poured into the gourd. The
person sucks the mate water out of the gourd with a bombilla (a metal filter straw with a strainer at the end, which can range
from the functional to the elaborately crafted). When the water is gone, the gourd is refilled by the server with hot water and
passed to the next person in the group. When that person finishes, the gourd is handed back to the server for another refill
and this rotating process of sharing is what makes the act of mate drinking a moment of intimacy for those present. Yerba
mate is supposed to have powers that include mental stimulation, fatigue reduction, and stress reduction. Another local drink
preferred by Paraguayans is locally produced dark rum made from sugarcane.

Chile
Chile’s agriculture is well established in North American and European supermarkets, with major exports of fruit and
wine. Spanish priest first introduced vines to Chile in the sixteenth century because they needed wine for religious
celebrations. Vines were planted in the central valley around Santiago and grew well.
In the 1850s, the Spanish vines were replaced by French varieties and winemaking became a serious industry.
Historically, Chile has grown mostly the Cabernet Sauvignon grape, but recent successes with Merlot, Carmenere, and Syrah
grapes make a wider range of wines available. Muscatel grapes are grown in the northern region, but mainly for the production
of pisco, the national drink. During the nineteenth century, the newly independent government sought to stimulate European
immigration. Beginning in 1845, it had some success in attracting primarily German migrants to the Chilean south, principally
to the lake district. For this reason, that area of the country still shows a German influence in its architecture and cuisine, and
German (peppered with archaic expressions and intonations) is still spoken by some descendants of these migrants.
Because of its location in the Southern Hemisphere, the fruits grown there are ready for export in the Northern
Hemisphere’s winter season. Fruits exported to the United States include apples, avocados, peaches, nectarines, kiwifruits,
plums, pears, blueberries, and cherries, and the main vegetables are garlic, asparagus, and onions.
A typical Chilean dish is cazuela de ave, a thick stew of chicken, p otatoes, rice, green peppers, and, occasionally,
onions. Humitas are a national favorite, and they come from the Amerindians who are native to Chile. Humitas are made with
grated fresh corn, mixed into a paste with fried onions, basil, salt, and pepper. The mixture is then wrapped in corn husks and
cooked in boiling water.
Chile’s long coastline makes it a natural for seafood such as abalone, eel, scallops, turbot, king crab, sea urchin,
and algae. The Juan Fernadez Islands are known for their huge lobsters. Seafood is an ingredient prepared in almost every
technique, including stews, ceviches, escabeches, or snacks with potatoes, corn, squash, and other vegetables. Many of
Chile’s lamb dishes, such as lamb ribs or lamb shish kebabs, as well as baked deer dishes and cakes, stem from Welsh
influence. Chile’s most distinctive desserts trace their origins to the southern lake region, where German immigrants left a
legacy of kuchen—a delicious pastry loaded with fresh fruits like raspberries and apricots. A more common Chilean pastry is
the alfajor, which consists of dulce de leche (caramelized milk) sandwiched between thin pastries and rolled in powdered

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sugar. Another favorite is macedonia, diced fruit with a fruit syrup topping. There is also arroz conleche, or chilled rice with
milk, sugar, and cinnamon. Semola con leche is a flan made of sweet corn flour topped with caramel.

Argentina
Argentina’s heartland is a broad grassy plain known as the Pampas. The cuisine has been in fluenced by waves of
European immigration. Italian immigrants have had considerable influence, and Italian standards like lasagna, pizza, pasta,
and ravioli are commonly seen on the Argentine table, at least in the country’s major cities.
Argentina is the beef capital of the world. The rich grassland of the Pampas are home to cattle and sheep, raised by
gauchos (Argentinecowboys). The national dish is matambre, made from thin flank steak rolled with fillings that include
spinach, whole hard-boiled eggs, other vegetables, herbs, and spices. The steak is then tied with a string and either poached
in broth or baked. Its name is derived from mata hambre, which means“kill your hunger.” Probably the most famous Argentine
dish is the parrillada, a mixed grill plate of different meats and sausages (chorizos). The meat is cooked on a very large grill
called a parilla. Spit roasting is also very popular. For this the meat to be roasted is placed on spits that look like swords and
are placed tip down into and around hot coals. Classic Argentinean cuisine includes chimichurri sauce (a cross between
Mexican salsa and Italian vinaigrette) and the empanada. Here tortillas are made with potato dough, in contrast to the
traditional Mexican corn or flour tortilla.
Argentina is the world’s fifth largest producer of wine. The grape varieties are almost entirely of European derivation:
Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Malbec are only a few of some 60 different varieties cultivated.
Almost 75 percent of the total wine production originates in the province of Mendoza found in the Andean foothills. Mendoza
cultivates its vines on desert flat lands made fertile by irrigated water, which descends from the Andes. Although made from
European grapes, Argentine wines have their own flavor because of the climate and soil conditions and irrigation methods.
There are two varieties that can be considered exclusively Argentinean in quality if not in origin. The first is Malbec, a grape
not considered particularly distinguished in France, but considered by many in Argentina to make fine red wine. The second is
the Torrontes, a grape of Spanish origin, which makes a full, fruity, rich white wine.

Uruguay
It is a land of grassy plains and hills. Sheep and cattle ranches make up 80 percent of the land. Uruguayan cuisine
is the result of many influences, including gaucho, Spanish, and Italian. In Uruguay, food and meat are almost synonymous.
Most restaurants in Uruguay are parrillada (grill-rooms), which specialize in asado (barbecued beef), the country’s most
famous dish. Besides beef, pork, sausage, and grilled chicken are popular. Chivito (a sandwich filled with slices of meat,
lettuce, and egg) and puchero (beef with vegetables, bacon, beans, and sausages) are local favorites. With the arrival of large
numbers of Italian immigrants in the twentieth century, many businesses opened by Italians were pasta-making factories.
They also imported Parmesan cheese and prosciutto ham into Uruguay and these foods have made their way into the national
cuisine.

GLOSARY

Aji (a’hee) Spicy chili or seasoning: very hot Andean chili pepper, malagueta.
Aji Caco de Cabra Fresh red pepper, long, thin, and very hot, used to make Chile hot pepper sauce.
Aj´ı de Gallina Shredded chicken in a piquant cream sauce (Peru).
Aji Mirasol, aji Amarillo A common pepper in Peruvian and Bolivian cuisine, bright yellow and hot.

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Aji Verde Milder A variety of aji caco de cabra, with a thicker flesh and a waxy, lime green skin.
Alfajores Wafer-thin spirals of shortbread dusted with icing sugar, served with manjar blanco (a caramel sauce)
Amaranth Tiny ancient seeds cultivated in the Americas for several millennia. It is one of the staple grains of the Incas and
other pre-Columbian Indians. They are rich in protein and calcium, and have a pleasant, peppery flavor. Substitutes: millet,
quinoa, buckwheat groats.
Anticuchos Strips of beef or fish marinated in vinegar and spices, then barbecued on skewers (Peru).
Arepa Flour A precooked corn flour used to make arepas and tamales in Colombia and Venezuela. It has a grainy texture. It
should not be confused with Mexican masa harina.
Arepas The native bread made from primitive ground corn, water, and salt (Venezuela).
Arroz Brasileiro or Arroz Simples Rice, Brazilian style. Long-grained rice briefly saut´eed in garlic and oil before the addition
of boiling water. In addition to garlic, some Brazilian cooks add small amounts of onion, diced tomato, or sliced black olives for
additional flavor. Properly done, each grain is fluffy and separate from others.
Asada (Asado) Spanish for roasted or broiled. A roast cooked on an open fire or grill. Often served with chimichurri sauce.
Asador A Spanish word for a wire-mesh stovetop grill that can be used to roast vegetables over an outdoor fire or on the
stovetop.
Babaco A member of the papaya family. Looks like a papaya but is smaller in diameter and has a tougher skin. The fruit has a
delicate white flesh and seeds that are like those of passion fruit.
Bacalao Dried, salted cod fish. Introduced by Spanish and Portuguese settlers, it is very popular in Latin America. The whiter
bacalao is the better quality.
Batida These tropical fruits cocktails are a mixture of fresh fruit juice and cachaca, the potent sugarcane liquor from Brazil.
Sometimes the recipe will also call for leite condensado(sweetened condensed milk) and/or other liquor. They are usually
prepared in a blender and served with crushed ice in tiny glasses.
Bedidas Calientes Hot beverages. Hot drinks are as common as cold ones in South America.
Bouillon d’Aoura A dish of smoked fish, crab, prawns, vegetables, and chicken served with aoura (the fruit of Savana trees)
(French Guiana).
Breadfruit Resembling a melon with bumpy green scales, breadfruit weighs 2 to 4 pounds. When green, it tastes like a raw
potato. When partially ripened, it resembles eggplant and has the sticky consistency of a ripe plantain. When fully ripe it has
the texture of soft Brie cheese. It is cooked like potatoes and is never eaten raw.
Caf´e con Leche Coffee with warm milk, the preferred South American style.
Camarao Seco Dried shrimp. In various sizes, dried shrimp are utilized in many dishes. Before use they are covered with cold
water and soaked overnight. The water is discarded before the shrimp are used. The residual salt is usually enough that more
is not added to a recipe.
Carbonada An Argentine stew with meats, vegetables, and fruits
Cau Cau Tripe cooked with potato, peppers, and parsley (Peru). Cazuela A stew made with beef, chicken, or seafood along
with various vegetables.
Ceviche is a seafood prepared in a centuries-old method of cooking by contact with the acidic juice of citrus juice instead of
heat.

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Cheese (Quesos)
Queso Blanco or Queso Fresco (white cheese) The primary cheese used in South America. A fresh, moist, lightly salted,
unripened cheese made from cow’s milk.
Quesillo A cheese used the same day it is made or within a few days. Quesillo is refreshing, similar to ricotta cheese, but it is
molded and can be cut into slices. For crumbling use queso fresco.
Queso Blanco Also called queso de mesa. A firmer cheese because it is pressed and left to mature for weeks. In areas of
South American, queso blanco comes in various degrees of maturation, from ricotta type to hard cheese.
Queso de Cabra Goat cheese.
Cherimoya A species of Annona native to the Andean-highland valleys of Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Bolivia. The fruit is
fleshy, soft and sweet, white in color, with a custard-like texture, which gives it its secondary name, custard apple. Some
characterize the flavor as a blend of pineapple, mango, and strawberry. Similar in size to a grapefruit, it has large, glossy, dark
seeds that are easily removed. The seeds are poisonous if crushed open; one should also avoid eating the skin. It is green
when ripe and gives slightly to pressure, similar to the avocado.
Chichas Beerlike drink made from many types of seeds, roots, or fruits, such as quinoa, peanuts, grapes, oca, yuca, corn,
rice, and the berries of the mulli tree (pink peppercorns).
Chimichurri Sauce Vinegar-based mixture of herbs, vegetables, and spices, traditionally used as the marinade or main sauce
with grilled meats (Argentina).
Chuchoca Corn that is boiled and sun-dried for two to three days.
Chupede Camarones Chowder-typesoupmadewithshrimp,milk,eggs,potatoes,andpeppers (Peru).
Churrascaria A Brazilian or Portuguese steakhouse.
Cochayuyo Seaweed found along the coast of Chile; very important in the Chilean diet.
Corvina Sea bass.
Creole Style of cooking melding Incan and Spanish culinary techniques and ingredients.
Dendˆe Oil (Palm Oil) A form of edible vegetable oil obtained from the fruit of the oil palm tree.
Dulce de Leche Caramel-like candy popular in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and other parts of the
Americas. Its most basic recipe mixes boiled milk and sugar, or it may also be prepared with sweetened condensed milk
cooked for several hours.
EmpanadaSalte˜na A Bolivian national specialty that is a mixture of diced meat, chicken, chives, raisins, diced potatoes, hot
sauce, and pepper baked in dough.
Ensaladas Salads. The most popular salads are cooked vegetable salads and those that include fresh beans. A common
characteristic of South American salads is the sparse use of dressing. Tossed salad (ensalada mixta) is generally made with
lettuce and tomatoes, thinly sliced onions, shredded carrots, radishes, or watercress and usually tossed with oil and vinegar.
South American cuisines also include main course salads, seasoned with vinaigrette or a mayonnaise dressing (popular in the
southern countries, especially during hot months).Potato and rice salads, simple or complex, can be found throughout South
America.
Escabeches is a very popular technique of pickling food used throughout South America. The technique is of Arab origin
introduced by Spanish explorers and traders,adopted as a way of preserving foods, such as fish, poultry, meat, and
vegetables.

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Fritada Called chicharron in the areas around the Andes, usually made with different cuts of pork. In Argentina it is made with
beef. This dish requires the meat to be cooked in beer until tender and then browned in its own fat.
Guinea Pigs Called cuy or curi in the Andean regions, these vegetarian rodents are raised for food in native Indian homes.
Hallaca Cornmeal combined with beef, pork, ham, and green peppers, wrapped in individual pieces of banana leaves and
cooked in boiling water. It is traditionally eaten at Christmas and New Year’s (Colombia and Venezuela).
Hearts of Palm Tender, ivory-colored buds of a particular palm tree. They can be used in salads, soups, as a vegetable, or
with ceviche.
Ilajhua- A hot sauce consisting of tomatoes and pepper pods, used to add spice and flavor (Bolivia).
Jugos - Fruit juice drinks that can be made from any fruit mixed with water and sugar.
Kaniwa A nutritious grain that grows at high altitudes, thriving in places where quinoa cannot survive. A prominent early grain
used by the Indians of Bolivia and the Peruvian altiplano.
Ling¨uica Brazilian garlic pork sausage of Portuguese origin. Polish sausage may be substituted.
Llapingachos Pancakes stuffed with mashed potato and cheese (Ecuador).
Lomo Montado Fried tenderloin steak with two fried eggs on top, rice, and fried banana (Bolivia).
Malagueta Small green, yellow, or red pepper from Brazil. This pepper is extremely hot and an essential ingredient in the
kitchen. They come preserved in jars or as a table sauce. They are
pickledina2:1oiltograinalcoholratioandthenrestedforonemonthbeforeusing.Tabasco sauce can be used as a substitute.
Manioc (see Cassava) Manioc Flour Widely used in Brazil as a breading for chicken. Manioc is not a grain; it comes from the
tropical cassava root. When seasoned with spices, roasted manioc flour has a texture and flavor similar to a cornflake crumb
breading.
Matambre Rolled stuffed flank steak (Argentina).
Milanesas Breaded cutlets brought to South America by Italian immigrants. They are especially popular in Argentina and
Uruguay.
Morcilla Dulce Sweet black sausage made from blood, orange peel, and walnuts.
Pabell´on Criollo Hash made with shredded meat and served with fried plantains and black beans on rice (Venezuela).
Pachamanca Typical dish from the desert. It consists of lamb, pork, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and tamales. The food is
placed inside a sack and buried in hot rocks to cook. It has to be repeatedly checked to see when it is done because the
temperature is unstable. An important part of Peruvian cuisine.
Parrillada A selection of meat grilled over hot coals, often including delicacies such as intestines, udders, and blood sausages
(Argentina and Chile).
Postres y Dulces (Desserts and Sweets) Before the arrival of the Portuguese in 1502, South America Indians did not have
sugar. They did have honey and a few fruit and vegetable sweeteners. Most early sweets or desserts were fresh fruit, and
fruit-based sweets remain the South Americans’ favorite desserts.
Quimbolitos Sweet tamales of Ecuador, served for dessert or as a snack with coffee.
Quinoa This ancient seed was a staple of the Incas. It cooks quickly, has a mild flavor, and a slightly crunchy texture. High in
the amino acid lysine, it provides a more complete protein than many other cereal grains. It comes in different colors, ranging
from pale yellow to red to black. Rinse quinoa before using to remove its bitter natural coating. Couscous, rice, bulgur, millet,
buckwheat groats, or amaranth can be substituted.

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Refrescos (Refreshments) A term used for all cold nonalcoholic beverages, including jugos, sorbets, licuados, and batidos, all
of which are generally made with milk and sometimes ice cream.
Rocoto Cultivated pepper in the Andes, with a thick flesh similar to bell pepper. It is a hotter pepper than other ajies. The
Mexican manzano pepper, though much hotter, is a good substitute.
Rose Water A flavoring used in the preparation of desserts. Brought over by the Spaniards, it is the extract of roses mixed
with distilled water.
Shrimp,Dried Tiny shrimp that have been salted and dried, used extensively in Bahian cooking and some Peruvian
specialties. They come in two varieties, head and shell on or peeled. Normally, dried shrimp are ground before using.
Tacac ´ a A thick yellow soup with shrimp and garlic (Brazil).
Tamales An important food that has sustained cultures in Central and South America, as well as the southwestern region of
North America for millennia.
Tostones Twice-fried slices of plantain that are pounded thin before the second frying.
Vatap´ a A rich puree that can be made with fish, dried shrimp, cod, or chicken. Thought to have been brought from the
Iberian Peninsula and modified by African slaves, who added dendˆ e (palmoil) and coconut milk. It can be thickened with
bread, the Portuguese way of thickening stews, or with rice flour or manioc meal. Groundnuts, peanuts, almonds, or cashews,
as well as dried shrimp, are essential to the dish. Dendˆ e gives the Vatap´ a its characteristic taste and color. Cooks all have
their own preparation of this dish (Brazil).
Yuca Root Although there are many varieties of yuca root, there are only two main categories: bitter and sweet. Used as a
thickener in the making of tapioca. Bitter yuca root must be cooked to be edible.
Yuca Flour Made from the bitter cassava (yuca). Once grated and sun-dried, it is also called yuca root meal. It has a texture
similar to that of cornstarch and is used to make breads, cookies, cakes, and tapioca.

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VI. ACTIVITY
Prepare the given recipe. Follow the procedure for a better result. The product will be graded base on the rubrics for practical
activities

Ceviche
INGREDIENTS

1 lb shrimp peeled, deveined raw or blanched

1 cup lime juice
1 cucumber peeled and diced
1 large avocado
2 tomatoes diced
½ red onion diced
Ceviche is a seafood prepared in a centuries-
2 teaspoon cilantro
old method of cooking by contact with the
1 spicy pepper minced acidic juice of citrus juice instead of heat.
¼ teaspoon ground pepper to taste

PRECEDURE
1. Blanch the peeled and deveined shrimp drain and rinse well.
2 Combine the citrus juices, salt, garlic, chile, and shrimp; mix well, cover, and let marinate in refrigerator until it is “cooked”
(milky white throughout), 3 to 6 hours. Start checking at 3 hours.
3 Add cilantro and diced avocado ingredients and correct seasoning.
4 To serve, line serving platter with lettuce. Place ceviche in center and display garnish around.

Recipe source :https://natashaskitchen.com/ceviche-recipe/

V. POST-TEST
Identify the word described in the following statement. Choose among the choices provided below

Matambre Arepas Lechona

Ceviche Churrasco Humitas

1. These thick, flattened balls fried or baked corn or wheat flour, and can be filled with meats, cheeses, jelly, or
vegetables. These are the main staple of Venezuelan cuisine AREPAS
2. It is a Brazilian word that means “to barbecue” and stems from the pampas of Brazil, where ranchers cook large
portions of marinated meats on long skewers over an open fire pit. CHURRASCO
3. It is a whole suckling pig, spit-roasted and stuffed with rice, which is a specialty of Tolima BABI GULING
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4. It is the Argentina’s national dish made from thin flank steak rolled with fillings that include spinach, whole hard-boiled
eggs, other vegetables, herbs, and spices. MATAMBRE
5. It is a seafood prepared in a centuries-old method of cooking by contact with the acidic juice of citrus juice instead of
heat
CEVICHE

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 CHAPTER 3 THE CUISINE CARIBBEAN

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I.OBJECTIVES
At the end of this chapter the students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate knowledge on terminologies used in Caribbean cuisine
2. Identify the staples, and method of cooking of Caribbean.
3. Prepare one Caribbean cuisine.

II. PRE-TEST
Read the following statement. Write True if the statement is correct and Write False if not. Write your answer on
another sheet of paper.
1. Two things not often seen in Cuban food are citrus and olive oil products and cheeses in heavy sauces.
2. Ackee is a fruit whose color and flavor when cooked are said to resemble scrambled eggs. It is the national dish of
Jamaica.
3. A foundation of the native Dominican Rupublic diet, ‘La Bandera Dominicana, or the Dominican flag meal, is eaten by
nearly everyone at lunchtime
4. Picadillo Spicy Cuban hash, made of ground beef and cooked with olives and raisins.
5. Tri Tri, is a favorite delicacy in St. Vicente. It is a tiny fish seasoned with spices and curry powder and fried into
cakes.

III. INTRODUCTION
This chapter covers the cuisine of Caribbean region. The Caribbean is a large region of tropical island nations
originally inhabited by natives but later colonized by Europeans along with the rest of the New World. In fact, when
Christopher Columbus first arrived in the New World, landing in the group of islands we now call the Bahamas, he established
some of the earliest European settlements. Due to this European influence as well as an African influence due to the slave
trade, combined with its island geography, the Caribbean has developed a distinct culinary identity within Latin American
cuisine. Although the native peoples of the Caribbean were nearly completely eliminated by slavery and Old World diseases,
their staple ingredients and flavours remain.

IV. THE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

THE LAND OF CARIBBEAN

The West Indian archipelago forms a massive breakwater 2,000 miles long consisting of thousands of islands and
reefs that protect the Caribbean Sea against the Atlantic Ocean.This barrier provides the Caribbean its calm and clear waters.
Spain and France called the islands the Antilles, after the mythological Atlantic island of Antilia. The larger islands
(Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico) came to be known as the Greater Antilles, while the remaining smaller islands
were called the Lesser Antilles. Today the area is broken into four island chains: the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the
eastern and southern islands of the Lesser Antilles. Together, these islands cover more than 91,000 square miles of land
area.
The northernmost island chain is the Bahamas, which include 29 inhabited islands and nearly 3,000 islets stretching
south eastward from Florida. Most of them are flat islands formed from coral and limestone.

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 The Greater Antilles is the largest and westernmost chain. It includes Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico.
The four main islands comprise nine-tenths of the entire land area of the West Indies. Cuba alone has almost half this area.
The main island of Cuba covers 40,543 square miles. Much of the landmass of the Greater Antilles is formed by a partially
submerged mountain range, which forms the Sierra Maestras and Sierra de Nipe on Cuba, the Blue Mountains on Jamaica,
the Cordillera Central on Hispaniola, and the mountainous core of Puerto Rico farther to the east. The western three-fourths of
the island is a vast limestone platform similar to the limestone platforms of Florida and Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.
The third island chain includes the eastern islands of the Lesser Antilles, which curve north from the coast of
Venezuela toward Puerto Rico. The islands along this arc fall into two distinct geographic groups. Some islands formed as a
result of volcanic activity, while others emerged from the ocean as low-lying coral islands. Saint Vincent, Saint Lucia,
Martinique, Dominica, the western half of Guadeloupe, Montserrat, Nevis, Saint Kitts, and the Virgin Islands are mountainous
with rims of coastal plain. There are many active volcanoes in the West Indies, including Montagne Pelée on Martinique and
Soufrire on Saint Vincent. The Soufriére Hills volcano on Montserrat erupted during the mid-1990s, destroying the island’s
capital of Plymouth. The islands of Barbados, Antigua, Barbuda, Anguilla, and the eastern half of Guadeloupe generally have
low elevations and more level terrain.
The fourth island chain, the southern islands of the Lesser Antilles, follows the coast of Venezuela, from Lake
Maracaibo to the mouth of the Orinoco River. These islands are extreme north eastern extensions of the Andes Mountains
and have complex geologic structures. They include Aruba, Bonaire, Curac¸ao, Margarita, and Trinidad and Tobago. One of
the smallest inhabited islands is Saba, part of the Netherlands Antilles. Its capital, the Bottom, is built at the bottom of the
extinct crater—the only patch of level land on the island. Many smaller uninhabited coral islets are found in the region.

THE PEOPLE

The roots of the vast majority of Caribbean island people can be traced to Europe, Africa, and Asia. During the
seventeenth century the English, Dutch, and French joined the Spanish in settling and exploring the Caribbean islands. At
first, the English and French met their needs for labor by bringing Europeans to the islands as indentured servants, individuals
who agreed to work for a specific number of years in exchange for passage to the colonies, food, and shelter. Eventually, all
the colonizing countries imported slaves from Africa to provide labor. The number of slaves increased dramatically after the
sugar plantations were established in the seventeenth century, making slavery the dominant economic institution on many
islands.
The African people soon became the majority on most of the islands. Their culture and customs influence much of
the religious worship, artistic expression, rhythmic dancing, singing, and even ways of thinking in the Caribbean. Spiritual
practices such as Junkanoo in the Bahamas, Santeria in Cuba, Voodun in Haiti, and Rastafari in Jamaica are African
influenced movements that have Caribbean origin and a worldwide following. Reggae music and jerk cooking are also Africa-
inspired contributions to the world from the Caribbean. After the abolition of slave trade in the British West Indies during the
early nineteenth century, Asian workers arrived in Cuba and Jamaica and indentured workers from India came to the Lesser
Antilles. Today, an estimated 70 percent of the people of the region are of African descent or mulatto (mixed African and
European descent), 25 percent European descent, and 5 percent Asian descent. The racial composition of individual islands,
however, differs widely. Most of the Caucasians live in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. Most of the Asians
live in Trinidad. The inhabitants of the other islands and the third of Hispaniola occupied by Haiti are overwhelmingly of African
descent. Jamaica is typical of the older plantation islands, with 76 percent of its population of African descent, 15 percent
mulatto, 1 percent of European descent, and 8 percent of Chinese, Indian, or other heritage.

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 THE FOOD

The islands originally inhabited by the Arawak and Carib Indian tribes had established a varied combination of
foodstuffs and cooking techniques. The Caribs were cannibalistic but are credited by food historians to be the people who
began ritually spicing their food with chile peppers. The Arawaks, on the other hand, devised a method of slow-cooking their
meat by placing it over an open fire on a makeshift grate or grill made out of thin green sticks. They called this a barbacoa,
which gave rise in both method and name to what is known today as a barbecue.
After Christopher Columbus arrived in the area in 1492, other Europeans followed Spain in colonizing the islands and
brought with them their culinary trademarks. Some of the ingredients the Spanish and Europeans introduced included not only
sugarcane, but varieties of coconut, chickpeas, cilantro, eggplant, onions, garlic, oranges, limes, mangoes, rice, and coffee.
The Caribbean’s close proximity to Mexico and South America encouraged trade between the early settlers. Mexico
traded papaya, avocado, chayote, and cocoa. Potatoes and passion fruit came from South America. Later breadfruit was
introduced by Polynesians and corn, beans, and chile by Americans. Beginning in the early 1600s the slave trade brought
foods from West Africa to the islands. The Africans brought crops of okra, callaloo, and ackee. Cuisine is similar from island to
island, but each island has its specialties.
Typical Cuban foods include black beans, white rice, yellow rice, citrus marinades, garlic, and fried sliced banana
(plantain). Olive oil and garlic marinades are often used as sauces. Popular spices include cumin, cayenne, and cilantro. Meat
is often prepared roasted and in a creola style marinade. Two things not often seen in Cuban food are cream and milk
products and cheeses in heavy sauces. These products, were popular in Europe and North America, are expensive to
purchase and often difficult to store. Pork and chicken are relatively plentiful, fresh and inexpensive. Ajiaco, a thick soup
made with pork along with different kinds of edible vegetable roots and stems, is the national dish of Cuba. The taste depends
on the vegetables and the seasonings chosen by the cook. Other typical Cuban dishes include moros y cristianos (white rice
and black beans), congrì (a combination of rice and red kidney beans), and picadillo á la habanera (a mincemeat dish,
Havana style).
Jamaica’s national dish is said to be ackee and saltfish, usually served at breakfast, but can also be a main dish.
Ackee is a fruit whose color and flavor when cooked are said to resemble scrambled eggs. A “closed” ackee is unripe and
poisonous and is only safe to consume when it ripens and is thus “open.” Saltfish is fish (usually cod) that has been heavily
immersed in salt for preservation, drying, and curing purposes. Saltfish is usually soaked overnight in cold water to remove
most of the salt before eating. Jamaica’s saltfish (or codfish) fritters, called Stamp and Go, an island form of fast food, are
made from a batter of soaked, cooked, skinned, and flaked saltfish, with scallions, chiles, and tomato, fried in coconut oil until
golden brown. The long lasting Oriental and Indian influences in Caribbean cooking are represented by curries and rice.
Curried goat is a favorite, usually reserved for special occasions. Jamaican jerk is another signature dish of the island. It can
be either a dry seasoning mixture that is rubbed directly into the meat or it can be combined with water to create a marinade.
Jerk recipes have passed through generations but the basic ingredients involve allspice, hot chiles (scotch bonnet), salt, and a
mixture of up to thirty or more herbs and spices that blend to create one of the hottest and spiciest foods known. The Blue
Mountains of Jamaica lend their name to the famous Blue Mountain Coffee, renowned for being smooth and full flavored.
Coffee beans were first introduced to Jamaica in 1728 from the country of Martinique. The climatic conditions of the island
ensured that the seedlings flourished, which triggered the cultivation of coffee bean crops in the region.
From Puerto Rico come adobo and sofrito—blends of herbs and spices that give many of the native foods their
distinctive taste and color. Adobo, made by crushing together peppercorns, oregano, garlic, salt, olive oil, and lime juice or
vinegar, is rubbed into meats before they are roasted. Sofrito, a potpourri of onions, garlic, and peppers browned in either
olive oil or lard and colored with achiote (annatto seeds), imparts the bright yellow color to the island’s rice, soups and stews.
Soups include sopón de pollo con arroz (chicken soup with rice), which tastes different across the island’s regions; sop´on de
pescado (fish soup), which is prepared with the head and tail intact; and sop´on de garbanzos con patas de cerdo (chickpea

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soup with pig’s feet), which is made with pumpkin, chorizo (Spanish sausage), salt pork, chile peppers, cabbage, potatoes,
tomatoes, and fresh cilantro.
The most traditional Puerto Rican dish is asopao, a hearty gumbo made with either chicken or shellfish. One well-
known and low-budget version is asopao de gandules (pigeonpeas). Another is asopao de pollo (chicken), which adds a
whole chicken flavored with oregano, garlic, and paprika to a rich gum boof salt pork, cured ham, green peppers, chile
peppers, onions, cilantro, olives, tomatoes, chorizo, and pimientos. Stews, which are usually cooked in heavy kettles called
calderas, are a large part of the Puerto Rican diet. A popular one is carne guisada puertorriqueña (Puerto Rican beef stew).
The ingredients that flavor the beef vary but might include green peppers, sweet chile peppers, onions, garlic, cilantro,
potatoes, pimento-stuffed olives, capers, and raisins. Pastelón de carne, or meat pie filled with salt pork, ham, and spices, is a
staple of many Puerto Rican dinners. Other typical dishes include carne frita con cebolla (fried beefsteak with onions), ternera
a la parmesana ( veal parmesan )and roast leg of pork, fresh ham, lamb, or veal, which are prepared Creole style and flavored
with adobo. Exotic fare, such as Cabrito en Fricas´ e (goat meat fricasse,) Carne Mechada (larded pork or beef loin with
chorizo sausage,) and Cuajito and Mollejas Guisadas (stews popular during Christmas season) are also enjoyed by locals.
A festive island dish is lechón asado (barbecued pig). A recipe dating back to the Taino Indians, it is traditional for
picnics and outdoor parties. The pig is basted with jugo de naranja agria (sour orange juice) and achiote coloring. Green
plantains are peeled and roasted over hot stones, then served as a side dish. The traditional dressing served with the pig is aji
-li-mojili, a sour garlic sauce consisting of garlic, whole black peppercorns, and sweet seeded chile peppers, flavored further
with vinegar, lime juice, salt, and olive oil. Chicken is a Puerto Rican staple, arroz con pollo (chicken with rice) being the most
common dish. Other preparations include pollo al J´erez (chicken in sherry), pollo agridulce (sweet-and-sour chicken) and
pollitos asados a la parrilla (broiled chicken). Fish specialties include mojo isle˜no, fried fish in a typical sauce of olives, olive
oil, onions, pimientos, capers, tomato sauce, vinegar, garlic, and bay leaves. Puerto Rican soften cook camarones en cerveza
(shrimp in beer) and jueye shervidos (boiled crab). Rice and plantains are prepared in dozens of ways and accompany nearly
every meal. Rice (arroz) is simmered slowly with sofrito and generally served with habichuelas (beans) or gandules (pigeon
peas). Another typical rice specialty is pegao, which is rice that is prepared so that it sticks to the bottom of the pan and gets
crispy. Plantains also are served in many forms. Amarillos are ripe plantains fried with sugar to enhance their sweetness.
Green plantains are either mashed into discs and deep fried to make tostones or mashed into balls of mofongo and mixed with
pork or seafood and spices.
In St. Vincent the national dish is roasted breadfruit and jackfish. Seafood is abundant, including lobster, crab, conch
(pronounced conk), shrimp, whelk, and mahimahi. A favorite delicacy is tri tri, a tiny fish seasoned with spices and curry
powder and fried into cakes. Other popular dishes include callaloo stew, souse (a soupy stew made with pigs feet), pumpkin
soup, roti, and buljol (salted fish, tomatoes, sweet peppers, and onions served with roasted breadfruit). A favorite dessert
,duckanoo, originally from Africa, is made with cornmeal, coconut, spices, and brown sugar. The ingredients are tied up in a
banana leaf (hence its other name, Tie-a-Leaf), and slowly cooked in boiling water.
Native cooking in the Dominican Republic combines Spanish influences with local produce. Beef is expensive
(Dominicans raise fine cattle, but mostly for export) and local favorites are pork and goat meat. Breakfast typically calls for a
serving of mangu, a mix of plantains, cheese, and bacon. Mangu has been called “mashed potatoes” of the Dominican
Republic. A foundation of the native diet, ‘La Bandera Dominicana, or the Dominican flag meal, is eaten by nearly everyone at
lunchtime. The most important meal of the day, La Bandera consists of rice, beans, meat, vegetables, and fried plantains.
Another popular dish is Sancocho, a Spanish-style stew usually served with rice. Ingredients include various roots, green
plantains, avocado, and typically chicken or beef, although it sometimes includes a combination of seven different types of
meat (Sancocho prieto). Goat meat, a staple in many Dominican homes, may also be used in this recipe. It offers a unique
addition to the character of any dish since these animals graze on wild oregano. Locrio, or Dominican rice, varies. An
adaptation of the Spanish paella, locrio is made with achiote (a colored dye produced from the seeds of the achiote plant),
because saffron spice is unavailable. Casabe (a round flat cassava bread) and catibias (cassava flour fritters filled with meat)
are the only culinary legacy of the Taino Indians. Desserts here are very sweet, made with sugar and condensed milk in
various flavors (coconut, papaya, banana, pineapple, soursop, ginger), prepared as flans, puddings, and creams. Tropical
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fruits are abundant and are used in desserts throughout the year, but many different varieties are found depending on the
altitude (for example, cherries, plums, and strawberries grow in the central regions).
Barbados is distinguished for its flying fish/coo-coo dinners. Sleek, silver-blue fish with fins that resemble dragonfly
wings, flying fish are able to propel themselves in the air at speeds up to thirty miles an hour to escape predators. Coo-coo is
a polenta-like porridge made from yellow cornmeal, water, salt, pepper, butter, and okra. Other specialties include conkies,
from Ghana, which are steamed sweet or savory preparations with mixtures of cornmeal, coconut, pumpkin, raisins, sweet
potato, and spices, in preboiled banana leaf pieces. Eddo, sometimes called coco, is a hairy root vegetable with the size and
flavor of a potato that is used in soups. Peas and rice, or pigeon peas are a mainstay of the diet. The peas are cooked with
rice and flavoredwithcoconut.Thepeasarealsoknownascongoorgongopeasonotherislands.Jug-jug is a stew made from corned
beef, pork, pigeon peas, and guinea corn. Lamb in Barbados is from a breed of black-bellied sheep that look like goats.
Antigua’s national dish is fungi and pepper pot, a thick vegetable stew with salted meat. Ducana (sweet potato
dumpling) is served with salt fish and chop up (mashed eggplant, okra and seasoning). Black pineapples from Antigua are
famous throughout the East Caribbean for their unique, extra-sweet flavor.
The signature dish of Curacao is keshi yen´ a, or “stuffed cheese.” This dish is traditionally made with chicken,
vegetables, seasonings, and raisins, which are stuffed into a scooped-out Edam or Gouda cheese shell. The “top” of the
cheese is replaced and the whole is baked for at least an hour. In Colonial times, the Dutch masters would eat the cheese and
“generously” donate the shell to their workers. Having to make due with what they had, the poor people of the island came up
with this specialty. Two very popular dishes are funchi and tutu. Both based on cornmeal, they are commonly served as side
dishes or appetizers. Taken directly from African cuisine, these two dishes are still cooked in the traditional manner. Funchi is
much like polenta, in that corn meal is poured into boiling water seasoned with butter and salt. It is stirred with a spoon-like
utensil called a mealie or funchi stick. It is most often left mushy and served in a mound, although sometimes it is allowed to
stiffen and then shaped into dumplings, much like hushpuppies. Some fancy eateries will shape the funchi into ramekins or
other molds. Tutu is like funchi but with the addition of mashed black-eyed peas and is mixed with a l´ el´ e (a stick with three
points, used like a whisk.) Bitterbal, another popular Dutch-inspired dish, is sausage meat formed into balls, coated in bread
crumbs and fried. It is eaten for breakfast, lunch, and snacks.
Rotis in Trinidad are as common as hamburgers in the United States. This unofficial national dish consists of a curry
meal wrapped in thin pastry; its prototype was brought to the Caribbean by Indian immigrants some decades ago. The little
packets of food have turned into a top seller for a quick snack.

GLOSSARY

Ackee The fruit of a West African tree, named in honor of Captain Bligh, who introduced it to Jamaica. The ackee fruit is bright
red. When ripe it bursts open to reveal three large black seeds and bright yellow flesh. It is popular as a breakfast food
throughout Jamaica. Ackee is poisonous if eaten before it is fully mature and because of its toxicity, it is subject to import
restrictions and may be hard to obtain in some countries. Never open an ackee pod; it will open itself when it ceases to be
deadly. The edible part is the aril, sometimes called Vegetable Brains; it looks like a small brain or scrambled eggs, with a
delicate flavor. It is best known in the Jamaican dish saltfish and ackee.
Allspice, Pimienta Dark-brown berry, similar to peppercorns, that combines the flavors of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg.
Annatto This slightly musky-flavored reddish yellow spice, ground from the seeds of a flowering tree, is native to the West
Indies and the Latin tropics. Islanders store their annatto seeds in oil, giving the oil a beautiful color. Saffron or turmeric can be
substituted. The Spanish name achiote is sometimes referred to as achote. Available in Latin American and some Oriental
markets.

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Bay Rum The bay rum tree is related to the evergreen that produces allspice and the West African tree that produces
melgueta pepper. Used to flavor soups, stews, and, particularly, blaff.
Beans, Peas Interchangeable terms for beans. Kidney beans in Jamaica are called peas. In Trinidad pigeon peas are referred
to as peas. The French islands use the term pois for kidney beans. Cuba calls beans frijoles. Puerto Rico uses the term
habichuelas, and in the Dominican Republic both terms are used. Often combined with rice, used in soups and stews, or
pulped and made into fritters.
Bitter or Seville Orange Also called sour and bigarade orange. It is large, with a rough, reddish orange skin. The pulp is too
acid to be eaten raw, but the juice is used in meat and poultry dishes. The oranges are also used to make marmalade. A
mixture of lime or lemon juice and sweet orange juice can be used as a substitute.
Blaff A broth infused with whole Scotch bonnet peppers and bay rum leaves in which whole or filleted fish is poached.
Boniato Tropical sweet potato.
Boudin, Black Pudding Sausage that may include pig’s blood, thyme, and Scotch bonnet peppers. Frequently served with
souse, a pork dish that can include any part of the pig.
Breadfruit Large green fruits, usually about 10 inches in diameter, with a potato-like flesh. It was introduced to Jamaica from
its native Tahiti in 1793 by Captain Bligh. Breadfruit is not edible until cooked; when cooked the flesh is yellowish-white, like a
dense potato. Breadfruit is picked and eaten before it ripens and is typically served like squash: baked, grilled, fried, boiled, or
roasted after being stuffed with meat, or in place of any starch vegetable, rice, or pasta. It makes an excellent soup.
Calabaza A squash, also called West Indian or green pumpkin. It comes in a variety of sizes and shapes. The best substitutes
are Hubbard or butternut squash.
Callaloo The principal ingredient in the most famous of all the island soups. The term applies to the leaves of two distinct
types of plant that are used interchangeably. The first are the elephant-ear leaves of the taro plant. The other is Chinese
spinach, a leafy vegetable typically prepared as one would prepare turnip or collard greens.
Carambola, Star Fruit Tart or acidy-sweet star-shaped fruit used in desserts, as a garnish for drinks, tossed into salads, or
cooked together with seafood.
Cassareep The boiled down juice of grated cassava root, flavored with cinnamon, cloves, and sugar. It is the essential
ingredient in pepperpot, the Caribbean island stew. It may be purchased bottled in West Indian markets.
Cassava This tuber, also known as manioc and yuca, is a rather large root vegetable, 6–12 inches length and 2–3 inches in
diameter. Cassava has a tough brown skin with a very firm white flesh. Tapioca and cassareep are both made from cassava.
There are two varieties of the plant: sweet and bitter. Sweet cassava is boiled and eaten as a starch vegetable. Bitter cassava
contains a poisonous acid that can be deadly and must be processed before it can be eaten. This is done by boiling the root in
water for at least 45 minutes; discard the water. Alternatively, grate the cassava and place it in a muslin cloth, then squeeze
out as much of the acid as possible before cooking. Bitter cassava is used commercially but is not sold unprocessed in some
countries.
Chayote, Christophine, Cho-cho, Mirliton A small pear-shaped vegetable, light green or cream colored, and often covered
with a prickly skin. Bland, similar in texture to squash, and used primarily in Island cuisine as a side dish or in gratins and
souffl´es. Like pawpaw (papaya), it is also a meat tenderizer.
Cherimoya Pale-green fruit with white sweet flesh that has the texture of flan. Used for mousse and fruit sauces, the fruit is
best when fully ripe, well chilled and eaten with a spoon.
Chorizo Spanish sausage that combines pork, hot peppers, and garlic. Coo-coo (or cou-cou) The Caribbean equivalent of
polenta or grits. Once based on cassava or manioc meal it is now made almost exclusively with cornmeal. Coo-coo can be
baked, fried, or rolled into little balls and poached in soups or stews.

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Conch Also known as lambi or concha. These large mollusks from the gastropod family are up to a foot long, with a heavy
spiral shell with yellow that shades to pink inside. When preparing conch soup, conch salad or conch fritters, the tough conch
flesh must be tenderized by pounding.
Crapaud Very large frogs, known as mountain chicken, found on the islands of Dominica and Monserrat. Fried or stewed legs
are considered a national delicacy.
Creole, Criolla Creole refers to the cooking of the French-speaking West Indies, as well as to southern Louisiana and the
U.S. Gulf states. Criolla refers to the cuisine of Spanish-speaking islands. Both terms encompass a melding of ingredients and
cooking methods from France, Spain, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Americas.
Dhal Hindu name for legumes; in the Caribbean, it refers only to split peas or lentils.
Darne The Caribbean name for kingfish. Dasheen Also known a coco, taro, and tannia, dasheen is a starchy tuber usually
served boiled or cut up and used as a thickener in hearty soups. They are considered by some to have a texture and flavor
superior to that of a Jerusalem artichoke or potato, but potatoes can often be used as a substitute for dasheen in recipes.
Dasheen is often called coco, but coco is actually a slightly smaller relative of dasheen.
Escabeche The Spanish word for “pickled.” It usually refers to fresh fish (and sometimes poultry) that is cooked in oil and
vinegar, or cooked and then pickled in an oil and vinegar marinade.
Hearts of Palm Ivory-colored core of some varieties of palm trees. They are used fresh or canned in salads and as a
vegetable.
Hibiscus Also known as sorrel, rosell, or flor de Jamaica, this tropical flower is used for drinks, jams, and sauces. The flower
blooms in December, after which it is dried and used to make a bright red drink that has a slightly tart taste and is the color of
cranberry juice. It should not be confused with the American hibiscus found in the garden.
Jack A fish family of over two hundred species, these colorful saltwater fish are also known as yellowtail, greenback, burnfin,
black, and amber jack. These delicately flavored fish tend to be large, weighing as much as 150 pounds, and readily available
in waters around the world. Tuna and swordfish may be substituted.
Malanga,Yautia A relative of dasheen or taro, this tuber is prevalent throughout the Caribbean.
Mamey Apple The large tropical fruit, native to the New World, yields edible pulp that is tangerine in color. The flavor is similar
to a peach.
Name This giant tuber is called by a variety of different names. TheSpanish translation of the word ˜name is yam. The outer
skin is brown and coarsely textured, while the inside is porous and very moist. The ˜name grows to enormous size and is
considered to be the “king” of tubers.
Otaheite Apple This pear-shaped apple ranges from pink to ruby red in color. This fruit is usually eaten fresh, but also
poached in wine, or juiced and served as a beverage.
Passion Fruit, Maracudja, Granadilla Oval-shaped fruit that has a tough shell and a color range from yellow-purple to
eggplant to deep chocolate. The golden-yellow pulp is sweet and it must be strained to remove the seeds. Used in juices,
desserts, drinks, and sauces.
Picadillo Spicy Cuban hash, made of ground beef and cooked with olives and raisins.
Pickapeppa Sauce This sauce, manufactured in Jamaica at Shooters Hill near Mandeville, is a secret combination of
tamarind, onions, tomatoes, sugar, cane vinegar, mangoes, raisins, and spices. Since 1921 the company has produced this
savory sauce, which has won many awards and is distributed throughout North America. The sauce is aged in oak barrels for
a minimum of one year.
Saltfish is any fried, salted fish, but most often cod. With the increasing availability of fresh fish all over Jamaica, some cooks
are moving away from this preserved fish, which originated in the days before refrigeration. Still, Jamaicans have a soft place
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in their hearts for the taste of this salted cod (sold around the world in Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese markets under some
variant of the name bacalao). Ackee and saltfish is the preferred breakfast of Jamaicans. When imported saltfish is
unavailable, Jamaicans have been known to make their own from fresh fish.
Sofrito A seasoning staple, there are many variations. Most contain pork, lard, green peppers, tomatoes, onions, and
coriander. Typically they are prepared in advance and stored under refrigeration. The word comes from a Spanish verb that
means “to fry lightly.”
Stamp and Go, Accra, or Baclaitos Spicy-hot fritters popular throughout the Caribbean. Methods, ingredients, and names
vary from island to island.
Star Apple The local fruit is the main ingredient in a popular holiday dish called matrimony, a mix of star apple and oranges. It
is similar to an orange but is made up of clear segments. The eight-pointed star that gives the name can be seen when the
fruit is sliced.
Stinking Toe A pod that resembles a human toe, this fruit possesses a foul smelling rough exterior. The sugary power inside
is eaten, or used in custards or beverages.
Sugar Apple, Sweetsop The flesh of the sweetsop is actually black seeds surrounded by sweet white pulp. The sweetsop is
native to the tropical Americas.
Tamarind A large, decorative tree that produces brown pods containing a sweet and tangy pulp used for flavoring curries,
sauces, and even beverages.
Yam Similar in size and color to the potato, but nuttier in flavor, it is not to be confused with the Southern sweet yam or sweet
potato. Caribbean yams are served boiled, mashed, or baked.
Yaut´ıa A member of the taro root family, the yaut´ıa is the size of a potato, but more pearshaped. It has a brown fuzzy outer
skin. The flesh is white and slimy and is custard-like when cooked. It is one of the most natural thickeners, used to thicken
soups, stews, and bean dishes. There is also a purple yaut´ıa, also called mora.
Yuca Root vegetable similar in length and shape to a turnip, with scaly yam-like skin. Universally made into flour for breads
and cakes, and used as a base for tapioca.

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VI. ACTIVITY
Prepare the given recipe. Follow the procedure for a better result. The product will be graded base on the rubrics for practical
activities.
Jamaican Jerk
INGREDIENTS
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
3 medium scallions, chopped
2 Scotch bonnet chiles, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon five-spice powder
1 tablespoon allspice berries, coarsely ground
1 tablespoon coarsely ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled About the dish:
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
There are as many takes on jerk chicken in
1 teaspoon salt Jamaica as there are cooks on the island, but
1/2 cup soy sauce most share the same method: Chicken is coated in
a seasoning mixture dominated by spices and
1 tablespoon vegetable oil chiles, then grilled. It’s wonderfully spicy, smoky,
Two 3 1/2- to 4-pound chickens, quartered and fragrant—everything you want jerk chicken to
be.

PROCEDURE

1. In a food processor, combine the onion, scallions, chiles, garlic, five-spice powder, allspice, pepper, thyme,
nutmeg and salt; process to a coarse paste. With the machine on, add the the soy sauce and oil in a steady
stream. Pour the marinade into a large, shallow dish, add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate
overnight. Bring the chicken to room temperature before proceeding.

2. Light a grill. Grill the chicken over a medium-hot fire, turning occasionally, until well browned and cooked
through, 35 to 40 minutes. (Cover the grill for a smokier flavor.) Transfer the chicken to a platter and serve.

(Recipe source: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/jamaican-jerk-chicken)

(Image source:
https://www.google.com/search?q=jamaican+jerk+chicken+photo&sxsrf=ALeKk007W7DsyGCsKFEISTpalKLU1Nq
v5A:1595210389199&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiZ_9vk3drqAhXLFogKHa7YBnUQ_AUoAXoEC
AwQAw#imgrc=X7tfW7WEgBE0dM)

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V. POST-TEST
Read the following statement. Write True if the statement is correct and Write False if not. Write your answer on another sheet
of paper.
1. Two things not often seen in Cuban food are citrus and olive oil products and cheeses in heavy sauces. TRUE Cream and
milk also
2. Ackee is a fruit whose color and flavor when cooked are said to resemble scrambled eggs. It is the national dish of
Jamaica. True
3. A foundation of the native Dominican Rupublic diet, ‘La Bandera Dominicana, or the Dominican flag meal, is eaten by
nearly everyone at lunchtime true

4. Picadillo Spicy Cuban hash, made of ground beef and cooked with olives and raisins.
5. Tri Tri, is a favorite delicacy in St. Vicente. It is a tiny fish seasoned with spices and curry powder and fried into
cakes.

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 CHAPTER 4 THE CUISINE OF JAPAN, CHINA,
AND KOREA

(referencehttps://www.mapsofworld.com/world-map-image.html)

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I.OBJECTIVE
At the end of this chapter the students will be to:
1. Compare the cuisine of Japan, China, and Korea.
2. Demonstrate knowledge on terminologies used in the cuisine of these country.
3. Prepare one cuisine of Japan, Korea, and China

II. PRE-TEST
Read the following statement. Write True if the statement is correct and Write False if not. Write your answer on another sheet
of paper.
1. Wagyu beef is one of China’s treasure in their cuisine for it has finest and unmatched flavor and tenderness. false its japan
2. Miyeok guk is a brown seaweed soup known as birthday soup. true
3. Mandu is a Japanese dumplings, filled with ground pork, kimchi, spring onions, and bean curd, usually poached in a
rich beef broth. true

4. Shanghai, China is known for jiaozi, the traditional Chinese dumpling filled with pork and vegetables. true
5. Okonomiyaki is a savory pancakes from Japan made with diced seafood, meat, and vegetables. It is topped with a
special sauce and mayonnaise and sprinkled with nori and dried fish flakes (katsuobushi). true

III. INTRODUCTION
Japanese, Chinese, and Korean food do have a lot in common. In the East Asian culture, food, spices and
seasonings transcend taste. As for ingredients, they all have develop to emphasize oils, fats, and sauces within their dishes.
.This chapter covers the cuisine of three neighbor countries in South East Asia, the Japan, China, and Korea.

IV. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

THE LAND OF JAPAN

Japan is a small nation of more than 3,000 scattered islands off the eastern coast of mainland Asia. The Japanese
call it Nippon, which means “source of the sun”; others call it “Land of the RisingSun.”It is an archipelago, or chain of islands,
including four major islands—Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyusha—and thousands of smaller ones that lie scattered
along a southwest to northeast axis of nearly 3,000 miles. Historically, its location isolated the country from the rest of the
world. Considering the country’s physical geography, its history, and its huge population, Japan has had to overcome many
obstacles to achieve its present-day place among major world nations.
Japan is located in a region of geologic instability known as the Pacific Ring of Fire. This region includes
approximately 100 active volcanoes and as a result it averages about 1,500 earthquakes each year. Japan is also subject to
floods, blizzards, and typhoons that sweep over the islands each year. And volcanic events occurring on the ocean floor can
cause devastating tsunamis. Although no longer active, the most recognized of Japan’s volcanoes is Mount Fuji. This cone-
shaped peak rises 12,388 feet above the Kanto Plain, about 70 miles southwest of Tokyo.

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 THE PEOPLE

Few places in the world are as crowded as Japanese cities. Over 98 percent of the country’s inhabitants are ethnic
Japanese. Koreans make up the largest group of immigrants and there are small numbers of Chinese, Brazilians, Filipinos,
and Americans living in the country.
Religious beliefs and practices in Japan primarily revolve around two faiths: Shintoism and Buddism. Originating in
ancient times, Shinto is the polytheistic (believing in many gods) religion of Japan. Followers of Shinto worship their ancestors,
offer prayers, and observe various rituals. They believe that kami (the many gods of Shinto) control the forces of nature and
the human condition, including creativity, sickness, and healing. Because the followers of Shinto believe that the kami live in
shrines, they erect places of worship in their homes as well as in public places. These structures are often quite extensive,
involving several buildings and gardens, to which people make pilgrimages. Buddism, which originated in India and reached
Japan from Korea in the sixth century A.D., focuses on enlightenment and meditation.

Chanoyu has been referred to as the “Japanese Tea Ceremony” for many years but the word literally means hot
water for tea. The simple art of Chanoyu is really as synthesis of many Japanese arts with the focus of preparing and serving
a bowl of tea with a pure heart. Tea was first introduced to Japan from China with Buddhism in the sixth century. It wasn’t until
1191 that tea really took hold in Japan with the return from China of the Zen priest Eisai (1141– 1215). Eisai, the founder of
the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism in Japan, introduced powdered tea and tea seeds that he brought back with him from China.
The tea seeds were planted at the Kozanji temple in the hills northwest of Kyoto. The tea master Sen Rikyu developed
wabicha, or the style of tea that reflects a simple and quiet taste. It is this simple style of tea that is practiced and taught in
Japan and throughout the world today. The principles of Wa Kei Sei Jaku (harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility) are the
principles that practitioners of Chanoyu integrate into their study of tea and into their daily lives. The tea ceremony varies
according to the seasons, with tea bowls, types of tea, flowers, and scrolls carefully chosen.

THE FOOD

Rice is Japan’s most important crop and has been cultivated by the Japanese for over 2000 years. Japanese rice is
short grain rice that becomes sticky when cooked. Most rice is sold as hakumai (“white rice”), with the outer portion of the
grains (nuka) polished away. Unpolished rice (gemmai) is considered less desirable. A second major rice variety used in
Japan is mochi rice. Cooked mochi rice is more sticky than conventional Japanese rice, and it is commonly used for sekihan
(cooked mochi rice with red beans) or pounded into rice cakes. The rice cakes are traditionally eaten on New Year’s day and
are usually grilled and then served in a soup or wrapped in nori seaweed. Rice flour is used in various Japanese sweets
(wagashi) and rice crackers (sembei). Daifuku is sweetened red bean paste wrapped in rice flour dough, and kushi-dango are
rice flour dumplings on skewers. Rice is also used to produce vinegar. Rice wine is commonly known as sake which is the
general term for “alcohol” in Japanese.
The importance of rice in the daily diet is revealed in the word gohan, which means both “cooked rice” and “meal.”
This word is extended to asagohan (breakfast), hirugohan (lunch), and bangohan (dinner). A traditional Japanese breakfast is
a bowl of rice, miso (fermented soy paste) soup, a plain omelet, some dried fish, and pickled vegetables. Lunches are light,
often consisting of noodles (soba made from buckwheat or udon made from wheat), domburi mono (a bowl of rice with
vegetables, meat, or eggs on top), or a bento box. Dinner is a bowl of rice, miso or dashi soup (a stock made from kelp and
dried bonito flakes), a small portion of protein, vegetables, pickled vegetables, and a dessert (usually a seasonal fruit).

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 So close to these a where warm (kurosio) currents meet with cold (oyashio), the area is home to some of the world’s
richest fishing grounds. Fish is a main element in the Japanese diet and is eaten in a variety of preparations: steamed, fried,
boiled, broiled, and raw.
Preserving fish also became popular and sushi originated as a means of preserving fish by fermenting it in boiled
rice. Salted fish was placed in rice and preserved by lactic acid fermentation, which prevents growth of the bacteria that bring
about putrefaction. This older type of sushi is still produced in the areas surrounding Lake Biwa in western Japan, and similar
types are also known in Korea, southwestern China, and Southeast Asia. A unique fifteenth century development shortened
the fermentation period of sushi to one or two weeks and made both the fish and the rice edible. As a result, sushi became a
popular snack food. Sushi without fermentation appeared during the 1600s, and sushi was finally united with sashimi at the
end of the eighteenth century, when the hand-rolled type, nigiri-sushi, was devised.
In the thirteenth century, Zen monks from China popularized a form of vegetarian cuisine known in Japan as shojin
ryori. The practice of preparing meals with seasonal vegetables and wild plants from the mountains, served with seaweed,
fresh soybean curd (or dehydrated forms), and seeds (such as walnuts, pine nuts and peanuts) is a tradition that is still alive at
Zen temples today. Stemming from the Buddhist precept that it is wrong to kill animals, including fish, shojin ryori is completely
vegetarian. Buddhism prescribes partaking of a simple diet every day and abstaining from drinking alcohol or eating meat.
Such a lifestyle, it is thought, together with physical training, clears the mind of confusion and leads to understanding.
In the sixteenth century the Portuguese traders, followed by the Dutch, began to introduce foods such as sugar and
corn that were adopted by the Japanese. The use of fried foods such as tempura might seem to be unusual since a scarcity of
meat and dairy products in the Japanese diet meant that oil was not commonly used for cooking. However, tempura was
enjoyed by many people and is now used for a wide variety of seafood, meats, and vegetables.
Buddhist influences and cultural factors caused Japanese emperors to ban consumption of beef and meat from other
hoofed animals in Japan for more than a thousand years until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. It is thought that before this time,
Japanese soldiers, involved in many armed conflicts over the years, were fed beef to strengthen them for battle. When the
soldiers came home from war, they brought their appetite for beef with them. Village elders believed that consuming beef
inside the house was a sacrilege, a desecration of the house, and an insult to their ancestors. Thus young men were forced to
cook their beef outside on plowshares (this process became known as sukiyaki, which literally means plow cooking) until the
Meijii Restoration finally relaxed the restriction against eating beef. During the Meiji Restoration the new emperor went as far
as staging a New Year’s feast in 1872 designed to embrace the Western world. It had a European emphasis and for the first
time in over a thousand years, people publicly ate meat.
Kobe beef is a legendary delicacy of Japan that comes from the capital city of Kobe in the Hyogo prefecture
(province) of Japan. Cattle were first introduced into Japan around the second century, brought in from the Asian mainland via
the Korean Peninsula. The cattle provided a much-needed source of agricultural power, power to pull the plows for the
cultivation of rice, power for the growth of a nation. The Shikoku region received the first imports, but because of rugged
terrain and difficult traveling in the region, further migration of the cattle was slow. The cattle were in isolated areas, each
essentially a closed population. These herds were developed with an emphasis on quality. Very protective of the breed, Japan
went so far as to have the Wagyu classified as a national treasure. Wagyu produce consistently marbled, low-cholesterol
carcasses, recognized as the world’s finest, unmatched for flavor, tenderness, and overall eating quality. Wagyu is the
Japanese breed of cattle used to produce Kobe, Matzukya, and Hokkido beef and is similar to the Hereford, Holstein, and
Angus breeds. In order to earn the designation “Kobe beef,” the Wagyu beef must come from the Hyogo province and meet
strict production standards imposed by the industry. In Japan, Kobe beef is occasionally eaten as sushi, but is more frequently
eaten as sukiyaki or steak. To cook a Kobe steak properly one should use high heat to sear the steak for a short amount of
time. Since the fat is what gives Kobe beef its exquisite flavor, it is important to cook the steak only to medium rare (at most),
since anything more would cause all of the fat to melt away. Most recipes recommend cooking a Kobe steak on the grill or a
cast-iron pan, and seasoning only with salt and pepper.

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 Nabemono dishes are a hearty wintertime specialty, prepared from fish, seafood, chicken, meat and/or vegetables in
a bubbling cauldron at the table. Serving trays piled high with raw ingredients arrive at the table, then everyone begins
cooking, finally eating together out of the communal pot. There are many different types of nabemono, depending on the
ingredients used. Oysters, scallops, cod, salmon, and chicken are all popular. Chanko-nabe, a variety made with chicken,
seafood, potatoes, and other vegetables, is the staple diet of Japan’s sumo wrestlers. Another special type of nabemono is
beef sukiyaki.
Grilled unagi (eel) is a delicacy in Japan. The cooking process is what makes the eel both crisp and tender: the eels
are first grilled over hot charcoal, then steamed to remove excess fat, then seasoned with a sweetish sauce and grilled a
second time. The ingredients in the sweet basting sauce differ depending on the family or restaurant. Fancy unagi restaurants
keep tanks full of live eels.
Yakitori itself means broiled chicken. Various cuts of chicken, including heart, liver, and cartilage are cooked on
skewers over a charcoal grill. Also cooked this way are an assortment of vegetables such as green peppers (piman), garlic
cloves (ninniku) and onions (negi). They are flavored using either a tangy sauce (tare) or salt (shio).
Okonomiyaki restaurants serve large, savory pancakes made with diced seafood, meat, and vegetables. It is topped
with a special sauce and mayonnaise and sprinkled with nori and dried fish flakes (katsuobushi). Variations include adding a
fried egg or soba. The okonomiyaki style of cooking originated in Osaka and is very popular around the country.
Oden is a very simple stew made by simmering fish dumplings, fried tofu, eggs, and vegetables in a kelp based stock
for several hours. Sides include daikon (white radish), potatoes, kelp, transparent cakes made from kon’nyaku (devil’s tongue
starch) and fukuro (fried tofu pouches stuffed with chopped mushrooms and noodles). There is also a selection of fish cakes
such as chijuwaw—made by molding fish paste into a tubular shape, steaming it, and finally grilling it. The fish cakes are
made from fish that are not popular on their own, such as shark, flying fish, and pollack. Kaiseki ryouri is Japanese formal
cuisine. Today it is considered an art form that celebrates the harmony between food and nature, with an emphasis on flavors,
textures, and colors. A traditional kaiseki meal consists of a set sequence of courses based on preparation techniques. One
meal can consist of as many as 15 different courses featuring sashimi, tempura, fish and meat dishes, and tofu prepared in
diverse traditional style and designed to please all of the senses. Everything, down to the timing of each course and the
choice of ceramics is planned to perfection. An example of this meal would be: sakitsuke (hors d’ouvre), zensai (appetizer),
suimono (clear soup), sashimi (slices of raw fish), nimono (stewed seafood and vegetables), yakimono (broiled fish), agemono
(deep-fried seafood and vegetables), sunomono (vinegared seafood and vegetables) gohan (cooked rice), tomewan (miso
soup), konomono (pickled vegetables) and kudamono or mizugashi (fruit). Senscha (green tea) is served before the meal.
During and after the meal hojicha (roasted tea) is served. Dishes focus on seasonal ingredients, and kaiseki chefs give
zealous attention to presentation.
Shippoku ryouri, the specialty cuisine of the city of Nagasaki, combines European, Chinese, and Japanese tastes.
Although shippoku benefited from Chinese, Dutch, and Portuguese culinary influences, it was the original creation of the
Chinese living in Nagasaki’s Chinese quarters. While it was intended to entertain Japanese and Western visitors, it spread to
common households and evolved into a feast that is presented in traditional Japanese restaurants even today. The primary
characteristic of Shippoku cuisine is jikabashi, the seating of the diners around a lacquered round table on which the food is
served in one dish, with all diners serving themselves. This creates an atmosphere of omoyai (sharing) and contributes to a
harmonious atmosphere. In addition, even before the toast, it is customary for the host to signal the start of the meal with one
phrase: “Please help yourself to the ohire broth.” Varying according to the season, the menu includes ohire (clearfishsoup);
sashimi(rawfish);vinegared, cooked, fried, and boiled vegetables and meat; and at the end umewan (sweet red bean soup with
a salted cherry blossom).

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 COOKING TERMS

Agemono Fish or vegetables fried in vegetable oil. The first cooking oil used in Japan was probably sesame oil, goma abura,
introduced by the Chinese during the eighth century. There are two styles of deep-frying: tempura and kara-age. Tempura is
batter frying, while kara-age uses no batter. Instead, ingredients are breaded or dusted with cornstarch and fried. The word
kara refers to China, meaning that this method originated in Chinese cooking (age means deep-fried).
Daikon Oroshi Grated daikon. Many fried dishes, including tempura and grilled or broiled oily fish, are almost always served
with grated daikon. Choose a radish that is heavy for its size, so it will be juicy. Grate only the top part, which is sweeter than
the lower part.
Hana Ninjin Floral-cut carrots.
Hiya-Gohan Day-old rice, used in stir-frying or rice soup.
Itameru Stir-frying.
Katsura Muki A technique used with daikon, cucumber, and carrots to cut a continuous paper-thin sheet of flesh.
Mizukiri The process of removing excess water from tofu before it is used.
Momiji Oroshi Spicy grated daikon. Momiji means “autumn leaf color.” To prepare momiji oroshi, make two deep holes on the
cut surface of a disk of daikon, Insert one skatog arashi (Japanese dried red chile) into each hole. Grate the daikon and chile
together, producing a slightly red, spicy oroshi.
Nabemono One-pot cooking, a specific style of Japanese preparation, with ingredients added in succession to a pot to cook
and ultimately to be served from the cooking pot. The term is also used for simmered dishes. The technique is often applied to
vegetables, chicken, and fish. Foods are typically cut into manageable pieces with chopsticks before they are simmered. The
basic liquids used include dashi (fish stock), kombu dashi (kelp stock), water, or sake (rice wine). Otoshibuta, or “drop-lid,” is
frequently used in simmering.
ShiragaNegi Literally,“gray-hairlongonion,”the white part of Japanese long onion (naganegi), cut into very thin strips. These
thin strips are soaked in ice water so they are crisp and curly. Used as a garnish.
Tamagoyaki Egg omelet, sweet and light. In Japan it is the trademark of each sushi chef.
Yakimono Foods (usually meat) that are grilled, broiled, or pan-fried. The ingredients are generally marinated in sauce or
salted then skewered so they retain their shape and grilled over a hot fire so the skin (if any) is very crisp while the meat stays
tender and juicy. Yakitori is a type ofyakimono.

KITCHEN TOOLS

Deba bocho A heavy-duty knife, similar to the chef’s knife, with a thicker blade and a pointed tip. Used to chop fish heads and
chicken bones.
Donabe Earthenware pot with lid, used directly for stovetop cooking (on a gas stove) or at the dinner table with a portable
stove. It should not be used in an oven. Often used for sukiyaki, oden, and shabu shabu.
Fukin A thin, rectangular cotton cloth, 12 to 16 inches in length and 10 inches in width. Like cheesecloth, a fukin is used for a
variety of purposes, including wrapping and forming cooked rice into shapes, lining a colander to strain stock, and squeezing
excess water from tofu. A larger version of this is daifukin.

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Hangiri Wooden sushi tub usually made of cypress wood, in the shape of a large circular plate with high sides. The large
surface area cools the rice quickly, and the wood absorbs excess moisture. Used to mix rice with sugar and vinegar to make
sushi rice.
Hocho Japanese knives. Most Japanese knives are made for cutting fish and green leafy vegetables only. They are thin-
bladed knives not intended to cut root vegetables, winter squash, carrots, or anything else that might chip the blade. Except
for nakkiri bocho and bunka bocho, only one side of the Japanese blade is ground to form the cutting edge, which is straight,
not curved. These characteristics give Japanese knives a cleaner, quicker cut.
Burka bocho All-purpose knives.
Deba bocho A heavy knife with a sharp tip, used for fish.
Nakkiri bocho Knives specifically for vegetables. The name derives from its function: na refers to “vegetable” and giri means
“cut.”
Ryuba Used to cut fish. Ryuba means “willow blade cutting edge.”
Sashimi bocho Long, thin blade a bit more than an inch wide. Used to cut filleted fish for sushi and sashimi.
Takobiki Very long and thin blunt-tipped knife, traditional tool of the sushi chef, perfect for accurate slicing.
Usubabocho A light and efficient knife designed for cutting vegetables, it resembles a basic cleaver, with a slightly rounded
end. The straight blade edge is suitable for cutting all the way to the cutting board without the need for a horizontal pull or
push.
Kushi Bamboo skewers used for preparing certain grilled Japanese dishes, such as yakitori. The cook continually turns the
skewers so that the meat is evenly cooked and basted. For this reason, bamboo skewers are essential; steel skewers would
become too hot to handle. The skewers are soaked in water for 30 minutes before use so they won’t burn during cooking.
Makisu Bamboo rolling mats, made from thin pieces of bamboo tied together. Makisu are used to make sushi rolls
(makizushi).
Oroshigane A steel grater with very fine spikes, used to grate wasabi, ginger, and daikon radish.
Oroshiki Porcelain grater, considered better than the metal grater (oroshigane), because it does not impart any metallic flavor
to the food and is safer on the hands.
Oshizushi no kata Wooden sushi mold. Used when making pressed sushi, such as oshizushi. The rice and toppings placed
in an oshizushi no kata are pressed, resulting in a pressed “cake.”
Otoshibuta Literally “drop lid”—a lightweight round lid used to keep foods submerged. It ensures heat is evenly distributed
and reduces the tendency of liquid to boil with large bubbles, thus preventing fragile ingredients from losing their original
shape. Typically made from wood.
Ryoribashi Cooking chopsticks, typically 14 inches long. Normally, ryoribashi have a string at the top to tie the chopsticks
together.
Shamoji A paddle made from wood or plastic, used to serve rice. Also used to stir sushi rice after adding sweetened vinegar
and cooling. Nowadays, shamoji are usually made from plastic, since they are much easier to clean than their wooden
counterparts.
Suribachi A bowl with a corrugated pattern on the inside, used as a mortar along with the surikogi (pestle) to grind sesame
seeds into a paste. It is glazed ceramic on the outside and unglazed on the inside, often brown and beige in color.
Surikogi A wooden pestle, often made from cypress wood, shaped like a big cucumber. The grinder part to suribachi (bowl),
which makes up the Japanese version of the mortar and pestle.

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Wok For stir-frying. Japanese cuisine uses the traditional, round-bottomed Chinese wok.
Zaru A shallow bamboo basket used to drain, rinse, or dry foods. In the summer, cold soba noodles are served in a zaru,
accompanied by a small bowl filled with dipping sauce, called zaru soba.

GLOSSARY

Aburage Deep-fried tofu pouch. Before being deep-fried, the tofu is cut into thin sheets.
Akatogarashi Japanese dried red chile pepper, one of the hottest chile varieties in the world. It is sold in a powdered form,
called ichimi togarashi.
Aji-no-moto Monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Atsuage Regular or firm tofu, deep-fried until the outside is crisp and golden brown; the inside remains white.
Azuki beans Tiny, reddish, purplish dried beans, cooked to a sweetened paste and used in a variety of ways; often used in
Japanese sweets.
Beni shoga Red pickled ginger.
Bonito Tuna, also known as skipjack tuna.
Buta Pork.
Chutoro The belly area of the tuna.
Daikon A large white radish, crisp, juicy, and refreshing. Available year-round, daikon becomes sweeter during the cold
season. The flavor differs slightly depending on the part of the root used. The upper part is sweeter and without bitterness,
typically used for daikon oroshi (peeled and grated daikon), which accompanies deep-fried foods such as tempura and grilled
oily fish and meat. The top part is also used in salads. The bottom half of the root has a mild and pleasant bitter taste. It is
usually simmered until soft enough to be broken with chopsticks. Simmered daikon (furofuki daikon) is served very hot, with a
flavored miso sauce.
Dashi Basic Japanese stock made with kombu and katsuoboshi.
Ebi Cooked shrimp. Ami Ebi shrimp is prepared by “curing” the shrimp in a mixture of citrus juices.
Edamame Green soybeans.
Fugu Puffer fish, considered a delicacy, though its innards and blood contain the extremely poisonous neurotoxin tetrodotoxin.
In Japan only licensed fugu chefs are allowed to prepare fugu.
Futo-Maki Big, oversized sushi rolls.
Gari Pickled ginger (pink or white) served with sushi.
Ginnan Gingkonuts.Asiancooksliketouseginnanindessertsandstir-fries.They’reavailable fresh (in the fall), canned, or dried in
Asian markets. To prepare fresh nuts, remove the soft pale yellow nutmeat from the hard shell. Simmer the nuts in salted
boiling water. The meat will turn a bright green color. Drain and peel off the skins; refresh under cold water. Ginnan are used
in stir-fry, deep-fried, or added to simmered or steamed dishes or soups. Canned nuts have already been shelled, skinned,
and boiled, but they’re mealier than fresh nuts. Rinse them before using. Substitute blanched almonds or pine nuts.
Goma Sesame seeds, found in two colors: white and black. White sesame seeds contain more oil than black seeds and are
used to produce sesame oil. Black sesame seeds have a stronger, nuttier flavor than the white variety. Sesame seeds are

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sold untoasted, toasted, toasted and roughly ground, and toasted and ground to a smooth paste, with a little oil from the seeds
floating on top. Japanese sesame paste is similar to Middle Eastern tahini.
Goma Abura Sesame oil. Introduced to Japan by China during the eighth century. There are two types of sesame oil, one
made with toasted seeds and the other with raw seeds. Sesame oil made with toasted seeds has a golden brown color and a
rich, nutty flavor. It is the preferred type used in Japan. Sesame oil made with raw seeds is clear and milder in flavor.
Japanese have also adopted a chile-flavored sesame oil, called rayu.
Hakusai Chinese cabbage, about ten inches in length and six inches across the base. The lower parts of the leaves are white
and quite thick. The upper parts are light green, thin and wrinkled. Hakusai does not have a strong flavor, making it a very
good match with rich flavored stocks. When cooked for only a short amount of time it has a crisp texture.
Hamachi Young yellowtail tuna, or amberjack.
Hanakatsuo Dried bonito, shaved or flaked.
Ichiban Dashi “First fish stock.” This stock extracts the best flavor and nutrients from the kombu (kelp) and katsuobushi
(bonito flake). A very short cooking time prevents the stock from becoming strongly flavored or yellowish.
Japan Green Teas First brought to Japan from China in the ninth century by Buddhist Monks, tea has become the beverage
of choice in all of Japan. Tea may be divided into three groups, according to how the leaves are processed: unfermented,
partially fermented, or fully fermented. Japanese tea is an unfermented type, also called green tea. In Japan, fresh-picked tea
leaves are steamed, quickly cooled, and rolled by hand or machine while hot air blows them dry. This process helps to
preserve the leaves’ maximum flavor, to be released only when the tea is brewed.
Kabocha A winter squash shaped like a pumpkin, six to seven inches in diameter, with a thick, tough, dark green skin. It has a
deep orange flesh; when cooked it becomes very sweet and creamy. As with other winter squash it is a versatile vegetable.
Substitute pumpkin or butter nut squash.
Kaiware (Daikon Sprouts) These have a pleasantly bitter, refreshing taste and are eaten raw. Used in salads, rolled sushi, or
as a condiment for sashimi or noodle dishes.
Kaki Persimmon. Sweet kaki contains chemicals called tannins that produce the astringency in unripe persimmons. The
ripening process inactivates the tannins, so the astringency disappears. These sweet varieties have a round and slightly
flattened shape. Astringent kaki, which is shaped like an acorn, becomes less astringent when the fruit becomes very soft and
mushy.
Kamaboko Imitation crab meat, used in California rolls and other maki.
Kanten (Agar-Agar) When kanten is cooked with liquid and cooled, it forms a gel that is very stable at relatively high
temperatures.
Karashi General word for mustard; wa-garashi is the expression for Japanese mustard, which is hotter than Western mustard.
Wa-garashi has a dark yellow color and a pleasant bitter flavor. Colman’s English mustard can be a substitute.
Katsuobushi Dried bonito fish flakes. Bonito is a type of tuna, which is a member of the mackerel family, and one of the most
important fish in Japanese cuisine. To make katsuobushi the tuna is filleted, boned, boiled, smoked, and dried in the sun to
make a hard, wood like block with a concentrated, rich, and smoky flavor. A special tool is used to flake the extremely hard
chunks. Bonito shavings form the base for many Japanese sauces and stocks (such as dashi, made with bonito and
seaweed). The flakes are frequently sprinkled over boiled or steamed vegetables and into soups.
Kinoko Mushrooms, literally meaning “child of a tree.” Various mushrooms are used in Japanese cuisine. Some of the most
popular ones are introduced below.

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Kombu A dark green long thick sea vegetable from the kelp family. Used frequently in Japanese cooking, it is an essential
ingredient of dashi. Never wash or rinse before using. The speckled surface of the kelp is just natural salts and minerals,
resulting in great flavor. Kombu contains significant amounts of glutamic acid, the basis of monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Kome Rice. Japanese cuisine typically uses short-grain types that, when cooked, are faintly sweet and slightly sticky. The
Japanese word for cooked rice (gohan) also has the general meaning of “meal” and the literal meaning of breakfast
(asagohan) is “morning rice.” There are three major types of kome typically used in Japanese cuisine:
Genmai Unpolished brown rice.
Haigamai Partially polished white rice.
Seihakumai Highly polished white rice, the most common type
Komezu Rice vinegar. A light and mild-tasting Japanese vinegar. An essential ingredient for making sushi rice and sunomono
(vinegary salads). It has a lower acid level than Western vinegars. Vinegar is also known for its antibacterial properties and
this is one reason komezu is often used in Japanese dishes that include raw fish, seafood, or meat.
Kyuri Japanese cucumber. This is a slender and long cucumber, about 8 inches, with a bumpy skin that is thick and dark
green. Kyuri is very crispy to the bite, with very few seeds.
Menrui Japanese noodles, made from wheat and buckwheat flours, and mung-bean and potato starch. In Japan, rice flour is
not used to make noodles.
Mirin A golden yellow, sweet, rich-textured rice wine with an alcohol content of about 14 percent. When used in cooking, it is
frequently heated to cook off the alcohol before other flavoring ingredients are added. This technique is called nikirimirin. Mirin
contributes a rich flavor and an attractive, glossy brown appearance.
Miso A fermented soybean paste made from a starter culture that includes either steamed rice or barley mixed with cooked
beans and salt. When the beans ferment the taste is somewhat meaty or mushroom-like, with a texture of nut butters, but is
not oily. Miso is used in a variety of ways: to flavor soups or stews, in marinades, and spread on items before cooking. All
miso is nutrient dense and high in protein, containing live enzymes that aid in digestion.
Mitsuba Literally, “three leaves,” often translated as “trefoil.” This member of the parsley family has a flavor somewhere
between sorrel and celery. Used in soups, eggs, custards, hot stews, and salads.
Mizuna A member of the mustard family, it grows in bunches of thin, snow-white stalks with light green leaves. Each leaf is
about the size of an arugula leaf, but is deeply serrated. One of the few indigenous vegetables of Japan, mizuna means
“water greens” because it is grown in fields that are shallowly flooded with water. May be pickled, eaten raw in salads, stir-
fried, simmered, and used in hot-pot dishes.
Moyashi Bean sprouts. Sprouts grown from many different kinds of legume seeds—soybeans, mung beans, azuki beans,
alfalfa, peas, and lentils—are generally known as moyashi. Bean sprouts are used in soups, stir-fries, and simmered
preparations. Generally they are added at the very last preparation step.
Naganegi Literally,“longonion.”These are non bulbing onions 12–16 inches long and 1 inch at the base. Both the white and
green parts are used in cooking. The white stem has a strong onion flavor when eaten raw, but becomes very mild and sweet
when cooked. It is typically grilled or used in simmered dishes.
Nasu Japanese eggplant. A distinctive eggplant variety, it is short—about 4–5 inches–and slender. Less seedy than other
eggplant varieties, it becomes very creamy when cooked. Eggplant is pickled, stir-fried, deep-fried, steamed, grilled, or
simmered.
Niban Dashi A “second fish stock” prepared by simmering the kelp and dried bonito flakes used in preparing ichiban dashi in
the same volume of fresh water. It will have a less refined flavor and a cloudy appearance, but is still good in everyday miso
soups and simmered dishes where strong-flavored condiments or ingredients are incorporated.

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Nira Chinese chives, also called garlic chives, for their mixed flavor of garlic and chives. These chives have long (up to 16
inches), flat, thin, dark green leaves. When quickly stir-fried, they become bright green and crisp in texture, with a garlicky
flavor.
Nori Dried or roasted seaweed. It is typically toasted before using, which improves flavor and texture. To toast, simply pass
the sheet of nori several inches over the heat until it turns from dark green to an even darker green. It only takes a few
seconds to toast both sides. In Japan it is eaten for breakfast with a little soup and rice. Nori has two sides: one shinier than
the other. When using to make makizushi (sushi rolls), roll them with the shiny side facing out.
Panko Japanese bread crumbs that are extremely crunchy.
Okara A by-product of the tofu making process, It is like a moist, white, crumbly sawdust. It is used in soups, stews, or as a
side dish.
Renkon This is the root of the lotus or water lily plant, hasu. The root grows in sausage-like links and has longitudinal tubular
channels, usually ten. When cut crosswise, the root has an attractive flowerlike pattern. Mild flavored when raw; when briefly
cooked, it has a pleasant crunchy texture.
Sake Rice wine. It is the premiere Japanese alcoholic drink. Sake is often used in marinades for meat and fish to soften them
as well as to mask their smell. In cooking, it is often used to add body and flavor to various dashi (soup stocks) and sauces, or
to make nimono (simmered dishes) and yakimono (grilled dishes).
Sashimi Raw fish fillets.
Sato-Imo Taro is the root of a perennial plant that is found everywhere in tropical Asia. The shape varies from small and
round to long and sticklike, with a snow-white flesh. It has no distinctive flavor, but has a pleasant, soft texture. Taro is
traditionally simmered in a flavored broth, stewed with proteins, or added to soups. Taro will absorb the flavor it is cooked with.
Taro must be washed, peeled, and parboiled before final preparation.
Satsuma-Imo Sweet potato. Originally from Central and South America, sweet potatoes were introduced by Spanish
conquistadors to the Philippines; from there they reached China.They were introduced to Japan from China in the seventeenth
century. The Japanese produce a very sweet and creamy sweet potato, with a bright, reddish purple skin. The meat is creamy
white when uncooked and a bright yellow when cooked. North American sweet potatoes are less sweet and creamy; when
cooked they are more watery. Yams may be the best substitute.
Shichimi-T¯ogarashi A Japanese spice mixture made from seven spices. Shichimi means “seven flavors.” It is not the same
as Chinese five-spice mixture. The ingredients and proportions used will vary but usually include red pepper flakes, ground
roasted orange or mandarin peel, yellow (aka white) sesame seed, black sesame seed or black hemp seeds or poppy seeds,
sansho (Japanese pepper also known as Szechuan peppercorns), dark green dried seaweed flakes (nori), rapeseed, or chipi
(dried mikan peel).
Shishitogarashi Small green pepper, literally “Chinese lion pepper.” A 3-inch-long pepper resembling a miniature Chinese
lion head. This pepper has been hybridized to remove most of the heat; it is a uniquely Japanese pepper variety.
Shishitogarashi peppers are best when stir-fried or deep-fried. When not available, substitute green bell peppers.
Shiso Herb, a member of the mint family, tasting of cumin and cinnamon. The leaves are used to wrap sushi and as a garnish
for sashimi.
Shoga Ginger. One of the oldest seasonings in Japan. It is an important condiment for sashimi and sushi because of its
antiseptic properties.
Shoyu (see Soy Sauce)
Shungiku Chrysanthemum leaves. These leaves are cultivated to be edible. They are slightly bitter and can be used raw or
cooked. Substitute spinach, turnip greens, or mustard greens.

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Soba These noodles, which were first called sobakiri, are now simply called soba. They are linguine-sized noodles that are
hearty, healthy, and served both hot and cold. The quality of the soba noodle is dependent on how much other starchy
material, such as wheat flour or yam flour, has been added to the buckwheat flour. Soba noodles are a regional food. The
cooler the climate, the more fragrant and rich-tasting the buckwheat.
Chukasoba Literally, “Chinese-style soba noodles.” They are a type of wheat noodle that contains no buckwheat flour, mixed
with water and a naturally obtained alkaline agent called kansui. The kansui provides the noodles with their distinctive
elasticity. These noodles are creamy yellow (although they contain no eggs), curly, and resilient in texture. They are served
hot, with a richly flavored broth made from chicken and pork bones.The most famous dish made from these noodles and broth
is ramen.
Harusame Potato starch noodles, slender and transparent, as thin and straight as angel-hair pasta.
Kishimen Flat wheat noodles similar to fettuccini, with a distinctive chewy bite. They are also served both hot and cold.
Ryokuto Harusame Mung bean noodles, clear, thin, wrinkled starch noodles. Somen and Hiyamugi Thin wheat noodles.
Somen are as thin as vermicelli, and hiyamugi are slightly thicker than somen. Both are summertime noodles, usually served
cold, with a dipping sauce.
Udon The most popular of the wheat noodles. They are a thick, long, cream-colored, noodle that may be served hot or cold.
Soy Sauce ThreetypesofsoysauceareusedinJapanesecooking,whichdifferincolor,flavor, and degree of saltiness.
Koikuchi shoyu, or simply shoyu, means brewed with wheat. It has a dark brown color, rich flavor, and complex aroma, with
a salt content around 17 to 18 percent. Used in all types of preparations, it gives foods a dark brown color and rich flavor.
Tamari is made nearly entirely from soybeans, and only a small amount of water is added to the fermenting mixture. Tamari is
thicker, with a dark brown color, rich in bean flavor and about as salty as regular shoyu. Tamari is preferred as a condiment or
flavor enhancer rather than a basic cooking ingredient. Follow these key points when cooking with shoyu: cook it only for a
short time. Brief cooking preserves its natural fragrance, flavor, and color. Because of its high salt content, it should be added
toward the end of the cooking process. In stir-frying, shoyu is added at the end of the cooking.
Usukuchi shoyu, light-colored soy sauce, is produced by not roasting the wheat as much, and more salt is added to slow the
fermentation. The resulting shoyu is lighter in color, less flavorful, and has a slightly higher salt content, about 19 percent.
Usukuchi shoyu is used in recipes where a refined color and weak flavor are required.
Sushi The term is actually sweetened, pickled rice. Raw fish (sashimi) wrapped together with a portion of sushi rice is sold as
“sushi.” Sushi is the term for the special rice; in Japanese it is modified to zushi when coupled with modifiers that describe the
different styles.
Takenoko Bamboo shoots. It is a member of the grass family. Bamboo shoots are young, new canes that are harvested for
food before they are two weeks old or one-foot tall. Bamboo shoots are crisp and tender, comparable to asparagus, with a
flavor similar to corn. However, fresh bamboo shoots are very difficult to find. Fresh shoots need to be peeled and cooked
before using. Raw shoots are bitter tasting and hard to digest.
Tofu Soybean curd. This soft, cheeselike food is made by curdling fresh hot soy milk with a coagulant. Traditionally, the
curdling agent used to make tofu is nigari, a compound found in natural ocean water, or calcium sulfate, a naturally occurring
mineral. The curds then are generally pressed into a solid block.
Firm tofu is dense and solid and holds up well in stir-fry dishes, soups, or on the grill—anywhere you want the tofu to maintain
its shape. Firm tofu also is higher in protein, fat, and calcium than other forms of tofu.
K¯oya-dofu is freeze-dried tofu, which comes in flat, creamy white squares. When soaked in warm water it absorbs a large
amount of liquid and takes on a slightly spongy texture. It has a mild but distinctive flavor. Reconstituted dried tofu has no
resemblance to fresh tofu.

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Silken tofu is a Japanese-style tofu, with a mild, light, delicate taste. Unlike other types of tofu, the water is not pressed out of
it, nor is it strained. A slightly different process that results in a creamy, custard-like product makes silken tofu higher in water
content, so it does not hold its shape as well as firm tofu. Silken tofu works well in pureed or blended dishes and soups. In
Japan, silken tofu is enjoyed “as is,” with a touch of soy sauce and topped with chopped scallions.
Yaki-dofu is tofu that has been grilled on both sides over charcoal, producing a firm texture.
Umami The elusive fifth flavor, translated from Japanese as “delicious,” “savory,” or “brothy.” It refers to a synergy of intricate,
balanced flavors. Umami is a taste that occurs when foods with glutamate (like MSG) are eaten.
Ume Japanese green plum. Typically pickled, ume is used as a base for preserves, or for umeshu (plum wine).
Wakame One of the most popular sea vegetables in the Japanese diet.
Wasabi Japanese horseradish, pale green in color with a delicate aroma; milder tasting than Western horseradish. Wasabi is
similar to horseradish in its taste and culinary function but is unrelated. Wasabi grows in the water while horseradish grows in
soil. Like ginger, wasabi has antisepticproperties,so it has traditionally been served with sushi and sashimi dishes.Wasabi
alsohelps topromote digestion.Fresh wasabi root should begrated just before consumption; however, fresh is hard to obtain
outside of Japan. Powdered or paste wasabi is more pungent than freshly grated root, and it is also less fragrant and flavorful.
The paste form of wasabi, neri wasabi, comes in a tube ready to serve. Powdered wasabi, kona wasabi, is a mixture of wasabi
and horseradish powder; frequently mustard powder is added to increase the pungency and an artificial green color is added
to simulate real wasabi.
Yuzu A tangerine-size variety of citron (citrus fruit), with a thick, bumpy rind. Like a lemon, yuzu is valued for both its juice and
its rind, which has a pleasant tart and bitter flavor. Substitute lime or lemon rind and equal parts lime, orange, and grape fruit
juice for yuzu juice.

THE LAND OF CHINA

The diversity of China is best recognized in the features of the landscape. China is a rugged country, with mountains,
hills, and plateaus occupying about 65 percent of the total land area. The highest peak in the world, Mount Everest, stands on
the border between China and Nepal. Moving north, the terrain drops to between 3,280 and 6,560 feet above sea level. Here
are the famous grasslands of Mongolia, important to cattle breeding, and the Gobi Desert. In the northwest is the largest
desert in China, the Taklamakan Desert, through which the ancient Silk Road passed. Nearby, bordered by the Tian
Mountains, is the Turfan Depression; known as the Oasis of Fire, its temperatures can reach 120◦F. In central China is the
Yang Zi river delta, an important agricultural area, heavily populated. Further south, the geography changes more
dramatically, with unusually shaped cliffs, gorges, and waterfalls.
The growth of civilization in China has centered on three great river systems, all of which flow from west to east. The
northern quarter is drained by the Huang He (Yellow River); the middle half of the country is drained by the Chang Jiang
(Yangtze River, the third longest in the world); and the southern quarter of China is dominated by the Xi Jiang (West River).
The two noted cities of Guangzhou (formerly Canton) and Hong Kong are situated at the mouth of the West River. These river
systems were the cheapest and most practical form of transportation, and were an important source for irrigation and energy.
The river valleys also provided fertile soils for the surrounding level land. As a result, much of China’s population is
concentrated along these rivers and reaches its highest and most extensive density at their mouths.

THE PEOPLE
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 China is a united multi-ethnic nation of 56 ethnic groups. According to the fourth national census, taken in 1990, the
Han people made up 92 percent of the country’s total population, and the other 55 ethnic groups, 8 percent. China’s ethnic
groups include Zhuang, Uygurs, Mongols, Tibetans, and others scattered over vast areas, mainly in the border regions.
The peasants of China make up 80 percent of the population and are the backbone of the economy. They alone
make up one-third of all the farmers in the world. Feng shui, or “wind and water,” is about living in harmony with the natural
environment and tapping the goodness of nature for good fortune and health. It was first practiced in ancient China by
farmers, to whom wind and water were the important natural forces that could either destroy or nurture their crops. Feng shui
has developed into an art of locating buildings and other man-made structures (for example, fountains and bridges) to
harmonize with and benefit from the surrounding physical environment.
Yin and yang is a concept in Chinese philosophy that consists of two opposing yet complementary forces. Yin is the
female, passive, cool force. Yang is the male, active, hot force. These forces are engaged in an endless cycle of movement
and change. This is best illustrated by the taiji, a symbol that shows a light patch and a dark patch winding around each other.
This symbol illustrates how each of the two forces contains some of the opposing force. As yang reaches its peak, it changes
in to yin. As the cycle continues and yin peaks, it changes into yang. This never-ending cycle of peaks and valley expresses
the Chinese view of life, history, and everything else in the world.

THE FOOD

Not surprisingly, given China’s size, there are a number of distinct regional cooking styles that can be divided into
four major traditions: the northern plains, including Beijing; the fertile east, watered by the Yangtze River; the south, famous
for the Cantonese cooking of the Guangdong Province; and the luxuriant west of Szechwan and Hunan Provinces. Some
observers characterize those regional cuisines as salty in north, sweet in south, hot in east, and sour in west.

North China
Severe winters, a short growing season, and arid climate shape the hearty cuisine of China’s north. The staples are
wheat, barley, millet, potatoes, and soy beans, as opposed to rice, which characterizes the other regions. Noodles such as
cellophane noodles (made from mung bean flour), rice ribbon noodles (made from rice flour), and breads such as steamed
wheat buns, pancakes, and dumplings are the base of the meal. Soy milk is extracted from soy bean paste and used to make
bean curd, commonly known as tofu. Tofu is used in a variety of ways because it absorbs the flavor of sauces and
seasonings, readily resulting in very tasty dishes. The most commonly eaten vegetable is Chinese cabbage, or bok choy.
Salted and pickled vegetables such as turnips and white radish are common. The food is flavored with onions, garlic, and dark
soy sauce. Soybean paste is the basis of many other pastes like hoisin (also known as Chinese barbeque sauce or plum
sauce) and yellow bean, usually used to thicken sauces or as a marinade or seasoning.
The northern portion of China also has a distinct Mongolian influence, characterized by the nomadic simplicity of the
fire pot. Fuel being scarce in this region, the Mongols would huddle around the fire pot warming their hands while a tureen of
broth was heating. Paper-thin slices of lamb or beef were dipped into the boiling broth until cooked and then dipped in spicy
sauces. After the meal, then richly seasoned broth was poured into bowls and served as soup. Northern cooking is known also
as Mandarin or Beijing cooking and was influenced by the imperial court, where royal haute cuisine was developed. Peking
duck is a traditional delicacy where thin slices of barbecued duck skin, wrapped in thin pancakes, are eaten with hoisin sauce.
Beijing is known for jiaozi, the traditional Chinese dumpling filled with pork and vegetables, but variations may include sweet
fruits or chestnuts during the holidays.

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Central China
The central coast provinces are known as “The Land of Fish and Rice” and produce the eastern style of cooking,
based on fresh seafood and river fish. Wheat, barley, rice, corn, sweet potatoes, and soybeans are the major staple crops.
Sugar cane is grown in the humid valleys. Numerous varieties of bamboo shoots, beans, melons, gourds, squashes, and leafy
vegetables are found here, and peaches, plums, and grapes flourish. Based around the cities of Shanghai, Zhejiang, and
Fujian, as well as the Yangtze River, eastern Chinese cuisine includes careful preparation and fine knife skills, delicate forms,
and light, fresh, sweet flavors based on the use of stocks and slow cooking. Stir-fried dishes and steaming are also common
cooking methods. Dried and salted meats and preserved vegetables are commonly used to flavor dishes. It was in this region
that Chinese vegetarian cuisine was elevated to sophisticated heights, as a result of the wealth of ingredients and the
expertise of the regional chefs.
One of the most striking features in eastern cooking is the quantity of sugar included in both vegetable and meat
cooking. Sugar combined with a dark soy sauce creates perhaps the most fundamental eastern flavor. Rice wine appears in
regional specialties such as Drunken Chicken, Drunken Spareribs, and Drunken Prawns. Regional specialties include soy-
braised duck and goose and Beggar’s Chicken, a dish wrapped in lotus leaves, covered in clay, and oven baked. Century egg
is also known as a preserved egg, or thousand-year egg. It is made by preserving duck, chicken, or quail egg in clay, ash, salt,
or lime, for several weeks or months. The yolk of the egg turns pale and dark green, while the egg white turns dark brown and
translucent. The egg white has a gelatinous texture, similar to that of a cooked egg, but has very little taste. Wuxi spare ribs
features the common eastern technique of “red cooking,” in a stock of soy sauce and rice wine to produce a flavorful stew.
Hangzhou and the West Lake area boast the delicate ham known as jinhua, a type of cured ham known for its smoky
flavor and scarlet color, and the world-famous Dragon Tea Well, for which only the top three leaves of each branch are
considered worthy. Shanghai is known for its unusual “soup inject” dishes (xiaolongbao, or xiaolongtangbao), which are
meatballs, dumplings, or buns filled with a gelatin and stock mixture and cooked until the inside is soupy.

Western China
Western China is known for Sichuan,or Szechuan,cooking. A basin in the south western part of the country, Sichuan
is one of the most agriculturally productive areas in China. Broken by small hills, the countryside is cut into squares, each an
irrigated paddy field. Rice is grown during the summer, and after it has been harvested in the late autumn, wheat is planted in
its place to be harvested six months later. The government, which controls all the supplies of grain in China, uses the surplus
to help feed the big cities further east. On the lower slopes of the hills are an abundance of citrus fruit orchards (tangerines in
particular) and bamboo groves, while on the higher forested mountainsides the people collect various kinds of edible fungi,
such as muer (wood-ears) and silver fungi. The western half of Sichuan is very mountainous and sparsely populated. The
people, mainly of Tibetan origin, keep sheep, cows, and horses.
The tea plant has long been of great agricultural importance for China. Its origins trace to the second century A.D.,
when it was grown in plantations in the uplands of central China and the ranges of the coastal provinces. Tea is also important
in the interior Sichuan province. Green tea accounts for 45 percent of tea production. Black and brick tea comprise another 45
percent, and wulung, chrysanthemum, and jasmine tea are other varieties. Yunnan grows magnificent teas, especially the
exotic pu-erh,that is sometimes aged for up to a hundred years before being served at banquets. Another well-known product
is Yunnan ham (similar to Spanish serrano). China’s west also grows some of the world’s hottest chile peppers, which have
given Sichuan a reputation for heat. There are several thoughts behind this; one is that the fire will stimulate the palate to
distinguish the flavors beneath; another is that the heat induces perspiration and helps people to keep cool; and some say the
spices are used to mask the taste of foods that rot quickly in the heat.
The texture of different ingredients in a dish is important to western Chinese cooking and care is taken to produce
“chewy” and “crunchy” results. Unlike dishes in eastern China, many western dishes are accompanied by only the minimum of
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sauce to convey the seasonings; the sauce itself is not an important feature in the dish. The resulting dishes are drier. Similar
to the southern regional cuisine, it is usual to find garlic, chiles, vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce in one dish. Because of the
region’s humidity, the preservation of food takes top priority. Salting, drying, pickling, and smoking are traditionally all
employed. Pungent vegetables like onions, garlic, and ginger are used, as well as aromatic sesame, peanuts, soybean
products, fermented black soybeans, orange peel, aniseed, ginger, and spring onions. Also known as pepper flower, Chinese
pepper, and fagara, Szechuan pepper is not a pepper at all. Instead, the reddish-brown fruit, one of the ingredients in five-
spice powder, is a berry that comes from the prickly ash tree. While not as hot as chile pepper, it has a unique flavor, famous
for its numbing effect on the tongue. Some notable Szechuan dishes include kung pao chicken, tea-smoked duck, chengdu
chicken (chicken cubes with hot bean paste), and mapo tofu,a snow-white bean curd with fried, minced beef and green garlic
shoots flavored with crushed peppercorns.

South China
A Hunan (south of the river) cuisine is less well known and descriptions of Chinese cuisine often lump the two
together. Hunan cuisine is often even hotter than Szechuan cooking. While Szechuan recipes often call for chile paste, Hunan
dishes frequently use fresh chile peppers, including the seeds and membranes, where most of the heat is contained.
Simmering, steaming, stewing, and frying are popular cooking techniques in Hunan Province. Hunan cooks have a great
variety of ingredients to work with and they tend to have several steps in preparation. For example, a classic Hunan dish is
orange beef, where the beef is marinated overnight, then washed and marinated again with a mixture including egg white,
wine, and white pepper. In braised soy sauce beef, the meat Is simmered in an aromatic mixture including star anise, sugar,
ginger, soy sauce, and sherry. Another popular dish is crispy duck, where the duck is seasoned with peppercorns, star anise,
fennel, and other spices, then steamed and finally deep fried.
China’s southern most province, Guangdong (formerly Canton), is the home of the most famous of the Chinese
regional cuisines. Though densely populated, this is very fertile land with mild winters. Rice is the main staple, but the farmers
grow a profusion of fruit and green vegetables throughout the year. The subtropical climate is perfect for fruits such as
pineapple, lychee, oranges, and bananas. Subtler than other Chinese cuisines, Cantonese is best known for its freshness and
emphasis on natural flavors. As an example of the high standard for freshness in Cantonese meals, cows and pigs used for
meat are usually killed earlier the same day. Chickens are often killed just hours beforehand, and fish are displayed in tanks
for customers to choose for immediate preparation. The spices used in Cantonese cooking tend to be light and natural: ginger,
salt, soy sauce, white pepper, spring onion, and rice wine or fresh citrus. Fish is quickly steamed with minimal touches of
ginger and soy sauce; soups are slow-cooked; pork and duck are barbecued or roasted; and virtually everything that walks,
crawls, or flies with “its back to heaven” (as the Cantonese saying goes) is quickly stir-fried in blazing-hot woks. The people of
this region are known to eat nearly everything: fish maw, snake liver, dog, and guinea pig are some of the more unusual
ingredients.
Guangdong is also praised for its perfected tradition of presentation. Cantonese cooks often make artistic and
colorful presentational accents, such as radish roses or scallion flowers. Seafood flavors are incorporated into meat cookery,
such as oyster sauce, made from a distillation of the oysters grown in the shallow waters of the Pear River, or shrimp sauce.
Salted black beans are used to impart a highly savory taste; ginger is used to counteract fishiness; and garlic is used as an
aromatic. Barbecue-roasted duck, chicken, and pork dishes are importan there. Fruit is often included in Cantonese cooking,
especially lemon, plum, tangerine, and orange, which are evident in the tangy, sweet-and-sour sauces. The tradition of dim
sum (“touching the heart” or “little eats”) originated here. It is usually eaten in the mornings and early afternoons. Popular dim
sum items are ha gau (shrimp dumpling), siu mai (prawn and pork dumpling), pai gwat (steamed spareribs), chun guen (spring
rolls), cha siu pau (steamed barbecued pork buns), and cheung fun (steamed rice flour rolls with barbecue pork, beef, or
shrimp). Other well-known Cantonese dishes include shark’s fin soup, roasted suckling pig, barbecued pork or char siu, lo
mein, and the omelets known as fu young.

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 GLOSARY

Agar-Agar A Japanese seaweed product sold in the form of 8-inch long bars with 1-inchsquare cross section or thin sticks 1 8
inch in diameter. Usually colorless but sometimes dyed a deep red, it is used much like clear gelatin, but has a different
texture. While gelatin gels are resilient, gels made of agar-agar liquid break cleanly on the bite. For best results, pass the
boiled agar-agar liquid through a sieve to remove the undissolved particles before gelling. Agar-agar sticks, cut into 2-inch
lengths, are often mixed with fresh cucumber shreds and soy sauce in a northern Chinese salad. A favorite agar-agar dessert
is almond bean curd, which is agar-agar gel flavored with milk, sugar, and almond essence, but no bean curd.
Amaranth Young leaves and stems of this decorative plant are a common vegetable (xiancai) in east and south China. Salt-
preserved amaranth stems, thick as a thumb, is an east China specialty.
Aniseeds Seeds from the anise plant, similar to fennel in both taste and appearance.
Bamboo Fungi Often mistakenly thought to be the lining of the hollow bamboo stem, these are a relative of the North
American stink horn. The unique crisp texture is similar to bamboo shoots. This is one of the most expensive edible fungi in
China, often three times more the price of French truffles.
Bamboo Shoots Bamboo plants propagate by issuing shoots from below the ground. The texture of the shoots changes with
the seasons. Winter shoots, stubby and firm, have a meat like chewiness; spring shoots are slender and tender; most
commonly available are summer shoots, looser in texture, succulent, though inclined to be bitter. In North America fresh
shoots are a rarity and the quality of canned shoots varies greatly with the brand. Winter and spring shoots are so specified on
cans; unspecified ones are summer shoots, which should be ivory-white rather than yellow, and firm rather than mushy.
Bean Cheese Also called fermented bean cake, or furu. A fermented soybean product in the form of tiny yellow bricks, it is
soft, salty, and pungent. It is used to accompany congee and oil-strips for breakfast. Subtle-tasting red bean cheese(nanru)is
used extensively to flavor pork dishes and Cantonese snacks.
Bean Curd The process of making bean curd from soybeans has much in common with making cheese. Known as doufu in
China and tofu in Japan and commonly called “meat without bones,” it is extremely high in protein.
Bean Sprouts Sprouts from both soybeans and mung beans are used extensively in Chinese cooking. Mung bean sprouts
have a fresh taste and a crisp, almost crystalline texture. This is true also of the stems of soybean sprouts. However, the
large, yellow head of the latter is chewy and meatlike.
Bird Chiles Tiny chiles, extremely hot.
Bird’s Nest Nests formed on sheer cliffs made of dried swallow saliva, found in Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. The best
ones are crystalline white, sometimes tinged with pink. Lower grades maybe gray with adhered swallow down. Very expensive
and getting rarer every year.
Black Beans, Fermented, these beans come already cooked, fermented, and seasoned with salt and ginger. They are widely
used in stir-frying and steaming in country cooking all over south China.
Blackfish Roe Dried roe of the blackfish (wu fish); thin slices are roasted and consumed as a snack in Fujian and Taiwan.
Broad Beans (Fava Beans) A very common vegetable, especially in north China. The pods are poisonous and must be
removed. Served as a vegetable in stir-fries, in soups, as a paste, or as a snack.
Cassia Blossoms, Preserved (Guihua) Tiny yellow flowers of the osmanthus preserved in sugar or salt. They are used
extensively in east and north China for their sweet fragrance in dumplings, pastries, and sauces.
Caul or Lace Fat (Wangyou, “Net-fat”) This is a net of stringy fat that forms a casing, used for wrapping food before cooking
for a self-braising effect, to improve external appearance, and to add special chewiness.

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Cellophane Noodles (Fensi, Flour Threads, Bean Threads) Dried white threads made of the flour of the mung bean, they turn
translucent and resilient when cooked, and are important in country cooking. A related product is fenpi (flour skin), which is a
platter-size sheet of the same material.
Chinese almonds are seeds of the apricot, and come in two varieties. Southern almonds are mild, interchangeable in taste
with American almonds; northern almonds are more bitter. A soup recipe may call for both types. American almonds are
known to the herbist as flatpeach seed.
Chinese Cabbage (Sui Choy) or Napa Cabbage Several types of Chinese cabbage exist. The variety most commonly
associated with Chinese cabbage is Napa cabbage, the large-headed cabbage with firmly packed, pale green leaves. It is also
known as Peking cabbage and celery cabbage. Lining a bamboo steamer with cabbage helps prevent food from sticking to
the bottom.
Chinese Sausage or Lop Cheong Smaller (up to 6 inches in length) and thinner than western sausages, these are usually
made from pork or liver. The taste varies somewhat depending on the ingredients used, but they generally have a sweet-salty
flavor.
Chinese White Radish or Lo Bak Also known simply as white radish and in Japan as daikon, this popular Asian vegetable
has no resemblance to the round red radishes. Chinese cooks use it for soups and stir-fries.
Chives,Chinese and Yellow Chinese chives, often called Chinese leeks, have the shape of chives and the odor of leeks. They
are used for stir-frying, for making egg pancakes, and for stuffing dumplings in north China cuisine. Yellow chives are grown in
the dark; they are pale yellow and tender. Both Chinese chives and yellow chives are available in large Western Chinatowns.

Chrysanthemums Fresh white chrysanthemum petals are edible. They are used as a garnish for a number of banquet dishes
or dried and used for tea. Chrysanthemum tea is popular with Cantonese people when eating dim sum and it is often
sweetened with rock sugar. As with all edible flowers, they should not be exposed to pesticides.
Cilantro or Chinese Parsley An aromatic herb with flat leaves, cilantro is the leaf of the coriander plant. Featured prominently
in Asian and Latin cuisines, Chinese cooks use cilantro in soups, stir-fries, and frequently as a garnish. Although a member of
the parsley family, cilantro has a much stronger flavor, which its detractors have described as “soapy.”
Cloud Ear, Black Ruffle-edged, thin, black mushrooms. Cloud ears are similar in appearance to wood ears except wood ears
are black with a brownish-tan inner color, whereas cloud ears are black with a slightly lighter shade of black as their inner
color. Cloud ears have a more delicate, milder flavor and are much smaller than wood ears. Cloud ears reconstitute to a puffy,
soft, smooth texture and delicate flavor.
Congee Boiled rice porridge. Plain congee with oil-strips, bean cheese, and pickles is a standard breakfast for many Chinese.
Common in South China is congee with meat, chicken, roast duck, animal organs, and/or peanuts.
Cornstarch (Cornflour) A powdery “flour,” nearly all starch, obtained from the endosperm of corn. Mixed with water to form a
paste, it is often added to stir-fries as a thickening agent near the final cooking stages, as overcooked cornstarch loses its
power as a thickener. If necessary, cornstarch can be used as a substitute for tapioca starch.
Dates, Chinese Red Also called jujube dates, these are sold in dried form. They are used in soups, steamed chicken as
garnish, and also as a filling for pastries.
Dragon Well Tea This is the most well-known green tea, grown in Hangzhou Province near Dragon Well Spring, the water of
which is almost as famous.
Dried Bean Curd Sticks Made from soybeans and water, bean curd sticks resemble long yellowish icicles. They feel like thin
plastic and break apart quite easily. They must be soaked overnight in cold water before use, or boiled for 20 minutes, or
soaked in warm water for 1–2 hours.

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Dried Lily Buds Also known as golden needles and tiger lilies, dried lily buds are the unopened flowers of day lilies. Dried lily
buds are yellow-gold in color, with a musky or earthy taste. Before using, cut off about 1/4 inch at the bottom to get rid of the
woody stem. Like many other “woodsy” Chinese vegetables, lily buds must be soaked in warm water before use, for about 30
minutes.
Duck, Preserved (Laya, Winter-Preserved Duck) A salted whole duck, flattened into a roughly circular disc and dried. The
best ones come from Nanan in Jiangxi Province, just north of the border with Guangdong. Preserved duck from Nanking is
called banya (board duck).
Fennel An important ingredient in five-spice powder and in lu, the south China simmering sauce. Ani seed is often substituted.
Fish Lips and Fish Maws Fish lips are the meaty part of the shark near the mouth and fins. Fish maws are dried, deep-fried
bladders of a large fish, usually cod. Fish Sauce Fish sauce is a thin, salty liquid used in place of salt as a seasoning in many
Asian recipes. It is also used as a dipping sauce. Chinese brands are often labeled “fishgravy” or “fish sauce,” while it is called
nuoc mam in Vietnam and nam pla in Thailand. However, they are all basically the same product, although the Thai and
Vietnamese brands are considered superior.
Five-Spice Powder A common ingredient in Chinese cooking, this delicious mixture of five ground spices usually consists of
equal parts of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise, and Szechwan peppercorns.
Fuzzy Melon (Mo Gwa) Looks like a zucchini covered with fuzz. While zucchini is a type of squash, fuzzy melon is a gourd,
related to winter melon. Peel off the skin or scrub well to remove the fuzz before using.
Gingko Nuts or White Nuts Typically used in desserts and stir-fries. Substitute blanched almonds or pine nuts.
Hair Vegetable (Facai) Freshwater algae, with the appearance of course, dull, black human hair. Valued in vegetarian
cuisine.
Hoisin Sauce A thick sauce valued for its unique combination of sweet and spicy flavors. It is made from soybean paste and
flavored with garlic, sugar, chiles, and other spices and ingredients.
Hua Diao (“Flower-Engraved”) The best yellow wine from Xiaoxing Province.
Lo Mein In this dish, boiled and drained noodles are added to the other ingredients and stir fried briefly during the final stages
of cooking. This gives the noodles more flavor than is the case with chow mein, where the meat and vegetables are served
over noodles that have been cooked separately.
Lotus root grows underwater. It is starchy when cooked, but crispy and refreshing when raw. Slices of the lotus root have a
beautiful pattern. Substitute water chestnuts or jicama.
Mushrooms, Chinese Black Dried mushrooms. The name is a bit of a misnomer, since Chinese black mushrooms can be
light brown, dark brown, and even gray. They are frequently speckled. Chinese black mushrooms (also known as shiitake
mushrooms) range in price from moderate to quite expensive. The more costly are often called flower mushrooms because
they have a thick cap and a nice curl. The drying process gives them a stronger flavor. Before use, soak them in warm water
for 20 to 30 minutes, and remove the stems.
Mushroom Soy Sauce Soy sauce that has been infused with the flavor of straw mushrooms.
Oil (Dipping) Poaching A technique used to give the meat a more tender texture, oil poaching (also called velveting) seals
the meat.
Red Cooking Similar to Western braising, the cooking liquid is a soy sauce–based liquid.
Rice Vinegar Chinese rice vinegars are milder and less acidic than regular vinegar (as are Japanese vinegars). There are
three basic types—black, red, and white—as well as sweetened black vinegars. The black variety is somewhat similar to
balsamic vinegar, while red vinegar has both a sweet and tart taste. White vinegar is the closest in acidity and flavor to cider
vinegar. There are no hard and fast rules, but black vinegar is generally recommended for braised dishes and as a dipping
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sauce; red vinegar for soups, noodle, and seafood dishes; and white for sweet and sour dishes and for pickling. In recipes,
rice vinegar is sometimes also called rice wine vinegar.
Shark’s Fin The pale yellow, translucent ligaments within the fins of the shark.
Snow Peas Also known as mangetout, French for “eat it all.” The French name comes from the fact that the whole pea
including the pod is eaten.
Snow Pea Shoots The tips of the vines and the top set of leaves of the pea plant are an Oriental delicacy. They can be
served raw in salads, quickly cooked in stir-fries, or blanched and used in soups.
Straw Mushrooms Delicate meaty texture and fine flavor, used for many soups and vegetable dishes.
Szechuan(Sichuan)Peppercorn Also called anise pepper, brown peppercorn, Chinese aromatic pepper, Chinese pepper,
flower pepper, sancho, Japanese pepper, Japan pepper, wild pepper, andfagarapepper.Reddish-
brownpeppercorns,nativetoSzechuanProvince.Muchstronger and more fragrant than black peppercorns. These aren’t true
peppercorns, but rather dried flower buds.
Tapioca Made from the starch of the cassava root, tapioca comes in several forms, including granules and flour, as well as
the pellets that are called pearl tapioca. Tapioca starch is often used to make dumpling dough, or as a thickening agent.
Water Chestnuts A knobby vegetable with papery brown skin, it is an aquatic vegetable that grows in marshes. Indigenous to
Southeast Asia, the water chestnut is valued both for its sweetness and its ability to maintain a crisp texture when cooked.
White-Cooking A typical Cantonese technique to cook a whole fowl or fish by immersing it in boiling water. The heat is then
turned off and the pot is covered until the item is done. The word for “white” in Chinese means “plain.”
WinterMelon (DongGua) Resembles a large watermelon with dark green skin. The flesh inside is white, looking much like it
has been lightly covered with snow, and the seeds are white as well. Winter melon has a very mild, sweet taste. It is used in
soups and stir-fries, where it absorbs the flavors of the ingredients it is cooked with.
Wok The most important piece of Chinese cooking equipment, a wok can be used for stirfrying, deep-frying, steaming, and
roasting. While a frying pan can be used in place of a wok for stir-frying (cast iron is particularly good), a wok has numerous
advantages in shape, design, and material. It distributes heat more evenly, and requires less oil to cook with. There are two
instruments traditionally used for cooking with a wok: a long-handled spoon and a long-handled perforated scoop with a
slightly rounded edge.
Wonton Wrappers Made of flour, water, salt, and eggs; sold fresh or frozen. The dough is cut in 31 2 inch (8.75 cm) squares.
Wood Ear Mushroom A distant relative of the cloud ear fungus. Larger and somewhat tougher, they lack the delicate taste of
cloud ears. They can be soaked in cold instead of warm water.

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 THE LAND OF KOREA

Korea is a rugged peninsula lying between China on the west and north and Japan to the east. It shares a very small
border with Russia to the extreme northeast. Korea is surrounded by water on three sides: the Korea Bay and the Yellow Sea
to the west, the Korea Strait to the South, and the East Sea (also known as the Sea of Japan) to the east. There are more
than 3,400 islands along the coast. Mountains and hills make up about 70 percent of the country. The Korean peninsula is
divided by two political states: the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (South
Korea). The counties are separated by a line 38 degrees north of the equator. North Korea occupies about 55 percent of the
peninsula’s 84,402 square miles of land. To the west and south of the peninsula are broad coastal plains where the larger
cities are located and where most of the agricultural land is found. With a combined population of nearly 72 million Koreans, in
a country the size of Great Britain or New Zealand, the land is well used. The land gently slopes from the south and western
coastal plains toward the mountains and drops steeply from the mountains to the East Sea.

THE PEOPLE

Korea’s markets, its fishing and farming villages, modern though the buildings might be, remain very much the same
as in the past. Its artisans—celadon pottery makers, for example—havere-created the great works of the past. All are
traditional expressions of Korean culture, which is still based on certain six-hundred-year-old Confucian principles. Unlike a
religion, Confucianism does not involve the worship of a higher being. But like some religions, it attempts to guide human
relationships and improve social and ethical conduct. The fundamental thrust of Confucianism is to maintain peace and order.
It has rules for familial relationships that emphasize harmony. It stresses the importance of education and respect for
authority.
The Korean family structure is part of a larger kinship structure that is defined by specific obligations.
Multigenerational households are quite common in rural areas and in a Korean home, the head of the family—usually the
oldest male—holds the position of authority and every family member is expected to do as he says. Large families have been
prized and over many centuries families intermarried within the regions of Korea to form large clans. Family names reflect this.
A dozen family names predominate, especially Kim, Park, Lee, Kang, and Cho.But Kims from the city of Pusan in the south
are not the Kims from Seoul and all the Kims know exactly to which group they belong. Custom forbids people marrying within
their own clan, no matter how distant the cousin might be. In order to know who is who, families and clans keep detailed
genealogical records that might go back many hundreds of years. Even in today’s Westernized Korea, many people can still
recite the history of their clans and take pride in it.
The oldest religious ideas in Korea are called shamanism. These are beliefs that the natural world is filled with spirits,
both helpful and harmful, that can be addressed by people with special powers called shamans. Herbal medicines, dances,
chants, and other ceremonies mark the work of shamans, most of whom are women. Though few people believe in the
religious teachings today, they do accept old ideas about the natural world and use many ancient herbal remedies.
Buddhism is one of the most popular religions in South Korea. The religion is based on the teachings of the Buddha; the basic
idea is that salvation can come from giving up worldly desires and living in moderation. By living according to the Buddha’s
teachings, a Buddhist believes that he or she can reach the state of nirvana—ultimate peace—wherein a person experiences
no pain or worry.

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 Taoism came from China and is similar to shamanism in its worship of many equally important gods. Taoism’s main
principle is to create harmony between humans and nature. The many gods are used as ideals toward which humans can
strive and Taoists believe that spiritual perfections can be attained in this life through patience, purity, and peace.
Christianity was brought to Korea in the sixteenth century by Confucian intellectuals who learned about it in the
Chinese capital of Peking. The first half of the nineteenth century was a difficult time for Korean Christians; thousands were
persecuted and many were killed. Today South Korea is second in Asia only to the Philippines in its percentage of Christians.

THE FOOD

The climate of the Korean peninsula resembles the north central region of the United States: cold winters, warm
summers, and long, pleasant autumns. Because the land is made up mostly of mountains and extends from the North Asian
land mass into warmer seas in the south,Korea has many microenvironments. In the mountainous northeastern part of the
country the most famous dishes have wild ferns, mushrooms, and native roots in them. Namul (raw or cooked vegetable or
wild green dishes) is one of the most basic side dishes in the Korean diet. In the rice-growing valleys of the south, in the
region of Chonju city, the best known dish, pibimpap (bibimpap), is a large bowl of rice covered in a variety of finely sliced
vegetables, meats, and a fiery red pepper sauce. The basic flavors of Korean food include garlic, ginger, black pepper, spring
onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, and toasted sesame seed. The chile, a native to Central and South America, was spread
across the world by Portuguese and Spanish merchants. Chiles and chile paste has become an important part of all Korean
tables and many food preparations.
Its peninsular location gives Koreans three different seas from which to gather fish: the Yellow Sea, the East Sea,
and the unique microenvironment where the two seas come together at the south end of the peninsula, the Korea Strait. Fish
from the Yellow Sea differ from those of the Eastern Sea (Sea of Japan) and those of the south coast differ from the others.
Koreans are seafood connoisseurs and seek out the specialties of each region. But three types of seafood are served all the
time. One kind is a small dried sardine, used not as a main dish but as condiments to be eaten with others and bowls of these
appear at every meal, including breakfast. Another is dried cuttlefish (similar to squid or octopus), which is the most popular
snack food. All along the road and streets near fishing ports are lines of these cephalopods hanging out to dry. Seaweed and
seaweed products are known for numerous health benefits and are prepared to keep well in a climate that endures long
winters. Pregnant women, new mothers, and babies are fed seaweed soups. Miyeok guk is a brown seaweed soup known as
birthday soup.
Koreans eat many preserved foods, prepared to keep over wintertime. Kimchi is Korea’s signature dish of spicy,
pickled vegetables and is served every day at every meal. Kimchi is characterized by its sour, sweet, and carbonated taste,
yet is very different from sauerkraut, which is a popular fermented vegetable product in the West. The first written description
of making kimchi dates to about A.D. 1250. Many different recipes were published and fermentation methods “invented” for
making kimchi, so it is not surprising that the tastes are quite different from one another. Despite the uniqueness of every
kimchi, the basic taste is derived from salt, lactic acid fermentation of vegetables, spices (including hot red pepper, garlic,
ginger, and green onion), and pickled fish or fresh seafood. There are about 170 different varieties and two or three kinds are
served with meals. It is also used as a seasoning in soups and stews. In summer, kimchi is prepared weekly ,since the
vegetables are in season. But when winter sets in, no crops can be produced until late spring. The approach of winter marks
the start of a long kimchee-making time called gimjang. During gimjang, Koreans gather in groups to cut, wash, and salt
hundreds of pounds of the vegetables. After it is prepared, it is stored in the yard in large earthenware crocks. In the
countryside, the crocks are buried up to their necks to keep the pickled vegetables from freezing.
Bulgogi is one of Korea’s most famous grilled dishes. It is made from sirloin or another prime cut of beef (such as top round),
cut into thin strips. For an outside barbecue, the meat is marinated in a mixture of sesame oil, soy sauce, black pepper, garlic,
sugar, onions, ginger, and wine for at least four hours to enhance the flavor and to tenderize it. The marinated beef is cooked

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on a metal dish over the burner. Whole cloves of garlic, sliced onions, and chopped green peppers are often grilled at the
same time. To eat, a piece of cooked beef is wrapped in lettuce with rice, kimchi, and shredded vegetables.
There are no real “courses” in a Korean meal. Generally, all food is laid out on the table at the same time and eaten in any
order. Dessert is not a Korean tradition; seasonal fruit is normally served with hot tea or coffee.

GLOSSARY

An-ju Appetizers or bar snacks, like tapas, usually savory, pungent, and strong-flavored foods intended to promote thirst.
Baechu (Napa Cabbage) The most popular vegetable used in traditional kimchi.
Bap (pab)-or (Ssal) Rice; Koreans eat short-grain rice.
Bokeum Stir-fried or saut´eed dish.
Boo Long white radish resembling a parsnip in appearance, with a mild flavor. Tender white turnips can be substituted.
Buchu Korean chives, resembling a bundle of long grass rather than ordinary chives.They are highly perishable.
Bulgogi Grilled, marinated beef or other meat.
Busut Mushrooms.
Cellophane Noodles See Mung Bean Threads.
Chang Gilum A strongly flavored sesame oil used for seasoning; made from roasted sesame seeds.
Chongol (Jongol) Korean one-pot stew, similar to Japanese sukiyaki.
Dalaji White bell flower roots. Crunchy with a slightly sweet flavor, used both fresh and dried.
Dang-myun Sweet potato noodles that are distinctly Korean. Made from potato and sweet potato starch, they must be soaked
in boiling water for 10 minutes before using.
Dubu Tofu or soybean curd.
Dwenjang Fermented soy bean paste, brownish yellow in color and chunky in texture, different from the Japanese miso.
Gochu A chile pepper, introduced by Portuguese and Spanish traders in the seventeenth century.
Gochu Galu Korean chile powder made from sun-dried thin red peppers.
Gooksu, Myon or Kuksu Noodles.
Gui Barbecued or grilled food.
Jajang-myeon Korean noodle dish, black bean sauce, minced pork, and vegetables.
Jjigae Jungol Liquid-based hot-pot main courses for everyone to share.
Jjim, Jolim Simmered or stewed foods.
Jook Porridge.
Jon, Jun, Buchingae Batter-fried vegetables, meat, or fish.
Kalbi Short ribs, either barbecued or braised in soy sauce.

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Kimchi Essentially the national dish of Korea, it combines countless varieties of pickled (fermented) vegetables. Most
common kimchi consists of salted Korean cabbage, layered with garlic, ginger, chile paste, and salt or fermented fish, shrimp,
or oysters.
Kochujang (Gochujang) Hot chile and bean curd paste, a staple of the Korean kitchen.
Kochukaru (Gochu Galu) Korean chile powder. Dried, powdered spicy red pepper.
Kong-namul (Kohng Namool) Soybean sprouts.
Laver (Gim) Edible seaweed.
Mae un Tang Maeun means spicy; tang is a meat-based soup boiled for a long time. It has been described as a “Korean
bouillabaisse”—hot and spicy fish soup with chiles and kochujang.
Malt Powder (Yut Gilum) Beige-colored powder made from dried barley. Malt powder made from dried soybeans is called
meju galu.
Mandu Korean dumplings, filled with ground pork, kimchi, spring onions, and bean curd, usually poached in a rich beef broth.
Manul Korea is number one in the world for garlic consumption per capita.Three major types of manul are grown in Korea:
soinpyun, which has three or four large cloves; dainpyun, with many small cloves; and jangsun, grown mostly for its stems.
Miwon Pure MSG in white crystal form.
Miyuk or Dashima Kelp, sold dry. When soaked for about 10 minutes, it softens and expands, becoming slightly slimy and
flowing.
Mung Bean (Nokdu) Dried mung beans are very small and green in color, yellow if the green husks have been removed.
Dried split peas may be used as a substitute.
Mung Bean Sprouts (NokduNamool) or Green Bean Sprouts (SookjuNamool) Mung bean sprouts and green bean
sprouts are interchangeable. Smaller than soybean sprouts, they do not have the large yellow bean head.
Mung Bean Threads Very fine dried noodles made from mung bean flour. Soak in water for 10 minutes before using.
Myuichi Anchovies. Dried anchovies are commonly used in Korean cooking ;salted anchovies (paste) are also used. Korean
brands are usually less salty and pungent than those of other Asian countries.
Naeng myon Literally, “cold noodle.” Korean noodles made from buckwheat flour and potato starch. They are brownish in
color with a translucent appearance, most often eaten cold.
Naju Bae An Asian pear that looks like a large brown apple with tough skin. It is very crispy and juicy, often peeled.
Namool Vegetables.
Oi Cucumbers; small pickling varieties are used in Korean cooking.
Pa Green onions.
Panchan Side dishes.
Pibimbap One-dish meal of rice, vegetables, meat, fried egg, and kochujang.
Pindaettok Mung bean pancake.
Pokkum Stir-fried or braised dish.
Saengsonhoe Raw fish.
Saewu Jut Salted shrimp; tiny salted shrimp (krill) is one of the major ingredients in making kimchi. Not to be confused with
the more salty and pungent Southeast Asian shrimp paste.
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Sang-chi-sam Lettuce-wrapped meal accompanied by many side dishes.
Sesame Seeds (Ggae) Used raw and toasted. There are two types, white and black.
Shil Gochu These chile pepper threads are a traditional garnish. The hair-thin threads, which resemble saffron, are machine-
cut from dried red chile peppers.
Shinsollo Korean hot pot. Soybean Paste Known as miso in Japan, a basic seasoning made from cooked soybeans, malt,
and salt.
Tang Meat-based soup.
Toen Jang Miso-like fermented soybean paste used in soups and stews.
Twoenjangtchigae Pungent soybean paste soup, the soul of Korean cuisine.
Wun Tun Skins Called wonton skins in North America, paper-thin squares or circles of dough

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VI. ACTIVITY
Prepare the two recipes below. The basis for grading the output will be the rubrics for laboratory activities.
California Roll
INGREDIENTS
6 cups sushi rice (cooked and seasoned)
9 oz cooked crab meat (255 g or 2 cans)
6 Tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
½ English cucumber (or Persian/Japanese cucumber)
2 avocados
½ lemon (for avocado)
8 sheets nori (seaweed)
¼ cup toasted white sesame seeds About the dish:
Toppings: California Roll is a kind of sushi roll (we call makizushi in
Ikura (salmon roe) Japanese) containing crab meat (real or imitation),
avocado, and cucumber. Usually it is an “inside-out” roll
Tobiko (flying fish roe)
(we call uramaki), which means that sushi rice is shown on
Vinegar water for dipping hands (Tezu) the outside of the roll, and nori (seaweed sheet) is on the
inside. The roll is sprinkled with toasted white sesame
¼ cup water
seeds for nice crunchy texture, but sometimes they are
2 tsp rice vinegar garnished with tobiko or masago fish roes for a more
elegant presentation.

PROCEDURE
To Prepare the Fillings
1. Crab meat: Combine the crab meat with Japanese mayonnaise and mix together.
2. Cucumber: Peel and remove seeds with a spoon. Cut into thin long strips, the same length as the nori sheet.
3. Avocado: Peel, pit, and cut into ¼" (0.5 cm) thick slices). Squeeze the lemon juice over the avocado to prevent
browning.
4. Nori: Cut off ⅓ of a nori sheet (save it) and use the ⅔ sheet of nori.
5. Cover the bamboo mat with plastic wrap and prepare vinegar water for dipping hands (Tezu).
To roll sushi
1. Lay a nori sheet, shiny side down, on the bamboo mat. Wet your fingers in tezu and spread 1 cup of the rice evenly
onto nori sheet.
2. Sprinkle the rice with sesame seeds or tobiko.
3. Turn the nori sheet over so that the rice is facing down. LIne the edge of nori sheet at the bottom of the bamboo mat.
Place the cucumber, crab meat, and avocado at the bottom of the nori sheet.
4. Grab the bottom edge of the mat while keeping the fillings in place with your fingers, roll it into a tight cylinder, tucking
the fillings in firmly.
5. Lift the edge of the bamboo mat slightly and roll it forward while keeping gentle pressure on the mat. Cover the
completed rolls with a damp cloth at all times to prevent from drying. Continue making the rolls until the ingredients
are finished.
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 6. You can use the left over ⅓ of nori sheet to make Ikura Sushi. Cut the nori sheet into half lengthwise. Make small
balls with sushi rice and wrap it with nori sheet. Place ikura on top.
To serve:
With a very sharp knife, cut each roll in half and then cut each half into 3 pieces. Remember to clean the knife with a damp
cloth after every few cuts.
(Recipe source: https://www.justonecookbook.com/california-
roll/?fbclid=IwAR1_kWehJkBtTibM_gAg5RzrW95CTigBHeNn_FO5uYbe969YV1aeBvsp1J4)

Kung Pao Chicken

INGREDIENTS
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into chunks
2 tablespoons white wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
1 ounce hot chile paste
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar About the dish:
4 green onions, chopped
Kung Pao Chicken is a picy chicken with
1 tablespoon chopped garlic peanuts. It is easy to make, and you can be
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts as sloppy with the measurements as you
want. They reduce to a nice, thick sauce.
4 ounces chopped peanuts Substitute cashews for peanuts, or bamboo
shoots for the water chestnuts.

PRECEDURE
1. To Make Marinade: Combine 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon
cornstarch/water mixture and mix together. Place chicken pieces in a glass dish or bowl and add marinade. Toss to
coat. Cover dish and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
2. To Make Sauce: In a small bowl combine 1 tablespoon wine, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon
cornstarch/water mixture, chili paste, vinegar and sugar. Mix together and add green onion, garlic, water chestnuts
and peanuts. In a medium skillet, heat sauce slowly until aromatic.
3. Meanwhile, remove chicken from marinade and saute in a large skillet until meat is white and juices run clear. When
sauce is aromatic, add sauteed chicken to it and let simmer together until sauce thickens.
(recipe source:https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/9027/kung-pao-
chicken/?fbclid=IwAR2Z7xUHP2txA2XozRfyspZhneUiWXSms4vNQugFBLmMSBwUlJ5cCUHh8kc)
(image source:
https://www.google.com/search?q=kung+pao+chicken+recipe&sxsrf=ALeKk026id2TpI0LSoec9e2VC8wdhswiGg:
74 | P a g e
1595211963490&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiZkLPT49rqAhW0NKYKHYGLD_AQ_AUoAXoECA0
QAw&biw=1366&bih=657#imgrc=-a65So8DhYZLYM)

BEEF BULGOGI

About the dish:

Korean BBQ beef, bulgogi, is very

easy to make at home with a few
basic ingredients, and the thinly sliced
beef doesn’t take long to marinate.

INGREDIENTS
¼ yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 eaches green onions, chopped, dark green parts separated from white and light green parts
⅓ cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons white sugar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sesame oil
¼ teaspoon Korean red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon minced fresh ginger
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 ½ pounds beef sirloin steak, cut very thin using kitchen shears
1 teaspoon honey, or to taste

PROCEDURE
1. Combine yellow onion, white and light green parts of green onions, soy sauce, sugar, sesame seeds, garlic, sesame
oil, red pepper flakes, ginger, and black pepper in a bowl until marinade is well mixed. Add steak slices to marinade;
cover and refrigerate, 1 hour to 1 day.
2. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, cook and stir steak and marinade together in the hot skillet,
adding honey to caramelize the steak, until steak is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Garnish bulgogi with green
parts of green onions.
(sources: https://www.koreanbapsang.com/bulgogi-korean-bbq-beef/
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/246172/easy-bulgogi-korean-bbq-
beef/?fbclid=IwAR2BO37jpMM9ZtyB0jvjjlB2gbOqdh8MNHQFgcvbkmoir6O72R_EOAzsOrs)

75 | P a g e
V. POST-TEST
Read the following statement. Write True if the statement is correct and Write False if not. Write your answer on another sheet
of paper.
1. Wagyu beef is one of China’s treasures in their cuisine for it has finest and unmatched flavor and tenderness.
2. Miyeok guk is a brown seaweed soup known as birthday soup.
3. Mandu is a Japanese dumpling, filled with ground pork, kimchi, spring onions, and bean curd, usually poached in a
rich beef broth. true
4. Shanghai, China is known for jiaozi, the traditional Chinese dumpling filled with pork and vegetables. true
5. Okonomiyaki is a savory pancakes from Japan made with diced seafood, meat, and vegetables. It is topped with a
special sauce and mayonnaise and sprinkled with nori and dried fish flakes (katsuobushi). true

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 CHAPTER 5 SOUTHEAST ASIA

(reference https://www.google.com/search?q=south+east+asian+map&sxsrf=ALeKk03-
8KbHwQXkc3XyONZT0jTt8WpZwg:1594038278385&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiOod2qz7jqAh
WSad4KHTz5B18Q_AUoAnoECA8QBA&biw=1366&bih=657#imgrc=qEs9gsvJa_Y09M&imgdii=93SCQUyK8zDLjM)

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I.OBJECTIVE
At the end of this chapter the students will be able to:
1. Identify the cuisine of Southeast Asia.
2. Demonstrate knowledge on the terminologies used in Asian cuisine.
3. Prepare one dish of Southeast Asia.

II. PRE-TEST
Identify if the following statements are True or False. Write True if the statement is correct and False if not. Write your
answer on another sheet of paper.
1. Satay is a pieces of grilled meat, poultry, or seafood served with spicy peanut sauce—is Indonesia’s best-known
dish.
2. Thai cuisine used soy sauce as salt in most cooking.
3. Curry originated in Vietnam.
4. Babi guling is a pork dish from India which resembles the lechona of Columbia.
5. Southeast Asian cooking has unique combination of taste.

III. INTRODUCTION
Southeast Asia is a diverse and fascinating cultural crossroads that forms both geographical culinary link between
Asia and Indian subcontinent Traditional Southeast Asian recipes incorporate the organizing principals of Chinese cuisine and
the complex flavors derived from Indian herbs and spices. Food can be sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and bitter. Through modern
influences, the area has also embraced certain aspects of Colonial French cuisine and to lesser extent, Spanish and American
cooking This chapter covers the cuisine of Southeast Asia, except for Korea, Japan and China, because the cuisine of those
countries are covered in other chapter.

IV. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

THE LAND OF SOUTH EAST ASIA

Southeast Asia, a region of Asia of over 1,740,000 square miles, is bordered by the Indian subcontinent on the west,
China on the north, and the Pacific Ocean on the east. The name “Southeast Asia” came into popular use after World War II
and has replaced such phrases as “Further India,” “East Indies,” “Indo-China,” and “Malay Peninsula,” which formerly
designated all or part of the region. Southeast Asia includes the Indochina Peninsula, which juts into the South China Sea, the
Malay Peninsula, and the Indonesian and Philippine archipelagos. The region has ten independent countries: Brunei,
Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Peninsular Southeast Asia is a rugged region traversed by many mountains and drained by great rivers such as the
Thanlwin, Ayeyarwady, Chao Phraya, and Mekong. Insular Southeast Asia is made up of numerous volcanic and coral
islands. Overall, the region has a generally tropical rainy climate, with the exception of the northwestern part, which has a
humid subtropical climate. The wet monsoon winds are vital for the economic well-being of the region. Tropical forests cover
most of the area. Rice is the chief crop of the region; rubber, tea, spices, and coconuts are also important. The region has a
great variety of minerals and produces most of the world’s tin.

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 THE PEOPLE

Southeast Asia is one of the world’s great melting pots. Its diverse peoples moved into the region in search of a
better life and greater security. The original inhabitants of Southeast Asia can be found in the highland regions of the
Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Around 2500 B.C., the first major wave of migrating peoples entered the area. They
were the Malays, or Indonesians, and it is their descendants who form the great majority of the populations of the Philippines
and Indonesia today. The Malays formerly lived in what is now southern China, but pressure from the Chinese population in
the north forced other peoples southward. These people in turn pressed upon the Malays, who moved through the mountain
passes into mainland Southeast Asia, down the Malay Peninsula, and out into the Indonesian and Philippine islands. Skilled
sailors, the Malays expanded eastward through these islands.
Others followed, principally the Cambodians, the Vietnamese, the Myanmar (Burmese), and the Thai moving south
out of China, to settle in main land Southeast Asia. The Thai were the last of the major groups to settle in here, establishing
their first important kingdom during the 1200s.
These various groups brought with them their own customs, cultures, and living patterns, but they were to be strongly
influenced by still other people. Traders from India brought Indian philosophies to Southeast Asia, especially the Hindu and
Buddhist religions. Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia are today Buddhist countries as a result. Later, Muslim traders
brought Islam to Malaysia and Indonesia, which are now predominantly Muslim. The culture and religion of Vietnam were
influenced by China.
This process of infusion of both people and ideas has continued into modern times. The European powers began
their colonization of the region (except for Thailand, which was never colonized) during the 1500s, bringing with them Western
ideas of government, culture, and religion. The Philippines, colonized by Spain, became largely Roman Catholic. During the
late 1700s and early 1800s large numbers of Chinese and Indians came to Southeast Asia to take advantage of the economic
opportunities during the height of the European colonial period.
More than three-quarters of the Southeast Asia population is agriculture-based. Much fish is consumed in this region,
reflecting the long coastlines and river environments of Southeast Asia. The staple food throughout the region is rice, which
has been cultivated for thousands of years.
In Asia, there are different styles of eating food. In India and the Middle East, as well as Southeast Asia, people
typically eat food with their hands. It is a very direct way to experience the texture of the food, and people wash their hands
before and after each meal. Normally, only the right hand is used, so that one knows to keep it especially clean. Generally, the
foods to be eaten are placed on plates in the center of the mat or table, and people take food in small portions as they eat.
The exception to this pattern is Vietnam, where the influence of China was much stronger than anywhere else in Southeast
Asia. Here, chopsticks are the utensil of choice, and food is served onto individual plates or into individual bowls. Today, the
influence of Western cultures is found not only in the use of tables and chairs in many modern Southeast Asian households,
but also in the use of spoons and forks. Knives are not necessary, since meat and vegetables are chopped into smaller
portions before cooking or serving. A large spoon is held in the right hand, while the left hand is used to scoop food into the
spoon.

THE FOOD

Due to the close proximity of the borders between countries in Southeast Asia, and to combined influences from India
and China that have affected indigenous taste and cooking styles, the ingredients are similar throughout most of the region,

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while they are individualized by each culture to suit their palate and taste. Indian cooking has influenced much of Southeast
Asia. However, Indian cooking traditions vary throughout the region and according to ethnic and religious preference. Curries
originated in India, with the milk and butter from cows being included in the recipes. In Southeast Asia, coconut milk is
substituted for cow’s milk, which gives a very different taste to the curries. Noodles are popular throughout Southeast Asia,
and reflect Chinese as well as Indian influence in the spices and methods of preparation.
Europeans have had their culinary influence in Southeast Asia. In the Philippines, for example, Spanish influence is
clearly present not only in the languages of the country but in their love of such dishes as pan de sal (a type of bread), kilawin
(marinated raw seafood with chile), paella (a seafood, meat, and rice stir fry dish), empanadas (turnovers), and a variety of
other seasoned meat dishes. Conventional dishes in the Philippines reflect more influence from a blend of Chinese, Spanish,
and indigenous Southeast Asian traditions than is found anywhere else in Southeast Asia.
Popular meals in Southeast Asia consist of rice, fish, vegetables, fruits, and spices. Curry, satay (spiced or marinated
meat on a stick that is barbecued), sour fish soup, noodles, and soy products are popular. Common flavorings include ginger,
pepper, chile peppers, onions, garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce, fermented fish paste, turmeric, candlenut, lemongrass, cloves,
nutmeg, cinnamon, as well as tamarind and lime (for a sour taste). Coconut milk is often used to bind sharp flavors, while palm
sugar is used to balance the spices. Unique combinations of sweet and sour, hot and sour, or hot and sweet are common in
various regions. Fish paste and prawn paste is spicy-sour, and is popularly consumed with green mangoes, fresh fish, or in
stews. Fish sauce is used in almost all Southeast Asian curries as well as in various forms of cooking fish and pork. Popular
vegetables are sweet potatoes, maize, taro, tapioca, legumes, blossoms, and the leaves of many green plants. Popular fruits
are pineapple, coconut, starfruit, jackfruit, papaya, bananas, rambutan, mangosteen, and the somewhat foul-smelling durian.
Tea and coffee are abundant throughout the region, although the popular drink with a meal is water.
The islands of Indonesia support the fourth most populous nation in the world, a population that is 90 percent Muslim,
with hundreds of tribes, subcultures, and languages. Satay—pieces of grilled meat, poultry, or seafood served with spicy
peanut sauce—is Indonesia’s best-known dish. One of the region’s most unique foods is the vegetarian tempeh or tempe.
This is made from soy beans and was originally produced to be a food similar to China’s tofu. Gado-gado, a dish of mixed
vegetables and salad with both tofu and tempeh, topped with a spicy peanut sauce, is one of the typical ways in which it is
used. Sambal, a spicy sauce made from chiles, shrimp paste, and tomatoes, is available everywhere and is eaten with main
dishes and snacks.
In Bali the cuisine and culture are distinctively different due to the predominance of the Hindu religion on the island.
Babi guling, a dish of spit-roast suckling pig stuffed with herbs, is one of the most distinctive Balinese dishes, and often
accompanied by the local version of black pudding. Along with rice, proximity to the Pacific Islands means other sources of
starch; sago, cassava, and taro are popular staples. There is a large variety of fresh fish to choose from, including eels, squid,
barracuda, crab, and shrimp.
Cambodian and Laotian dishes rely on the original ingredients for the core of the flavoring. The most frequent
methods of cooking are steaming, grilling over a charcoal fire, or a quick stir-fry in a wok. One of the most popular flavorings is
tik marij, a mixture of ground black pepper, salt, and lime juice. A main course in the Cambodian diet is simply cooked meat or
fish with tik marij. Banana leaves are use d for wrapping food during grilling or steaming. The leaves retain liquid while adding
some flavor to a dish. A favorite Cambodian dessert consists of grilling sticky rice balls with coconut and jackfruit inside a
banana leaf.
A combination of different Asian culinary tastes, Lao cuisine combines a love of sticky rice, raw greens, and spicy
dipping sauce. Their national dish, larb, is a mixture of marinated meat or fish, sometimes served raw, and offered with a
combination of vegetables, herbs, and spices. Another popular dish is tam mak houng, green papaya salad. Except for crisp
green vegetables, Lao foods favor sour over sweet. Galangal, lemon grass, shallots, and garlic are also herbs and vegetables
seen as a necessity.

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 Malaysia has been influenced by Chinese, Indian, and Arabic roots. A majority of Malays are Muslims who consume
rice, but not pork or alcohol. However, similar to its Thai neighbors in the north, Malay cooking extensively uses chile peppers
and thick coconut milk. East Asian spices contribute flavor to many of the sauces. Malaysian dishes are typically seasoned
with curry, shallots, garlic, shrimp paste, tamarind, lemongrass, or coconut milk.
For almost four hundred years, the Spanish had control in the Philippines, leaving a lasting effect that is apparent in
Filipino cooking today. Many dishes have Spanish names, regardless of a Spanish connection. A basic technique to start off
many Filipino dishes was introduced by the Spaniards: sautéing tomatoes, garlic, and onions in olive oil. The Spaniards also
introduced sausages and dishes using meat and dairy. Beef was initially brought to the Philippines by Spanish ships, so many
beef entrees are of Spanish origin. In the Philippines, four meals a day are served: breakfast, lunch, merienda (snack), and
dinner. Pancit, or noodles, is considered a merienda dish and is served with a sponge cake called puto and a glutinous rice
cake called cuchinta. Lunch is the heaviest meal and consists of rice, a vegetable, a meat, and sometimes fish as well.
Vegetables include kangkung (a local spinach), broccoli, Chinese broccoli, bitter melon, mung bean, bean sprouts, eggplant,
and okra. Beef, pork, and chicken are eaten often, and water buffalo are eaten in the provinces. Other important foods include
rice, corn, coconuts, sugarcane, bananas, coffee, mangoes, and pineapples.
In Singapore, cooking—known as Straits Chinese, Baba, or Peranakan cuisine, or Nonya cooking—is a mixture of
Chinese and Malay traditions. Described as a fusion of Chinese techniques and tropical produce, Nonya cooking tends to be
spicier and tangier than Chinese food but, unlike indigenous Malay cuisines, features the use of pork and noodles. The result
is highly refined but also boldly flavored. Laksa, the rich coconut soup-noodle dish, is one of the best-known Nonya dishes.
Otak otak is mashed fish with coconut milk and chile, wrapped in banana leaf and grilled over coals. Singapore is particularly
famous for its crab dishes. Chile crab feature spieces of shellfish smothered in tangy chile and tomato sauce, while black
pepper crabs are seasoned in a thick black pepper and soy sauce. The European influence can be seen in curry puffs (pastry
parcels filled with curried potato and chicken or lamb), which are similar to England’s pasties, and kaya, which is a sweet
preserve most likely based on Europe’s imported jams, but made of coconut and egg. It is usually served with bread.
Thailand can be broken into four regions. The influences of neighboring Laos are reflected strongly in the
northeastern region food, with glutinous rice being the staple food, eaten both as a base for a meal and also as a dessert,
steamed with coconut milk and black beans. Herbs such as dill are widely used, and a popular regional dish is Khanom
Buang, a thin crispy egg omelette stuffed with shrimp and bean sprouts. Northeastern food is highly spiced, with regional
specialties like lap, spicy minced meat or chicken, or the famous som tam (papaya salad) and kai yang (barbecued chicken).
Freshwater fish and shrimp are the main sources of protein in northeastern dishes, as meat is a scarce commodity.
The central plains area is considered to be the cultural and economic heart of Thailand due to the fertility of the land.
A vast number of paddy fields have traditionally provided the country with its principal source of food, hence the Thai
expression kin khao (“to eat”), which literally translates as “to eat rice.” Unlike the north and northeast, the central plains use
plain rice, traditionally steamed, but sometimes boiled or fried. The central region provided much of what is known as
traditional Thai cuisine: rice, fish, and vegetables flavored with garlic, fish sauce, and black pepper, along with an abundance
of fresh fruits. When Ayutthaya became the capital of Thailand, the increase in the use of chiles occurred, along with
coriander, lime, and tomato. As well as freshwater fish from the river, the central plains have access to the nearby Gulf and so
the cuisine features much seafood. A wide range of vegetables grows in the fertile soils, along with fruit such as mango,
durian, custard apple, pomelos, and guavas. The north of Thailand is a region of wild, densely forested mountains and temple
filled towns. Rice tends to be of the glutinous variety, eaten after being kneaded into small balls with the fingers and using it to
scoop up more liquid dishes.
Northern curries are generally milder than elsewhere in Thailand, with the influence of neighboring countries such as
Myanmar evident in dishes such as kaeng hang le, a pork curry with ginger, tamarind, and turmeric, and khao soi, a curry
broth with egg noodles. Another northern specialty is a spicy pork sausage, called name. The south of Thailand has vast
plantations of pineapple, coconut, and rubber, and due to the large Muslim influence along the Malaysian border, a distinctive
culture. Southern food is characterized by local produce. Coconut has a prominent role in most dishes—its milk to cool the

81 | P a g e
chiles in curries and soups, its flesh when grated to serve as a condiment, or its oil for frying. Fresh seafood is featured
prominently. The cashew nuts from local plantations are used as starters or stirfried—particularly with chicken and chiles—and
an exotic, bitter flavor is provided by the pungent flat bean called sato. A variety of cultural influences can be seen in southern
Thai cuisine; several Malaysian dishes such as fish curries are found. Kaeng massaman is a mild Indian-style curry with
cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon; satay—originally an Indonesian dish—is widely eaten with a spicy peanut sauce. Probably
most famous is the influence of the large Chinese community, who hold a ten-day vegetarian festival in Phuket every October.
Vietnamese cuisine can be divided into three regional varieties. In the cool, mountainous north, in the city of Hanoi, a
history of Chinese rule is evident in Cantonese-style stir-fries and simple, brothy soups. The flat, arid central region serves up
heartier, more refined dishes. In the hot, steamy south, including the city of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), tropical
abundance is the rule: seafood, pork, and numerous fruits and vegetables are found in bold and spicy dishes, including curries
influenced from nearby India. And throughout the country, banh mi (a kind of Vietnamese po’boy with meat, pâté, hot peppers,
and pickled vegetables) and strong, sweet coffee serve as reminders of Vietnam’s French colonial past.
The presence of fresh herbs is one of the most distinctive elements in Vietnamese cooking. Collectively called rau
thom, Vietnamese herbs include mint; purplish Thai basil (also called holy or Asian basil); anise like red perilla (also known as
shiso); lemony green perilla; floral, cilantro-like saw leaf herb; and spicy, sharp Vietnamese coriander. A table salad known as
rau song includes a plateful of herbs, along with lettuces, cucumbers, mung bean sprouts, and sometimes pickled vegetables;
it is served at every meal. It is also tucked inside leaves of lettuce and wrapped around grilled meats and fried spring rolls,
lending a clean, crisp dimension to foods that might otherwise taste heavy in Vietnam’s hot climate.
Vietnamese food does not include large amounts of meat and fish; instead, rice is supplemented with vegetables and
eggs. Similar to Chinese cooking, Vietnamese cooking uses little fat or oil for frying. Instead of using soy sauce for seasoning,
nuoc mam (fish sauce) is used as the main flavoring in almost every dish. Pho is a type of soup in which noodles, beef,
chicken, or pork are added, and the soup is then garnished with basil, bean sprouts, and other seasonings. Vietnamese spring
rolls are an alternative to Chinese egg rolls. These wraps are characterized by their rice paper packaging. Bahn trang are
paper-thin, white crepes that have a criss-cross pattern from the trays on which they are dried. Rice flour is a crucial item in a
Vietnamese kitchen. The flour is the main element of a Vietnamese pancake/crepe, b´anhX`eo. These pancakes are stuffed
with minced pork, shrimp, and bean sprouts. They are garnished with mint and served with a spicy, sweet dipping sauce.
Fruits are an integral part of each meal—bananas, mangoes, papayas, oranges, coconuts, and pineapple are all popular.
Vietnamese coffee is made with condensed milk to make the drink sweet. Hot green tea is very popular as well.

GLOSSARY

Bac ha Eaten as a vegetable, the long, strong, bright green stem of the giant taro plant looks like a smooth stalk of celery but
does not have thick fibers. It is frequently used in Vietnamese sour soup.
Banh Pho Short, flat, white Vietnamese rice stick noodle about 1 8 inch wide. They cook in minutes in boiling water or soup
and should not be overdone. They are used in soup noodle dishes, particularly the Hanoi soup that goes by the common
name of pho.
Banh Trang The Vietnamese equivalent of ravioli skins. It is round, semitransparent, thin, hard, and dry rice paper and is
used as the wrapping on Vietnamese spring rolls and broiled meats, along with salad and herbs. It is made from a dough of
finely ground rice, water, and salt, with tapioca (cassava) flour as a binding agent. The dough is passed through rollers and
then cut into circles 7 to 14 inches in diameter. These are then put on bamboo mats to dry in the sun. Once dry, they will keep
indefinitely. To use, they must be moistened by covering with a damp cloth until soft or by dipping quickly into warm water. To
get a crisp, golden-brown color, the wrappers can be brushed lightly with a sugar-water solution before frying.

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Basil, Asian Basil, Thai Basil This medium to dark green basil with purple flowers has a sharp anise taste that handles heat
better than sweet basil. It has little taste or aroma when raw; the strong flavor emerges when it is cooked.
Black Vinegar A dark, mild, almost sweet vinegar that has only one equivalent: balsamic vinegar. It is usually made from
glutinous rice or sorghum, which gives it its distinctive taste.
Candlenut A round, cream-colored nut with an oily consistency used to add texture and a faint flavor to many dishes.
Substitute macadamia nuts or raw cashews.
Chinese Mushroom Also called shiitake mushroom, these are the most widely used mushrooms in east Asian cooking and
are grown in China and Japan on the wood of dead deciduous trees. Dried mushrooms should be soaked in warm water for
20 minutes before cooking.
Coconut Milk and Coconut Cream These are two of the most important ingredients in this region’s cooking and are used in
both curries and desserts, as well as beverages. Coconut milk is the liquid squeezed from the grated flesh of mature coconut
after the flesh has been soaked in lukewarm water. Coconut cream is a richer version.
Cup Leaves (Daun Mangkok) The shape of the leaf is like a cup. Also known as tapak leman (Nothopanax scutellarium),it is
usually used to cook stew dishes. A good substitute is curly kale.
Curry Paste Red curry paste is the most common of all the curry pastes. It is a mixture of dried chile pepper, shallot, garlic,
galangal, lemongrass, cilantro root, peppercorn, coriander, salt, shrimp paste, and kaffir lime zest. Green curry paste has the
same ingredients as the red, except that fresh green pepper is substituted for the dried chile pepper. Yellow curry paste
comes from southern Thailand and is similar to red or green curry, but it is made with yellow peppers and turmeric.
Fermented Black Beans Oxidized soybeans that are salt-dried, with a savory, salty, and slightly bitter flavor. They are used
in stir-fries, marinades, and sauces. Before using, they should be soaked in water for 10 to 30 minutes to get rid of excess
salt. When purchasing fermented black beans, look for shiny and firm beans, rather than dull and dry ones with salt
spots.Once open, store in plastic in the refrigerator for up to one year.
Fermented Soya Beans (Tao Jiaw) These are available whole and fermented from either yellow or black beans; in English
they are most commonly known as black bean and yellow bean sauce.They are nutritious, strongly flavored, and salty,
replacing salt completely in some Thai dishes.
Fish Sauce Fish sauce, called nam pla in Thai (the salt of Thai cuisine) or nuoc mam in Vietnamese,is used much like salt or
soy sauce as a flavor enhancer. Made from the liquid drained from fermented anchovies, it is very is potent. It is usually
combined with other ingredients when used as a dipping sauce. For cooking it can be used straight, but never add it to a dry
pan or the smell will be overpowering. Like olive oil, there are several grades of fish sauce. High quality fish sauce, which is
the first to be drained off the fermented fish, is usually pale amber, like clear brewed tea, and used in dipping sauces. For
cooking usually stronger-flavored, lower-grade brands, which are made from a secondary draining, are used.
Galangal A member of the ginger family, galangal is used in many countries as a substitute for ginger. It has a hot, peppery
taste and is used mainly as flavoring and as a pungent ingredient in ground curry pastes. Galangal can be found in fresh root,
frozen, dry, and powdered form in most Asian grocery stores. If using dried slices of galangal, soak them in warm water for at
least 30 minutes. Substitute the fresh galangal with half the amount of dry galangal in the recipe.
Ground Coriander One of the essential ingredients in curry powders. The whole spice is ground when needed. To get the
best out of the coriander seed, it is advisable to toast first in an oven and then finely grind it.
Hoisin Sauce The barbecue sauce of Vietnam. Made from red rice colored with a natural food dye, usually from annatto
seeds, it is a sweet-tasting, thick, reddish brown sauce best used as a condiment for roast pork and poultry.
Holy Basil, or Sacred Basil (Bai Gkaprow) Often called hot basil because of its peppery taste, especially when very fresh,
with a hint of mint and cloves. Since its exotic flavor becomes fully released with cooking, it is not eaten raw, but added in

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generous amounts to stir-fried dishes and some spicy soups. Holy basil is so called because it is a sacred herb in India where
it is frequently planted around Hindu shrines.
Kaffir Lime leaves, Makrut, Thai Lime Leaves One of the signature flavors in Thai cooking, lemony and floral. If not
available, substitute regular lime leaves and fruit. Kaffir limes, however, are used for their rind, since they are very dry inside.
The zest is highly aromatic. Kaffir lime leaves may be frozen or dried for future use, or even kept green by standing leafy twigs
in water on a sunny windowsill.
Kangkon Green,smooth-leafed vegetable native to the Philippines. It has a flavor that is milder than spinach and a texture
similar to watercress.
Kare-Kare Philippine meat-vegetable stew with oxtail, beef, or tripe; eggplant, banana buds, and other vegetables cooked in
peanut sauce and ground toasted rice.
Lemongrass An essential ingredient in Southeast Asian cooking, it is a long, thin, pale green edible grass with bright lemon
fragrance and taste. To use a lemongrass stalk, cut off the grassy top and root end. Peel and remove the large, tough outer
leaves of the stalk until you reach a light purple color. Chop it very fine to use in salads and grind into curry pastes if eating
them directly. Or cut into 2-inch portions and bruise them to extract the flavor before boiling with soup broth. Lemongrass can
be found fresh in most grocery stores because it has a very long shelf life. Dry and frozen forms are also available in most
Asian stores. .
NuocMam A fish sauce that is a powerfully flavored, pungent seasoning sauce, used extensively in Southeast Asia. It is made
by layering fish and salt into large barrels and allowing the fish to ferment for three or more months before the accumulated
liquid is siphoned off, filtered, and bottled. In Vietnam nuoc mam is made into different dipping sauces by adding chiles,
ground roasted peanuts, sugar, and other ingredients.
Oyster Sauce One of the most popular bottled sauces in Vietnam. Made from dried oysters, it is thick and richly flavored. The
cheaper brands tend to be saltier. The original sauce was much thinner and contained fragments of fermented, dried oysters.
It is mostly used in stir-fried dishes.
Palm Sugar An unrefined sweetener similar in flavor to brown sugar. Used in sweet and savory Asian dishes. Commonly
available in podlike cakes, it is also sold in paste form at Asian markets. Store as you would other sugar.
Paprika Derived from bell peppers. In Vietnam it is used as a vegetable and as a spice. In its latter guise, it is dried and
ground to a powder.
Pomelo A large fruit that resembles a grapefruit. It tapers slightly at the stem end and has a thick, sweet, slightly rough-
textured skin, and a dry, semi-sweet flesh.
Sambal A spicy condiment used especially in Indonesia and Malaysia, made with chile peppers and other ingredients, such
as sugar or coconut.
Satay or Sat´e or Sateh Pieces of meat or fish threaded onto skewers and grilled. Meat satay is typically served with a spicy
peanut sauce.
Shallots Like the French, Vietnamese cooks use shallots rather than onions as a major flavoring ingredient, prizing their
sweeter, more aromatic quality. Shallots, along with garlic and lemongrass, are among the few seasonings that are typically
cooked, rather than added to dishesraw. Fried shallots, along with crushed, roasted peanuts, also appear on the Vietnamese
table as a garnish for noodle dishes and soups.
Shrimp Paste Shrimp paste adds depth to noodle dishes, soups, and curries. It comes in bottled form and is available at most
Asian grocery stores. As it is salty and highly concentrated, it is used sparingly.
Sinigang Sour soup dish of meat or fish with vegetables, seasoned with tomatoes, onions, and lemon juice.

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Soy Sauce Made from fermented soybeans mixed with a roasted grain, normally wheat. It is infected with a yeast mold and
after fermentation begins, salt is added. Yeast is added for further fermentation and the liquid is left in vats for several months
and then filtered.
Star Anise The seedpods of one type of magnolia tree. The tan eight-pointed pods resemble stars, hence the name. When
dried, a shiny, flat, light brown seed is revealed in each point.
Straw Mushrooms Grown on paddy straw, left over from harvested wheat, which gives them a distinctly earthy taste.
Generally, they are packed in water and canned.
Sugarcane The sugarcane bought for cooking consists of the stem, the leaves being chopped off in the cane fields. The cane
should be very carefully peeled with a strong, sharp knife. Reasonably easy to obtain from large grocers.
Szechwan Peppercorns Aromatic, small, red-brown seeds from the prickly ash tree known as fagara.The whole pepper
corns can be kept for years without loss of flavor if stored in a tightly sealed jar.
Tamarind The dark brown pod of the tamarind tree contains a sour fleshy pulp, which adds a fruity sourness to many dishes.
Packets of pulp usually contain the seeds and fibers. To make tamarind juice, measure the pulp and soak it in hot water for 5
minutes before squeezing it to extract the juice, discarding the seeds, fiber, and any skin.
Tausi Black soybeans, salted and fermented.
Turmeric A native of Southeast Asia, it belongs to the same family as ginger and galangal. It has a bright orange yellow flesh
with a strong, earthy smell and a slightly bitter taste. The flesh is responsible for the yellow color we associate with curry
powder and it overpowers all other spices.
Wood Ear Fungus Perhaps the most common is derived from its habitat of decayed wood. It is valued for its subtle, delicate
flavor and slightly crunchy “bite.”
Yellow Bean Sauce Made according to the ancient recipe for jiang, or pickled yellow soybeans in a salty liquid. It is normally
bought in cans and jars but it is best transferred to a jar in which it can be stored in a refrigerator almost indefinitely.

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VI. ACTIVITY

LAKSA

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoon cooking oil
120 g Malaysian instant curry paste
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 stalks lemongrass, white part only, pounded
10 tofu puffs, diced
½ cup evaporated milk
½ cup coconut milk
About the dish:
salt and pepper to taste
yellow noodles Laksa is a spicy street food noodle dish
popular in Malaysia and Singapore.
bean sprouts
10 shrimps, peeled, deveined
3 hard-boiled eggs cut into half
fish cakes, cut into pieces

PROCEDURE
1. In a stockpot, add the oil and suttee the curry paste until aromatic. Add the chicken broth, water, lemon grass, tofu
and bring to boil. Lower the heat to simmer. Add the coconut milk and evaporated milk. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Keep the stock on simmer.
2. Rinse the yellow noodles and bean sprouts separately, drained and set aside.
3. To assemble a bowl of laksa for serving, bring to boil some yellow noodles and a handful of bean sprouts. Drain the
noodles and bean sprouts and transfer to a serving bowl. Top the noodles with 2-3 shrimp, a few pieces of fish cake,
and some eggs. Using a ladle, pour the soup and a pieces of tofu on top of the noodles. Serve immediately.

(recipe source https://rasamalaysia.com/laksa-recipe/)

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V. POST-TEST
Identify if the following statements are True or False. Write True if the statement is correct and False if not. Write your answer
on another sheet of paper.
1. Satay is a pieces of grilled meat, poultry, or seafood served with spicy peanut sauce—is Indonesia’s best-known
dish. TRUE
2. Southeast Asian cuisine used soy sauce as salt in most cooking. FALSE, FISH SAUCE
3. Curry is originated in Vietnam. FALSE EUROPED AND INDIA
4. Babi guling is a pork dish from India which resembles the lechona of Columbia. false BALI country have babi guling
5. Southeast Asian cooking has unique combination of taste. TRUE

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 CHAPTER 6: THE CUISINE OF INDIA

Image source: https://geology.com/world/india-satellite-image.shtml

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I.OBJECTIVES:
In this chapter challenge yourself to attain the following objectives:
- Identify the cooking methods, most common ingredients and staples of India.
- Compare the cuisine of different Indian region.
- Prepare a cuisine from India.
- Appreciate the art of cooking in India.

II. PRE-TEST
Read the following statements. Write True if the statement is correct and False if not. Write you answer on a sheet of
paper.
__________1.
F Aryan introduced India their fondness for elegant dining and rich food with dry fruit and nuts.
T
__________2. Biryani is a mixture of rice and spicy meat or vegetables arranged in layers, sprinkled with saffron and ghee.
T
__________3. Rice is one of the staple foods in India.
__________4.
T In West India game cooking is considered a respected art form, largely because the skills required to clean,
cut, and cook game are not easily acquired.
__________5.
T Tandoor is a cylindrical clay oven created by the royal chefs in which food is cooked over a hot charcoal fire.

III. INTRODUCTION
Many of the flavours of Indian food are completely foreign to us. In particular, the diverse spices of Indian cooking are
what really make their cuisine different than other world cuisines. Another distinctive aspect of Indian cuisine that differs from
many parts of the world is the prevalence of vegetarian dishes. Although many of the world’s cuisines have vegetable dishes,
in India, religious customs have strongly shaped what foods are and are not eaten.

IV. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

The Land of India

Set apart from the rest of Asia by the continental wall of the Himalayas, the Indian subcontinent touches three large bodies of
water and is immediately recognizable on any world map. Between Africa and Indonesia, this thick, roughly triangular
peninsula defines the Bay of Bengal to the east, the Arabian Sea to the west, and the Indian Ocean to the south. From its
northernmost point on the Chinese border, India extends nearly 2000 miles to its southern tip, off of which the island nation of
Sri Lanka is located.
India can be organized into north, south, east, and west regions. North India is the country’s largest region, an area
with terrain varying from arid mountains in the far north to lake country and forests. Along the Indus river valley, the north
becomes flatter and more hospitable, widening into the fertile plains, the Himalayan foothills, and the Ganges river valley to
the east. India’s capital city, Delhi, is found in the north. Uttar Pradesh, the most populated state in the country, has beautiful
monuments like Taj Mahal.
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 India reaches its peninsular tip with South India, which begins with the Deccan Plateau in the north and ends with
Cape Comorin, where Hindus believe that bathing in the waters of the three oceans will wash away their sins. The southeast
coast, mirroring the west, also rests beneath a mountain range, the Eastern Ghats.
East India is home to the sacredGanges River and the majority of Himalayan foot hills. East India also contains the
Eastern Triangle, a small piece of land that extends beyond Bangladesh, culminating in the Naga Hills along the Burmese
border.
West India includes the Thar Desert and the remarkable “pink city” of Jaipur. The coast is lined with some of India’s
best beaches. The land along the coast is typically lush, with rain forests reaching southward from Bombay all the way to into
Goa. The long Western Ghats mountain chain separates the verdant coast from the Vindya Mountains and the dry Deccan
plateau further inland.
Because of India’s size, its climate depends not only on the time of year, but also the location. In general,
temperatures tend to be cooler in the north, especially between September and March. The south is coolest from November to
January. In June, winds and warm surface currents begin to move northward and westward, heading out of the Indian Ocean
and in to the Arabian Gulf. This creates a phenomenon known as the southwest monsoon, and it brings heavy rains to the
west coast. Between October and December, a similar climatic pattern called the northeast monsoon appears in the Bay of
Bengal, bringing rains to the east coast. In addition to the two monsoons, there are two other seasons, spring and autumn.
Though the word monsoon often brings to mind images of torrential floods and landslides, the monsoon seasons are not all
bad. Though it rains nearly every day, the downpour tends to come and go quickly, leaving behind a clean, glistening
landscape.

The People

Birthplace of civilizations, cradle of world religions, India is home to almost a quarter of the world’s population. India
has dominated the world stage through most of human history, as the home of mighty empires, as a powerful trading nation,
and as a hub of culture and civilization. Rumors of its empires and its wealth brought traders and travelers. Alexander the
Great marched across Asia to India. Arab and Jewish traders sailed here. At one time Roman soldiers were barracked here.
The ancient Greeks had trading colonies. Columbus wasn’t looking for America; he hoped to find a new route to India.
European history favored nations with an India connection.
India excelled in international trade. Five thousand years ago, the thriving cities of the Indus Valley traded with
Mesopotamia. Indian traders spread their goods and influence through Southeast Asia. Spices, gems, pearls, and silks flowed
out of India into the rest of the world. Crafts, textiles, and exotic birds and animals were also traded. Hannibal’s elephants
came from India. So did many of the lavish fabrics craved by Roman nobility. At one point, so much gold was leaving Rome
for India that the Roman economy was seriously weakened. Ideas and culture spread with trade goods. Philosophy, sciences,
and medicine reached unrivaled heights, enriching the great scientific achievements of China and the Arab world. The
influences of Indian thought can be found in early European culture, and still today, Indian philosophy influences modern
global cultures.
The British colonial era brought new and different challenges to India, resulting in an independence movement that
has left an indelible mark on nonviolent struggles for freedom and justice throughout the modern world. During this time in
history, society in India wove an intricate web of relationships, rituals, and duties, yet remained astonishingly tolerant and
diverse. Great religions developed and spread from India. Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs trace their roots to India. .

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 The Food

Throughout history India has been invaded and occupied by other cultures and each has left its own mark on Indian
cuisine. Some of the predominant influences have been:
• During the Aryan period the cuisine of the great Hindu empires concentrated on the fine aspects of food and on
understanding its essence and how it contributed to the development of mind, body, and spirit. After this period the
cuisine was influenced by the following conquests from other cultures.
• Mongolians brought their hotpot cooking to India.
• The most notable later culinary influence in India was the influence of Persian rulers who established the Mughal
Rule in India. They introduced their fondness for elegant dining and rich food with dry fruit and nuts. Muslims from
western Asia brought their rich artistic and gastronomic culture to India. This influence lasted for more than four
hundred years and is now part of the fabric of Indian culinary culture. The two cultures resulted in a magnificent
cuisine called Mughlai cuisine. The lamb kebabs were laced with spices, the rice pilaf (pilau) of India was turned into
biryanis (any number of layered rice, meat/vegetable, spice, and yogurt recipes) and lamb and meat roasts were
flavored with Indian herbs, spices, and seasonings. Indian dishes were garnished with almonds, pistachios, cashews,
and raisins. The Muslims also introduced leavened breads to India. The royal chefs created the cylindrical clay oven
in which food is cooked over a hot charcoal fire known as the tandoor. The Indian rotis and the leavened breads were
merged into tandoori naans. Meats were marinated in yogurt and spices and cooked in tandoors. Pork and beef were
avoided to respect the traditions of both cultures. Since the Persian rulers loved sweets, sweetmeats were
introduced.
• The Chinese introduced stir-fries to Indian and added a sweet taste to food. Their influence is mostly felt in western
India.
• The tomato, chile, and potato, which are staple components of today’s Indian cuisine, were brought to India by the
Portuguese. The Indian vindaloo dish is a result of Portuguese influence.
• The British made ketchup and tea popular in India, but British food did not become popular in India. Although the
British colonists mainly described Indian food as pungent, chile-spiked curries and rice and rotis were considered
food for uncivilized pagans. Today, however, Indian food forms a staple diet of British food.
The essential ingredient that distinguishes Indian cooking from all other cuisines is the use of spices. Indian spices have
an important place in all international markets and are even a commodity traded on the stock market. Curry is an all-purpose
term devised by the English to cover the whole range of Indian food spicing. Indian cooks have at least twenty-five spices on
their regular list and it is from these that they produce curry flavor. The spices are blended in certain combinations to produce
specific dishes. Garam masala, for example, is a combination of cloves and cinnamon with peppercorns. Popular spices
include saffron that is used to give biryani that yellow color and delicate fragrance. Turmeric also has a coloring property and
acts as a preservative. Red and green chiles are ground, dried, or added whole to give a hot taste to curries. Ginger is
considered to be good for digestion. Coriander is added to many masalas to cool the body. Cardamom is used in many sweet
dishes and in meat preparations. Other popular spices are nutmeg, cinnamon, poppy seeds, caraway seeds, cumin seeds,
fenugreek, mace, garlic, and cloves.
Indian dishes are cooked in three stages. The first stage is to prepare the base, or the gravy. This requires warming the
oil with the spices and salt. The second stage involves adding the vegetables and stirring it into the gravy base. The third
stage is to allow the dish to simmer until completely cooked. While this is the basic technique, the difference is in the blend of
spices, which are broadly divided into two categories: powdered spices that have been freshly ground using a mortar and
pestle, and the whole spices such as clove, cardamom, mustard seeds, nutmeg, and others.

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 A complete Indian meal would start with appetizers, which are usually fried or baked. This leads into the main course that
comprises one or two vegetable dishes, along with pulses or a curry. Indian food has a number of side dishes to go with the
main meal. The most popular is probably the dahi, or curd of yogurt. It cools the stomach after a very hot meal. Desserts such
as kulfi (a kind of Indian ice cream), rasgullas (sweet little balls of rose-flavored cream cheese), and rice or milk puddings in
sweet syrup are popular. An Indian meal finishes with paan, the name given to the collection of spices and condiments
chewed with betel leaves. Found throughout eastern Asia, betel is mildly intoxicating and addictive, but after a meal it is taken
as a mild digestive in small amounts. Paan sellers have a number of little trays and containers in which they mix the
ingredients, which may include a part from the betel nut itself, lime paste, and various spices. Then they place it in the leaf,
which is folded up and chewed.
To the western mind, India is perceived as a largely vegetarian cuisine, but this is not necessarily true. To a larger extent,
religious beliefs (as compared to personal preference) dictate what a person cannot eat. For example, Islam forbids its
followers from eating pork, while many Hindus do not eat beef. Followers of the Jain faith are strict vegetarians and take
nonviolence to a very strict level, and respect life at any level, including plant life. India can be very roughly divided into four
culinary regions .Each region has several states in it and each state has its own unique food. Here’s a brief look at the
cuisines of north, west, east, and south India.

NORTH INDIA
Its geographical position with relation to the rest of the subcontinent means that this region of the country has had
strong Central Asian influences both in its culture and its food. Mughlai and Kashmiri styles of cooking are prevalent.
The food from north India traces its descent from Persian ancestors who started filtering into India from the eleventh
century A.D. onward and then more markedly from the sixteenth century A.D., when the Mughals came to power. The
Mughals brought with them Persian and Afghan cooks, who introduced rich and fragrant Persian rice dishes, such as pilafs
and biryanis. Garnished with pounded silver (vark), these dishes along with spicy kormas (braised meat in creamy sauces),
koftas (grilled spicy meatballs), and kebabs graced the tables of emperors.
A typical north Indian meal would consist of pilafs, thick, creamy dals (the Indian word for their many types of dried
pulses), vegetables seasoned with yogurt or pomegranate powder, greens like spinach and mustard greens cooked with
paneer (a fresh and delicate cottage cheese made from whole milk), North Indian pickles, fresh tomato, mint, cilantro
chutneys, and yogurt raitas.
North Indian curries usually have thick, moderately spicy and creamy gravies. The use of dried fruits and nuts is
common even in everyday foods. Dairy products like milk, cream, cottage cheese, ghee (clarified butter), and yogurt play an
important role in the cooking of both savory and sweet dishes. North Indians prefer breads to rice. This region is home to the
stuffed parathas (flaky Indian bread with different kinds of vegetarian and nonvegetarian fillings), and kulchas (bread made
from fermented dough). Chappatis, parantha, or pooris are their unleavened flat breads. Hot, sweet cardamom milk is
commonly taken before going to bed. North Indian desserts and sweets are made of milk, paneer, lentil flour, and wheat flour
combined with dried nuts and garnished with a thin sheet of pure silver. Nimbu Pani (lemon drink) and lassi (iced buttermilk)
are popular drinks of the north.
In Jammu and Kashmir is found the tradition of wazwan, the fabulous
aromatic celebratory banquet consisting of thirty-six delectable dishes. Most of the
dishes are meat based and contain heavy dose of spices, condiments, and curds.
Rista (meat balls in red gravy), tabak maaz (fried lamb ribs), and rogan josh (Indian
lamb in spicy cream sauce) are just some of the dishes included in the wazwan.
The cuisine of Punjab and Haryana is rich in dairy products, grains, and
most notably is the home of the tandoori (Indian clay oven) style of cooking.

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Tandoori chicken
Favorites such as tandoori chicken and naan breads are all from this style of cooking. Food in Punjab and Haryana is rich in
butter and ghee and contains many spices.
The bawarchis (cooks) of Awadh in Uttar Pradesh originated the dum style of cooking, or the art of slow cooking over
a fire. Dum pukht refers to a slow method of cooking food. Dum means steam and dum pukht literally means to “choke off the
steam.” To do this the food is placed in a pot, usually made of clay, and dough is used to create a tight seal to prevent steam
from escaping. The food is slowly cooked in its own juices and steam, allowing herbs and spices to fully infuse the meat or
rice, while preserving the nutritional elements at the same time. The final result is rich in taste and aroma. Korma is a
preparation of meat in gravy that is an essential item of the Awadh table. Biryani is cooked in dum style, as are murg
mussallam (whole chicken) and shami kebabs (the “national” kebab of Awadh, made from minced meat heavily seasoned with
garam masala). Mustard oil is a common cooking medium in north India, where the mustard plant grows extensively and is
harvested in February and March. In Awadh the mustard oil is heated in large cauldrons till it smokes. Then it is passed
through muslin cloth to remove any impurities. This oil is then collected and sealed in large earthenware pots or urns and
buried in the earth, preferably under the shade of a tree or a cool place. It is left to mature for a period of nine to ten months,
including through the rainy season, so that the oil is further cooled when the rainwater seeps into the ground. The long period
of underground storage transforms the oil to a granular texture, which is used for cooking purposes.
In the vast plateau of Madhya Pradesh, the cuisine consists of both sweet and salty dishes. People of this part of the
country do not have a distinct cuisine of their own, but they have combined the best of the food cultures from the neighboring
states.

WEST INDIA
Parts of Maharashtra are coastal and parts arid, and the food varies accordingly. Rice is the staple food grain and as
in other coastal states, there is an enormous variety of vegetables, fish, and coconuts in the regular diet. Grated coconuts
flavor many dishes, but coconut oil is not very widely used as a cooking medium. Rather, peanut oil is the main cooking
medium and peanuts and cashew nuts are widely used in vegetable dishes. Kokum, a deep purple berry that has the same
souring qualities as tamarind, is used to enhance coconut-based curries or vegetable dishes like potatoes, okra, or lentils.
Kokum is especially used with fish curries, three or four skins being enough to season an average dish.
Vegetables are steamed and lightly seasoned; there is little deep-frying and roasting. Jaggery (the traditional
unrefined sugar in India) and tamarind are used in most vegetables or lentils dishes so that the food has a sweet-and-sour
flavor, while the kala masala (special blend of spices) is added to make the food piquant. Powdered coconut is used for
cooking in the inland regions. Among seafood, the popular delicacy is bombil (a very strong-smelling fish also known as
Bombay duck or dak), which is normally served batter fried and crisp or dried and salted to be used in acurry. Bangda, or
mackerel, is another popular fish in coastal Maharashtra is curried with red chiles and ginger. Pomfret is a fish eaten
barbecued, stuffed, fried, or curried. Pamphlet triphal ambat is a traditional dish in which fish is cooked in creamy coconut
gravy. Besides fish, crabs, prawns, shellfish, and lobsters are used.
In the vegetarian fare, the most popular vegetable is eggplant. A favorite style of cooking them is bharlivangi, or baby
eggplant stuffed with coconut. Another typical dish is the pachadi, which is eggplant cooked with green mangoes and flavored
with coconut and jaggery. All dishes are eaten with boiled rice or with bhakris, which are soft rotis made of rice flour. Special
rice cakes called vada and amboli (a pancake made of fermented rice, urad dal, and semolina) are also eaten as a part of the
main meal. Meals are not complete without papads (dried lentil chips), which are eaten roasted or fried. A typical feature is the
masala papad, in which finely chopped onions, green chiles, and chat masala are sprinkled over roasted or fried papads. The
most popular dessert of Maharashtra is the puran poli, which is rotis tuffed with a sweet mixture of jiggery and gram flour
(made from ground chick peas ,or chana dal) and is made at the time of the Maharashtrian New Year
The state of Gujarat excels in the preparation of vegetarian dishes. The recipes are known for the subtle use of
spices and rich texture. A selection of different dishes, usually served in small bowls on a round tray, is known as a thali. The
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thali consists of roti, dal, orkadhi (a “soup” made with chickpea flour, yogurt, water, lemon juice, and spices, along with fritters
of chickpea flour and chopped vegetables that swell and soften), rice, and sabzi/shaak (a dish made up of different
combinations of vegetables and spices, which may be stir-fried, curry like, or even dry-boiled). Cuisine varies in taste and
heat, depending on a given family. Gujarati food has been influenced by Chinese cuisine and is different from most all Indian
cuisines in that the sweets are served with the meal. This is also a reason why there is more sweet and sour taste in their
dishes. Other popular items include a vegetable preparation Undhiu (mixed winter vegetables), gujarati kadhi, asavory curry
made of yogurt. Some common dishes include khaman dhokla, a salty steamed cake; doodhpak, a sweet, thickened milk
confectionery; and shrikhand, a dessert made of yogurt, flavored with saffron and cardamom.

A particularly important part of the cuisine of the region is the

unparalleled variety of snacks called farsan. Farsan means savory snack and
usually refers to anything salty, fried, and crunchy. Patra, a famous farsan, is
made from the long, black-stemmed colocasia (taro) leaves and Bengal gram
flour. The leaves are spread with a batter of flour into which a pulp of
tamarind and jaggery is mixed. Green chiles, ginger, sesame seeds,
coriander seeds, mustard seeds, and salt are added. The leaves are placed
one on top of the other and then folded from both sides. They are rolled
tightly, the roll is tied with a thread, and then steamed for an hour. The rolls
are then cut into half-inch-thick slices. These are saut´eed in oil with mustard
seeds and served hot, garnished with chopped coriander leaves and grated Farsan
coconut.
As mentioned earlier, food in Goa has been influenced by the Portuguese. Local dishes like vindaloo (fiery hot and
known as the “king of curries”) and xacut (a curry, usually chicken, with white poppy seeds and red peppers) are evidence that
Goa was a Portuguese colony until the 1960s. Pork vindaloo is a spicy concoction of red chiles, garlic, cooked with chunks of
pork, Goa vinegar, and hard palm sugar served with plain boiled rice. Rice, fish, and coconut are the basic components of the
typical Goan platter. The Goans make full use of their proximity to the sea coast by using fish, crabs, lobsters, and tiger
prawns, which are cooked in a coconut, garlic hot sauce, or dry spices. An essential ingredient in Goan cooking is coconut
milk made by grating the white flesh of a coconut and soaking it in a cup of warm water. Equally important is the kokum that
gives it a sharp and sour flavor. The famous red Goan chiles are also a must for most dishes, as is tamarind. Goans make
their own version of vinegar from toddy, which is distilled from the sap of coconut palm trees. Then there are the innumerable
chutneys that are typical of the state.
Though there are two separate traditions in cuisine influenced by the respective religions of Hinduism and
Christianity, there are some meeting points that present interesting harmony. While Hindus like lamb and chicken, Christians
seem to prefer pork. However, both prefer fish and seafood to any other protein. Grinding spices is always part of the recipe
and the nicer the dish the longer it takes to make. The most commonly used spices are cumin, chiles, coriander, garlic, and
turmeric. Subtle differences in ingredients or their use make the outcome of these similar recipes so different. The Christians
prefer to use vinegar, while the Hindus use kokum and tamarind to get the tang in the irrespective cuisines.
Cuisine from Rajasthan tells the tale of the struggle of its inhabitants who had to combat the harsh climate of the
region. Historically food preparation in the royal kitchens was a very serious matter. Hundreds of cooks worked in the stately
palaces and kept their recipes very closely guarded. Some recipes were passed on to their sons, while others were lost
forever. The climate conditions, the lack of availability of vegetables, and the tradition of royal hunts all shaped the culinary
traditions. Game cooking is considered a respected art form, largely because the skills required to clean, cut, and cook game
are not easily acquired. With the Pathani invasions the art of barbecuing became highly regarded and some of the most
popular dishes include sula-smoked kebabs, skewered boneless tender morsels of meat, such as lamb, that can be prepared
eleven different ways. Perhaps the best-known Rajasthani food is the combination of dal, bati, and churma—dal is lentils, bati

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is a baked wheat ball, and churma is powdered sweetened cereal. Two meat dishes, lal maans (red meat), a fiery heavily
spiced dish, and safed maans (white meat) cooked with almonds, cashew nuts, and coconut, are specialties in the region. In
Rajasthan, besan is a major ingredient here and is used to make some of the delicacies like gatte ki sabzi (a popular curry),
and pakodi (a curd-based curry with dal and red chiles). Also known as gram flour in many recipes, besan is a fine, pale
yellow flour made from roasted chana dal. It is used as a batter for deep frying, such as vegetable fritters (pakoras), and in
soups as a binding agent. Many Indian sweets are made from besan. It is to an Indian kitchen what eggs are to a Western
kitchen.

EAST INDIA
Fish and rice are a very important part of the diet of east India as a result of the many rivers and tributaries
originating in the Himalayas. Centuries of silt carried from the Himalayan Plains and the shifting of river courses has resulted
in uniquely fertile soil capable of producing a wide variety of crops and choice vegetables. The population is a balanced mix of
vegetarian and nonvegetarian. The geographical location of this region means its food shows a strong influence of Chinese
and Mongolian cuisine.

The eastern state of West Bengal is considered to be the cultural capital

of India. Bengali food is coastal cuisine symbolized by rice and fish. The market
is busy at all times with all sizes and shapes of carp, salmon, hilsa, bhekti, rui,
magur, and prawns. Their Macherjhol (fish curry) is legendary all over India. Fish
are also smoked, grilled, fried, made into pakoras (patties), stuffed into green
coconuts, and then into burgers. Preparation is not elaborate and neither are
most of the ingredients. Steaming and frying are popular methods of cooking.

Mustard oil is used for cooking instead of ghee or peanut or coconut oil. The specialty of Khoya
Bengali cuisine is the use of panchphoron: five basic spices of nigella (similar to black
cumin or black caraway seed), fennel, cumin, mustard, and fenugreek. While
sweets of north India are based on khoya (milk thickened slowly until it forms a
sweet dough-like consistency), which is quite heavy, those of east India are
based on chena (light cottage cheese) and are lighter on the palate and overall
very delicate. The tradition of making cakes, locally known as pitha, flourishes.
They are usually made from rice or wheat flour mixed with sugar, or grated
coconut, then fried or steamed and served with a sweet syrup.
Sikkim has a completely different cuisine as compared to other states of
east India. The food shows its apparent influence of food culture of neighboring Chena
countries, especially Tibet. Momos (steamed meat or vegetable filled wontons) are especially popular.
Rice is the staple diet in Assam and is eaten in various forms throughout the day. The Assamese eat a huge variety
of rice-based breakfast cereals with milk, yogurt, or thick cream akhoi (puffed rice), chira (chura), muri, komal chaul (a
specially processed rice which doesn’t require cooking but just an hour’s soak in cold water), and hurum to name but a few.
Normally jaggery or sugar is added but for those who prefer savory items, salt can be added. Also there are the various kinds
of pitha that are prepared from rice powder.
Historically, Assam is the second commercial tea production region after southern China. Assam and southern China
are the only two regions in the world with native tea plants. Assam tea revolutionized tea drinking habits in the nineteenth
century since the tea, produced from a different variety of the tea plant, yielded a different kind of tea. Sold as “breakfast teas”
the black tea is known for its body, briskness, malty flavor, and strong, intense color. Most recently, a home-grown chile

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pepper called bhut jolokia—known as “ghost chile”—became known officially in the Guinness World Records as the world’s
hottest chile. This thumb-sized red chile has more than 1,000,000 Scoville units (the level of a chile’s heat measured by the
content of capsaicin, the chemical that “heats” a chile) and is 125 times hotter than a jalape˜no.

SOUTH INDIA
India has hot, humid climate and all its states are coastal. Rainfall is abundant and so is the supply of fresh fruit,
vegetables, and rice. South Indian cuisine is rice based. Rice are of three basic categories: the white long-grain rice is most
commonly used; short-grain rice is used to make sweet dishes; and a round grain rice that is used for worship representing
Health, Wealth, and Fertility. Steamed rice dumplings (idlis) and roasted rice pancakes (dosais) are paired with coconut
chutneys for breakfast. The famous masala dosai is stuffed with spiced potatoes, vegetables, or even minced lamb.
A formal South Indian meal is divided into three courses of rice.
The first is rice with sambhar, the everyday food of South India. Made from a
handful of lentils or mung beans simmered in a pot of water until they
disintegrate into a smooth, creamy mixture, sambhar is flavored with
turmeric, sour tamarind, asafetida (a gum resin used for flavor and
digestion), curry leaves, and toasted mustard seeds. The second course is
rice served with rasam, a tangy, spicy tamarind and tomato-based soup with
lentils. A small amount of one or two vegetables, fresh herbs, and spices are
added. The third course is a cooling mixture of rice and buttermilk or yogurt.
It may be served with nonspicy assorted vegetable dishes, namely the aviyal
(mixed vegetable stew), kari (dry masala vegetables), and kootu (coconut
and vegetable saut´e). Coconut, either in a shredded, grated, or blended form, is Sambhar
found in most dishes here and coconut water is drunk for its cooling effect on the
system. Meals are followed by coffee.
Dishes are seasoned with toasted mustard seeds, red chiles, curry leaves, and oil. Coconut oil is most commonly
used for cooking and frying. Vegetable oils like sunflower and canola are also used and ghee is poured over rice during daily
meals or in special occasion dishes.
Tamil Nadu has Chettinad cuisine, which consists of meat and poultry cooked in tamarind and roasted spices and is
one of the most fiery of all Indian food. Oil and spices are used liberally and most dishes have generous amounts of
peppercorns, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, nutmeg, and green and red chiles. From Kerala comes Malabari cooking,
with its seafood dishes; it is noted for its variety of pancakes and steamed rice cakes made from pounded rice.

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 Glossary

Ajwain Seed Carom seed, bishop’s weed; resembles a small caraway seed but with the flavor of pungent thyme. Usually
sprinkled on breads.
Amchoor Dried green mango powder used as a souring agent or to tenderize meats.
Appam Wafer-thin, round, flatbread, usually made of rice, potato, and/or various lentil flours.
Asafetida Known as devil’s dung or food of the gods, it is a powdered gum resin that imparts a very strong onion-garlic flavor;
a little goes a long way.
Baghar, Tadka, or Chounk The technique of adding spices and herbs all at one time to hot oil. This is done as a first step in
the cooking process, or as the last, and then pouring the tempered oil over a cooked dish. The oil extracts and retains the
sharp flavors of the spices, flavoring the entire dish.
Balti Means “pot” or “bucket.” This stir-fried curry takes its name from the heavy, woklike dish in which the food is cooked and
served. The dish is also known as a karhai or karahi.
Barfi A dessert made from milk that has been cooked slowly and reduced to a fudge-like consistency.
Basmati Rice Authentic Indian long-grained white rice with a unique nutty flavor.
Belan Rolling pin, about 12 inches long, with a long taper from the center toward each end.
Biryani A mixture of rice and spicy meat or vegetables arranged in layers, sprinkled with saffron and ghee. Traditionally the
ingredients are tightly packed and sealed with naan dough. This method is also termed the dum style.
Black Cumin Seeds (Kala Jeera, Saahjeers) Darker and sweeter than ordinary cumin, used in curries and tandooris.
Black Mustard Seeds Preferred over the larger yellow mustard seeds common in the West.
Bondas or Vadas Rounddeep-friedsavorysnackmadeindifferentvarietiesusuallyfromlentils or potatoes and eaten with a
chutney.
Chappati The most common unleavened flat-bread in north India made with wheat flour, water, oil, and salt. Usually cooked
on a tava or thick griddle and brushed with ghee. Similar to those prepared in Greece, the Middle East, and Mexico.
Chutney Fresh relishes made with fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
Curry The term “curry” means gravy or sauce. An authentic Indian curry is a combination of stir-fried wet masala (a mixture of
onion, garlic, ginger, and tomato), various spices, and seasoning, to which other items are added and prepared as a stew-type
dish.
Dal, Daal Dals are the primary source of protein in a vegetarian diet (especially in southern India). They include dried peas,
beans, and lentils, plus split peas and other legumes. Ground powdered dal is used in crackers, unleavened breads, and
spice mixtures.
Dosas, Dhosas Lentil flour-based pancakes, traditionally stuffed with mashed potatoes and onions, flavored with mustard
seeds and turmeric, much like an Indian crepe or enchilada. A southern Indian delicacy, originally from Madras but now found
all over India.
Feni A drink made from cashews or coconut is the perfect beach drink. It was originally a very basic and local drink; recently it
has been commercialized.
Ghee, or Desi Ghee Clarified butter.

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Halva Indian sweet made from a variety of finely grated vegetables, milk, and sugar, and flavored with cardamom. The
consistency is that of a thick pudding.
Jalfrezi A style of cooking mixed vegetables or chicken in a tangy sauce.
Kachumber Indian salad usually made with cucumber, tomatoes, and onions flavored with salt, sugar, and lemon juice.
Kadhai A traditional Indian iron wok, much deeper and narrower than the Chinese wok. Used mainly for frying or braising.
Kari Lea for Curry Leaf ( Kadi Patta) Imparts an herbal, concentrated flavor of curry with as light hint of lemon. Substitute
chopped cilantro.
Khoya Also known as “mawa,” it is made by reducing milk to a thickened consistency of soft cream cheese. Used widely in
the making of many Indian desserts and sweet meats.
Korma, Khorma Indian braising, similar to Western braising. Indian cooks create rich thick braising liquids, as opposed to
using a stock. Korma are generally made from yogurts, creams, and purees; spices are delicate and not usually hot or spicy.
The meats are marinated in the braising liquid and then slow cooked.
Kofta Balls made of minced meat or mashed vegetables fried and mixed with a sauce or a curry.
Kulchae Flatbread often stuffed with onion or potatoes, seasoned with cilantro.
Masala Spices, herbs, and other seasonings ground or pounded together. When wet ingredients like water, vinegar, yogurt,
and so on are added to the spice mixture, it is appropriately called a wet masala. Dry spice mixtures are also called garam
masala or commonly known in the world as curry powder. Indian cooks generally don’t use pre-prepared curry powder—
originally a British invention to approximate Indian seasoning—but prefer making their own ever-changing blends.
Naan A traditional leavened bread, baked at very high temperatures against the wall of a tandoor oven.
Pakora Batter made of besan flour (ground chickpeas). Popular Indian crispy and spicy snack, served hot with coriander
chutney, sometimes called bhajias.
Papadam, Poppadum, or Paapar Thin crisp discs, plain or flavored with spices and seasonings. A seasoned dough made
from dried pulses that have been rolled, shaped, and dried in the sun. Papadam can be deep-fried, in which they puff up and
turn airy, which also maximizes flavor. They can also be roasted over a flame, although these do not expand and are denser.
Paratha Whole-wheat flat bread, which has butter blended into the dough, and is then shallow fried. Pasanda A mild sauce
prepared with mint leaves; adds aroma to dishes, in particular with paneer.
Pomegranate Seeds (Anardana) These serve as a souring agent in Indian cuisine.
Pulao or Biryani Indian basmati rice dish.
Puri Deep-fried whole-wheat flatbreads; they puff up when fried.
Rahra Lamb dishes with a partial stuffing of minced lamb.\

Raita A traditional Indian side dish where the plain yogurt is combined with assorted items like dry fruits, or vegetables such
as tomatoes, onions, or cucumbers.
Roti The word for bread in Hindi. Tandoori roti is bread baked in a tandoor; rumaliroti(literally, “handkerchief bread”) is a thin
and flaky paratha made up of many layers.
Samosa A triangular deep-fried pastry appetizer.

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Seekh Kebab The word seekh in Hindi means “skewer.” Seekh kebab simply means kebabs on a skewer. Kebabs are usually
made out of ground lamb mixed with various spices, cooked in a tandoor oven.
Tikka Tender pieces of poultry, meat, fish, prawns, and cottage cheese grilled in a tandoor.
Tandoor The traditional Indian oven made of special clay. All tandoori food is grilled on a charcoal at very high temperatures.
Practically no fat is used in tandoori preparations.
Tandoori Murgh The bright red world-famous tandoori chicken. Chicken marinated with spices, red color, and yogurt is
cooked in a tandoor.
Tava Traditional iron griddle used for making Indian breads and toasting spices.
Tel (Oil) Indian regional cooking is characterized by the use of different oils. Northern and central regions use peanut oil.
Mustard oil is preferred in the eastern and some northern parts, while most southern regions prefer sesame and coconut oil.
Sesame oil, peanut oil, and ghee are used in the western regions. Indian sesame oil is light and colorless, unlike the dark and
aromatic Chinese type, which cannot be substituted.
Varak Fine thin edible silver foil used to decorate or garnish Indian desserts and paan. It is considered to be an aid to
digestion.
Vindaloo An amalgamation of two Portuguese words: vinho, meaning “wine” (or vinegar) and alho, which means “garlic.” A
dish of Portuguese origin prepared with extra garlic, ginger, pepper, coconut (grated or milk), vinegar, and chiles to give a
sharp, rich taste.

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V. ACTIVITY
Prepare the given recipe. Follow the procedure for a better result. The product will be graded base on the rubrics for
performance ask.

Biryani
Chicken Biryani is a delicious savory
rice dish that is loaded with spicy
marinated chicken, caramelized
onions, and flavorful saffron rice. For
my Biryani, I simplify the order of
operations, while retaining the
traditional layered approach to
assembling it.

Ingredients

For rice
For chicken
6 cups water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
10 grams garlic (grated)
5 pods green cardamom (smashed)
10 grams ginger (grated)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 serrano chili peppers (to taste, minced)
1 bay leaf
5 grams mint (finely chopped)
360 grams
10 grams cilantro (finely chopped
basmati rice (~2 cups)
1 tablespoon garam masala
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For onions
1 teaspoon salt
900 grams bone-in skin-on chicken thighs 2 tablespoon ghee
2 medium onions (sliced thin)

For biryani
1 cup
reserved boiling liquid (from rice)
cilantro (for garnish)

Procedure:
1. To marinate the chicken for the biryani, combine the vegetable oil, garlic, ginger, chili peppers,
mint, cilantro, garam masala, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl and stir together. Add the
chicken pieces and toss together making sure the chicken is thoroughly coated in the marinade.
Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

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 2. In a pot wide enough to hold the chicken in a single layer, add the ghee and onions and saute
the onions until they are well caramelized (15-20 minutes). Transfer the caramelized onions to a
bowl and set aside.
3. While the onions caramelize, prepare the rice by washing in a strainer under cold running water
until the water runs clear.
4. To par-boil the rice, add the water, salt, cardamom, cumin and bay leaf to a pot and bring to a
boil. Add the rice and boil for 7 minutes. Drain the rice, reserving 1 cup of the liquid.
5. In the pot you caramelized the onions in, add the chicken in a single layer, skin-side down. Fry
until golden brown on one side (about 5 minutes). Flip the chicken over and fry the other side
until golden brown. Transfer the chicken back to the bowl you marinated it in.
6. To assemble the biryani, add the saffron to the rice and toss to distribute evenly. Add half the
rice mixture to the bottom of the pot you browned the chicken in.
7. Top the rice with the chicken in a single layer
8. Top the chicken with an even layer of caramelized onions.
9. Finish putting together the Biryani by adding the rest of the rice in an even layer. Add 1 cup of
reserved liquid from boiling the rice. Cover the pot with a lid and put the pot on the stove over
medium heat and set the timer for 20 minutes. When you can see steam escaping from under
the lid, turn down the heat to low and continue cooking until the timer goes off and then turn off
the heat.
10. Without opening the lid, set the timer for another 10 minutes to steam the biryani.
11. Mix the Chicken Biryani together and then transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with fresh
cilantro and serve.

Reference: https://norecipes.com/chicken-biryani-recipe/
Imagesource:
https://www.google.com/search?q=biryani&sxsrf=ALeKk03PV_FbYHpsjIpp3UvAdXzB4ocNGg:1599747949533&source=lnms
&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi48YvC5d7rAhUPx4sBHQamA_IQ_AUoAXoECBwQAw&biw=1366&bih=657#imgrc=Wvz40
VTQpSRS2M

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VI. POST-TEST
Read the following statements. Write True if the statement is correct and False if not. Write you answer on a sheet of paper.
__________1.
Persian Aryan introduced India their fondness for elegant dining and rich food with dry fruit and nuts.
__________2.
True Biryani is a mixture of rice and spicy meat or vegetables arranged in layers, sprinkled with saffron and ghee.
__________3.
true Rice is one of the staple foods in India.
true
__________4. In West India game cooking is considered a respected art form, largely because the skills required to clean,
cut, and cook game are not easily acquired.
__________5.
true Tandoor is a cylindrical clay oven created by the royal chefs in which food is cooked over a hot charcoal fire.

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 CHAPTER 7: THE CUISINE OF MIDDLE EAST

Image Source: https://www.britannica.com/story/are-the-middle-east-and-the-near-east-the-same-thing

103 | P a g e
I.OBJECTIVE
In this chapter challenge yourself to attain the following objectives:
- Identify the cooking methods, most common ingredients and staples of Middle East.
- Prepare a cuisine from Middle East
- Appreciate the art of cooking of Middle East.

II. PRE-TEST
Identify if the following statements are true or false. Write True if the statement is correct. Write False if not.

1. Cows are the most important source of milk, used in Middle East. False
2. In Iranian cuisine, appearance is as important as taste. False
3. Originally, Arabic food was the food of the desert nomads—simple and portable. TRUE
4. Mansaf consists of Arabic rice, a rich broth made from jameed, and either lambor chicken. It is also considered
the greatest symbol in Jordanian culture for generosity and the level of generosity is determined by the amount
of lamb presented. TRUE
5. Because of some dietary laws of religion in Israel, meat and dairy are never mixed in the same dish or even in
the same meal. TRUE

III. INTRODUCTION
This chapter covers the land and other factors that affects the cuisine of Middle East. Below also are the cuisine
from different countries of Middle East

IV. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

THE LAND OF MIDDLE EAST

The Middle East is at the junction of trade routes connecting Europe and China, India and Africa, and all the cultures
of the Mediterranean basin. Many of these routes have been documented from as early as five thousand years ago, and the
presence of so many different people and products over the years has had a profound effect on the region’s culture, politics,
and economy. More specifically, the Middle East is a term used to describe the area covering sixteen countries and states:
Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates,
West Bank/Gaza Strip, and Yemen. The Middle East region represents an area of over five million square miles.
The physical geography of the Middle East is varied. Vast deserts are common in the region. The Sahara Desert runs
across North Africa, essentially limiting settlement to along the Mediterranean coastline and in Egypt along the Nile River. The
desert of the Arabian Peninsula is so inhospitable that it has been given the name “Empty Quarter.” In areas better served by
rainfall and rivers (for example the Tigris-Euphrates river system, the Jordan River, and along the Mediterranean coast), rich
agriculture is abundant. Mountain ranges exist throughout the Middle East, with some peaks rising as high as 19,000 feet.
Geography and natural resources have always influenced political power in this region. The Nile River and the rivers
of the Mesopotamian region (now modern Iraq and extending north into Syria and Turkey) can support a rich agricultural base,
but only if the water supply is sustained and controlled through irrigation systems. Mesopotamian farmers used Persian Gulf
sea water to irrigate for centuries, and as a result, much of southern Iraq’s soil is now too salty to grow crops. Agriculture in
the region now relies on modern practices like freshwater irrigation, crop rotation, and technologically sophisticated dam
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projects. Today, the wealth in Middle Eastern soil comes not from crops but from petroleum. This region contains about two-
thirds of the world’s known petroleum reserves. When the United States and Europe increased their consumption of oil
drastically during World War II, the oil reserves in the Middle East became critically important to U.S. foreign policy, and have
remained so ever since.

THE PEOPLE

The people of the Middle East belong to various ethnic groups, which are based largely on culture, language, and
history. Ethnically, more than three-fourths of the Middle Eastern people are Arabs. Although they live in different countries,
Arabs share a common culture and a common language, Arabic. Iranians and Turks also form major ethnic groups in the
region. Smaller groups in the Middle East include Armenians, Copts, Greeks, Jews, Kurds, and various black African groups.

THE FOOD
Originally, Arabic food was the food of the desert nomads—simple and portable. Nomads stopped in oases and
settled farming areas to get some of their food, such as flour for bread, fruits, vegetables, and spices. They brought animals
with them to provide meat and milk, and they cooked over campfires. During the early Middle Ages, Islamic empires spread
from the Atlantic Ocean to India. The world of Islam would continue to expand to other areas of the world in later centuries. It
was not uncommon for an exchange of foods from the various territories to occur. As the people settled in villages, towns, and
large cities, the food was no longer only that of the desert nomads.
Flat bread was made along the caravan routes and in the nomads’ camps. Made from wheat flour, water, and a little
salt, the dough can be flattened and shaped by hand and put on a flat pan over a fire. Dates come from the date palm tree,
which grows in the hottest desert oases, and are one of the most important foods of the Middle East. Sheep were the most
important source of milk, used for cheese and yogurt, and mutton and lamb continue to be the most popular meat in Arabic
cuisine. Goats were also raised for meat and milk. Beans and grains such as garbanzo beans, fava beans, and lentils were
dried and carried on the nomads’ travels. Other dried fruits such as grapes, dried apricots, figs, and nuts were an important
part of the diet. Familiar spices and herbs like cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, hot red and green peppers, allspice, ginger,
mint, parsley, bay leaves, basil, dill, rosemary, garlic, and onions were and still are used frequently.
As the state grew, Arabs brought to each new region their own tastes as well as those of the countries they had
already conquered. Cooking styles traveled with the massive migrations of people; large-scale transport brought into the cities,
and even into distant parts of the Middle East, local produce from the desert, olive oil from Syria, dates from Iraq, and coffee
from Arabia. Crops such as rice, sugar, hard wheat, eggplant, spinach, pomegranates, and even grapes are all part of the
Arab heritage. The Ottoman Turks had significant influence in the Balkans, responsible for little cakes called turbans and puff
pastry croissants found in the shape of the Turkish crescent. Certain cooking methods, like cooking skewered ingredients over
charcoal or long, slow simmering in unglazed covered pots, are typical of the whole region. Skewering meats, chicken, or fish
kebabs is believed to have been developed by the Turks on the field of battle.
All the countries have rice and wheat dishes, stuffed vegetables, pies wrapped in paper thin pastry, meatballs, thick
omelets, cold vegetables cooked in oil, scented rice puddings, nut-filled pastries, fritters soaked in syrup, and many other
common elements. One of the most important parts of a meal in many parts of the region is the mezeh, which can be anything
from half a dozen saucers of appetizers to a spread of fifty dishes, a veritable banquet. A basic selection will include raw carrot
sticks, radishes, lettuce hearts, cucumber, and green pepper slices along with salted nuts, olives, crumbly goat’s cheese,
green onions, sprigs of mint and mountain thyme, pickled turnips and peppers, strained yogurt (labneh) topped with golden
olive oil, and the national specialties: hummus bi tahini, baba ghannouj, and tabbouleh. In the center, in reach of all, will be a
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stack of the puffy hollow rounds of flat Arab bread or sheets of the paper-thin mountain bread. Bread is torn to make scoops
for the dips and to wrap small pieces of meat and vegetables. It can also serve as a plate, tablecloth, and napkin. Hummus bi
tahini is a paste of chickpeas flavored with sesame seed oil, lemon juice, and garlic. Baba ghannouj is a smoky dip of eggplant
that has been charred over a flame and whipped with the same flavorings to a fluffy consistency. These dips are swirled into a
saucer and garnished with whole chickpeas, pomegranate seeds, a sprinkling of paprika, or sprigs of cress or mint. Tabbouleh
is a salad composed of chopped parsley, onions, tomatoes, and mint leaves mixed with softened cracked wheat kernels
(bulgur) and dressed with lemon juice and a little oil.
Iranian cuisine is considered to be the most refined. Fragrance during cooking and at the table plays as important a
role as taste. Iran was first to use many common herbs such as basil, mint, cumin, cloves, and coriander. The foods of the
courts of ancient Persia (as Iran was called until the 1930s) included perfumed stews flavored with cinnamon, mint, and
pomegranates; elaborate stuffed fruits and vegetables; and tender roasted meats. Many different foods originated in or were
introduced by Iran, such as oranges, pistachios, spinach, saffron, sweet-and-sour sauces, kabobs, and almond pastries. The
domesticated goat is believed to have originated in Persia since the goat’s ability to subsist in sparse vegetation made it ideal
for domestication by nomads. Wheat, barley, and rice are the most important Iranian crops. Long-grain rice, grown in moist
areas bordering the Caspian Sea, has a place of honor, often prepared with a golden crust formed from clarified butter,
saffron, and yogurt. Lamb and chicken are marinated and grilled as kebabs, or mixed into stews called khoreshes with fruit
and sour ingredients such as lime juice. Pickles and flatbreads are served at every meal. Desserts feature rose water and
pistachios, and refreshing drinks called sharbatsare made from diluted fruit and herb syrups.
On the Mediterranean shore are the great network of rivers—the Euphrates, Tigris, Orontes, and Jordan—that
irrigate the valleys and plains of Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, and Iraq. Known as the Fertile Crescent, this region is a
vegetarian’s paradise, with a seasonal procession of fruits and vegetables, cereals, golden olive oil, and fragrant herbs. Syria,
Lebanon, and Jordan have much the same style of cooking. Rice and cracked wheat are the primary grains. Syria’s finest food
is found in the city of Aleppo. Distinctly local foods are muhammara, a spicy paste eaten like hummus but made of the city’s
renowned hot pepper, pomegranate juice, and ground walnuts; a seasonal kebab in a sauce of stewed fresh cherries, called
kababbi-karaz; and varieties of kibbe made with sumac and quince. Aleppo’s famous pistachios are used in many sweets—
rolled in doughs and smothered with syrup, or embedded in sweet gelatin.
There is a wide variety in the Jordanian style of cooking. The authentic Jordanian cuisine can range from grilling
(shish kababs, shish taouks) to stuffing of vegetables (grape leaves, eggplants, and so on), meat, and poultry. Also common
in the Jordanian style of cooking is roasting, and/or preparing foods with special sauces. Jordan’s most distinctive dish is
mansaf, a Bedouin dish often served for special occasions. Mansaf consists of Arabic rice, a rich broth made from dry sour
milk( jameed), and either lambor chicken. It is also considered the greatest symbol in Jordanian culture for generosity and the
level of generosity is determined by the amount of lamb presented. Utensils are not commonly used when eating mansaf.
Guests feast from the communal dish using their hands.
Lebanon is nestled along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea at the very crook of the Fertile Crescent. Its
contributions to Middle Eastern cuisine are unmistakable. The flavors that spice the foods of all the surrounding lands can be
found here in abundance: olive oil, lemon, garlic, and mint. Lebanese cuisine features such staples as kibbeh (ground lamb
with bulgur wheat) and tabbouleh. The food is simply prepared, with the flavors blending together into a complex medley of
earthy, fruity tastes and scents. .
The modern state of Israel is an ancient land that has been a formal nation only since 1948. Its citizens hail from over
eighty countries. It is truly a culinary and ethnic melting pot. The majority of its population arrived from Eastern European
countries such as Russia, Poland, and Hungary, and Middle Eastern and North African countries such as Morocco and Syria.
There is also a sizable population originally from Greece. Jewish culinary traditions are ancient and strong. From the rituals of
the Passover Seder to fasting at Yom Kippur, many of these observances date back to biblical times. Yet while Jews as a
people have endured for over three thousand years, the modern state of Israel is still relatively young. That fact, and the
uncertainty and instability associated with the Palestinian conflict, have made it difficult for a truly national Israeli cuisine to

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develop and flourish. Israeli cuisine was formed according to the availability (or lack) of certain foods. Fruits and vegetables
are plentiful and are included in virtually every meal. Dairy products, including different types of yogurt and soured milks and
creams, are also a major part of the Israeli diet. Red meat is rarely eaten, partly because the lack of quality grazing land for
livestock produces a lower grade of meat. Turkey and chicken are a major part of the Israeli diet. Cholent is a traditional stew
served on the Jewish Sabbath, which is observed from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday. Because the oven in a
religious home cannot be lit after sundown on Friday, cholent simmers overnight in a warm oven turned on before the Sabbath
begins. Various types of cholent reflect the traditional foods of the different Jewish ethnic groups. Moroccan Jews, for
example, use beef, spices, chickpeas, and potatoes, while Sephardic Jews include beans, meat, potatoes, and eggs. Kugel, a
noodle casserole that is a traditional food among Eastern European Jews, is also a Sabbath favorite because it can be left
overnight in a warm oven and be ready for the meal on Saturday.
Another factor that plays a significant role in the Israeli menu is the dietary laws of the Jews and Muslims. Jewish
kashrut dietary laws were developed during early times. Food prepared according to these rules is called kosher, or “proper.”
Jews are prohibited from eating pork, so lamb, mutton, and beef are the preferred meats. The consumption of blood is also
forbidden, so meats must be butchered and prepared using a process of salting and curing, in order to remove all traces of
blood. Meat and dairy are never mixed in the same dish or even, according to some interpretations, in the same meal.
Orthodox homes maintain two separate sets of utensils and dishes, one for meat and one for dairy. The very wealthy may
even have two separate kitchens. With regard to seafood, it is forbidden to eat anything without scales. That means no
shrimp, shellfish, squid, or octopus. There are varying degrees of adherence to kashrut laws in modern Israel. While one finds
strict fidelity among the Orthodox population, it is not uncommon to see only partial or no observation among secular Jews.
Throughout the Mediterranean Middle East, the cultures and people have intermingled, and carried with them their
foods and traditions. In no other place in the world is there such a blending of cultures that has mingled so much, yet
maintained their distinct, national flavors.

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 Glossary

Aleppo Pepper Sweet and sharp chile from the Aleppo region of Syria, with moderate heat that doesn’t overpower the fruity
flavor of the pepper. As a substitute, combine an equal amount of crushed, hot red pepper with Spanish paprika.
Arabic Bread (Khubz Arabi, Pita) Flat, round bread, which can be easily split to make a sandwich, or broken apart and used
as a utensil for scooping food.
Ataif (Gatayef, Kataif) Small pancakes stuffed with nuts or cheese and doused with syrup.
Aysh abu Laham Something like pizza, made from leavened dough, egg-rich and flavored with seeds of fennel, and black
caraway. It is baked in the shape of a thick-bottomed pie shell, filled with fried mutton, chopped kurrath, or spring onion, and
topped with a sauce made from tahina (Saudi Arabia).
Baba Ghanoush (Baba Ganouj or Baba Gannoujh) A puree of char-grilled eggplant, tahina, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic,
served as a dip.
Baharat (Bjar) Arabic mixed spices; in Egypt a mixture of ground cinnamon, allspice, and cloves often used with meat. In
Morocco, a mixture of ground cinnamon and rosebuds.
Baklawa(Baklava) Dessert of layered pastry filled with nuts and steeped in honey-lemon syrup. Usually cut into triangular or
diamond shapes.
Bukhari Rice Lamb and rice stir-fried with onion, lemon, carrot, and tomato paste.
Bulgur Also known as bulghur, burghul, bulger, bulgar, wheat groats (Arabic, Armenian, Turkish, British), kernels of whole
wheat are steamed, dried, and then crushed to make bulgur. The process involved to make bulgur is what gives it a fine, nutty
flavor. It requires no or little cooking; it is typically used in tabbouleh and mixed with lamb in kibbeh.
Cardamom Aromatic spice, used to flavor Arabic coffee, yogurt, and stews. Cardamom is an essential ingredient in that
ubiquitous symbol of Arab hospitality, coffee. In the Arabian Peninsula, coffee is usually a straw-colored brew, made from
lightly roasted beans, lavishly perfumed and flavored with crushed, large green cardamom pods, and served unsweetened in
miniature handleless cups in a stream of generosity that ends only when the guest’s thirst is satisfied. As it is one of the
world’s most expensive spices, cardamom’s generous use is intended as an honor. Native to southern India, the spice
traveled the short distance to the Arabian Peninsula along the Silk Road..
Chai Black tea brewed with selected spices and milk. Each ingredient adds subtle flavor changes and brewing methods vary
widely.
Chelo Cooked (steamed) rice. Chelo Kebah Rice, grilled marinated lamb, egg yolk, spices, and yogurt. National dish of Iran.
Couscous Small, grainlike semolina pasta.
Dibbis Date syrup, an Iraqi sweetening agent made by boiling dates and draining. Resembles thick brown molasses.
Dried Limes Lends a bright tang to stews, some varieties of kabsah, and fish dishes.
Falafel Small deep-fried patties made of highly spiced ground chickpeas.
Fatayer Pastry pockets filled with spinach, meat, or cheese.
Fattoush A salad of toasted croutons, cucumbers, tomatoes, and mint.
Fenugreek Leaves Leaves with a pleasant bitter flavor, used fresh or dried, used in soups and stews (Iran; shambabileh in
Persian).

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Fillo Consists of thin sheets of unleavened flour dough. They are layered with butter and baked to make flaky pies and
pastries. The layers of fillo dough can be as thin as paper or a millimeter or so thick. Fillo is used in many of the cuisines of the
former Ottoman Empire. (Phyllo to the Greeks and yufka to the Turks.)
Gyros (Sandwich) Meat cooked on a rotisserie, sliced in thin shavings and served traditionally with tomatoes, onions, and
tzatziki in pita or plain bread.
Halwa (Halva) Sesame paste; sweet, usually made in a slab and studded with fruit and nuts.
Hamour Red Sea fish from the grouper family.
Hummus (Hommus) Spreadable paste made of chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic.
Jarish Crushed wheat and yogurt casserole.
Kamareddine Apricot nectar used to break the fast during Ramadan.
Kebab Skewered chunks of meat or poultry cooked over charcoal or broiled.
Khubz Marcook Thin, dome-shaped Arabic bread.
Kibbeh (Kibbe) The national dish of Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan; there are countless versions, some widely known
throughout the Middle East. It always involves a mixture of minced lamb, grated onion, and fine-ground bulgur pounded to a
paste. Kibbeh Naye Raw kibbeh, eaten like steak tartar.
Kofta Fingers, balls, or a flat cake of minced meat and spices. May be baked or charcoal-grilled on skewers. The word kofta is
derived from the Persian word k¯ufta, meaning “meatball.”
Kouzi Whole lamb baked over rice so that the rice absorbs the juice of the meat.
Kunafi(Kunafah) Shoe lace-like pastry dessert stuffed with sweet white cheese, nuts, and syrup.
Lahma Bi Ajeen Arabic pizza.
Ma’amul Date cookies shaped in a wooden mould called a tabi.
Mahlab Spice obtained from the dark kernels inside the pits of small wild black cherry trees. It has been used for centuries in
the Middle East as a sweet/sour, nutty addition to breads, cookies, and pastries.
Mastic The resin exuded from the bark of a small evergreen shrub closely related to the pistachio tree; it is best known in the
West today for its use in such products as varnish and paint, but cooks in Arabia continue their centuries-old custom of
enjoying its unique, fresh, resinous aroma and flavor in meat soups and stews and in puddings. Mastic melts into the food
rather than dissolving, so it is best to pulverize the translucent light-yellow lumps before adding them. Mastic is one of the
many ingredients used in the popular shawurma, an elaborate construction of marinated meat, fat, and flavors, which rotates
on a vertical spit placed close to a fire.
Mehshi Means stuffed. Eggplant, zucchini, vine leaves, or cabbage may be stuffed with a mixture of minced meat, rice, and
onions.
Melokhiyyah Green spinach-like vegetable.
Mezze (Mezza, Meze, Mezzah) The Arabic word for appetizer (small plates).
Mouhammara A mixture of groundnuts, olive oil, cumin, and chiles, eaten with Arabic bread. Moutabe Eggplant dip made with
tahini, olive oil, and lemon juice.
Mutabak Sweet or savory pastry turnovers usually stuffed with cheese, banana, or meat. Nutmeg The seed of a large
evergreen tree native to the Spice Islands (the Moluccas) of what is now Indonesia. The fleshy yellow, peach-like fruit of this
tree splits open when ripe, revealing the nutmeg encased in a dark-brown shell, which in turn is wrapped in a bright red net, or
aril; this aril is the spice mace.
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Nutmeg has long been in popular use in Middle Eastern cuisine, as in the rest of the world, both as a flavoring and a
medicine; however, its medicinal properties have caused it to be classified officially as a drug and it is therefore banned in
Saudi Arabia today. Very large quantities of nutmeg can produce hallucinations followed by ferocious headaches, and an
overdose can be lethal.
Orange-Blossom Water (Mai Qedda) Produced from the blossom of the sour-orange tree, it contributes a delicate perfume
to syrups and pastries.
Pomegranate Seeds The juicy, shiny pink seeds of the fresh fruit, used as garnish.
Pomegranate Syrup (Molasses or Concentrate) Made from the juice of sour (not sweet) pomegranates boiled down to thick
syrup. Prominent in Iranian and Syrian cooking.
Rakwi Long-handled coffee pot.
Rose water (Mai Ward) Distilled essence of rose petals, used to scent syrups and pastries. Rosewater is one of the earliest
distilled products ever made, and its manufacture has been an important industry in the Middle East for about 1,200 years.
Rosewater and orange-blossom water are added to food simply for the pleasure their fragrance gives, rather than for flavor.
Saffron The highly prized red saffron threads are the pistils of a particular purple crocus grown in Iran, Kashmir, and Spain.
Saffron is used in a variety of ways in Persian and Moroccan cooking. This spice, the world’s most expensive, is made up of
the stigmas of an autumn flowering crocus native to the Middle East. The stigmas and parts of their styles are dried to brittle
red threads, which, when ground, yield a yellow powder. Each flower has only three tiny stigmas, and as many as 80,000
flowers are needed to produce a pound of spice.
Sahlab (Salep) The root tuber of a type of orchid used in powder form to thicken milk and flavor hot drinks and ice cream.
Sahlab is very expensive.
Sambusek (Sambusak) Triangular pies filled with meat, cheese, or spinach.
Samneh (Ghee) Ghee is the classic shortening of India and the Middle East. It is simple to make and it keeps forever even in
the hot climate. In the Middle East it is called samneh. The solids are removed from butter.
Seleek Meat and rice dish in which the rice is cooked in milk rather than the juice of the meat.
Tahini, a paste made from sesame, is mixed with mashed chickpeas, garlic, and lemon juice to make hummus. Sesame
seeds mixed with honey are a nutritious, sweet snack. The seed pods of this plant (except for modern commercial varieties)
burst open suddenly and forcefully when the seeds are ripe, scattering them widely.
Shaour Red Sea fish from the emperor family.
Shawarma (Shawerma) A cone of layered pressed lamb, chicken, or beef roasted on a vertical spit where the meat is shaved
off from the outside as the spit keeps turning. Saudi Arabia’s most popular sandwich is Arabic bread filled with shawarma
meat, salad, hotsauce, and tahina.
Shaybah Also known as“old man’s beard,” a tree lichen found in the Arabian Peninsula whose complex, bitter, metallic flavor
is popular in meat and vegetable stews. A small piece of curly black-and-silver lichen will flavor a large pot of stew.
Shourba Soup. Sumac (Sumac) A dark, wine-colored spice with an astringent sour flavor, made from the coarsely ground
dried berries of the sumac shrub. Iranians, Iraqis, Lebanese, and Syrians use it frequently. It is often sprinkled on kebabs,
salads, and fish dishes. Powdered dark-red sumac berries provide a pleasant lemony spice that tastes especially good on
meats such as shish kebabs. Although it is produced by a small Mediterranean/Persian tree related to the poisonous sumac of
North America, and it is sometimes used in tanning leather, the acid of these berries is in no way harmful.
Tabbouleh A salad of bulgur, tomato, mint, and parsley.
Tahini An oily paste made from ground sesame seeds. It is used raw, in dips and salads, and cooked, in sauces.

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Tahrini A brass coffee grinder.
Taklia A spice consisting of ground coriander and garlic.
Taratour A thick mayonnaise (water emulsified) of pureed pine nuts, garlic, and lemon, used as a sauce or dip.
Turmeric The rhizome or underground stem of a ginger-like plant, almost always available ground into a bright yellow, fine
powder. Turmeric is used extensively in the East and Middle East as a condiment and culinary dye. It has an earthy and
slightly acrid bouquet; its flavor is warm and aromatic with a bitter undertone.
Tzatziki Strained yogurt and cucumbers seasoned with onion and garlic. Um Ali “Ali’s mother” is a pastry pudding with raisins
and coconut steeped in milk.
Zattar (Zahtar) Wild thyme. It is also the name of a mixture of this herb with sumac, salt, and toasted sesame seeds. It is
made by combining 1 part ground dried thyme, 1 part lightly toasted sesame seeds, 1 4 part sumac, and salt to taste.
Zereshk Called barberries in English, these are tart red berries used dried in Persian cooking.

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V. ACTIVITY
Prepare the given recipe. Follow the procedure for a better result. The product will be graded base on the rubrics for
performance task.

Hummus with Tahini

Ingredients:

1 (16-ounce) can of chickpeas (or garbanzo beans)

1/4 cup liquid from the can of chickpeas
3 to 5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste) Hummus is typically served as part of an
2 cloves garlic (peeled and crushed) appetizer (or mezze) tray alongside falafel,
1/2 teaspoon salt eggplant and tahini sauce. Fresh or
2 tablespoons olive oil toasted pita bread as well as vegetables
can be dipped into it. It also makes a filling
and nutritious snack.
Procedure:
1. Drain the chickpeas and set aside the liquid from the can. Combine the drained
chickpeas, lemon juice, sesame paste, crushed garlic and salt in a blender or food
processor. Add 1/4 cup of the reserved liquid from the chickpeas. Blend for 3 to 5 minutes
on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.
2. Place in a serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus.
3. Add a small amount (1 to 2 tablespoons) of olive oil in the well. Garnish with parsley
(optional).
4. Serve immediately with fresh, warm or toasted pita bread, or cover and refrigerate.

Reference: https://www.thespruceeats.com/hummus-with-tahini-2355351
Image Source: https://www.thespruceeats.com/hummus-recipe-without-tahini-2355475

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VI. POST-TEST
Identify if the following statements are true or false. Write True if the statement is correct. Write False if not.

1. Cows are the most important source of milk, used in Middle East. FALSE SHEEP
2. In Iranian cuisine, appearance is as important as taste. TRUE
3. Originally, Arabic food was the food of the desert nomads—simple and portable. TRUE
4. Mansaf consists of Arabic rice, a rich broth made from jameed, and either lambor chicken. It is also considered
the greatest symbol in Jordanian culture for generosity and the level of generosity is determined by the amount
of lamb presented. TRUE
5. Because of some dietary laws of religion in Israel, meat and dairy are never mixed in the same dish or even in
the same meal. TRUE

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 CHAPTER 8: THE CUISINE OF TURKEY,
GREECE, AND CRETE

Image Source: http://mapsofdallas.blogspot.com/2011/12/map-of-greece-and-turkey.html

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I.OBJECTIVES
- Identify the cooking methods, most common ingredients and staples of Turkey, Crete and Greece.
- Compare and differentiate the cuisine of Turkey, Crete and Greece.
- Prepare a cuisine from Turkey, Crete or Greece.
- Appreciate the art of cooking in Turkey, Crete and Greece.

II. PRE-TEST
Identify if the following statements are true or false. Write true if the statement is correct and false if not.
1. The word “yogurt” is Greek in origin and the fermenting process used in yogurt is thought to have originated among
these nomadic tribes.
2. Dolmas, which originated in Turkey, is family of stuffed vegetable dishes. This applies to tomatoes, peppers,
eggplant, potatoes, onions, quince, and even apples.
3. Like other countries, in Greek, breakfast is the main meal of the day.
4. Ginger is indispensable to Greek cooking and is used in stews and other savory dishes, but it most important in
dipping sauces, such as skordalia and in yogurt-based dips, such as tzatziki.
5. Mozzerella is the most popular and most ancient of the Greek cheeses, the traditional cheese of Greece.

III. INTRODUCTION
This chapter covers two countries and their cuisine. Included in this chapter are the geography, culture and
other factors that molds the cuisine of Turkey and Greece.

IV. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

THE LAND
TURKEY
Turkey is located on two continents, Europe and Asia, and is close to where the three continents of Asia, Europe,
and Africa come together. About 3 percent of the country lies within Europe and is called Eastern Thrace. The other 97
percent of Turkey is located in Asia and is called Anatolia, or Asia Minor. Unlike some of the lands that neighbor it, Turkey is
not only a Middle Eastern country; it shares a lot of history with Europe and is considered to be one of the world’s cradles of
civilization.
Geographically, Turkey can be divided into eight main regions, each with its own landscape and history. The small
region of Eastern Thrace has rolling hills and fertile grasslands. This region produces maize, wine, and tobacco. Herds of
sheep graze on the hilly slopes. The northern Black Sea region is cattle country and people on the western part of the coast
mainly live in noncommercial fishing towns. The Marmara and the Aegean regions are important agricultural markets where
groves of olives and other crops thrive. The Aegean coast is home to the historical sites of Troy and Pergamum and is
important from an archaeological viewpoint. The Mediterranean region has some of the most beautiful scenery in the entire
country with the Taurus Mountains and a rugged coastline in the east. Western Anatolia is covered with mountain ranges.
Central Anatolia is considered to be Turkey’s heartland because it is where the first Turkish tribes settled in the tenth century.
Eastern Anatolia is far more isolated and under developed; the land is barren and poverty is common. South eastern Anatolia
shares borders with Syria, Iraq, and Iran, so there is a Middle Eastern flair to its culture.

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GREECE
Like Turkey, Greece also lies at the crossroads of three continents. The country is located at the southeastern corner
of Europe on the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula. Continental Asia lies to the east of Greece across the Aegean Sea,
and Africa lies south across the Mediterranean Sea. Greece is famous for its jagged coastline bordered by the Aegean Sea on
the east, the Mediterranean Sea on the south, and the Ionian Sea on the west. In the north, Greece shares a boundary with
Albania, former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia, and Bulgaria. Its territory includes more than 2,000 islands in the Aegean
and Ionian seas, of which only 170 or so are inhabited.
The geography of Greece exercises an important influence upon the political destinies of its population. Greece is
one of the most mountainous countries of Europe. Its surface is occupied by a number of small plains, either entirely
surrounded by limestone mountains or open only to the sea. Arcadia was almost the only political division that did not possess
some territory upon the coast. Each of the principal Grecian cities was founded in one of these small plains and, since the
mountains that separated it from its neighbors were lofty and rugged, each city led solitary independence. Thus shut out from
their neighbors by mountains, the Greeks were naturally attracted to the sea, and became a maritime people.

CRETE
Crete is the largest of the Greek islands. A mountainous island, it lies south of the Aegean Sea, a link between Asia,
Africa, and Europe. Its unique geographical position between the three continents determined its historical course both
throughout antiquity and in modern times. The island is an elongated shape. To the south it is bordered by the Libyan Sea, to
the west the Myrtoon Sea, to the east the Karpathion Sea, and to the north the Sea of Crete. Its coastline, which consists of
both sandy beaches and rocky shores, is framed by the small islets of Kouphonisi, Gaidouronisi, Dia, Aghioi Pantes,
Spinalonga, and Gavdos in the Libyan Sea. Crete is the southernmost point of Europe.

THE PEOPLE

TURKEY
The people of Turkey have changed along with their country. Their beginnings were primarily in Asia. About 85
percent of Turks are descended from people who migrated to Anatolia from central Asia during the tenth century A.D. The
largest minority group in Turkey is the Kurds. About ten to twelve million Kurds live in the mountainous region of southeast
Turkey as well as in the west. Many Kurds would like to form their own independent state, separate from Turkey. This issue
has come into direct conflict with Turkey’s plans for future development and is an ongoing battle that has yet to be solved. A
small portion of the Turkish population consists of Arabs, Armenians, and Greeks. While there is no state religion and people
have the freedom to choose, almost everyone who lives in Turkey is Muslim.

GREECE
The Greek people are only partly descended from the ancient Greeks, having mingled through the ages with the
numerous invaders of the Balkans. Modern vernacular Greek is the official language. There is a small Turkish-speaking
minority, and many Greeks also speak English and French. The Greek Orthodox Church is the established church of the
country, and it includes the great majority of the population.

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 In a country that traditionally has been poor agriculturally, making the most of meager produce has evolved from
necessity to a national obsession with food. As necessity breeds innovation, Greek cuisine comprises a rich diversity of
cooking styles, ingredients, and flavors. It also has a colorful history dating from antiquity and has incorporated outside
elements from Italian, Turkish, and French cuisines. Vegetarianism has a long tradition in Greece and was espoused by
Pythagoras, who abstained from meat for moral reasons. Even to this day, the ultra-religious abstain from meat and animal
products on Wednesdays and Fridays as well as during the forty days of Lent.

CRETE
The island of Crete has been inhabited since prehistoric times. There is evidence of organized habitation dating back
to 8000 B.C., and twentieth-century excavations have revealed a splendid civilization that ruled the island and much of the
Aegean region during the Bronze Age. The Minoan civilization is credited as the first civilization of Europe. It began around
2000 B.C. and it lasted for about two millennia before it was replaced on the island by the Mycenaean civilization circa 1375,
and then by classical and Hellenistic Greeks, who in turn were replaced by the Romans. The Byzantine Empire and the
Venetians controlled the island for a few hundred years before the Ottoman Empire invaded the island.

THE FOOD

TURKEY
In history, the Turks led a nomadic life, dependent on agriculture and on the breeding of domestic animals. The word
“yogurt” is Turkish in origin and the fermenting process used in yogurt is thought to have originated among these nomadic
tribes. Early Turks cultivated wheat and used it liberally, in several types of leavened and unleavened breads, which are baked
in clay ovens, fried on a griddle, or buried in embers. Stuffing not only pastry but also all kinds of vegetables remains common
practice, as evidenced by dozens of different types of “dolma.” Skewering meat as another way of grilling, what we know as
the kebab, was developed by the Turks. Turkish cuisine is full of vegetables, grains, fresh fish, and seemingly infinite varieties
of lamb dishes. Fish and meat are typically served grilled or roasted, although often with inordinate amounts of yag (oil). The
core group of seasonings is garlic, sage, oregano, cumin, mint, dill, lemon, and yogurt. The richness of Turkish cooking
originated from Ottoman sultans. During their reign, many of the chefs were trying to create a new dish and taste to please the
sultan in order to receive praise and reward. A sultan’s palace kitchen might include hundreds of chefs and more than one
thousand kitchen staff. As a result, a large variety of dish offerings from meat to many fresh vegetables were developed. The
majority of these recipes, recorded in Arabic script, were regrettably lost in the language reforms. Some Ottoman favorites
have continued, however, like hünkarbegendi (the sultan was pleased), imambayaldi (the priest fainted), and hanimgöbegi
(lady’s navel), a syrupy dessert with a thumb print in the middle.
The first meal of the day is breakfast. A typical Turkish breakfast is fresh tomatoes, white cheese, black olives, bread
with honey and preserves, and sometimes an egg. Lunch often will include a rice or bulgar pilaf dish, lamb or chicken baked
with peppers and eggplant, and fresh fish grilled with lemon. A popular lamb cut is prizolla. These are extra-thin-cut lamb
chops seasoned with sumac (a tart red berry dried and coarsely ground, often referred to as a “souring agent”) and thyme,
and then quickly grilled. Other favorites include sucuk, a spicy sausage, and pastirma, a sun-dried cumin-fenugreek coated
preserved beef. It is sliced thin much like pastrami.
Dinners will most commonly start with mezeler (singular,mezze), or appetizers. These often become a meal in
themselves, accompanied by an ample serving of raki (liquor like anisette, licorice flavored; when diluted with water it
assumes a milky color). Cold mezes include patlican salatasi (roasted eggplant puree flavored with garlic and lemon), haydari
(a thick yogurt dip made with garlic and dill ), dolma, ezme (a spicy paste of tomatoes, minced green pepper, onion, and
parsley), kizartma (deep-fried eggplant, zucchini, or green pepper served with fresh yogurt), cacik (a garlicky cold yogurt

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“soup” with shredded cucumber, mint, or dill), barbunya pilaki(kidney beans, tomatoes, and onions cooked in olive oil), and
barbunya pilaki (slow-roasted baby eggplant topped with olive oil, fried onions and tomatoes and seasoned with garlic). Hot
appetizers, usually called ara sicak, include börek (a deep-fried or oven-baked pastry filled with cheese or meat), kalamar
(deep-fried calamari served with a special sauce), and midye tava (deep-fried mussels). Fresh fish, often a main course, is
commonly served grilled and drizzled with olive oil and lemon. Specialties include alabalik (trout), barbunya (red mullet),
kalkan (turbot), kefal (gray mullet), kilic ¸ (swordfish, sometimes served as a kebab), levrek (sea bass), lüfer (bluefish), and
palamut (bonito). Grilled quail is most common inland; it’s often marinated in tomatoes, yogurt, olive oil, and cinnamon. Karisik
izgara, a mixed grill, usually combines chicken breast, beef, a lamb chop, and spicy lamb patties, all served with rice pilaf and
vegetables.
Soups have traditional importance and are generally served as the first course or starter and can be eaten with any
meal, even breakfast. They come in a wide variety and many are based on meat stock. Lentil soup is the most common, but
there are other preferred soups such as yayla (a yogurt-based soup), tarhana (cracked wheat or flour, yogurt, and vegetables
fermented and then dried), asiran (made from bulgur wheat and yogurt), and guli (from greens, white beans, and lamb).The
well-known “wedding soup” is made with lamb shanks in an egg broth.
One of the pillars of Turkish cooking is pilavlar, or pilaf. Generally made of rice, but sometimes with bulgur or sehriye
(vermicelli), pilaf is one of the mainstays of the Turkish table. The rice should not be sticky but separate into individual grains.
The pilaf may include eggplant, chickpeas, beans, or peas. Although pilaf is traditionally a course in its own right, it may also
be used as a garnish with meat and chicken dishes.
Börek is a general Turkish term for filled pastries. The filling is often white sheep’s milk cheese and a chopped
vegetable such as parsley or spinach. Often the dough is paper-thin yufka (phyllo) layered, rolled, or folded around the
ingredients, then baked, steamed, or fried.
Kebabs are dishes of plain or marinated meat either stewed or grilled. Although the ingredient of choice for Turks is
lamb, some kebabs are made with beef, chicken, or fish, usually grilled with vegetables on a skewer. Doner kebab is a famous
Turkish dish of a roll of lamb on a vertical skewer turning parallel to a hot grill. Adana kebaps are spicy ground-lamb patties
arranged on a layer of sautéed pita bread, topped with a yogurt-and-garlic sauce. Iskender kebaps, also known as bursa
kebabs, are sliced grilled lamb, smothered in tomato sauce, hot butter, and yogurt. Sis kebaps are the traditional skewered
cubes of lamb, usually interspersed with peppers and onions. Kofte are meatballs, predominantly lamb, and there is a rich
variety of kofte recipes within Turkey. Finely minced meat mixed with spices, onions, and other ingredients is shaped by hand,
and grilled, fried, boiled, or baked. Some koftes are cooked in a sauce; as in the case of the izmir kofte, the koftes are first
grilled and then cooked with green peppers, potato slices, and tomatoes in their own gravy. In southern and southeastern
Turkey, bulgur wheat is an essential ingredient of many varieties of meatballs. The stuffed meatballs known as icli kofte have
an outer shell of bulgur and minced meat and a filling of walnuts and spicy minced meat. Raw kofte are a specialty that
requires top-quality meat without a trace of fat. This is then minced and kneaded with bulgur and the purplish hot pepper of
the region.
Dolmas is family of stuffed vegetable dishes. This applies to tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes, onions, quince,
and even apples; although stuffed mackerel and squid are also called dolma. Dolmas originated in Turkey, but are also found
from the Balkans to Persia. Perhaps the best-known is the grape leaf dolmas. The stuffing may include meat or not. Meat
dolmas are generally served warm, often with sauce; meatless ones are generally served cold.
Bread has major cultural significance in Turkey. It is usually baked twice a day, early in the morning and late in the
afternoon. The freshly baked elongated loaf of bread, which looks like French bread, is the bread that most people eat during
the day. Then there is flat bread, known as pita bread (pide in Turkish) which is good for wrapping; lavash, a wafer thin type of
bread, is also good for wrapping; and simit, which is a round bread much like a bagel, covered with sesame seeds.
Desserts made from apricots or figs are given a topping of fresh clotted cream and sometimes crushed walnuts. The
same topping is used on kabak tatlisi, an unusual dessert made by cooking pieces of pumpkin in syrup. Milk-based desserts

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include a wide variety of puddings, some of which are baked. Keskul is a milk pudding made with coconut. Gullac is a
confection of thin sheets of pastry in a milk sauce to which rosewater is added; and pastry-based desserts include baklava, as
well as kadayif (made from shredded pastry baked in syrup, often filled with pistachio nuts, walnuts, or clotted cream), revani
(a sweet made from semolina), hanim göbegi, and sekerparee (two kinds of small sweet cake). Turkish delight and helva are
well-known candies. Turkish delight is made from cornstarch or gelatin, sugar, honey, and fruit juice or jelly, and is often tinted
pink or green. Chopped almonds, pistachio nuts, pine nuts, or hazelnuts are frequently added. Once the candy becomes firm,
it is cut into small squares and coated with confectioners’ sugar. Helva is made by pan-sautéing flour or semolina and pine
nuts in butter before adding sugar and milk or water, and briefly cooking until these are absorbed. The preparation of helva is
conducive to communal cooking. People are invited for “helva conversations” to pass the long winter nights.
Tea (cay) is the national drink. It is served extremely hot and strong in tiny tulip-shaped glasses, accompanied by two
sugar cubes. The size of the glass ensures that the tea gets consumed while hot. The coffee culture is a little less prevalent
but no less “steeped” in tradition. Early clerics believed it to be an intoxicant and consequently had it banned. But the
kahvehane (coffeehouse) refused to go away, and now the sharing of a cup of coffee is an excuse to prolong a discussion,
plan, negotiate, or simply relax. Turkish coffee is ground to a fine dust, boiled directly in the correct quantity of water, and
served as is. There are two national drinks, raki and ayran. Raki is an alcoholic drink distilled from raisins and then redistilled
with aniseed. Ayran is a refreshing beverage made by diluting yogurt with water.

GREECE
As in every culture of the world, local culinary traditions are the reflection of two inter connected factors, geography
and history. The main land cuisine of Greece is primarily a nomadic shepherd’s cuisine. As recently as a generation ago,
shepherds moved on foot with their flocks twice a year, in mid-fall and mid-spring, between the low-lying plains (where it was
warmer) and the mountains, where they spent their summers. Foraging, not farming, was the norm. Butter and lard were the
predominant fats, and cheese, yogurt, and myriad other dairy products played a dominant role in those diets, as did meat.
Vegetables were typically wild greens, picked in and around nomadic settlements and often turned into pies, one of the
backbones of mainland Greek cooking. For an itinerant shepherd, it was the most efficient food, a dish that could be easily
prepared from accessible ingredients, baked in makeshift portable ovens, was satisfyingly filling, and could be carried with
ease over long distances.
There are many pies in Greece that fall into several broad categories. Tiropita is a cheese pie. The filling is usually a
simple combination of local cheese, usually feta, and eggs. Some pies are multilayered; others are very thin, almost like
crepes filled with cheese. Hortopita is a category of pies, filled with seasonal, usually mild, greens. In some, a little cheese is
added. Kreatopita translates as meat pie. Pork, lamb, and some beef appear in fillings from various regions. Chicken is also
used as a filling for pies. These are called kotopites. There are also some unusual pies filled with eggplant (thesalia) and with
pulses, such as lentils, which is a very old dish from Ipiros. Bourekakia are individual, hand-held pies that can be filled with
cheese, vegetables, or meat. They are either fried or baked and shapes vary. Glikes pites are sweetpies. Baklava falls into
this category. Other dessert pies include galaktoboureko, a custard filled pie almost always prepared with commercial phyllo,
not homemade and galatopita, or milk pie, which is a classic country dish in Roumeli, Thesalia, and Ipiros. Often, trahana or
rice is added to the filling of milk pies to make it more substantial. There is also an unusual sweet Lenten pie found throughout
Ipiros made with rice and raisins.
There are several subcategories of Greek cuisine: cooking large casseroles, stews, grilled meat and seafood
specialties, and phyllo items (pites). Each type of cooking is represented by a specialty restaurant. Tavernas can be found all
over Greece and specialize in preprepared casserole items (moussaka, pastitsio, vegetables stuffed with rice). Psistaries
serve only grilled meats. Pites, phyllo pastry pies stuffed with greens, are generally considered as laiko, or village cuisine,
made at home or purchased from either a bakery or a street vendor specializing in one type of pita.

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 Breakfast, or proeeno, is a light meal, usually eaten as early as 7a.m. Many people have only Greek coffee, which is
a strong, thick mixture of fine ground coffee, water, and sometimes sugar, boiled together. This may be accompanied by a roll
with butter, honey, or jelly. Lunch, or mesimeriano, is the main meal, eaten at home at 2 or 3 p.m. Appetizers, meat or fish,
salad, yogurt with honey, and fruit may be served at a typical midday meal. Dinner is deipnon, usually eaten in the late
evening, as late as 10 p.m. Most Greeks have appetizers, or mezedakia, in the early evening, before dinner. The word meze
describes a form of socializing as much as a group of dishes. Drinking without eating is frowned upon in Greece. People
gather in ouzeries in the early evening not just for drinks, but also for mezethes to tide them over until dinner. Meze is eaten
throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, and Greek mezethes share common flavors with the Turkish, Middle Eastern, and
North African varieties (nearly four hundred years of Ottoman rule left a strong mark on the entire area). But this style of eating
can be traced to ancient Greece; Plato’s writings include descriptions of symposium spreads that would not be out of place in
an ouzerie today. Greek mezethes generally have robust or spicy flavors to stand up to strong drinks. The hallmarks of Greek
cuisine since antiquity—olives, fresh vegetables, spit-roasted or grilled meats, dried and fresh fruit, oregano, mint, yogurt, and
honey—figure prominently. Meze in seaside areas includes dishes like wood-grilled squid and octopus, while the mountainous
inland regions are known for pies stuffed with meat and cheese.
Feta cheese and yogurt are the backbone of the Greece’s dairy industry. The country produces 150,000 tons of feta
per year. Because of Greek emigrations, this brined cheese has become known worldwide. The European Union has granted
this cheese a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and has prohibited other countries in its domain from using the name
“feta.” Derived from the milk of both sheep and goats (but never cows), its unique flavors result from these animals grazing on
indigenous plants in rather dry pastures.
Whereas Greek mountain cooking is basically rooted in a pastoral tradition, the cuisine of the Peloponnese, the large
peninsula joined to the rest of mainland Greece by a narrow strip of land (the Isthmus of Corinth), is rural, farm cuisine at its
best. Here is Greece’s most important olive grove—the tree grows virtually all over the Peloponnese—and olive oil figures
prominently in the cuisine.
The olive tree provides two staples of Greek cuisine: table olives and olive oil. Today its production and sale plays a
significant role in the economic life of twenty-first-century Greece. Greece is home to 120,000,000 olive trees, about twelve
trees for every resident. About 120,000 tons of table olives each year are produced, which is the fifth largest total in the world.
Two-thirds of the crop goes to export markets. Of the many varieties grown, three predominate: the kalamata, perhaps the
best known; the conservolia; and the halkidiki. It is a point of pride that 80 percent of Greece’s olive oil is rated extra virgin,
making the country the world’s largest producer in this category. Olive oil is used in virtually every method of cooking in
Greece and is also used as a condiment, especially with the greener, more herbaceous varieties of oil. Common dishes like
the green bean, eggplant, potato, or zucchini stew, cooked in lemon or tomato sauce, are called ladera (cooked in olive oil).
Other important elements in the cuisine of the Peloponnese are tomatoes, garlic, onions, spinach, artichokes, fennel,
lettuce, cabbage, horta (wild greens), zucchini, eggplant, and peppers. Fruits are eaten either fresh, or preserved by drying.
Popular varieties include apricots, grapes, dates, cherries, apples, pears, plums, and figs.
The excellent quality of Greek herbs and spices reflects the country’s ample sunshine and the variability of its
landscape. This special landscape makes Greek flora so rich that of the 7,500 different species of plants growing in Greece,
850 of them are found only there. Some of the best herbs grow there naturally: chamomile, mountain tea, tilio (lime blossom),
sage, thyme, oregano, and basil are chosen above others by celebrity chefs across Europe. Spices from Greece include
sesame, white sesame, machlepi (the kernel of a certain cherry; it has a pleasant, sweet and earthy aroma and is used to
flavor certain holiday breads), and cumin. The most valuable and expensive spice, red saffron, is cultivated in Greece. There
are certain defining flavors and combinations that make a dish unquestionably Greek. Among them are lemon and dill; lemon
and olive oil; lemon, olive oil, oregano, and garlic; lemon and eggs (avgolemono); tomatoes and cinnamon (in sauces);
tomatoes, honey, vinegar, and dill; garlic ground with mint (sometimes with the addition of walnuts); garlic and vinegar; anise
(or ouzo) and pepper; and olives, orange, and fennel. Garlic is indispensable to Greek cooking and is used in stews and other

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savory dishes, but it most important in dipping sauces, such as skordalia and in yogurt-based dips, such as tzatziki. Greeks
enjoy the taste of garlic and nuts, and there are several sauces that call for walnuts and garlic or almonds and garlic.
With documented production dating to sixthcentury B.C.,honey has a special resonance in Greece. It’s the basic
sweetening ingredient in the Mediterranean diet and Greece is one of the primary providers of honey in Europe. The country
defines its honey sources in two broad categories. Forest honey, most of which is pine honey, fir honey, and oak honey,
accounts for 60 to 70 percent of all production. In Greece a beehive will average 10 kilos (about 22 pounds) production, while
in the rest of Europe hives generate over 30 kilos (about 66 pounds). However, the Greek bees that struggle and collect
nectar from a wider variety of plants produce a honey that is denser and richer in aromatic substances.
Wheat has been cultivated in Greece for thousands of years and is a staple of Greek cuisine. It’s used to make a
variety of breads including pita bread and crusty whole-grain peasant bread. Bulgur, which is made from cracked whole wheat,
is eaten as an accompaniment to hearty stews or added to soups and salads. Another important grain food in the Greek diet is
rice, which is used in pilafs and bakes, served with stews, or wrapped in grape leaves to make dolmades.
Meat, particularly large roasts, have been an important part of Greek culinary history. Today, Easter would be
incomplete without lamb or kid on a spit, or its kokoretsi (innards sausage), skewered and grilled outdoors. On the everyday
table, skewered meats are also prominent, in the form of souvlaki, sold all over the country. Souvlaki, like the kebab, is made
by skewering small chunks of meat, usually pork or lamb, and grilling them over coals. Souvlaki may be made with or without
slices of peppers, tomatoes, and onions on the skewer. A souvlaki pita is wrapped in grilled pita bread together with tomatoes,
tzatziki, and onions. A gyros (also spelled giros) is like souvlaki pita, usually served wrapped in grilled pita bread with one
difference: gyros, which means round, is made by stacking very thin slices of meat on a vertical skewer and grilling the
resulting cone on a rotisserie for hours, until all the slices meld together. To serve it, the gyro maker slices off thin pieces and
wraps them in pita bread with tomatoes, onions, and tzatziki.
Moussaka is the best known of all Greek foods. It is a lamb and eggplant casserole covered with a thick layer of
b´echamel sauce that is baked until golden and crusty. It can be made with other ingredients besides lamb and eggplant,
using beef, or vegetables such as zucchini or potatoes.
Fresh and dried fruit are the usual dessert. Rich desserts and pastries, often sweetened with honey, are mostly
reserved for special occasions or eaten in small amounts. Greek sweets made with fruits are a part of the Greek tradition and
way of life since they represent a warm welcome for the visitor to the friendly environment of a Greek home. In the near past,
these sweets were usually homemade according to the art and secrets of each housewife. They were called “spoon sweets”
because the usual serving size was a well-filled teaspoon.
Wine is consumed regularly in Greece, but mainly with food, and in moderation. Ouzo is Greece’s national drink.
Ouzo is made from a precise combination of pressed grapes, herbs, and berries including aniseed, licorice, mint, wintergreen,
fennel, and hazelnut. It is usually served as an aperitif, but is also used in some mixed drinks and cocktails. When mixing
Ouzo with water it will turn whitish and opaque.

CRETE
Island cooking has always been shaped by the various rites of the Greek Orthodox Church. Christmas, Easter, and
the feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary on August 15 (corresponding to the feast of the Assumption in the Roman
Catholic Church) are the most colorful of the festivals. Easter is preceded by the forty days of Lent, during which people
abstain from all foods derived from animals (meat, dairy products, and eggs), as they do every Wednesday and Friday
throughout the year. This abstention has inspired cooks to develop a number of exquisite vegetarian dishes that substitute for
the more familiar versions made with meat. Lenten grape leaves stuffed with rice; pasta with olive oil, onions, and spices;
tomato and onion flatbread, and zucchini; and chickpea fritters are just a few of the flavorful examples. There is plenty of
celebration food as well, like roast leg of lamb with potatoes, fragrant with garlic, oregano, and thyme, and baked chicken with
orzo.
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 It is argued that the Cretan diet, based on olive oil, cereals, wine, and fish hasn’t really changed since Minoan times.
It has created the world’s healthiest and long-lived people and is the basis of the famous Mediterranean diet. Research in the
1950s by the international scientific community concluded that Cretans were this healthy due to their diet. Today, it is
generally agreed that following the traditional Cretan way of eating leads to less chance of suffering from heart disease
compared to other Mediterranean countries. This seems to be due to the fact that Cretans eat twice as much fruit, a quarter
less meat, and more pulses than other Europeans. Greek island cuisine is largely free from animal fats, an absence
considered healthful. More than anywhere else in Greece, maybe more than anywhere else in the whole Mediterranean, the
cooking of the Aegean islands is one in which the basic rule is that food be embellished as little as possible and altered as
little as possible from its original state.

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 GLOSSARY

Avgolemono Egg-lemon sauce prepared by adding fresh lemon juice to whisked eggs.
Barbouni Red mullet, a favorite fish usually served grilled or fried. The cheeks and liver are considered special delicacies.
Bourekakia A Turkish name for all the tiny appetizer pastries made from phyllo pastry and filled with a variety of savory
fillings, including vegetables, meats, and cheese. In Greece these appetizers commonly take their name from the filling.
Greek Cheeses
Anthotiro A variation of mizithra. It is buttery in texture and comes in two variations, soft and dry.
Feta The most popular and most ancient of the Greek cheeses, the traditional cheese of Greece. It is traditionally made from
goat’s or sheep’s milk and is stored in barrels of brine. Most feta comes from mountainous areas. It is used in salads, baked in
pies, crumbled on omelets, or even stuffed into fish. The most popular way to eat feta is to lay a thick slab on a plate, pour on
some olive oil, and add a pinch of oregano on top.
Graviera Hard in texture, mild in taste, this cheese resembles Swiss or Gruyère in texture. It is served with meals or used for
grating over spaghetti.
Kapnisto Metsovone One of the few smoked cheeses of Greece. It is made from cow’s milk, but sometimes with the addition
of a little sheep’s or goat’s milk.
Kaser (Kasseri) This mild- to sharp-tasting cheese (depending on variety) is faint yellow in color, oily in texture, and usually
eaten on its own. It is made from sheep’s milk and is good as a table cheese.
Kefalograviera A cross between Kefalotiri and Graviera, this cheese is made from cow’s milk. It is a hard cheese, pale yellow
in color with a sharp taste and smell, used as a table cheese and for grating or frying.
Kefalotiri This traditional Greek cheese is very hard in texture. It is made with a combination of sheep’s and goat’s milk. Salty
and sharp tasting, it is similar to regato and Parmesan and is used for grating over spaghetti. It is primarily used for frying. It is
ripened for at least three months and so acquires a sharp aroma and a rich, salty, tangy taste.
Ladotyri This is sheep’s and goat’s milk cheese. It is made in the shape of small spheres and so is sometimes called kefalaki
(little head).Its proper name refers to olive oil, in which it is aged. It can be aged for as much as a year and emerge richer and
tastier.
Manouri Likemizithra, ricotta, and cottage cheeses, manouri is soft in texture and unsalted. It is made from full-fat sheep’s
milk and is mainly used for sweet pies. In Athens and the islands it is the name of soft cream cheese. Mizithra
Itismadefromsheep’sorgoat’smilkandcomesintwoforms.Thefresh,ricottalike mizithra is unsalted. The dried version is salted,
aged until hard, and is good for grating and cooking. Mizithra is more often used for sweet pies.
Telemes A variation of feta cheese. The difference is that it is made from cow’s milk.
Touloumotiri This sweet, moist, snow-white cheese is stored by hanging in goatskin or sheepskin bags.
Dolmadakia Any stuffed food, this term refers to tiny stuffed foods such as small rolls of cabbage, spinach, or vine leaves or
tiny scooped-out vegetables. These are filled with savory mixtures such as b´echamel sauce and cheese or rice with
seasonings.
Domates Tomatoes. Fakki Meatless brown lentil soup, a standby for busy days and a staple when meat is scarce.
Fenugreek Pleasantly bittersweet seed generally ground.

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Imam Bayaldi Slowly baked eggplants stuffed with tomatoes and sliced onions and flavored with garlic. Literally, “the caliph
fainted,” so named because the dish was so delicious that the priest was said to have fainted (here the stories differ) either
when he tasted it or when he was denied a taste.
Kafes Turkish coffee introduced to Greece, brewed in a long-handled pot called a briki. In Greece it is called Greek coffee, but
it is still made in thirty-three variations, as is Turkish coffee.
Kataifia Sweetened very fine shreds of a wheat flour pastry rolled up with chopped nuts.
Kefthedes or Keftethes Tiny meatballs prepared with finely minced meat (any kind) blended with bread crumbs and eggs
then seasoned with garlic, mint, oregano, and salt and pepper. The mixture is formed into tiny balls and fried in oil until brown.
Kolokythia Called baby marrows in England, courgettes in France, and zucchini in Italy. Greeks enjoy the flowers freshly
picked, stuffed, and fried.
Kouloura A Greek bread.
Kourabiedes Rich buttery shortbread-type cookies baked in round balls, liberally sprinkled with rosewater or orange flower
water, and dusted with powdered sugar.
Mahlab Used in dessert breads, the spice is actually the pit of a sour cherry.
Mastica Unique to Greek cooking, the powdered resin from a small evergreen grown mostly on the Greek isle of Chios. Like
ginger and mahlab, mastic is used as a spice in desserts and sweets, as well as a way to sweeten main entrées. Used for
flavoring yeast dough. There is also a liqueur by the same name.
Melitzanosalata A popular Mediterranean appetizer of pureed eggplant seasoned liberally with onion and vinegar and
garnished with black olives and tomato wedges.
Moussaka Browned eggplant slices layered with tomatoes, cheese, onions, and ground meat finished with a béchamel sauce.
Typically Greek, there is a faint taste of cinnamon.
Nigella Small black seed with a nutty, pepper flavor that looks like black sesame. Most often used to top breads and to flavor
salads and vegetables.
Ouzo A Greek anise-flavored alcoholic beverage that turns opaque when mixed with water.
Pastizzio A baked layered casserole of cooked pasta sprinkled with cheese and a layer of seasoned minced meat. The
casserole is finished with cheese and b´echamel sauce.
Phyllo or Fillo This paper-thin pastry is usually made commercially of egg, flour, and water. The Greek word phyllo means
“leaf.”
Saganaki or Tiraki Any firm cheese cut in squares, dusted with flour, and quickly fried in hot oil and served as an appetizer.
Skordalia or Skorthalia A smooth, thick sauce made with oil, lemon juice, soft white bread, and garlic. There are many
variations depending on the region and the family; many versions include potato.
Souvlakia Skewered cubes of lamb with onions, green peppers, and tomato wedges, all marinated then broiled.
Spanakopita A “pie” of buttery layers of phyllo with a center portion of chopped cooked spinach and feta mixed with
béchamel.
Sumac Deep red, slightly sour spice with citrus notes. Ground sumac is used in salads, on grilled meats, in soups, and in rice
dishes.
Taramosalata Creamy dip made of roe, white bread or potato, garlic, oil, and lemon juice.
Tzatziki A tangy dip of plain yogurt, minced cucumber, garlic, salt, and pepper.

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Vasilopita Sweet yeast bread flavored with grated orange rind, cinnamon, and mastic, made especially for Saint Basil’s Day.

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V. ACTIVITY
Prepare the given recipe. Follow the procedure for a better result. The product will be graded base on the rubrics for
performance task.
Beef Kebab
Ingredients

• ½ onion
• 1 pound grass-fed ground beef
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, 4 grinds
• 3 Tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

• 2 teaspoons Turkish Grill Spice*

This Turkish-style beef köfte kebab recipe
is a perfect grilled dish to make on a hot
To serve summer afternoon. Easy to assemble,
quick to grill, its satisfying delectable
• 1 large tomato, cut into quarters flavor makes it a favorite dish year-round.
• 1 large onion, cut into quarters
• 6-7 shishito peppers, or long-style Italian (non-spicy) peppers for grilling
• Chopped parsley for garnish
• Aleppo pepper for garnish

Procedure
1. Grate onion on a box grater or in a food processor. Press through a strainer and squeeze with your hands to get out
as much liquid as possible.
2. Put squeezed onion pulp in a bowl with beef, garlic, salt, pepper, parsley, and your choice of spice mix.
3. Using your hands, mix all ingredients together well, squeezing mixture to help break beef into smaller pieces.
4. Prepare a charcoal grill. Alternatively, and a little later, heat a griddle or large pan over medium high heat. If cooking
in a pan or on a griddle, add a small amount of olive oil before cooking kebabs.
5. There are two options for forming the beef. If you have wide metal skewers, squeeze about 1/5th of the mixture onto
each skewer, using your hands, and flattening as you go. Sometimes this method doesn’t work, and the meat just
won’t stick to the skewer. If this is the case, or you don’t have wide metal skewers, form the meat into oval shapes
that are about 3 inches long by 1 ½ inches wide. These will grill up just fine. Grill over medium-high heat, getting nice
grill marks, for 3-4 minutes per side.
6. Grill up some tomato, onion, and peppers while cooking the meat. They will add a nice aroma.
7. Serve everything up on a platter and sprinkle with chopped parsley and Aleppo pepper.

Reference: https://agoodcarrot.com/turkish-style-beef-kofte-kebab-recipe/

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VI. POST-TEST
Identify if the following statements are true or false. Write true if the statement is correct and false if not.
1. The word “yogurt” is Greek in origin and the fermenting process used in yogurt is thought to have originated among
these nomadic tribes. turkey
2. Dolmas, which originated in Turkey, is family of stuffed vegetable dishes. This applies to tomatoes, peppers,
eggplant, potatoes, onions, quince, and even apples. true its dolma
3. Like other countries, in Greek, breakfast is the main meal of the day.true
4. Ginger is indispensable to Greek cooking and is used in stews and other savory dishes, but it most important in
dipping sauces, such as skordalia and in yogurt-based dips, such as tzatziki. true
5. Mozzerella is the most popular and most ancient of the Greek cheeses, the traditional cheese of Greece. true

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 CHAPTER 9: THE CUISINE OF SPAIN

Image Source: https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/407223991277319749/

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I.OBJECTIVE
- Identify the cooking methods, most common ingredients and staples of Spain.
- Prepare a cuisine from Spain.
- Appreciate the art of cooking in Spain.

II. PRE-TEST
Identification. Write the word being described by the following statements.

Cocido Piquillo

Turron Bacalao

Gazpacho Jambon Serrano

Paella

1. It is one of Spain’s notable dishes. It is based on a large cauldron, which simmers all day. The meats used are
chosen for their diversity; salt meat, fresh meat, and sausage are used, as well as meat bones and trotters to add
richness to the stock. COCIDO
2. It is made by roasting almonds and slow-cooking them with honey and egg white. TURRON
3. Traditional rice dish originating from Valencia, an authentic dish contains chicken, rabbit, sometimes duck, and the
land snails called vaquetes, for which a rosemary sprig can be substituted. The only permissible vegetables are flat
green beans, artichokes, and butter beans. The star of this dish is rice. PAELLA
4. It is a cold vegetable soup, the best-known version of which is from the southern Spanish region of Andalusia. It is
made of ripe tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, garlic, and bread moistened with water that is blended with olive oil,
vinegar, and ice water and is served cold. GAZPACHO
5. It is a staple food that is affordable and can be stored for days. It needs to be refreshed in water to remove the salt
that has preserved the food. Cooks will first slap the fish against a hard surface to break down the fibers and then
leave it to soak for at least 24 hours, changing the water frequently. It is then simmered, or cooked with vegetables,
or pureed with cream, olive oil, and spices. BACALAO

III. INTRODUCTION
This chapter covers the cuisine of Spain which influenced almost all the cuisine around the globe. In this chapter you will learn
the regional cuisine of this country.

IV. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

THE LAND OF SPAIN

Spain is Europe’s third largest nation and occupies most of the Iberian Peninsula at the southwestern edge of the
continent. It borders France and Andorra in the north and Portugal in the west. Spain’s rule once extended all over the world,
but today it has been reduced to the main land, the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, the Canary Islands off the
northwestern coast of Africa, the Spanish freeports of Ceuta and Melilla on the northern coast of Africa in Morocco, and
several other small islands off the coast of Morocco. Spain’s physical geography comprises a large peninsula protected by a
ring of mountains on nearly all sides. These mountains make Spain the second highest country in Europe, after Switzerland.
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Continental Spain consists of the Meseta or central plateau, the largest plateau of its kind in Europe, which is surrounded by
the Baetic, Andalusian, and Iberian Mountains to the south and southeast, and the Pyrenees to the north, as well as the
Cordillera Cantabrica (Catabrian Mountains) to the northwest. The eastern and southern coasts of Spain border the
Mediterranean Sea. The varied topography makes for diversity in both climate and natural resources.

THE PEOPLE
Spain’s land-bridge location between Europe and Africa and its long history of invasion and settlement by many
different groups have resulted in a great mixing of peoples and cultures, particularly the strong influences of the Roman,
Jewish, Moorish, and Muslim cultures.

The language of Spain reflects this inherent diversity. Even though Spanish is the official language, other languages
in Spain are highly dominant in parts of the country and have been officially recognized. Catalan is spoken in the regions of
Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. In Valencia both Castilian and a dialect called Valencian are spoken. Gallego, or Galician,
is popular in northwest Spain. The native language of the Basque region is called Euskera. It is not a form of Spanish, and its
origins are unknown.

Most Spaniards are baptized, married, and buried as members of the Roman Catholic Church. Under the 1978
constitution the church is no longer Spain’s official faith, though financial support is still provided by the state. Among non-
Catholic Spaniards, Muslims from Morocco form the largest community. Many other non-Catholics are Protestants, and Spain
is also home to small Jewish and Eastern Orthodox congregations. One long-standing minority group is the Roma (Gypsies),
who are known as Gitanos. Some of the Roma follow a traditional nomadic lifestyle, while others have assimilated into
mainstream Spanish society. Some Basques also claim an ethnic or racial uniqueness from other Spaniards, in addition to a
language difference. In the late twentieth century, Spain began receiving large numbers of immigrants for the first time since
the sixteenth century. Most of the country’s foreign populations are from Latin America, elsewhere in Europe, or North Africa.

The discussion of Spanish culture would not be complete without mentioning two of the most popular customs of
Spain: flamenco and bullfighting. These customs are synonymous with Spain throughout the world and hence have become a
part of its culture. They are an important part of any fiesta or carnival in Spain. Traditionally, flamenco is an intense artistic
expression that originated in southern Spain. Song, dance, and guitar are blended into passionate rhythms that are often
improvised and spontaneous. Bullfighting had its first mention as a sport during the Greek and Roman periods. Many northern
Europeans are critical of bullfighting and condemn it as a cruel blood sport. Most Spaniards, however, do not see it this way.
To them bullfighting is an exciting test of bravery, skill, and grace. The Spanish are known for eating late. Breakfast often
consists of rolls, butter or preserves, and coffee. Lunch, served between 2 and 3 p.m., is the main meal of the day. Dinner is
eaten after 9 p.m., often as late as midnight, and is lighter.

THE FOOD

The Moors’ occupation of Spain for 750 years greatly influenced Spanish culinary development. The Moorish
invaders introduced the cultivation of rice; spices such as saffron, cumin, and anise; nuts (especially almonds); and fruit such
as figs, citrus, and bananas. The Moors also introduced their own methods of food preparation. For example, the technique of
marinating fish in a strong, vinegary sauce and the combination of sweet and spicy foods are of Arab origin. From the Spanish
conquests in the New World in the sixteenth century came eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, red and green peppers (both hot and
sweet), and chocolate.

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 The Spanish mainland can be broadly divided into five distinct regions: Green Spain, Central Spain, the Pyrenees,
Mediterranean Spain, and Andalusia.

Green Spain is located in the north and northwest and includes the regions of Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, and the
Basque provinces. Galiciais known for its abundance of seafood, especially scallops, hake, salmon, and trout. An elegant fan-
shaped sea scallop that the Galacians call vieira has flavor and history. Travelers from the south kept the shells as proof of
their journey through the rocky coastlines. The Asturias is known for its abundance of fish and vegetables. Known for
contented cows and mountain ranges full of forests, Asturias and Cantabria are cheese and apple country. Arroz con leche is
a simple rice pudding made with famous rich and creamy milk. The milk not used for bottling is used for some of the best
cheeses in Spain. Cow, sheep, and goat’s milk is used to make a soft creamy cheese known as Cabrales Blue that is wrapped
in chestnut leaves and stored in humid caves. Light green-blue veins develop to intensify its taste and aroma. Also famous in
this region is a blood sausage made with cow’s blood, bacon, and onions.

Basque cuisine has agriculture, pastoral, and fishery influences. Peas, beans, green and red peppers, tomatoes,
onions, and other mixed vegetables are the stars of many Basque dishes. The Basque district curves around the Bay of
Biscay and these waters provide many varieties of fish and shellfish that include crab, hake, tuna, cod, mussels, oysters,
lobsters, edible sea barnacles, and baby eels, or angulas. Octopus that inhabit the deep bay waters also find their way to the
table as pulpo gallega. In Basque country the people enjoy pintxos (tapas) twice during the day. One is the aperitivo in the
morning, and the other is the txikiteo, in the evening. Examples of pintxos include tiny rolls filled with ham, grilled eggplant, red
peppers, various omelets, fish, sausage, fresh anchovies, as well as croquettes and towering creations of potato salad, egg,
mayonnaise, and shrimp supported by a toothpick and topped by an olive. Bacalao, or dried salted cod, is a staple food that is
affordable and can be stored for days. All salt cod needs to be refreshed in water to remove the salt that has preserved the
cod. Cooks will first slap the fish against a hard surface to break down the fibers and then leave it to soak for at least 24 hours,
changing the water frequently. It is then simmered, or cooked with vegetables, or pureed with cream, olive oil, and spices.

Central Spain is located on the vast Meseta plateau and includes the provinces of La Rioja, Castile-Leon, Castile-
LaMancha, Extremadura, and the country’s capital, Madrid. Food here is a blend of Jewish, Muslim, and Christian traditions
producing a rustic style of cooking. Dishes range from simple broths such as warm garlic soup (sopas de ajo) to more complex
winter dishes. Cocido Madrileno, or simplycocido, is one of Spain’s notable dishes. Cocido is based on a large cauldron, which
simmers all day. The meats used are chosen for their diversity; salt meat, fresh meat, and sausage are used, as well as meat
bones and trotters to add richness to the stock. Caldo is a clear stock to which sherry is added. The pot also contains
vegetables, the first being chickpeas, then onion, garlic, and leek, and finally fresh vegetables. The order and manner of
serving is governed by family tradition. Some families like a large display, with everything served at the same time on different
platters, or it may be served in courses. The region is also well known for its roasts; lamb, veal, suckling pig, young goat, and
other meats are slowly cooked in wood ovens. The Manchegos have great meat roasting traditions and have produced
numerous recipes for cooking game, such as the gazpacho manchego (a stew of partridge, hare, rabbit, and pheasant). This
region produces some of the finest iberico pork and cheese products in Spain. The foods are reminiscent of those described in
Don Quixote, prepared with saffron, honey, and manchego cheese. The Castile–La Manchadi strict produces arrange of fine
foods and drink, including Spain’s best sheep cheese (manchego), excellent table wines (Valdepenas), honey, asparagus,
strawberries, and saffron. The city of Toledo is renowned for its yemas (egg yolk sweets) and marzipans; Madrid is known for
its chocolate con churros, orejuelas (honey fritters); and Ciudad Real for its bizcochos, borrachos or wine-soaked cakes. The
cool Mediterranean climate, semi-arid conditions, and high altitude of central Spain provide the perfect environment for
growing olive trees. In the slopes of the Sierras (Montesde Toledo, Sierrade Alcaraz, La Alcarria) the trees are protected from
frost. The olive oils of this region have been appreciated for their quality and taste with the cultivation of the first olive trees
dating back to the twelfth century.

Central Spain is also where one of their most precious products is produced, saffron. The Moors brought with them
the spice az-zafaran over a thousand years ago. Today over 70 percent of the world’s saffron is grown on the high Castilian
plateau known as La Mancha. Every October the crocus flowers open at night. The people from Toledo to Albacete rush to the
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fields at dawn, the opening of the crocus creating a purple blanket as far as the eye can see. All the saffron crocuses must be
gathered before dusk; otherwise they lose their flavor. The La Vera region of Spain produces a particularly high quality
smoked paprika. Over the centuries, the Yuste monks shared their secrets for growing and processing the chile with local
farmers. But it was not until the mid-nineteenth century that the farmers began growing their pimientos on a large scale and
processing them into pimentón. These days the pimenton is the region’s main source of income. The pimientos are slowly
dried over smoldering oak logs for ten to fifteen days and are hand-turned twenty-four hours a day before they are ready to be
processed. The smoke-dried pods are then ground into powder and packed in bulk containers. The majority of the pimenton
goes to the sausage factories to flavor chorizo. But it is also packed in tins for the consumer market. There are three varieties
of pimenton—sweet (dulce), hot (picante), and bittersweet (agridulce).

The rugged mountain chain of the Pyrenees extends along the Spanish-French border from the Bay of Biscay to the
Gulf of Valencia. Throughout this mountainous region there are upper meadows, pasture land, glacial lakes, and streams. At
the foot of the mountains lie a series of valleys that turn to fertile orchards and vineyards at the Ebro river basin. The cuisine of
this region is typically mountain cuisine. Trout and other fish from mountain streams are cooked a la llosa: on a slate slab over
hot coals. Beef can also be prepared this way. Dishes made with rabbit, quail, partridge, venison, and duck are popular as
well. Wild mushrooms are also a local delicacy.

Mediterranean Spain includes the regions of Catalonia, Valencia, and Murcia. The coastal or irrigated plains are
home to citrus orchards and produce. Rice fields, vineyards, olive groves, almond, fig, and citrus orchards are characteristic of
this area. Seafood and shellfish are abundant here. Catalan cuisine is the oldest, most well-known, most individual, and most
traditional cuisine in Spain. It is made up of seven primary ingredients: olive oil, garlic, onions, tomatoes, nuts (almonds,
hazelnuts, and pine nuts), dried fruits (raisins and prunes), and herbs (oregano, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves).

There are seventeen officially recognized varieties of chorizo in Catalonia. It is usually made from lean pork, garlic,
paprika, red bell peppers and red chile pepper flakes. This region’s cuisine is as varied as that of most Spanish regions, but it
is a rice-growing land. The short-grain rice was mass-produced around the city of Valencia as a result of the sophisticated
irrigation system introduced by the Moors. It was the poor peasant people of the Valencian region who first prepared paella,
Spain’s most famous dish. The original recipe combined homegrown vegetables (usually green and broad beans) with off-cuts
of rabbit. Today paella has many variations, most commonly rice cooked with both seafood and chicken or rabbit and then
scented and colored with saffron. Another variation is the paella negra (black paella), which is colored by the ink from the
squid. The region of Valencia produces a wide variety of oranges, mandarins, and lemons. Valencia is also the birthplace of
the soft drink horchata, made from something called a chufa, which translates as “tigernut,” grown all over eastern Spain.
Horchata looks like an off-white milk, with a toffee like aroma, and is served cold. Valencia is the home of the famous Spanish
candy, turron, thought to have been introduced by the Moors. It is traditionally eaten at Christmas. Turron is made by roasting
almonds and slow-cooking them with honey and egg white.

Andalusia in southern Spain is the largest of the country’s provinces. Andalusia is the world’s largest producer of
olive oil and its flavor is the foundation of the region’s cooking. Black and green olives are grown on the same tree; green
olives are simply unripe black olives and are picked in October. Remaining olives ripen and turn black, ready for picking in
January or February. In Spain black olives are hardly ever eaten, being used mostly for making oil. Green olives are harvested
for eating as tapas or for use as cooking ingredients. Tapas, the age old custom in Spain originated in Andalusia. The word
tapa literally means “cover” or “lid” and it is said that the first tapas was simply a hunk of bread placed over the glass to keep
out flies. As the tradition developed, tapas became more elaborate small portions of foods, both hot and cold, served in bars,
bodegas, and tascas to accompany a copa of fino(dry Spanish sherry), or draught beer. Tapas recipes vary according to the
taste and gastronomic traditions of each region. But the tapas most often served are usually those including the many
varieties of olives: green, Manzanilla, machacadas (crushed), goradales (big), rellenas (stuffed), ali˜nadas (flavored), and
deshuesadas (stoneless), dry nuts, as well as many kinds of cold cuts.

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 Andalusia’s most famous contribution to world gastronomy is said to be gazpacho. Traditionally gazpacho is known
as peasant food consisting of bread, olive oil, and crushed garlic. None of those forerunners of gazpacho contained tomatoes,
as tomatoes were unknown in Spain until after the discovery of the New World. The Moorish influence is evident in some of
the variations on the basic theme, such as ajo blanco, made with ground almonds. The mountainous province of Huelva in
western Andalusia is famous for producing cured hams from pigs fed partially or entirely on a diet of acorns. The hams hang
from the ceilings of most establishments, most with hooves still attached and a small container attached at the bottom to catch
draining fluids. The hams are taken down and placed on special clamps and very thin slices are carved using a flexible and
very sharp knife.

Sherry is a fortified wine, made in and around the town of Jerez. According to Spanish law, Sherry must come from
the triangular area of the province of Cadiz, between Jerez, Sanlucar de Barrameda, and El Puerto de Santa Maria. In earlier
times Sherry was known as sack, a rendering of the Spanish saca, meaning a removal (from the solera, or barrel). Sherry
differs from other wines by how it is treated after fermentation. After fermentation is complete, it is fortified with brandy. Sherry
vinegar can only be made from wines produced in the “sherry triangle.” Not only must sherry vinegar be made from wines from
this small area but it has to be aged in one of these sherry towns.

Spain is the world leader in the production of air-dried hams, about 190,000 tons peryear, which represents some 30
million hams, produced by 1,700 companies. The hams spend a short period of time in salt and then atleast three months
curing in the mountain air. Most are produced from white pigs but the darker Iberian pigs produce the most expensive hams.
All these hams are subject to stringent quality control and are awarded certain classes depending on their production
methods. They are best eaten on their own, without bread. A significant amount of Spanish hams are exported each year,
mainly to Germany and France.

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 GLOSSARY

Aioli Garlic flavored mayonnaise, typical of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. Anisette A digestive, the flavoring for many
liqueurs (anisette or anise). Its flavor varies according to which seeds are used—aniseed or star anise.

Bacalao Preserved salt cod.

Capaplanas Traditional domed clam cookers from the Algarve region in southern Portugal.

Chorizo Brick-colored sausage prepared with light variations in various parts of Spain. Normally made with pork, fat, and
pimentón, which gives it its characteristic color and smokiness. In Spain chorizo comes in three varieties. Fully cured dry
chorizo has a texture similar to pepperoni. Semi-cured, fully cooked soft chorizo has a consistency similar to kielbasa. Fresh
chorizo is raw, uncooked sausage.

Cocido Stews, famous in northern and central Spain. More than just a stew, they are elaborate creations, an event, usually
prepared to feed a large group of friends and family.

Empanada In Spanish the word empanada means “in dough” and describes pies with savory fillings enclosed in bread dough,
short pastry, or puff pastry. Flan Baked custard dessert, usually served with caramel sauce.

Gazpacho Cold vegetable soup, the best-known version of which is from the southern Spanish region of Andalusia. It is made
of ripe tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, garlic, and bread moistened with water that is blended with olive oil, vinegar, and
ice water and is served cold.

Jambon Serrano Cured ham similar to the prosciutto of Italy, with a sweet-salty flavor.

Paella Traditional rice dish originating from Valencia, an authentic paella valenciana contains chicken, rabbit, sometimes
duck, and the land snails called vaquetes, for which a rosemary sprig can be substituted. The only permissible vegetables are
flat green beans, artichokes, and butter beans. The star of this dish is rice. Other authentic ingredients include a sofrito of
tomatoes, garlic, saffron, and pimiento. The Valencian word paella, meaning “pan,” comes from the Latin patella, which also
means “pan.”

Paella Pan Thin, round, shallow, flat-bottomed, two-handled pan. The wide, shallow shape allows the largest area of rice to
come in contact with the bottom of the pan, where the flavor of the ingredients is concentrated. It also helps liquid evaporate
rapidly.

Pimentón Smoked paprika. It differs from other European paprika because of the characteristic smoked aroma that it gives off
during processing from being dried by means of wood smoke.

Piquillo Peppers Spanish wood-roasted sweet peppers.

Queso (Cheese) PDO Status The governments in most European countries have instituted a government-controlled quality
program known as PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) for many agricultural and food products. Often called DO, this
program means the government guarantees the origin, preparation methods, and production within a certain location in the
country, and the quality of a product.

Spanish DO Cheeses

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Cabrales One of the great blue cheeses of the world, produced from raw milk, mainly cow’s milk. The rind is sticky and yellow,
with an intense smell. The interior is compact but very open, with lots of holes and blue veins. The taste is strong, although not
as strong as the smell, slightly piquant, acid, and creamy.

Cantabria Also called queso de nata or cantabrian cream cheese. Aged cheese from soft to semi-cured to cured, made from
pasteurized cow’s milk, it has a smooth flavor, ranging from sweet and slightly acidic to buttery.

Ibores Made with unpasteurized milk from the serrate goat breed of Verata and Retinta, using mixed coagulation (lactic and
enzymatic) techniques. It is a semi-soft paste of medium aging. The rind is rubbed with olive oil or smoked paprika from Vera.
Its flavor is creamy and very buttery, with aromas of unpasteurized milk.

Idiazábal Aged cheese, from semi-cured to cured, made exclusively from whole raw sheep’s milk. Idiaz´abal is a robust and
sharp cheese, made to be ripened for a long period, with a dry and crumbly paste.

L’Alt Urgell y la Cerdanya Made with pasteurized whole milk from frisona cows. It has a soft and creamy texture, with sweet
aroma. L’AltUrgell A very aromatics of cheese cured for a short time, with a buttery taste, although intense and persistent.

La Serena Cheese aged for at least eight weeks, from soft to semi-cured, made with unpasteurized whole milk, from merino
sheep. The flavor is very buttery, thick, and creamy. It is full flavored with an underlying tart flavor and a spreadable texture.
This is a cheese almost always made in an artisanal way, of a very small production, difficult to find and expensive.

Mahón Also known as Menorquìn cheese. Fresh to much-cured cheese, depending on the state of aging, made from raw or
pasteurized cow’s milk. The taste is very particular, slightly acidic and salty, but not buttery. It can be milky and humid when
fresh, and dry, strong, and piquant as it ages.

Majorero Also called queso de fuerte ventura. Aged cheese, from aired to very cured. Made with goat’s milk, it has a compact
but open interior, and a slightly gummy texture. The taste of the little-cured variety is acidic, a little piquant, and buttery but not
salty. Aged cheese is rubbed with oil, paprika, and gofio (a local sweet wheat flour) in order to avoid excessive drying.

Manchego Aged cheese, with a firm interior, compact and closed. The color is ivory to pale yellow. The taste is very
characteristic, well developed but not too strong, buttery and slightly piquant, with a sheep’s milk aftertaste. Semi-cured to
cured cheese is made exclusively with raw or pasteurized sheep’s milk and has a crumbly texture. The shape is cylindrical,
with a flat top and bottom surfaces engraved with the typical “flower” left by the wooden presses. The sides show a zigzag
pattern produced by the mat-weed (esparto) of the molds.

Murcia al Vino Aged cheese, from soft to semi-cured, made with pasteurized goat’s milk, and aged by applying external
washes with red wine. It has a mild aroma, and the flavor is pleasantly acid and a little salty.

Picón Also known as Queso de los Picos de Europa. Aged for at least three months, cured, made of a mixture of
unpasteurized cow’s, goat’s, and sheep’s milk. A type of blue cheese, it is robust and full flavored, cylindrical in shape. It is an
artisanal cheese limited in production and aged in natural caves in the Picos de Europa in northern Spain.

Quesucos de Liebana Fresh cheese or aged and soft, produced mainly with cow’s milk, although sometimes mixed with
sheep’s and goat’s milk. Cylindrical in shape, smoked or with a natural rind, the unsmoked cheese has a smooth and buttery
flavor, while the smoked variety has a more acidic and cured flavor.

Roncal Also queso del valle del roncal. Aged for at least four months, and cured, made from sheep’s milk from Laxta or
Aragonese breeds. Its flavor is well developed and structured, buttery with an aroma of straw, dried fruit, and mushrooms.

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Tetilla Aged, from soft to semi-cured, made with cow’s milk. The soft paste, thick and smooth with few air pockets, is very
creamy on the palate. The flavor is clean and smooth. The word tetilla, meaning “nipple,” clearly defines the traditional shape
of this cheese: a flattened pear-shaped cone with a small nipple on the top.

Zamorano The rind is dark gray and oily. The inside is closed and compact, with tiny crystal-like dots spread evenly
throughout. The cheese is compact, not easy to melt, and has a straw-yellow color. The taste is intense although not too
strong, slightly piquant, and buttery.

Saffron The stigma of the purple crocus flower, intensely fragrant, slightly bitter in taste. By soaking saffron in warm water, the
result is a bright yellow-orange solution.

Sangria Red wine mixed with fruit juices.

Sherry is a fortified wine from a small region of Spain, made from the Muscat, Palomino, and Pedro Ximenez grapes.

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 V. ACTIVITY
Prepare the given recipe. Follow the procedure for a better result. The product will be graded base on the rubrics for
performance task.

Spanish Croquettes

Ingredients
2 Tbsp Olive oil, plus extra oil for deep-frying
4 Tbsp Butter

3 Tbsp Flour or maida

1 1/2 Cups Whole milk (heated)
70 Gram Chicken ham, finely chopped Creamy and smooth fried Spanish croquettes
2 Eggs (whisked) with chicken ham and eggs. They make for a
delicious appetizer. Served in most tapas bars
2 Tbsp Breadcrumbs (dried) in Spain.
Lightly oil a shallow 8-inch square dish.

Procedure

1. In a saucepan, heat the 2 tbsp of oil and the butter over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the flour
and, using a wooden spoon or whisk, mix well.
2. Continue to stir or whisk for about 2 minutes, or until the flour is well blended.
3. Add 1/2 cup of the milk and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the remaining
cup of milk.
4. Cook, stirring constantly with the spoon or whisk, for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture begins to thicken.
5. Decrease the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming, for about 10 minutes,
or until thickened.
6. Add the chicken ham and stir. Cook for 1 minute longer and then pour the contents of the pan into the prepared
dish.
7. Spread the mixture evenly. Let cool down for a bit and then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but
preferably overnight to allow the mixture to set.
8. Spread the breadcrumbs on a dinner plate. With 2 spoons, shape the ham mixture into walnut-sized or golf ball
sized croquettes.
9. Roll each croquette in the breadcrumbs, shaking off any excess crumbs, and then dip into the beaten egg.
10. Lift each croquette from the egg and roll it again in the breadcrumbs, coating it evenly.
11. Lay the croquettes in a single layer on a platter. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before frying.
12. Pour the oil to a depth of about 2 inches into a wide, deep, heavy pot and heat over high heat.

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13. When the oil is almost smoking, slip 5 or 6 croquettes into the oil, pressing on them gently with a slotted spoon to
submerge them, and fry, turning them gently, for about 2 minutes, or until they are golden on all sides.
14. Using the slotted spoon, lift out the croquettes, holding them briefly over the pot to allow the excess oil to drain,
and transfer to an oven proof platter lined with paper towels to drain further.
15. Keep the croquettes warm in a low oven.
16. Fry the rest of the croquettes in the same way. Always making sure the oil is very hot before adding more
croquettes.
17. When all the croquettes are fried, arrange on a platter and serve immediately.

Reference: https://food.ndtv.com/recipe-spanish-croquettes-252709

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VI. POST-TEST
Identification. Write the word being described by the following statements.

Cocido Piquillo

Turron Bacalao

Gazpacho Jambon Serrano

Paella

1. It is one of Spain’s notable dishes. It is based on a large cauldron, which simmers all day. The meats used are
chosen for their diversity; salt meat, fresh meat, and sausage are used, as well as meat bones and trotters to add
richness to the stock.
2. It is made by roasting almonds and slow-cooking them with honey and egg white.
3. Traditional rice dish originating from Valencia, an authentic dish contains chicken, rabbit, sometimes duck, and the
land snails called vaquetes, for which a rosemary sprig can be substituted. The only permissible vegetables are flat
green beans, artichokes, and butter beans. The star of this dish is rice.
4. It is a cold vegetable soup, the best-known version of which is from the southern Spanish region of Andalusia. It is
made of ripe tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, garlic, and bread moistened with water that is blended with olive oil,
vinegar, and ice water and is served cold.
5. It is a staple food that is affordable and can be stored for days. It needs to be refreshed in water to remove the salt
that has preserved the food. Cooks will first slap the fish against a hard surface to break down the fibers and then
leave it to soak for at least 24 hours, changing the water frequently. It is then simmered, or cooked with vegetables,
or pureed with cream, olive oil, and spices.

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 CHAPTER 10: CUISINE OF FRANCE

Image Source: https://geology.com/world/france-satellite-image.shtml

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 I.OBJECTIVES
- Identify the cooking methods, most common ingredients and staples of France.
- Compare the cuisine of different region in France.
- Prepare a cuisine from France.
- Appreciate the art of cooking in France.

II. PRE-TEST
Identification. Write the region being described by the following statements.

Paris Basin Alps-Jura Region Aquitaine Basin

Northeastern France Rivera

RHONE-Saone Valley Northwestern Region 3-4

_____1.
PARIS BASIN Burgundy, one of the provinces in this region, is known as one of the world’s premier wine-growing areas. This region
is also known for its wide variety of mustards; the city of Dijon is in this region.
_____2. Fondue, and cheese in general, is common in this place. Other specialities include brési (cured beef in thin slices)
JURA REGION

and poulet au vin jaune (chicken and morels in a creamy sauce flavored with the local wine).
_____3. The only true Breton specialty is the pancake. Créperies are a common sight, offering a range of savory and sweet
pancakes (galettes and crêpes, respectively).
_____4. It is the only region in France that brews beer.
_____5. They produce a special variety of apple too small and bitter tasting for eating; instead, which are used for cider and
calvados. Traditional dishes invariably feature creamy sauces laced with apples, cider, or calvados, such as filet mignon
de porc normande.

III. INTRODUCTION
This chapter covers the cuisine from different regions of France. Each region is influenced by its nearby countries and
condition. Like other countries France has variety of foods.

IV. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

THE LAND

France is located in Western Europe. It borders the English Channel and the Bay of Biscay to the west; the
Mediterranean Sea to the south; Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium to the east; and Spain and Andorra to the
southwest. The unique geography of France allows it to connect to all major western European nations by the land or the sea.
France is connected to the UK by the English Channel Tunnel, and by land to Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and
Belgium. The French coastline provides access by sea to northern Europe, America, and Africa via the North Sea, the Atlantic
Ocean, and the Mediterranean.

France is the largest country in western Europe and the second largest country in Europe, with the fifth largest
population in Europe. Over two-thirds of France is covered with mountains and hills, with the Alps, Pyrenees, and Vosges
mountains the primary ranges. The Vosges mountains lie in northeast France, while the Pyrenees are sprawled along the
Spanish border. Europe’s highest peak, Mont Blanc, lies in the French Alps near the Italian and Swiss borders. Major rivers
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include the west-flowing Seine, the Loire, and the Garonne; the south flowing Rhone that drains into the Mediterranean; and
the Rhine River that forms the border with Germany. The topography chiefly comprises flat plains or gently rolling hills in the
north and west, while the rest of the country is mountainous. It lies midway between the equator and the North Pole and
enjoys a temperate climate. France generally has cool winters and mild summers, but the warm Gulf Stream current along the
Mediterranean coast provides for mild winters and hot summers in the coastal region.

THE PEOPLE

Until recently French culture has been characterized by tradition and continuity. Although much of the French identity
comes from past glories and long-standing customs, the country has been faced in the last few decades with the realization
that neither its history nor its traditional ways will be enough to keep the country peaceful and productive or a vital force on the
international stage.

The twentieth century was a difficult one for France. The country that produced Charlemagne and Napoleon was
occupied by Germany in two world wars, requiring rescue by nations it had seen as its cultural inferior. The country that had
produced great humanitarians such as Voltaire and Rousseau was the only European nation to collaborate actively and
officially with the Nazis. Its status after the war was questioned. Though Charles de Gaulle was able to rekindle a sense of
French pride, the post-WWII era was again a struggle. The student protests of 1968, which quickly grew to involve a wider
range of people than had ever participated in protests before, raised issues that have not been fully resolved even today.
Likewise, the dark side of French pride, the tolerance of intolerance, still has a negative impact on millions of French citizens.
Yet France, according to historians and social scientists, seems more ready than ever to tackle its social issues, rather than
assuming that the nation can continue as it always has.

THE FOOD
Since the sixteenth century, French cooking has been celebrated as the Western world’s finest. Recipes prepared in
the traditional style of haute cuisine, as developed by such renowned chefs as Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755–1826) or
Georges Auguste Escoffier (1847–1935) are still featured in distinguished restaurants. This style features meats and fish
prepared with sauces containing cream, eggyolks, sugar, brandy, flour, and other starches. Today’s concern with dieting and
health has produced a new style of cooking. Nouvelle cuisine, said to have been introduced by Paul Bocuse, emphasizes
lighter, subtler tastes, requiring the best and the freshest raw ingredients. The term itself was created by two well-known food
critics, Henri Gault and Christian Millau. The diversity of French cuisine is due to the cultural influences and ingredients
available in France’s different regions. The French landscape is so varied that an accurate description requires breaking it
down inton ineseparate geographic categories: the Paris Basin, northeastern France, the Rhone-Saone Valley, the Alps-
Jura region, the Central Plateau, northwestern France, the Riviera, the Acquitaine Basin, and the Pyrenees Mountains.

THE PARIS BASIN

The Paris Basin occupies north central France. This vast fertile plain is one of the world’s richest farming areas. The
city of Paris has played a unique role in French life. Ever since the Middle Ages, it has been not only the nation’s capital, but
also the leading center of culture, learning, the arts, fashion, commerce, and industry. Though there is no single culinary style,
the area is referred to as “the garden of France.” Numerous types of fruit and vegetables are grown, and fruit tarts are
common—tarte tatin originated in the Loire River Valley in the south of the Basin. Game, from the Sologne forests in the east
of the region, is a common ingredient in the region’s excellent charcuterie.

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 Even better known as one of the world’s premier wine-growing areas is the nearby province of Burgundy, east of the
Loire valley. Few red wines produced anywhere are more cherished than Burgundirs. People eat well in Burgundy and the
region boasts some of the best produce and meats. The cuisine is delicate without being overly fussy. Common components
are pork, beef, chicken, onions, mushrooms, garlic, snails, and cream. Many of the traditional dishes are well known outside
France, such as coq au vin (chicken in a red wine, mushroom, and onion sauce) and bæuf `a la bourguignonne (beef stewed
in red wine with mushrooms and onions). Other regional specialities include marcassin farci au saucisson (young wild boar
with a sausage stuffing), escargots `a la bourguignonne (snails raised on grape leaves, sautéed and served with parsley and
garlic butter) and meat or fish dishes en meurette (in a red wine sauce). This region is also known for its wide variety of
mustards; the city of Dijon is located in this region.

Champagne is another province along Paris Basin’s easternmost sections renowned for its vineyards. Its gently
rolling terrain and chalky soil are ideal for cultivation of the grapes from which the celebrated sparkling wine is produced. The
méthode champenoise for making champagne was invented by Dom Pérignon, a monk. Once the wine has been fermented
and blended, a mix of cane sugar and yeast is added into the bottle to induce a second fermentation and produce the sparkle.
It is left to mature for between one and five years, then the cork and any sediment is removed and the sweetness adjusted
before being recorked and sold. The Paris Basin’s western region is along the Belgian border so there are also rich dishes of
Flemish influence. The cooler climate lends itself to growing potatoes, cabbages, beets, watercress, endive, and leeks.
Flamiche is a simple dish of leeks cooked with cream and eggs in a pastry crust. Endive flamande is made by wrapping
endives in ham and serving them with a white sauce. Carbonnade de boeuf is another classic dish, where the beef is slowly
braised in onions and beer. A stew called chaudrée (hence the word chowder) makes good use of the region’s fish. The city of
Lille is an important producer of charcuterie and beer. Pastries are quite basic, with gaufres (waffles eaten with sugar and
fresh cream) being among the best known. In Champagne, biscuits de Reims are sweet, paper-thin macaroons.

NORTHEASTERN FRANCE

Northeastern France consists mainly of the provinces of Alsace and Lorraine. Control of Alsace and Lorraine has
gone back and forth between France and Germany over the centuries and this influence is evident in many of the local dishes.
Pickled cabbage and pork are common. Baeckeoffe is a stew of marinated beef, pork, and mutton stewed with onions and
potatoes in wine. Choucroute alsacienne is pickled cabbage flavored with juniper berries and served with sausages, bacon, or
pork knuckle. The locals also enjoy all kinds of savory pies and tarts, the best-known being tarte flambée or flammekuche,
which is a thin layer of pastry topped with cream, onion, and bacon and cooked in a wood-fired oven. The region is ideal for
growing grains, which give Alsace a well-known reputation for the excellence and variety of its breads. Hops are also grown
here and Alsace is the only region in France that brews beer. The fruit orchards, besides giving wonderful fruits, also foster the
production of a variety of fruit-flavored brandies, known as eaux-de-vie.

THE RHONE - SAONE VALLEY

Located in east central France, Lyons is this region’s most important city. It dates back to the time of the ancient
Gauls and today it ranks as France’s second city. The Lyonnaise take pride in their city’s reputation as a world capital of good
eating and it is said that gastronomy is to Lyon what haute couture fashion is to Paris. The most obvious reason for Lyon’s
reputation as a leading gastronomic center of the world is that it is so well situated: it has access to the very best food
supplies. It is near the Dauphine, one of the first regions of France where potatoes were successfully cultivated (in the
seventeenth century). It is near the Charolais for beef, the farms of Bresse for poultry, the Auvergne for lamb, the lakes of the
Dombes and Bourget for carp and frogs, Savoy for mushrooms, and innumerable rivers for fish.

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 It was a native of Lyons, the renowned chef Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, who said, “Tell me what you eat and I’ll tell you
who you are.” Lyon’s culinary fame is based on two main styles of cooking: hearty home cooking that uses seasonal
vegetables and organ meats (offal, tripe, chicken gizzards, liver, and hearts), and the loftier traditional cuisine.

Classic bistros known as bouchons are an integral part of the gastronomic heritage of Lyon. Bouchons do not have
the reputation of being fancy restaurants, though they offer a wide variety of meals, among which are the famous pâté aux
foies de volailles (chicken liver pate), quenelles (light dumplings made of meat, fish, or cheese), sauce nantua (a crayfish
butter béchamel), and cervelle de canut (traditionally, a farmhouse-style cheese would be used for this cream cheese
spread/dip; the rather derogatory name translates as “silk weaver’s brains,” and is thought to reflect the poor regard in which
the richer community held weavers). Bouchons offer a warm, convivial atmosphere, where customers sit elbow to elbow with a
glass pot, the quintessential Lyon container filled with local wine.

THE ALPS - JURA REGION

The mountainous Alps-Jura region is directly east of the Rhone valley. It borders on Switzerland and Italy. Rising to
the south are the lofty French Alps. The Ognon and Doubs rivers, as well as the mountain lakes, provide a plentiful supply of
fish, particularly salmon, and the forests are a good source of game. Fondue, and cheese in general, is common. For
example, brochette jurassienne (pieces of cheese wrapped in ham and fried on a skewer) or escalope de veau belle comtoise
(veal escalopes covered in breadcrumbs and baked with slices of ham and cheese) are classic dishes. Other specialities
include brési (cured beef in thin slices) and poulet au vin jaune (chicken and morels in a creamy sauce flavored with the local
wine).

THE CENTRAL PLATEAU

Largest of the geographic regions, sprawling across south central France, is the forbidding, thinly populated Massif
Central, or Central Plateau. It takes up one-sixth of the entire country. The province of Auvergne is a remote and rural region;
its traditional cuisine is simple and filling. Dishes often feature a combination of pork, cabbage, potatoes, and cheese, such as
potée auvergnate, a soup-like stew of pork and cabbage with potatoes, onions, turnips, leeks, and garlic. A common
accompaniment to meat is truffade, mashed potatoes made with cheese and then fried with bacon and garlic. A well-known
local specialty is Roquefort cheese, made from sheep’s milk. Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, the village where the cheese is
produced, sits on top of a cliff. The cheese is aged in deep caves, noted for their high humidity and cool, even temperatures
all year—46◦F. A penicillin fungus that grows naturally in the caves is added to the cheese to produce its unique flavor. The
process dates back to Roman times.

NORTHWESTERN FRANCE

Northwestern France is dominated by the rocky Amorican Plateau. The area is largely taken up by the provinces of
Normandy and Brittany. Each forms a peninsula protruding into the Atlantic Ocean.

Normandy is famous for raising fine brindled cattle. The milk of Norman cattle is unusually creamy, with a high fat
content that is perfect for fatty cheese such as Camembert, as well as the rich, slightly salty Normandy butter. Normandy
boasts extensive apple orchards. They produce a special variety of apple too small and bitter tasting for eating; instead, they
are used for cider and calvados. Traditional dishes invariably feature creamy sauces laced with apples, cider, or calvados,
such as filet mignon de porc normande (pork tender loin cooked with apples and onions in cider and served with caramelized
apple rings). The proximity of the sea means that fish and seafood feature commonly on menus. Favorites include moules á la
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normande (mussels in a cream and white wine sauce) and sole normande (Dover sole poached in cider and cream with
shrimp). There are also some good meats. The lamb and mutton from the Cherbourg peninsula are rated very highly, as are
the andouilles from Vire (smoked and cooked pork and tripe sausage, usually served cold as a starter). Rouen is known as the
gastronomic capital of Normandy, famous for its duck dishes such as duck with cherries and canard `a la Rouennaise, duck
stuffed with its liver and cooked in red wine.

Brittany presents a bleaker landscape. Large areas are too rocky and barren for cultivation, though they do supply
sparse grazing for cattle. Brittany tends to set itself apart from the rest of France, so it is surprising that it does not have its
own distinctive style of cooking. Generally, Breton cuisine is simple, with little use of sauces, and features much fish and
seafood. The only true Breton specialty is the pancake. Créperies are a common sight, offering a range of savory and sweet
pancakes (galettes and crêpes, respectively). The other regional dish is cotriade, a fish stew traditionally made from conger
eel and the remains of the day’s catch. Other specialties include palourdes farcies (baked clams stuffed with garlic, herbs, and
shallots) or pot au feu d’homard (lobster, shrimp, scallop, mussel, and oyster stew). Brittany’s young lambs, raised on the salt
meadows, are also very good. Cider is the main drink associated with Brittany.

THE RIVIERA

The best-known area within the Mediterranean region is the spectacularly scenic Riviera, with its mountains loping
abruptly down to the coastal plain and the popular beaches. Nice and Cannes are the largest resort cities. Not far from the
Italian border is glamorous Monte Carlo, capital of the tiny independent principality of Monaco.

France’s busiest seaport, Marseilles, stands between the Riviera and the Rhone River. Marseilles is the main point of
focus for trade between France, the Mediterranean region, and the vast world to the south and east. The mild Mediterranean
climate ensures farmers a longer growing season than elsewhere in France. The lower valley of the Rhone is France’s richest
garden area, producing peaches, melons, strawberries, and asparagus. Olive and almond groves that are hundreds of years
old are scattered across the region. West of the Rhone is an area devoted mostly to vineyards. They produce grapes suitable
only for vin ordinaire, a good but inexpensive type of wine that is rarely exported.

Inland lies Provence, a region rich in history and tradition. Provenc¸al cuisine is known for its use of herbs, olive oil,
tomatoes, garlic, onions, artichokes, olives, and sweet and hot peppers. Dishes prepared á la provenc¸ale are made with
tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, onions, herbs, and sometimes eggplant, while dishes made á la nic¸oise are similar but also include
olives, capers, anchovies, and tarragon. It’s not an area famous for its meat dishes, but a winter staple is boeuf en daube
(beef stewed with red wine, onions, garlic, vegetables, and herbs). Fish and shellfish—sardines, red mullet, tuna, monkfish,
sea bass, and anchovies—are commonly found on menus, even inland, and are often accompanied by raï toor rayte (red
wine, tomato, garlic, and ground walnut sauce). Other fish dishes include bouillabaisse (stew-like soup with conger eel,
scorpion fish, gurnet, and other fish; saffron, fennel, garlic, and bitter orange peel, served with garlic mayonnaise) and soupe
aux poissons (smooth soup made from white fish and a chile and garlic mayonnaise). Slowly cooked stews such as estouffade
and daube are based on beef or mutton. On the Côte d’Azur, Italian influences are noticeable, with wide use of pasta,
especially ravioli and cannelloni, gnocchi, and pistou (similar to pesto).

Sharing the Mediterranean climate is the French island of Corsica about 120 miles to the southeast. This
mountainous, heavily forested locale permits little farming. Its people fish and raise livestock.

THE AQUITAINE BASIN

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 The gently rolling Aquitaine Basin occupies the area of southwestern France between the Central Plateau and the
Atlantic. Fruit orchards and vineyards fill the river valleys. The region’s primary river, the Garrone, flows in a northwesterly
direction to the famous harbor of Bordeaux. It has given its name to the famous Bordeaux wines produced from the nearby
vineyards. Grapes grown in the Cognac district to the north and the Armagnac district to the south are the raw material for
well-known brandies. Bordeaux is known for its meat and its most celebrated dish is entrecôte marchand de vin (rib steak
cooked in a rich gravy made from Bordeaux wine, butter, shallots, herbs, and bone marrow). Sweet treats include cannelés
(caramelized brioche-style pastries) and the famous marrons glacés (candied chestnuts).

East of Bordeaux is a small agricultural district known as the Périgord. For such a rural region, the cuisine is
surprisingly sophisticated. Two common ingredients are truffles (used in soups, sauces, pâtés, stuffing, and in meat
preparations) and foie gras (enlarged liver of goose or duck that has been force-fed maize). Items on menus that are served á
la p érigourdine are stuffed with, accompanied by, or have a sauce of foie gras and truffles. Ballottine de li`evre á la
périgourdine is hare stuffed with veal, rabbit, or pork, foie gras, and truffles, and flavored with brandy. Cassoulet p´erigourdin
is a stew of mutton, haricot beans, garlic sausage, and goose neck stuffed with truffles and foie gras. Food is often cooked in
goose fat, giving the cuisine its own distinctive taste. Walnut oil is a common salad dressing.

In the southernmost section of the Aquitaine, on the Atlantic coast and in the foothills of the Pyrenees, lives a unique
culture, the Basques. They are a people apart from any in France or indeed any in Europe. Their place of origin is unknown.
There are about a million Basques, but 90 percent of them live across the border in Spain. Languedoc-Roussillon, Gascony,
and Basque country cooking use an abundance of olive oil, tomatoes, peppers, and spicy sausage; their food shares many
similarities with that of Spain. Cassoulet (a casserole with meat and beans) is Languedoc’s signature dish; Roussillon has a
similar dish called ouillade. There are strong Spanish and Catalan influences in Roussillon too, with tapas-style dishes served
in many wine bars. Gascon dishes are kept simple but hearty with lots of meat, fat, and salt. Garbure is a thick stew made with
vegetables, herbs, spices, and preserved meats. Poulet Basque is a chicken stew with tomatoes, onions, peppers, and white
wine; piperade is Basque comfort cooking (peppers, onions, and tomatoes cooked with ham and eggs). Chipirones (squid
cooked in its own ink) is featured widely on menus along the coast. A common sweet is gâteau basque (black cherry pie). The
locally prepared Bayonne ham is usually eaten sliced with bread but is also the basis of jambon ´a la Bayonnaise (ham
braised in Madeira).

THE PYRENEES MOUNTAINS

The Pyrenees Mountains loom south of the Aquitaine Basin. They form a range running nearly 280 miles in an east-
west direction. With many peaks rising above 10,000 feet, the Pyrenees make a formidable barrier between France and
Spain. Cattle and sheep graze along these hillsides. The cuisine, drawing on the wealth of local produce, has strong flavors.
Particularly in the Pyrenees, Catalan dishes such as boles de picoulat (meat balls made with onions and olives in a sauce of
tomatoes and herbs) and saucisse á la catalane (sausage fried with garlic, orange peel, and herbs) feature widely on menus.
Game such as guinea fowl and partridge is common, as is trout from the mountain streams. Along the coast in the
Mediterranean seacoast town of Collioure, dishes are served in a sauce of anchovy-and garlic-flavored mayonnaise.

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 GLOSSARY

Aiguillettes Long, thin strips of duck breast.

Aioli A sauce from Provence, similar to mayonnaise but heavily flavored with garlic; the Spanish version is called ali-oil (garlic
oil).

Americaine Refers to a garnish of tomatoes and garlic, originally created for a lobster dish. Amoricaine Refers to dishes that
originated in Amorica, the Roman name for Brittany.

Ancienne Usually refers to dishes with a long history; often two or more garnishes are combined.

Andalouse Usually refers to a dish characterized by tomato paste, sweet peppers, and chipolata sausages.

Anise Sweet-smelling herb with feathery leaves producing aniseed; anise is the true taste of licorice. AOC

Appelation d’Origine Controlee, which roughly translates to “term of origin,” is a certification granted to certain French wines,
cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products by a government bureau known as the Institut National des Appellations
d’Origine (INAO). Under French law, it is illegal to manufacture and sell a product under one of the AOC-controlled names if it
does not comply with the criteria established by the AOC.

Argenteuil Refers to a dish that includes asparagus. The Argenteuil region (a suburb of Paris) has sandy soil in which the
best asparagus used to grow.

Aspic Clear jelly used to coat cold foods.

Aurore (Sunrise) A sauce or dish flavored with tomato paste or tomatoes.

Babas Small raisin-filled yeast cakes that are soaked in rum-flavored sugar syrup after baking.

Batterie de Cuisine French term for cooking equipment.

Bavarian Cream (Bavarois) A rich egg custard stiffened or set with gelatin and whipped cream added.

Beignets Light French fritters made from choux pastry, or dipped in batter and deep-fat-fried.

Bigarade Means bitter.

Bisque A highly seasoned thick, creamy soup, classically of pureed crustaceans, thickened with rice.

Blanquette A stew of lamb, veal, chicken, or rabbit with a rich sauce made from the cooking liquid, often garnished with small
onions and mushrooms.

Bleu A method of cooking trout in a vinegar-flavored court bouillon. Fresh-killed trout take on a bluish tinge.

Bombe A molded ice cream that is made in a traditional bomb-shaped mold, almost spherical with a flat bottom.

Bonne Femme Literally “good woman”; refers to traditional garnish of onion, bacon, and potato.

Bordelaise A dish containing red or white Bordeaux wine and beef marrow.

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Bouillabaisse A Mediterranean fish stew that originated in Marseilles. Traditionally served in two dishes, one for the pieces of
fish and the other containing slices of French bread with the broth poured on top.

Boulangere French for “baker”; refers to meat or poultry cooked on a bed of sliced potatoes. At one time, small houses in
country districts of France had no ovens, so the Sunday lunch of leg of lamb was set in a dish with sliced potatoes and onions,
which was left with the local baker to cook while the family was at church.

Bourgeoise Garnish of diced bacon, baby onions, and carrots cut to a consistent size.

Bourguignonne Cooked in the style of Burgundy, with mushrooms, onions, and red Burgundy wine.

Braisi´ere The traditional pan for braising, designed for kitchens that did not have an oven. The pan has an indented lid, in
which live coals were placed so that the pan was heated from the top as well as from the bottom.

Brandade A mousse of salt cod (morue). Brandaded emorue originally comes from Nimes in the Languedoc region of
southern France.

Bretonne Cooked in the style of Brittany, on the northwest coast of France; beans are usually included in the dish. Brioche
Rich yeast dough; high egg and butter content give it a rich and tender crumb.

Broche To cook on a spit. Brochette (en) Term for small pieces threaded on a skewer and broiled.

Butter

Beurre Blanc White butter sauce.

Beurre Manie (Kneaded Butter) A liaison of twice as much butter as flour worked together into an uncooked paste,
added in small pieces to thicken a liquid at the end of cooking.

Beurre Noir Alsocalledblackbutter,itisheateduntilthesolidsturnadarkerbrown,then a few drops of vinegar are added.

Beurre Noisette Literally, “hazelnut butter,” this is melted butter that’s cooked until the milk solids turn a very light
brown, and the butter gives off a nutty aroma. When clarified at this point, this butter is called ghee in Indian cooking.

Calvados Apple brandy.

Carbonade Originally a dish that was simmered over coals (charbon), now it refers to a rich beef stew made with ale or beer.

Cardinal A dish characterized by a sauce with a red color; for savory dishes the sauce usually contains lobster coral (roe),
tomato paste, or pimiento; and for sweet dishes a strawberry or raspberry sauce.

Cassolettes Containers made from pastry or vegetables such as cucumber.

Cassoulet A rich, slow-cooked bean stew or casserole originating in the southwest of France, typically containing pork
sausages, pork, goose, duck, and sometimes mutton; pork skin (couennes); and white haricot beans.

Celeriac(CeleryRoot) Large knob by root resembling a turnip or rutabaga with a taste of celery.

Cepes Wild mushrooms; known as porcini mushrooms in Italy and Steinpilzen in Germany.

Chasseur Means “hunter-style”; refers to a mushroom garnish flavored with shallots and white wine.

Chaudfroid Means “hot-cold”; typically refers to a cold dish that is first coated with a cold velout´e or b´echamel-based sauce,
then coated with a layer of aspic.
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Chervil Herb that is a member of the parsley family. It is sweeter and more aromatic than parsley.

Clamart A dish garnished with peas, often piled onto artichoke bottoms. Clamart is a suburb of Paris where peas used to be
grown.

Compote Term for fresh or dried fruit poached in a thick simple syrup to which flavorings may be added.

Coulis French for a puree of any liquid pulp.

Cream of Tartar Juice from grapes that is pressed out after fermentation, then refined to powder. It is used as a leavening
agent, to keep egg whites firm and to cut the grain of sugar syrup and prevent it from crystallizing.

Crecy A dish characterized by carrots. Crepe A very thin French pancake that can be sweet or savory.

Cressonniere Refers to a dish garnished or made with watercress.

Croissants French pastries that are made into the shape of crescents. Croustade A case made from pastry or bread that is
filled with a savory mixture.

Crudites Raw vegetables that are arranged and served as an appetizer.

Darne “Slice” or “slab” in French; refers to the center cut of a large fish, usually salmon, cod, or haddock.

Degorger To remove impurities and strong flavors before cooking.

Diable (`a la) Means “deviled”; refers to dishes flavored with spices and prepared hot sauces.

Dieppose (`a la) Food prepared in the style of Dieppe, a French port on the northern coast, known for its shrimp and mussels,
usually combined with mushrooms and white wine.

Dijonnaise (`a la) A dish that includes Dijon-style mustard. Doria (`a la) A dish garnished with cucumber.

Dubarry (`a la) Refers to cauliflower.

Duglere A dish that includes a velout´e sauce with tomatoes and parsley.

Duxelles Finely chopped mixture of mushrooms, shallots, and herbs, cooked in butter and used to flavor soups, sauces, and
stuffings.

Entremet Means “between dishes”; used to refer to all vegetables and salads served as the second course, except for the
meat. Now entremets is used to refer to any dessert (served after the cheese in France).

Espagnole Basic brown sauce on which all other brown sauces are based.

Financiere (`a la) Literally, “banker’s style,” referring to a rich garnish of kidneys, sweetbreads, mushrooms, and quenelles.

Fines Herbes A classic blend of chopped herbs that includes chervil, tarragon, and chives. Note that parsley is not considered
a fine herb.

Flamande (`a la) In the Flemish style, normally a garnish of braised root vegetables. Fleuron Small crescents of cooked puff
pastry used as a garnish.

Florentine (`a la) A dish with spinach.

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Foie Gras The liver of a goose that has been specially fattened.

Frangipane An almond, sugar, and butter mixture used in cakes and pastries.

Frappe Iced dessert.

Fricassee A stew of white meat, poultry, fish, or vegetables with a white or velout´e sauce.

Galantine Boned chicken, turkey, duck, or game bird or a boned breast of veal, stuffed, rolled, tied, and poached. Served
cold.

Galette Any sweet or savory mixture that is shaped in a flat round.

Gateau French for “cake”; refers to the classic French cakes with genoise base.

Genoise A sponge cake, richer and with a closer textured than regular sponge cake; made in the same manner but without
fat.

Georgette Dishes with baked potato.

Gougere Savory choux pastry mixed with cheese, then baked plain or filled with a savory mixture.

Grand’mere Home-style dishes made with potatoes, onions, and bacon.

Gratin (au) To cook food covered in crumbs, butter, sauce, or grated cheese in the oven.

Gratiner means to brown cooked food under the broiler.

Grenadin A small piece of veal resembling a tournedos steak, usually taken from the round.

Hongrois Dish using Hungarian paprika in a sour cream sauce.

Jardiniere French for “garden-style”;a garnish of small carrots, peas, string beans, button onions, and small potatoes.

Jus (au) The term used for meat served in its own natural cooked juices.

Lyonnaise (`a la) Dishes made with onion and potato garnish.

Macedoine Either a mixture of diced or sliced cooked vegetables served in a dressing, or uncooked fruits in a syrup or
liqueur.

Madeleine Shell-shaped light sponge cakes, made in special Madeleine pans that give the characteristic shape.

Marmite Stockpot; originally the name of the French pot used for making pot-au-feu. Petite marmite is a clear soup made in a
marmite pot.

Matelote French name (meaning “sailor style”) for a fish stew made with wine, the dish may be made with veal or poultry.

Menagere (`a la) Means “housewife” and refers to simply prepared dishes like mashed potatoes or meat garnished with
carrots, turnips, and potatoes.

Meuni`ere The term used to describe saut´eing fish in butter and completing the dish with meuni`ere butter—butter cooked to
a nut-brown color, flavored with fresh chopped herbs and lemon juice.

Milanaise (`a la) In the style of Milan; dishes with macaroni, cheese, tomato, and ham.
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Morels (Morilles) Wild mushrooms with a rich aromatic flavor.

Mousse A sweet smooth mixture, airy and rich. Savory mousses set with gelatin are always served chilled.

Nantua (`a la) Name given to dishes that include a shrimp or crayfish puree or garnish.

Navarin A lamb stew cooked with root vegetables.

Nic¸oise (`a la) A dish characterized by tomatoes, anchovies, tuna fish, garlic, and black olives.

Nivernaise (`a la) Dish that includes carrots as a major ingredient.

Normande (`a la) Refers to braised fish dishes with a cream (Normande) sauce. With meat or chicken it includes apple cider
and Calvados (apple brandy).

Orloff A presentation for veal where the roasted meat is carved and each slice is coated with mornay or soubise sauce, and
then reassembled.

Orly Fish or meat coated with a rich batter and fried crisp.

Panada A binding agent of choux pastry, thick b´echamel sauce or bread crumbs used to thicken.

Papillote (en) French for “cocoon,” it means to wrap in a buttered paper case, then cook and serve in the case.

Parfaits Rich iced dessert, with an egg mousse base and lightly flavored whipped cream. May be layered with meringues or
ladyfingers.

Parmentier Dishes garnished with potatoes.

Pâté A savory mixture usually made from ground meat.

Patisserie A small pastry or pastry shop.

Paupiette A piece of meat, fish, or poultry that is filled with a stuffing, then rolled into a small cylinder and cooked.

Paysanne Peasant fashion or homey cooking style.

Perigourdine (`a la) Dishes prepared with truffles.

Petits Fours Small pastries that are easy to eat, in one or two bites.

Pilaf Rice dish made from long-grain rice saut´eed with onions in fat, and then cooked in stock.

Piquante A brown sauce flavored with capers and gherkins; also means a sharp or stimulating flavor.

Poeler Literally, “to cook in a frying pan.”

Princesse (`a la) Dishes garnished with asparagus tips.

Printanier (`a la) Garnish of fresh spring vegetables.

Provencale (`ala) Dishes using tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, garlic, olives, and other specialties of the Provence region of
southern France.

Quatre Epices (Four Spices) A French spice mixture consisting of white pepper, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

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Quenelles Oval dumplings made from fish, chicken, rabbit, or veal. A mousseline mixture with the addition of egg whites,
seasoning, and cream, poached and served with sauce.

Quiche A savory egg custard. The most famous version is quiche Lorraine made with cheese, ham, or bacon and sometimes
onions.

Ragout A slow-cooked stew that is not thickened.

Reine (`a la) Sauce suprˆeme with a puree of white meat chicken.

Remoulade Mayonnaise-based sauce.

Ravenir To fry lightly without really cooking.

Rillette Type of pork pˆat´e made from unsmoked pork belly and goose, rabbit, chicken, or turkey.

Rissoler To brown slowly in fat.

Rossini A dish made with small cuts of meat, foie gras, and truffles served with a Madeira sauce.

Salmis A form of ragout (stew) made from feathered game or poultry that is lightly roasted, cut up, and gently simmered.

Salpicon Mixture of ingredients that have been cut into shreds or strips, often bound with a rich white or brown sauce.

Shallot A member of the lily family, closely related to the onion. Their small bulbs usually sport a papery, reddish-brown skin
and a white interior flesh that has a sweeter flavor than even mild onions.

Socle Means “base” in French, name given to edible food that forms a platform on a serving dish.

Sorrel Dark green long, narrow, tender, succulent leaves with a slightly acid tang or lemony flavor.

Soubise Garnish or flavoring of pureed or finely sliced onions, normally mixed with rice.

Souse Food covered in wine vinegar or wine and spices, and cooked slowly; it is cooled in the same liquid. Sousing gives the
food a pickled flavor.

Supreme All the white meat on the chicken from the breast down to the wing bone, removed from the bone in one piece.

Tournedos Steak cut from the filet. It can be as thick as 2 inches (5 cm), but should be completely trimmed of fat. Typically
tied to keep their shape during cooking.

Velouté Basic French sauce made with a roux and white stock; enriched with an egg yolk and cream liaison.

Veronique Refers to a dish containing green grapes.

Vol-au-vent Round case of puff pastry.

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 V. ACTIVITY

Prepare the given recipe. Follow the procedure for a better result. The product will be graded base on the rubrics for
performance task.
Coq Au Vin

6 oz. bacon, chopped

4 lb. chicken, cut into 8 pieces
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. carrots, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 c. dry red wine
2 c. low-sodium chicken stock
6 sprigs fresh thyme Coq Au Vin or rooster with wine is a
2 bay leaves classic French dish that isn't as
2 tbsp. tomato paste
complicated as it sounds. Chicken is
10 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/4 c. Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish braised in a silky wine sauce and finished
off with butter for the most perfect sauce.

Procedure

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until fat is rendered and bacon is crispy. Drain bacon on a
paper towel-lined plate. Remove bacon fat, leaving 2 tablespoons in the pan and reserving the rest.
2. Pat chicken dry with paper towels, then season generously with salt and pepper. In batches, sear chicken in bacon
fat until golden brown, then add to slow cooker.
3. In same skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon bacon fat and cook carrots, onion, and garlic, 5 minutes. Add
vegetables to slow cooker.
4. Add wine and deglaze pan using a wooden spoon to scrape bottom of the pan. Bring wine to a boil and simmer, 5
minutes, then add to slow cooker along with stock, thyme, bay leaves, and tomato paste. Cook on low for 7 hours.
5. When ready to eat, add 1 tablespoon bacon fat to skillet over medium-high heat. Cook mushrooms for 5 minutes,
then add to slow-cooker and heat through, 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Reference: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipes/a46138/slow-cooker-coq-au-vin-recipe/?fbclid=IwAR3R1gp-
O4Cx2ETE29MVboARtchkOxQiaBuyOc4x9OmkDoE6r2f4igWakJU

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VI. POST-TEST

Identification. Write the region being described by the following statements.

Paris Basin Alps-Jura Region Aquitaine Basin

Northeastern France Rivera

RHONE-Saone Valley Northwestern Region

1. Burgundy, one of the provinces in this region, is known as one of the world’s premier wine-growing areas. This region
is also known for its wide variety of mustards; the city of Dijon is in this region.
2. Fondue, and cheese in general, is common in this place. Other specialities include brési (cured beef in thin slices)
and poulet au vin jaune (chicken and morels in a creamy sauce flavored with the local wine).
3. The only true Breton specialty is the pancake. Créperies are a common sight, offering a range of savory and sweet
pancakes (galettes and crêpes, respectively).
4. It is the only region in France that brews beer.
5. They produce a special variety of apple too small and bitter tasting for eating; instead, which are used for cider and
calvados. Traditional dishes invariably feature creamy sauces laced with apples, cider, or calvados, such as filet
mignon de porc normande.

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 CHAPTER 11: THE CUISINE OF ITALY

Image Source: https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/569494315377485635/

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I.OBJECTIVES
- Identify the cooking methods, most common ingredients and staples of Italy.
- Describe the different authentic dishes from Itay.
- Prepare a cuisine from Italy.
- Appreciate the art of cooking in Italy.

II. PRE-TEST
Multiplchoice. Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

1. This cheese is also known as in Parmigiano-Reggiano which is touted as the king of Italy’s cheeses.
a.Mozzarella b. Parmesan c. Provolone d. gorgonzola
2. It is home to the classic rice dish called risotto.
a. Lombardi b. Tuscany c. Sicily d. Sardinia
3. Which of the following is considered as the Neopolitan dish?
a. pasta B. Risotto c. Prosciutto d. pizza
4. On special holiday occasions, Italian meals can go on for hours as the diners enjoy each other’s company and the
many delicious courses. What is the term for appetizer in Italian meal?
a. primo b. contorno c. antipasto b. dolce
5. It is the well-known dry-cured ham that is thinly sliced and added to a variety of dishes for its rich salty flavor.
a. mortadella b. ribollita c. Proscuitto d. dolce

III. INTRODUCTION
The cuisine of Italy, perhaps more than any other in the Mediterranean, is recognizable and eaten throughout the
world. Italians have great reverence for quality foods, fresh ingredients and the act of eating itself. This boot-shaped peninsula
has a long and rugged Mediterranean coastline, fertile valleys and the highest mountains in Europe. This chapter covers the
cuisine from the different places in Italy.

IV. THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

THE LAND

Italy is a long, thin peninsula that extends from the southern coast of Europe. Its immediate neighbors—France,
Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia— are in the north, where the Alps form a broad arc around the northern part of the country.
Except in the north, Italy is surrounded by water. The country has a coastline of about 4,700 miles, bordered by the Adriatic
Sea to the east, the Ionian Sea to the south, the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west, and the Ligurian Sea to the northwest. On a map,
the Italian peninsula resembles a tall boot extending into the Mediterranean Sea toward the northern coast of the African
continent, which at its closest point is only about 90 miles away. Italy includes a number of islands; the largest two are Sicily
and Sardinia. And it has two small independent states within its borders: the Republic of San Marino (just 25 square miles in
the Italy’s northeast) and Vatican City (only 0.17 square miles within the city of Rome).

Italy’s boot shape is formed around two ranges of mountains that form a T. The top crossbar is the Alps mountain
range, which stretches from France to Slovenia. The northsouth range is the Apennines, which twist along the length of the
boot, leaving very little low coastal land.

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 Italy’s northern region consists of the Alps and the Po valley. The largest city in the region is Genoa, the center of
Italy’s shipbuilding industry and the birthplace of Christopher Columbus. The Po valley contains Italy’s most productive farm
land, much of which is devoted to growing grain, especially rice, corn, and wheat.

The central southern region contains the nation’s capital, Rome, and Tuscany’s capital, Florence, historically two of
the most influential cities in Europe. Much of the land to the south is dry and yields few agricultural products.

Southern Italy is characterized by the rugged terrain of the Apennine Mountains. Land in the central part of this
region is not as fertile or as well-irrigated as in the north; however, the area has many small farms that grow beans, wheat,
olives, and the grapes used to produce Chianti wines.

Sicily is the largest of all the Mediterranean islands. Most of its hilly terrain is used to grow wheat and beans and as
grazing land for sheep. In the shadow of the active volcano Etna, tropical fruit trees thrive. Sardinia has few good roads and a
harsh, mountainous terrain that is mainly used for raising sheep and, where irrigation is possible, growing wheat, olive trees,
and grapevines.

THE PEOPLE

Italians trace their culinary heritage to Romans, Greeks, Etruscans, and other Mediterranean peoples who developed
the methods of raising, refining, and preserving foods. Dining customs acquired local accents influenced both by culture and a
land divided by mountains and seas. Additionally, independent-minded spirits developed among the regions during the
repeated shifts of ruling powers that fragmented Italy throughout history. Because of its geographical position, Italy has direct
contact with and the influence of the main ethnic and cultural areas of old Europe (neo-Latin, Germanic, and Slavic-Balkan
areas) as well as through North African countries, along with the world of Arab-Islamic civilizations. Consequently, while still
anchored in the European and Western civilization, Italy can be considered a natural link to those African and western Asian
countries that, bordering as they do on the same Mediterranean Sea, have shared historical events and cultural influences
over many centuries.

THE FOOD

Italy is also home to two large islands with their own unique culinary traditions, Sicily and Sardinia. Poverty has
played a strong hand in shaping the cuisine of Italy, as it has in many other Mediterranean countries. Until the beginning of the
20th century, peasants didn’t own their own land and suffered famines regularly due to agricultural disasters, population
pressures, war and plague. Italian food emerged from the tradition of cocina provera (“poor cuisine”, pronounced “koh-chee-
nah-pro-verr-ah”), which draws on humble seasonal ingredients to create rich, but simple, flavours. Many dishes in Italy have
only four to eight ingredients and chefs rely on the freshness and quality of ingredients rather than complicated preparation. In
Italy, the ingredients are allowed to shine.

Italian Staples

How does one start a paragraph about Italian staples? With pasta, of course! I’m sure when you think of Italian food
one of the first things to come to mind is pasta. Italy’s pasta tradition dates back to at least 1154, but only relatively recently
has pasta become such a component of a main meal. Traditionally, pasta was eaten as a small simple item, often plain and
with the hands. The first written record of tomato sauce being eaten with pasta is in a 1790 cookbook. Prior to the 14th and
15th centuries, pasta was almost always prepared fresh and not dried. Dried pasta became popular due to its easy storage. It
was often brought on long, exploratory sea journeys to the New World, which helps explains its quick spread throughout the
world’s cuisines. Given this rich history, it’s no wonder that Italy has such an incredibly diverse offering of pastas. Most pasta
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is made from unleavened dough and formed into sheets or cut into shapes, then cooked and served either plain, drizzled with
oil, or with a sauce and other ingredients. Some pasta is made with other grains and eggs are sometimes used instead of
water. Each pasta shape has its own special purpose. The long, thin strands like spaghetti or linguini are ideal for delicate
sauces like pesto (a sauce made of garlic, basil, pine nuts, olive oil and parmesan cheese, “pest-oh”) or simply drizzled with
extra-virgin olive oil. The thicker and sometimes concave or twisted pastas like fusilli (spiral, “few-see-lee”) or farfalle (bowtie
or butterfly, “far-fah-lay”) are great for thicker sauces like tomato sauce (called marinara, “mer-in-era”, or Neapolitan, “nee-ah-
pahl-it-un” sauce), so that they can stand up to the bold sauces. In addition, chunkier sauces cling to the holes and grooves of
these types of pasta, making it a much better vessel for the sauce. Another popular type of pasta (particularly in the north) is
the filled varieties, like tortellini (“tort-uh-lee-nee”) and ravioli (“rah-vee-oh-lee”), which are little pockets of pasta dough stuffed
with delicious mixtures of cheese and meat and/or vegetables.

What pasta dish would be complete without a rich grated Italian cheese to top it? The Italians, like many
Mediterranean people, have a long history of making delicious cheeses. In fact, there are more than 450 types of cheese. Of
these, 34 have actually been granted protected status by the European Commission, which prohibits other cheese makers of
using the names under protection if they aren’t made in the region in which they have traditionally been made. A good
example of this is ParmigianoReggiano (what we call “Parmesan”, pronounced “par-mah-gee-ah-no-reh-gee-ahno”), which
comes from only five provinces in Italy. Parmigiano-Reggiano is touted as the king of Italy’s cheeses, and nothing compares to
the complex taste of this cheese freshly grated on a bowl of pasta with rich tomato sauce. In fact, the wonderfully savoury
flavour of Parmigiano-Reggiano is a great example of the umami flavour we. Parmigiano-Reggiano has the second-highest
glutamate content of any naturally produced food (second only to a French cheese called Roquefort, “rock-fort”). Those ready-
made canisters of Parmesan we buy on the shelf at grocery stores don’t hold a candle to the fresh stuff right off the block! We
all know about mozzarella (“mott-zah-rell-ah”), arguably the Italian cheese that’s had the most success outside of Italy. The
most popular topping for pizza, mozzarella is used in a variety of ways in Italian cooking. Traditionally made from the milk of
the water buffalo, most fresh mozzarella is made from cow’s milk. The cheese curds are formed into balls and stored in water
or brine to maintain their white colour and freshness. Fresh mozzarella has a chewy texture and this light subtle cheese is
featured in the caprese (“cah-pray-zee”) salad and on margherita (“mar-gah-ree-tah”) style pizzas. The common mozzarella
we’re used to in North America is the mass-produced block type that is grated onto pizzas or pasta dishes. This is dried and
harder than fresh mozzarella.

There are many more Italian cheeses to sing the praises of, though, like Provolone (“pro-vuh-lone”), Taleggio (“tah-
ledge-ee-oh”) and particularly Gorgonzola (“gore-gunzoh-lah”), the creamy blue cheese that gets its distinctive flavour from
blue mould veins that are allowed to develop within the creamy curds. Asiago (“ah-see-ah-go”) has been a favourite cheese in
Venice for centuries. Originally made from sheep’s milk, but now made from cow’s milk, Asiago tastes like an interesting cross
between Parmesan and cheddar and is used in dishes that require a creamy, melting cheese. More aged Asiagos have a
nutty taste and can be grated onto dishes or eaten with both fresh and dried fruits. A popular Italian cheese we see regularly
in western food is not actually a cheese at all, but a bi-product of the cheese making process. Ricotta (“rick-aw-tah”), the very
smooth and soft white cheese we eat in lasagna and manicotti, is made from the whey from other cheeses and combined and
recooked to make ricotta. Finally (but not really finally as there are so many Italian cheeses), we have mascarpone (“mass-
kar-pone”), the quintessential dessert cheese. This cow’s milk cheese has a spreadable texture similar to cream cheese. It’s
most popular usage is in the well-known Italian dessert called tiramisu (“tee-rah-mee-soo”). Tiramisu (which means “pick me
up” in Italian) is made from coffee soaked ladyfinger cookies layered with a creamy filling made from whipped egg yolks and
mascarpone. There truly is a cheese for every dish in Italian cuisine.

Italy, more than any other European country, truly adopted the New World ingredients brought over from Latin
America in the 16th century. These included potatoes, corn and, of course, tomatoes. It’s hard to imagine Italian food today
without the tomato. Tomatoes abound in Italian cooking, from rich and rustic tomato sauces to the classic caprese salad made
from fresh raw tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil leaves all drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil. Tomatoes in Italy are
allowed to ripen on the vine before sale, which makes them especially flavourful. Not surprisingly, they are often used raw in

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many Italian dishes. Potatoes are used to make the delicious dumplings called gnocchi (“nyo-kee”), often eaten as an
appetizer instead of soups or pasta. Corn is the main ingredient in polenta (“pohlenn-tah”), a dish made from finely ground
cornmeal boiled in water or stock. Polenta, a traditional peasant food, is used as a starchy companion to other ingredients like
meat and vegetables. These are hardly the only vegetables that feature prominently in Italian cooking. Popular Italian
vegetables include eggplant, zucchini, peppers, spinach and other leafy greens.

Italian Regionalism

The country we now know as Italy did not unite until the 19th century. Up until that time, it was comprised of a series
of city-states that had their own cultural identities. For this reason each area of Italy has its own specialties based on its
geography, climate and economics. Let’s discuss the better-known regions and their traditional dishes.

Lombardy and Veneto

These two regions are Italy’s highest yielding agricultural areas, with rolling fields of olive and lemon trees. The
capital of Lombardy is the wealthy city of Milan, and this region is known as the Italian “white belt” due to its love of rice, butter,
cheese and cream. It is home to the classic rice dish called risotto (“riz-oh-toh”). The special type of rice used for risotto is
cooked with copious amounts of butter, wine and broth over time, making it exceedingly creamy. Risotto is the most common
way of cooking rice in Italy. The capital city of Veneto is the island city of Venice, which is linked by a network of canals and
bridges. The foods of this region prominently feature fish, and polenta is the preferred staple with pasta and rice following
close behind. This region has a strong pastry tradition and is where the rich dessert tiramisu was first created.

Tuscany

Tuscany is well known for its scenic landscapes, as well as being the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, a time of
great advances in science and art. We all know the names of great artists like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, who both
lived in this region in the 15th and 16th centuries. The cuisine of Tuscany is built on simplicity, and rightly so, since the fertile
landscape produces such fresh and delicious ingredients, it would be a shame to overwhelm them in any way. It is thought
that Tuscany produces some of the world’s best olive oils, and is known for its crisp and flavourful spinach and delicious
legumes and beans. Tuscany is famous for a soup of peasant origins, ribollita (“rib-oh-lee-tah”). The name literally means,
“reboiled”, as it was often made of leftover minestrone soup (a vegetable, bean and pasta soup with a tomato base) and stale
bread. Made with inexpensive vegetables, this soup was well suited to peasants returning from a day of hard manual labour in
the fields that belonged to their feudal lords.

Campania

Due to heavy emigration of Italians from this region to America, much of our understanding of Italian food comes from
this region. Campania’s capital city is Naples, considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. With that
kind of history, it’s no wonder it has such incredible culinary traditions. In Campania, what we think of as typical Italian foods
and dishes like tomatoes, spaghetti, mozzarella and of course pizza are at their best. Although pizza is eaten all over Italy, it is
still considered a Neapolitan (“from Naples”) dish. Neapolitan pizza is quite different from the pizzas you get from Domino’s or
find frozen in the grocery store. Italian pizza has a thin crust, simple and light toppings, and is traditionally baked in a wood-
fired brick oven. The high temperatures give the crust a fantastic crunchy texture outside and a chewy texture inside. Nothing
quite compares to perfectly prepared brick oven pizza. The most common varieties of pizza in this region are pizza
margherita, which has a simple tomato, olive oil, basil and fresh mozzarella topping, and pizza marinara, which is topped with
a tomato sauce flavoured with garlic and oregano but no cheese. While Italians like their pizza toppings light, they do enjoy a
variety of flavours, and toppings can include anchovies, bacon, mushrooms, olives, peppers and even seafood.

Emilia-Romagna

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 This region is well known for being the place where some of Italy’s richest cuisine comes from. Cheese, butter, cream
and pork products are all important in this part of Italy. The provinces of Parma and Reggio Emilia are where Parmesan
cheese got its name, and it is still made according to tradition there. This region is also very famous for its pork-based meat
products like prosciutto (“pro-shoo-toh”), a wellknown dry-cured ham that is thinly sliced and added to a variety of dishes for its
rich, salty flavour; pancetta (“pan-cheh-tah”), a salt cured pork belly meat used similarly to bacon; mortadella (“more-tah-dell-
ah”), an Italian sausage flavoured with spices from the region of Balogna (that is actually the precursor to the balogna – or
baloney – we eat in sandwiches); and other very popular Italian sausages. Filled pastas are very popular in the Emilia-
Romagna region and there is an enormous range of offerings, from the well-known tortellini and ravioli to the lesser known
anolini (“ah-noh-lee-nee”), cappelletti (“cah-pah-leh-tee”), cappellacci (“cap-ah-latchee”) and balanzoni (“bah-lan-zoh-nee”).

Sicily and Sardinia

The two islands that lie off the coast of Italy in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia, have some of Italy’s most
interesting cuisine, having been influenced for centuries by a multitude of cultures from Greek and Roman to Arab and
Spanish. Sicilian cuisine, in particular, draws from rich Arab roots. The Arabs planted citrus trees, rice and sugar cane on the
island. They also introduced couscous, which features prominently in many fish dishes. In addition, the Arabs also brought
along their love of all things sweet and Sicily is known for its delicious desserts. One dessert in particular has experienced
popularity outside of Sicily, the deep fried pastry tubes filled with ricotta cheese, sugar and chocolate called cannoli (“cah-
nohlee”). Another popular Sicilian dessert export is granita (“grah-nee-tah”), a semifrozen dessert similar to sorbet but with a
coarser texture. Granita, made from sugar and water, is served flavoured with ingredients that grow on the island like
almonds, oranges, mint or strawberries. It’s no surprise that

Sicilian cuisine is rich with fish dishes. Fish like tuna and swordfish are most popular and are plentiful in the waters
off the island’s coastline. Sardinian cuisine, in contrast, has a more pastoral culinary tradition. Bread, lamb, cheese and
vegetables are eaten here far more often than fish. Sardinians are known for producing excellent sheep-milk cheeses like
ricotta and pecorino (“peh-koh-ree-noh”) a hard cheese served on pasta or as a rich finish to a meal.

A Day in the Life

In Italy, breakfast (known as colazione, “koh-lah-zee-oh-nay”) is light and often taken at bars and cafes. The strong
Italian coffees known as espresso and cappuccino almost always accompany breakfast, which is served continental style,
similar to that of France, Greece and Spain. This style of breakfast consists of bread or rolls served with butter or jam and
pastries. It is becoming more common for Italians to also enjoy fresh fruit and yogurt in the morning. Lunch is often eaten
between noon and 2 p.m. and was traditionally the main meal of Italy, eaten with family at home. Meals in Italy are thought of
more as an opportunity to spend quality time with family and friends than to fuel oneself for the day. These meals were often
quite lengthy and usually consisted of three or four courses. On special holiday occasions, Italian meals can go on for hours
as the diners enjoy each other’s company and the many delicious courses. The first course is called antipasto (“an-tee-past-
oh”) and it means literally, before the meal. This course consists of small dishes, served either hot or cold. Traditional antipasti
(plural of antipasto) that can be ordered at many Italian restaurants consist of a plate full of thinly sliced cured meats like
prosciutto, olives, anchovies, artichoke hearts and a variety of cheeses like provolone and mozzarella. In southern Italy,
minestrone soup might be served during this course instead. Following antipasto is the course known as primo (“first course”,
pronounced “pree-moh”), which will usually feature a hot dish like pasta (which was traditionally eaten as a first course), risotto
or gnocchi. The next course is called, not surprisingly, secondo (“second course”, pronounced “sek-on-doh”) and is considered
the main dish. This course will usually consist of a meat or fish dish, which could be veal, pork, chicken or locally caught fish.
This course will usually be served with contorno (“side dish”, pronounced “con-tore-noh”), which may be a salad or vegetables
drizzled in olive oil. The next course is called formaggio (“cheese”, pronounced “for-mah-gee-oh”) and is considered the first
dessert. The formaggio course is generally a selection of local cheeses and fresh fruit. Finally, the last course is called dolce
(“sweet”, pronounced “dole-chay”) and is the dessert course that consists of cakes like tiramisu and cookies like biscotti (“biz-
cot-ee”), a twice baked biscuit that is often dipped in the second most important part of the dessert tradition, a strong cup of
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cappuccino or espresso. Italians certainly know how to enjoy their delicious food. You can imagine after such a big lunch,
Italians wouldn’t be that interested in doing it all over again for supper. Most Italians have a lighter supper later at night. This
might consist of a salad, soup or leftovers from lunch.

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 GLOSSARY

Cappuccino Espresso with foamed milk and containing equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and foamed milk.

Gorgonzola A compact, creamy textured cheese with a strong flavor. A protected cheese, it is produced year round and is
Italy’s major blue-veined variety.

Marinara Meatless tomato-based sauce.

Minestrone Italian vegetable soup.

Mortadella Bologna’s most famous pork product, a softly flavored cooked sausage made from lean pork studded with small
cubes of flavorful fat.

Mozzarella A mild, white fresh cheese made by the special pasta filata process, whereby the curd is dipped into hot whey,
then stretched and kneaded to the desired consistency. Fresh mozzarella, called mozzarella di bufala (buffalo mozzarella),
has a soft texture and sweet, delicate flavor.

Parmigiano-Reggiano A finely grained hard cheese.

Pecorino Made from sheep’s milk, generally aged and classified as grana (hard, granular, and sharply flavored). A young,
unaged ricotta pecorino is soft, white, and mild

Pesto A puree of fresh herbs garlic, oil, and pine nuts.

Polenta Originating in Venice when maize was imported from America, polenta is made from coarsely ground cornmeal and is
used in a variety of northern Italian dishes.

Prosciutto Italian word for ham, usually referring to the raw cured hams of the Parma region. Prosciutto is seasoned, salt
cured, and air dried. Prosciutto cotto means cooked and prosciutto crudo means raw.

Provolone Southern Italian cow’s milk cheese with a firm texture and a mild, smoky flavor.

Ricotta Rich fresh cheese, slightly grainy but smoother than cottage cheese. It is white and moist and has a slightly sweet
flavor.

Risotto Rice that has been toasted briefly in a soffritto and then cooked by gradually adding boiling stock or water and
mantecato (adding butter and parmigiano). Rice suitable for risotto absorbs three times its weight in liquid. Risotto rice should
be cooked al dente. The rice should be slightly moist but never sticky; each grain should be separate.

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V. ACTIVITY
Prepare the given recipe. Follow the procedure for a better result. The product will be graded base on the rubrics for
performance task.

Lasagna

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef
3/4 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 ounce size) crushed tomatoes
1 can (3 ounce size) tomato paste
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon dried basil A traditional style lasagna layered with a
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley beef filling, ricotta, mozzarella, and
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano parmesan cheeses.

salt and pepper, to taste

4 ounces lasagna noodles
1 pound ricotta cheese
8 ounces shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Procedure
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring
frequently, until the beef is browned.
2. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, basil, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Bring to a low
simmer and let cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook the lasagna noodles as directed on the package. Drain well.
4. Spread about 1 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish. Place a layer of lasagna noodles evenly
on the sauce. Spread a layer of sauce over the pasta. Spread a layer of ricotta cheese over the sauce. Sprinkle with
mozzarella and Parmesan. Repeat layers, ending with sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.
5. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for
15 minutes, covered, before slicing and serving.

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Reference: https://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/24/LasagnaSupreme36310.shtml

VI. POST-TEST

1. This cheese is also known as in Parmigiano-Reggiano which is touted as the king of Italy’s cheeses.
a.Mozzarella b. Parmesan c. Provolone d. gorgonzola
2. It is home to the classic rice dish called risotto.
a. Lombardi b. Tuscany c. Sicily d. Sardinia
3. Which of the following is considered as the Neopolitan dish?
a. pasta B. Risotto c. Prosciutto d. pizza
4. On special holiday occasions, Italian meals can go on for hours as the diners enjoy each other’s company and the
many delicious courses. What is the term for appetizer in Italian meal?
a. primo b. contorno c. antipasto b. dolce
5. It is the well-known dry-cured ham that is thinly sliced and added to a variety of dishes for its rich salty flavor.
a. mortadella b. ribollita c. Proscuitto d. dolce

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 REFERENCES
Schinkel,Leanne. Exploring International Cuisine. Saskatchewan, Canada (2013).

Nenes, Micheal F. International Cuisine. Jogn Wiley and Sons Inc. Hoboken, New Jersey. (2009)

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 ANSWER KEYS
Chapter 1 The Cuisine of Mexico Chapter 4 The Cuisine of Japan, China, and Korea

Pre-Test/Post Test Pre-Test/Post Test

1. True 1. False
2. True 2. True
3. False 3. False
4. False 4. False
5. True 5. True

Chapter 2 The Cuisine of South America Chapter 5 The Cuisine of Southeast Asia

Pre-Test/Post Test Pre-Test/Post Test

1. Arepas 1. True
2. Churrasco 2. False
3. Lechona 3. False
4. Matambre 4. False
5. Ceviche 5. True

Chapter 3 The Cuisine of Caribbean Chapter 6

Pre-Test/Post Test Pre-Test/Post Test

1. False 1. False
2. True 2. True
3. True 3. True
4. True 4. True
5. True 5. True

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Chapter 7 The Cuisine of Middle East Chapter 10 The Cuisine of France

Pre-Test/Post Test Pre-Test/Post Test

1. False 1. Paris basin

2. False 2. Alps-Jura Region
3. True 3. Northwestern
4. True 4. Northeastern
5. Northwestern
5. True

Chapter 8 The Cuisine of Turkey, Greece, and Crete

Chapter 11 The Cuisine of Italy
Pre-Test/Post Test
Pre-Test/Post Test
1. False
2. True 1. parmesan
3. False 2. lombardi
4. False 3. pizza
5. False 4. antipasto
5. prosciutto
Chapter 9 The Cuisine of Spain

Pre-Test/Post Test

1. Cocido
2. Turron
3. Paella
4. Gazpacho
5. Bacalao

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