Cuisine.
For me, the most important part of every culture.
Back in Vienna I wanted to spice up my trip a little bit and indulge in some great foreign cuisines that are not so common in my homeland (you know, Austrian cuisine is pretty common, schnitzels are namely a traditional Sunday dish in Slovakia).
I absolutely love Asia, therefore I went for the:
- Japanese
- Thai
- Indian
And I don’t regret a single penny I spent for those dishes!
Let me show you:
1. The Japanese
Miso soup – Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup consisting of a stock called “dashi” into which softened miso paste is mixed. The most common dashis are made of niboshi (dried baby sardines), kombu (dried kelp), katsuobushi (thin shavings of dried and smoked bonito, aka skipjack tuna), or hoshi-shiitake (dried shiitake). The stock might also include ingredients such as negi, carrot, potato and daikon radish.
The choice of miso paste for the miso soup defines a great deal of its character and flavour. Miso pastes (a traditional Japanese seasoning produced by fermenting soybeans with salt and the fungus Aspergillus oryzae, known in Japanese as kōjikin (麹菌), and sometimes rice, barley, or other ingredients) can be categorized into red (akamiso), white (shiromiso), or mixed (awase). There are many variations within these themes, including regional variations, such as Shinshū miso or Sendai miso.
A miso paste that has been fermented for a longer period of time, such as a red miso, gives the miso soup a stronger, deeper flavor. A miso paste that has been fermented for a shorter period of time, such as a white miso, provides a lighter, sweeter flavor.
More than 80% of Japan’s total annual production of miso goes into miso soup, and 75% of all Japanese people consume miso soup at least once a day.
Sushi boxes – I’m going to explain every item one by one now.
First photo:
- On the bottom left are roasted shrimps. Can you imagine how delicious they are??
- On the bottom right are egg rolls. An egg roll differs from the spring roll in the way that it is typically smaller and contains ground or chopped meats/seafood such as pork, crab, shrimp, chicken, taro or cassava, glass noodles, wood-ear fungi or oyster mushrooms, and shredded carrots. Plus it´s not wrapped in a rice paper but in a crispy shell.
- On the bottom left is nigiri – a topping, usually fish, served on top of sushi rice. This is my favourite type of sushi.
- In the middle of the bottom line is maki – rice and filling wrapped in seaweed. The topping is usually either avocado or salmon.
- On top of the makis is Castella cake – sponge cake made of sugar, flour, eggs, and starch syrup.
- On the bottom right is uramaki – similar to the maki, but rice is on the outside and seaweed wraps around the filling.
Plus such boxes always contain the gari tsukemono sweet ginger, wasabi and some kinds of sauces – I went for the classic Soya sauce and Teriyaki sauce.
Second photo:
- behind is a Miso soup
- in the top line is nigiri (also crab ones which I absolutely love)
- in the bottom line is maki and also some red caviar
Of course, gari tsukemono, wasabi and Soya sauce are also present.
All in all, Japanese cuisine is my #1 cuisine in the world.
2. The Thai
Pad Thai – this most traditional meal of Thailand is made with soaked dried rice noodles, which are stir-fried with eggs, and flavoured with either tamarind pulp; fish sauce, dried shrimp, garlic or shallots or red chili peppers; palm sugar and served with lime wedges and often chopped roasted peanuts. It may also contain other vegetables like bean sprouts, garlic chives, pickled radishes or turnips, and raw banana flowersmay; fresh shrimp, crab, squid, chicken or other animal products & vegetarian versions may substitute soy sauce for the fish sauce and omit the shrimp.
3. The Indian
Roti – is a round flatbread native to the Indian subcontinent made from stoneground wholemeal flour, traditionally known as atta, and water that is combined into a dough.
Masala – Indian cuisine is all about a fusion of spices and rich creamy gravies, one such delicacy is the Ginger Chicken Masala. This spicy and aromatic dish is a perfect dish for special occasions and festivals. What makes this dish a flavoursome delight is the use of ginger, which gives this delicacy a twist of flavours.
Aloo Dum – is a very delicious Indian dish generally made from baby potatoes slow cooked in a spicy gravy. The baby potatoes are first deep fried along with spices and then simmered in gravy over low flame. Sometimes they can even be marinated in a curd mixture before frying. The gravy can be simple onion tomato gravy or creamy cashew nut mix restaurant style gravy, curd based gravy and many more versions. The dish is also quite popular in dry curry form and more than a dozen variations of the dish exist in different Indian states and regions.
(Masala on the left, Aloo Dum behind and Rori on the right)
Do you fancy trying new dishes and cuisines?
Which one is your favourite?
Let me know! 😄
Asequibles 