In Singapore - a metropolis country with multi-ethnics and modern lifestyle, I found a hawker center with a bunch of people from three different races: Indian, Chinese and Malay, and I notice something really interesting. An Indian Prata seller was serving a Malay woman who was wearing a white jilbab, and right at the corner I saw an Indian who ordered a Hokian Mee for her son. That was a very interesting phenomenon for me at that moment.
A year passed, I tasted a cuisine with unique flavors in a small food stall nearby Nai Yang beach, Phuket, Thailand. The dish called Tom Yum Goong, a typical seafood soup with sweet-sour-spicy taste. The strong taste and flavor, along with the thick sauce of that soup reminds me to Indonesian Soto and Singaporean Laksa. At that moment, I took a simple conclusion: these foods have the same root, and it also have a similar historical roots, in which then form a cultures in Asia.
Fortunately, in Bandung - Indonesia, in a restaurant named Chilli Padi, I met someone who is the chef at that place. He told me the story about three major categories of Asian cuisine. The categories may represent the races, group or ethnicity and also the tradition of Asian cuisine.
The first is known as the Southwest style, which includes cuisine from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Having its roots in Persian-Arabian civilization, the eating of nan (flat bread) became widespread, along with mutton, kebabs (Turkish cuisine), and the use of hot peppers, black pepper, cloves and various other strong spices, along with ghee (butter oil). Curry also became a staple in this culture. Through the teaching of Hinduism, the cows are used only for dairy products and not for meat. In addition to rice, chapatti made from wheat or barley is also an essential part of cooking.
The second major is the Northeast traditions that consist China, Japan and Korea. This tradition emphasizes use of fats, oils and various sauces in cooking. In this culture, the foods, spices and seasonings go beyond being mere foodstuffs, as they are also used as medicines to support a long and healthy life, just like the use of ginseng and ginger in Korean and Japanese cuisine. In addition, the food is also associated with several religions traditions ‘cause in many Northeast Asian cultures, food is used as a symbolic offering to worship their God and ancestors.
The last major cuisine culture in Asia is the Southeast style, which includes Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The tradition emphasizes on the strong aroma and flavor, as well as the use of stir-frying, steaming and boiling method in every cuisine, supplemented with discrete spices and seasonings, including citrus and herbs such as basil, cilantro, celery and mint. If the Northeastern emphasizes the use of soy sauce in every cuisine, while the Southeast dishes use more of fish sauce with lemongrass and tamarind for additional flavor. Just like what I felt at Tom Yum, Laksa and Soto that I mentioned earlier.
Fortunately, in Bandung - Indonesia, in a restaurant named Chilli Padi, I met someone who is the chef at that place. He told me the story about three major categories of Asian cuisine. The categories may represent the races, group or ethnicity and also the tradition of Asian cuisine.
The first is known as the Southwest style, which includes cuisine from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Having its roots in Persian-Arabian civilization, the eating of nan (flat bread) became widespread, along with mutton, kebabs (Turkish cuisine), and the use of hot peppers, black pepper, cloves and various other strong spices, along with ghee (butter oil). Curry also became a staple in this culture. Through the teaching of Hinduism, the cows are used only for dairy products and not for meat. In addition to rice, chapatti made from wheat or barley is also an essential part of cooking.
The second major is the Northeast traditions that consist China, Japan and Korea. This tradition emphasizes use of fats, oils and various sauces in cooking. In this culture, the foods, spices and seasonings go beyond being mere foodstuffs, as they are also used as medicines to support a long and healthy life, just like the use of ginseng and ginger in Korean and Japanese cuisine. In addition, the food is also associated with several religions traditions ‘cause in many Northeast Asian cultures, food is used as a symbolic offering to worship their God and ancestors.
The last major cuisine culture in Asia is the Southeast style, which includes Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The tradition emphasizes on the strong aroma and flavor, as well as the use of stir-frying, steaming and boiling method in every cuisine, supplemented with discrete spices and seasonings, including citrus and herbs such as basil, cilantro, celery and mint. If the Northeastern emphasizes the use of soy sauce in every cuisine, while the Southeast dishes use more of fish sauce with lemongrass and tamarind for additional flavor. Just like what I felt at Tom Yum, Laksa and Soto that I mentioned earlier.
Finally, in a conversation to Ha Long Bay, Vietnam – someone told me: "If you want to know more about a nation, just take a look at their cuisine". I didn’t really understand that statement at first, but the more I think about it and the more I reflect those phrases with my past journey to some countries in South East Asia, I started to believe that there are history and culture behind the food.
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| - Vietnamese Pho - |
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| - Japanese Jigoku Ramen - |
~ M
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Tiga Budaya Masakan Asia [Bahasa Indonesia version]
Di Singapura, sebuah negara multi-etnis, metropolis dan modern, saya menemukan sebuah foodcourt dengan sekumpulan orang dari 3 ras yang berbeda: India, China & Melayu. Disana terlihat seorang penjual Prata sedang melayani seorang Ibu melayu berjilbab, dan tepat dipojok sana ada seorang India yang memesan Hokian Mee untuk anaknya. Sebuah fenomena yang sangat menarik bagi saya pada saat itu.
Setahun berlalu, saya mendapati sebuah masakan bercita-rasa unik di sebuah kedai dipinggir Nai Yang Beach, Phuket, Thailand. Masakan itu bernama Tom Yum Goong, sebuah sup seafood dengan rasa pedas-asam-manis yang khas. Rasa dan aroma yang sangat kuat serta kuah kental dari sup tersebut mengingatkan saya pada Singaporean Laksa dan Indonesian Soto. Pada saat itu, kesimpulan kecil saya ambil: makanan-makanan ini memiliki benang merah yang sama, yang berasal dari sebuah akar sejarah yang juga sama, yang kemudian membentuk sebuah kebudayaan di suatu bangsa.
Beruntung, di Kota Bandung - Indonesia, di sebuah kedai bernama Chili Padi, saya bertemu sesorang teman yang sekaligus chef di tempat itu, dia bercerita tentang tiga kategori utama pada budaya masakan Asia. Ketiga kategori tersebut dapat mewakili sebuah kelompok, etnik atau ras, dan jenis masakan traditional Asia.
Pertama yang dikenal dengan Southwest style, yang termasuk masakan dari India, Pakistan, Sri Langka dan Burma. Memiliki akar dari perdaban Arab-Persia, pengkonsumsian nan (roti pipih) dengan daging kambing, kebab (masakan Turki), serta penggunaan cabai, merica hitam, cengkeh dan berbagai rempah yang kuat lainnya, bersama dengan ghee (minyak mentega). Kari juga menjadi hal pokok dalam budaya ini. Melalui ajaran Hindu, sapi digunakan hanya untuk olahan susu dan tidak untuk daging. Selain nasi, chapati yang terbuat dari gandum juga merupakan bagian pokok dari masakannya.
Budaya masakan Asia yang kedua adalah Northeast tradition, yang terdiri dari China, Korea dan Jepang. Tradisi ini menekankan penggunaan lemak, minyak dan berbagai saus dalam masakannya. Dalam budaya Northern, makanan, rempah-rempah dan bumbu dinilai lebih dari sekedar bahan masakan saja, karena mereka juga digunakan sebagai obat yang menunjang gaya hidup sehat untuk memperpanjang umur. Seperti halnya penggunaan ginseng dan jahe dalam masakan korea dan jepang. Selain itu, makanan juga terkait dengan beberapa tradisi keagamaan. Karena di banyak budaya di Asia timur, makanan digunakan sebagai persembahan simbolis untuk menyembah Tuhan dan nenek moyang.
Sedangkan budaya masakan Asia yang terakhir adalah Southeast style, yang termasuk di dalamnya Thailand, Laos, Kamboja, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia dan Singapura. Budaya masakan ini menekankan pada aroma dan rasa yang kuat, serta penggunaan metode menumis, mengukus dan merebus di setiap masakannya. Ditambah dengan penggunakan berbagai rempah dan bumbu, termasuk jeruk dan tanaman herbal seperti kemangi, ketumbar, seledri dan daun mint. Jika masakan Northreastern lebih menekankan penggunakan kecap kedelai dalam setiap masakannya, sementara di budaya southeast masakan lebih banyak menggunakan kecap ikan bersama dengan lengkuas, serai dan asam jawa untuk penambah rasa. Persis seperti apa yang saya rasakan pada Tom Yum, Laksa dan Soto yang saya sebutkan sebelumnya diatas.
Akhirnya, di sebuah percakapan menuju Ha Long Bay, Vietnam - seseorang berkata pada saya: "Jika kamu ingin mengetahui tentang sebuah Bangsa, lihatlah dari masakannya". Pada awalnya saya tidak mengerti statement tersebut, namun setelah beberapa kali saya pergi & mencicipi makanan tradisional di beberapa negara Asia, akhirnya saya tahu bahwa ada sejarah & budaya dibalik makanan tersebut.
~ M
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