One of the most popular trends in modern culinary art is the fusion style. The harmonious combination of various culinary traditions of the countries of East and Southeast Asia contributed to the creation of a single style that attracted the attention of gourmets around the world. Pan-Asian cuisine is one of the brightest representatives of this trend.
Dishes of Pan-Asian cuisine have a distinct, unusual combination of tastes, aromas and exotic seasonings. Culinary specialists from Asian countries have achieved perfection in the art of harmoniously combining, at first glance, the most incompatible products. In one dish they manage to get the perfect combination of sweet and salty, sour and bitter taste.
The main components of Pan-Asian dishes are rice, vegetables and fruits, as well as seafood and meat. Thanks to all kinds of seasonings and sauces, chefs give these familiar products truly unique flavors that delight visitors to Pan-Asian restaurants. A significant role in the increased interest of gourmets in Asian dishes is also played by the unusual ingredients included in the composition - these can be various insects or sea creatures.
In addition to the skill of Pan-Asian cooks, there is another secret to their success - this is the national utensil - wok (wok or Chinese cauldron). It is a deep frying pan with high walls and a narrow cone-shaped bottom. The thickness of the walls of the pan increases towards the bottom - this allows the pan to retain heat for a long time.
Thanks to its unique shape, wok has great functionality and has many advantages:
In ancient times, copper was used to make a boiler, but as technological progress developed, the material was replaced with cast iron. It is known that in China, not only main courses, but also first courses - broths and soups - are prepared in this dish.
The cuisine of East Asian countries is primarily fish and seafood dishes, as well as all kinds of sauces that have an amazing taste. The most famous and popular dishes of Pan-Asian cuisine in the world include rolls, sushi and noodles with all kinds of seasonings, for example: funchose or udon with shrimp and vegetables in sweet and sour sauce.
Each country brought its own characteristics and traditions to Pan-Asian cuisine. Thai chefs introduced the world to the original taste of tamarind paste, and Vietnam is famous for its Nem rice paper pancakes. Our company offers services for the supply of products for preparing Pan-Asian cuisine at attractive prices. We will help you experience the rich variety of exquisite exotic tastes and become a fan for life.
When we talk about oriental cuisine, we often mean traditional dishes from Vietnam, Japan, China, Korea and other Asian countries. However, few people know about the intricacies of Pan-Asian cuisine. A new culinary trend emerged in the second half of the last century and has already gained fame in various countries around the world. Today we will find out what “Pan-Asian cuisine” is and what it is eaten with.
Many of our compatriots have no idea what Pan-Asian cooking is. Meanwhile, this cuisine is very interesting, varied and healthy.
The concept itself includes the unification of various culinary traditions of eastern countries. Some experts, deciphering the phrase “Pan-Asian cuisine”, say that this traditional cuisine Panasia is a territory uniting the states of Asia. Others are limited to countries in South and Southeast Asia.
Trying to find a “golden mean”, culinary masters decided to limit the concept by including the traditions of Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Laos, Korea, Indonesia and Cambodia. In this format, pan-Asian cooking is gradually conquering the world. This made it possible for people who were not previously familiar with the traditions of eastern countries to appreciate the originality and uniqueness of their dishes.
Some culinary experts consider Pan-Asian cuisine to be one of the areas of Fusion cuisine. The reason for this comparison is the simultaneous emergence of both culinary traditions and the similarity in the principles of cooking.
Speaking about what Pan-Asian cuisine is, we cannot help but highlight some of its features:
When Pan-Asian cooking began to gain popularity, chefs tried to adapt its recipes to the preferences of other peoples. By changing the cooking features and ingredients of dishes, they were able to create a unique signature cuisine.
The basics of Pan-Asian cooking make it possible to simultaneously learn the gastronomic traditions of various Eastern countries. Do you want to try the dish? Thai cuisine? We invite you to cook Thai chicken curry. And don’t be surprised by the variety and exoticism of the products.
To prepare the dish, you will need chicken breast, banana leaves, coconut milk, chili pepper, chili paste, onion, garlic, lemon grass, coriander and vegetable oil, water. First of all, you need to marinate the chicken. Wash the breast, cut it, marinate in chili paste with coriander, wrap in banana leaves.
Fry onion and garlic in vegetable oil, add meat and fry for five minutes. Add water and cook until the water evaporates.
Pour coconut milk into the pan, add chilli pieces and lemon grass. After twenty minutes, add a little more chili paste. The dish is ready.
This is one of the many treats. The recipes for which Pan-Asian cuisine is famous are very diverse.
The most important thing is that you have the opportunity to join the ranks of Pan-Asian culinary experts. It is up to you to create a unique recipe using unusual ingredients and exotic seasonings.
Our compatriots have long been accustomed to traditional dishes China and Japan. However, lovers of Eastern cuisine did not stop at culinary acquisitions, and a new culinary trend emerged - Pan-Asian cuisine. We will find out what kind of dishes it offers and why it has become so popular from restaurant professionals.
Usually the ancestor of a culinary tradition is one country. A whole community of countries gave life to pan-Asian cuisine. Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Korea, Cambodia and other countries in Southeast Asia shared their dishes for the new culinary trend that has captured the whole world.
The dishes of this cuisine are unique, unusual and very tasty. Otherwise, there would not be so many followers and admirers of culinary masterpieces.
Today, in order to taste Pan-Asian cuisine, you don’t have to go to Thailand and order your favorite dish during your vacation. You can go to restaurants and cafes, where chefs will surprise you with their culinary masterpieces using special recipes brought here from the homeland of Asian exotica.
The main differences of this newfangled kitchen are:
Noodle lovers need not worry. Since the cuisine is still Asian, a variety of noodles (funchoza, buckwheat, etc.) are present in the “panasian” menu.
Some restaurants and cafes offer take-out meals or delivery to your office or home. Noodles/rice remain a basic dish, making them suitable for any meal.
What do we know about Asia? Surely, offhand, not everyone will be able to list all the countries in a given region. What can we say about the varieties of local dishes, which are not only varied, but some of the ingredients can shock the cultured European man in the street.
The concept of Pan-Asian cuisine entered the lives of Europeans at the end of the last century. In our country, the popularity of this trend is only gaining momentum. And if you love traditional Asian cuisine, represented by Chinese and Japanese dishes, then Pan-Asian cuisine may also suit your taste.
In fact, there are a lot of Asian countries, but until recently very little was known about them. Few travelers ventured to travel to countries such as Malaysia, Vietnam and Cambodia. But the world began to change rapidly. Tourist vectors diverged in all directions, and the inexperienced wealthy European resident went to the most remote corners of the planet for new experiences.
Since no trip is complete without local cuisine, aesthetic and intellectual impressions of the life of small Asian peoples have become firmly entrenched in the memory of taste buds. And talented chefs, deciding that they should not miss the moment of glory, began to adopt the art of preparing amazing dishes from their Asian colleagues.
However, many dishes from the countries of South and Southeast Asia, which form the basis of Pan-Asian cuisine, in their original form turned out to be too much of a shock for Europeans. Not only because of the unusual sources of protein and protein (for example, rats and insects), but also because of the abundance of extremely spicy seasonings that the effete palate of the Westerner simply refused to accept. Then the concept of pan-Asian cuisine (the prefix “pan” is used for unification) appeared, covering dishes of the region adapted to European tastes, including Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Singapore, Korea, Vietnam and, of course, China and Japan.
We are already accustomed to traditional dishes such as noodles, sushi and rolls. But it turned out that Asians have learned to combine the incongruous and do it so harmoniously that it turns out surprisingly tasty. One of the secrets is to find a harmonious combination of several tastes - sweet, salty, sour and bitter and flavor it all with a whole bouquet of various spices. The main ingredients are rice and vegetables, regular meat, fish and all kinds of seafood if they can be obtained. But the sauces with which they are served often have an unusual composition, and this is truly a feast for the taste buds, unless you overdo it with hot spices.
Another secret is the use of various techniques, including steaming, deep-frying, marinating, etc. In this case, a very large number of different and often exotic ingredients can be used. And finally, the last point: dishes of Pan-Asian cuisine are served and consumed not in turn, but simultaneously. So you can start with anything - sweets, soup or snacks - whatever you like.
The most popular and practically the only utensil for preparing dishes of Pan-Asian cuisine is the “wok”, a frying pan with high edges and a flat bottom. Even soups are prepared in it, not to mention fried and stews. This form allows you to achieve exceptional taste properties.
Despite the fact that there is only one tool, there are a lot of cooking methods in it. In this case, the cooking process most often takes from 5 to 10 minutes. The main thing is to comply correctly temperature regime. Since everything must be cooked very quickly, the ingredients are prepared for processing in advance.
The secret to fast and even browning is temperature balance. The temperature is highest at the bottom of the wok, and slightly lower on the sides. The pan must be well heated before oil is applied to the bottom and sides. Then the ingredients are added sequentially, which are continuously mixed, ending up either at the bottom or on the high walls of the wok. In this way it is possible to save beneficial properties products and prepare them quickly.
To stew, first fry the hardest vegetables in a wok, then add water. The process can take from 3 to 30 minutes. This is usually done with the lid open and stirring occasionally - this is how the water, evaporating, makes the meat and fish tender and the sauces concentrated.
The tradition uses local vegetables and fruits as ingredients, which are exotic for Europeans. That is why dishes from this cuisine are inexpensive in their homeland, but are often very expensive for Europeans. To prepare sauces that give that same spectacular taste and aroma, you will need to establish a regular supply of the required products. After all, they are usually used exclusively fresh. For example, Thai cuisine is impossible without tamarind paste and lime, which are responsible for the sour flavors of dishes, and coconut milk serves as the basis for many soups and salad dressings.
At its core Pan-Asian cuisine can be safely attributed to the direction "fusion". After all, these are not entirely original, but rather adapted dishes. However, a wide range of ingredients allows talented chefs to create their own signature cuisine on this basis, gaining popularity among European gourmets.
Many argue that Pan-Asian cuisine– dietary. Judge for yourself: can there be food fried in a frying pan, even on coconut oil, dietary? Of course, there are some dishes that are steamed, but in general, it is better not to overuse dishes from this cuisine for people with sick stomachs or those who are on a strict diet.
For everyone else who wants to fully enjoy the amazing range of colors, exotic aromas and amazing flavor combinations, Pan-Asian cuisine will give a real fireworks of taste sensations, the memory of which will force you not only to visit the restaurant again, but also to acquire your own “wok” for culinary experiments at home stove.
Unlike other culinary trends of the East, Pan-Asian cuisine appeared relatively recently. It combines several branches at once - Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Malaysian, Indonesian, Korean, Singaporean and Laotian and, without pretending to be authentic, offers bold combinations of tastes that may or may not please you. Nowadays there are many pan-Asian cafes and restaurants in Moscow, each of which focuses on one or another product, most often noodles with various sauces and spices. The cost of food depends on the type of establishment and the amount of special equipment used in preparation.
Ekaterina Romanko,
“If we talk about Moscow, then our “panasia” appeared quite recently. At first there were restaurants with high bills, but gradually, following global trends, this cuisine is becoming more accessible. It is based on rice and vegetables, but sauces and spices are also of great importance, making the dishes truly unique. In general, Pan-Asian cuisine is considered quite cheap in the world, and in some establishments here you can eat for little money. But even in this case, it is too early to say that in Moscow there is nothing cheaper than pan-Asian dishes: some products are not cheap for the owners of cafes and restaurants - mostly we are talking about complex sauces and seasonings."
It’s not difficult to become an adherent of Pan-Asian cuisine - just go to a nearby cafe or enter the corresponding request into a search engine to have food delivered to your home. If you believe the advertisements of various food outlets, Pan-Asian cuisine is classified as low-calorie and extremely healthy. However, in reality this is not entirely true, and it is important to make informed menu choices. Otherwise, even spices, which, as nutritionists say, can speed up metabolism, will not save you from extra calories.
Ekaterina Romanko, Director of Marketing and PR of the Menza restaurant:
“The very name of Pan-Asian cuisine suggests that it has absorbed the traditions of several countries, which means that the calorie content here is very different. Fully vegetarian dishes are also available. However, you should be prepared for exotic sauces and spicy dishes, and in general remember that when following a diet for medical reasons, it is important to pay special attention to the composition of the dish and the method of its preparation. Bright “panasia” still provokes gastronomic experiences, and if you are on a strict diet, it is better to just boil chicken breast at home or eat mom’s porridge.” 
There are three degrees of passion for Pan-Asian cuisine, and indeed any other cuisine: you can like it, you can be seriously interested in it, and, finally, you can engage in it professionally. In the first case, you need a strong stomach, but in the other two you cannot do without the help of specialists. If your area of interest does not include a complete immersion in the intricacies of “panasia”, then a few master classes are enough, after which you can please your family and friends with an unusual dinner.
Inna Alimova, art director of the Tai Tai restaurant:
“To understand what Pan-Asian cuisine is, you need to fall in love with it. As a rule, the desire to cook Thai cuisine arises among people who have visited Thailand and fell in love with this country, its traditions and food culture. You can treat your friends to Thai cuisine after attending the first master class, but this is still not enough to become a professional. People of absolutely different ages, incomes and professions come to us. In addition to the fact that we lift the veil of mystery of Thai cuisine and introduce visitors to real Thais, we give the opportunity, under the supervision of a Thai chef, to prepare a dish yourself and even make any adjustments to its recipe. The result is a tasty and healthy evening with like-minded people.”
Nadezhda Firsova,Managing partner of the culinary school Ask the Chef:
“We teach everyone - both amateurs and professionals. Our founders, chefs Konstantin Ivlev and Yuri Rozhkov, teach by practice - under their guidance, students, of whom there are no more than seven in a group, create dishes based on a given topic. If the lesson is dedicated to Pan-Asian cuisine, then we usually prepare cold and hot spring rolls with shrimp, duck, crab, pork, traditional noodle soup with duck, light and refreshing salads with spicy dressings, as well as noodles with vegetables and meat in a wok. No special preparation is required: the chef will always come to your aid and show you how to cut and hold a knife correctly. 
Pan-Asian cuisine has one characteristic feature - a very subtle and elegant balance of sweet, sour, salty, spicy, bitter. They say that by finding the right balance of all these tastes, a fifth is born - umami. In my opinion, this is exactly what is most difficult to achieve for a beginner in Pan-Asian cuisine. The second important point is the use of special culinary techniques, such as stir-frying, working with steam and deep-frying, and marinating. The cook must be prepared for the appearance of a large number of ingredients in his kitchen. Pan-Asian cuisine is impossible without fish and soy sauces, mirin (rice wine) and mitsukan (rice vinegar), sesame and peanut oils. A hemispherical wok frying pan may come in handy as a specific piece of equipment: it’s convenient to quickly fry vegetables, meat, cook noodles and even soups. It is not necessary to bring such pans from China or Thailand - Moscow stores now have a wide range of similar utensils. All other kitchen utensils are little different from the usual ones. Therefore, when preparing any dishes, you should have good sharp knives, a heavy large cutting board and dishes with a thick bottom.”
Culinary school, however, is not the limit of perfection. You can always develop - go to one of the Asian countries to gain more knowledge, skills and abilities in the field of Pan-Asian cooking. Often, graduates who discover an attraction to a certain type of cuisine do not hesitate to embark on a gastronomic journey.
Nadezhda Babkina,culinary blogger and student at Ask the Chef school:
“Pan-Asian cuisine, or rather Chinese, entered my life in 2001, when I visited a Chinese restaurant for the first time in Paris. She attracted me with the combination of the incongruous: at that time we did not accept either sweet and sour meat or warm, hot and pickled cucumbers. In the early 2000s in Moscow, to buy spices for Chinese products, you had to go to hot spots like the Cherkizovsky market, so dreams of experimenting with Pan-Asian cooking had to be abandoned for a while. My first attempts to learn how to cook some Pan-Asian cuisine were at the culinary school of the Gastronom magazine. Only soup kha has taken root on the home menu, although at the master class I prepared at least four dishes, the names of which I don’t even remember anymore. Then there was an almost two-year break in my pan-Asian culinary experience. Then I was one of the first to enroll as a student at the Ask the Chef school, and as soon as they had a Pan-Asian cuisine course on the schedule, I decided to take it up again. It was a week of daily four-hour classes with different chefs of Moscow pan-Asian restaurants, where we were taught the main thing - to look for and feel the taste of a dish, combine ingredients and cook on our own, because learning how to make this or that dish can only be done in practice, and not in theory. It is this approach to culinary training that is most effective: the chef shows you a dish, and then you try to make it yourself, relying solely on your own taste.
I still have a dream - to go to China and visit local restaurants there, which are not visited by tourists. So far I have only been able to visit Hong Kong. By the time I went there, I had already had experience studying abroad at Raymond Blanc's culinary school in Britain, and I wanted to find cooking courses in Hong Kong. After reading many reviews on the Internet, I settled on Martha Sherpa’s courses. It must be said that the British courses and Martha’s courses differ from each other in many ways, but at the same time they have one main thing - much attention is paid to practice: cook, cook and cook again. It is only because of this principle that I can now try a dish in a restaurant and reproduce it (often quite successfully) at home without a recipe.”
Where to go to study:
“Pan-Asian Cuisine” course at Ask the Chef culinary school
Address: Semenovskaya embankment, 2/1, building 1
Price: 12 thousand rubles. in 9 hours
Master classes from the Tai Tai restaurant
Address: st. Povarskaya, 10/st. Pokrovka, 4
Price: 1000 rub. (tickets can be purchased at one of the Tai Tai restaurants)
Master classes "Shanghai Cauldron"
Address: st. Dmitry Ulyanov, 1/61, Asian food store
Price: free (check the website for the date of the nearest master class)
