Asian cooks have made many important contributions to the world’s hot and spicy cuisines, particularly those from China, Korea, and Thailand. Most Asian cuisines use chiles as their source of heat along with a variety of other spices to create unique regional flavors. Japanese cuisine isn’t especially spicy, but it’s worth noting here for its use of the fiery green horseradish called wasabi, which is used as a condiment with sushi and sashimi.
The Szechuan and Hunan regions are home to China’s most fiery dishes. Seasonings include garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and sherry, combined with hot red chiles in varying degrees. Rice and noodles are mainstays in the Chinese diet, and fresh vegetables include cabbage, bean sprouts, mushrooms, onions, and celery. Tofu, or bean curd, is a rich source of protein and provides a wonderful vehicle for the pungent Szechuan and Hunan sauces.
Perhaps some of the most incendiary dishes of all can be found in Southeastern Asia, particularly in Thailand. This is partly because of the liberal use of the Thai chile, one of the hottest chiles in the world. Because of its extreme heat, I don’t specifically call for Thai chiles often in my recipes, as they can be difficult to find and too intense for many palates. Those who prefer slightly milder chiles can still enjoy the wonderful flavors of Thailand.
Thai food is a sensory marvel, bearing Chinese, Indonesian, and Indian influences that merge to create a distinctive cuisine in its own right. Many Thai dishes are prepared to present the subtle flavor variances of hot, sweet, sour, bitter, and salty, all at once.
Although Vietnamese food can be spicy, hot seasonings don’t predominate. Tropical ingredients, such as the indigenous lemongrass and citrus fruits, are common and often accompanied by platters of bean sprouts, fresh herbs, cucumbers, and lettuce. A popular Southeast Asian seasoning is a fish sauce, called nuoc nam in Vietnamese and nam pla, in Thai, that is used much in the way soy sauce is used in China. I have included a vegan version of fish sauce in this book.
Korean cooking has been greatly influenced by the traditions of China, however it tends to be spicier than Chinese cuisine. A liberal use of chiles, soy sauce, garlic, and the ubiquitous kimchi (a searing cabbage mixture) help to rank Korean cookery among the spiciest of Asian cuisines. A traditional Korean meal will include the colors green, white, yellow, red, and black, as well as a variety of textures and flavors. The typical Korean meal includes rice, soup, vegetables, a main course, and kimchi. Like most Asian cuisines, rice is an important mainstay, as is tofu, although Koreans also eat a variety of vegetables, along with barley, wheat, beans, meats, and fish.
Called the Spice Islands, Indonesia was once the only place in the world where cloves and nutmeg grew. Though the cuisine of the islands of this archipelago is diverse, the most popular meals consist of rice with several savory side dishes, including a condiment called ketjap manis from which, it is believed, we derived our word “ketchup.”
Although Indonesian cuisine has been greatly influenced by China, its indigenous herbs, spices, and produce, such as lemongrass, coriander, and coconut, make it a cuisine unto itself. Chiles are often paired with these ingredients to flavor many of the dishes, and ginger and garlic are also used. Tempeh, made from compressed soybeans, is a popular meat alternative in the West, and has its origins in Indonesia, where it is often prepared in coconut milk.
While meat and seafood are used throughout Asia, protein-rich vegan ingredients such as tofu, tempeh, and seitan (wheat gluten) are also used and easily substituted.