Skip to Main Content

Asian American & Pacific Islanders: Cuisine

Reference

Food from Laos

Tam Maak Hung

Tam Maak Hung – A spicy salad made of green papaya, lime juice, chilies, garlic, and other seasonings. Traditionally, the shredded papaya is mixed with the spices in a mortar. Like most Laotian foods, tam maak hung is usually served with sticky rice.

 

Food from Papua New Guinea

Talautu

Talautu – Pineapple in coconut cream is a popular dessert. Modern recipes generally call for a dairy milk and cornstarch custard, but the traditional recipe just contains fruit.

Food from Myanmmar

Hot and Sour Gourd Soup

Hot and Sour Gourd Soup – Soup is served for lunch and dinner in most Burmese meals.

Books

Eating Identities: Reading Food in Asian American Literature

The French epicure and gastronome Brillat-Savarin declared, "Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are." Wenying Xu infuses this notion with cultural-political energy by extending it to an ethnic group known for its cuisines: Asian Americans. She begins with the general argument that eating is a means of becoming--not simply in the sense of nourishment but more importantly of what we choose to eat, what we can afford to eat, what we secretly crave but are ashamed to eat in front of others, and how we eat. Food, as the most significant medium of traffic between the inside and outside of our bodies, organizes, signifies, and legitimates our sense of self and distinguishes us from others, who practice different foodways. Narrowing her scope, Xu reveals how cooking, eating, and food fashion Asian American identities in terms of race/ethnicity, gender, class, diaspora, and sexuality. She provides lucid and informed interpretations of seven Asian American writers and places these identity issues in the fascinating spaces of food, hunger, consumption, appetite, desire, and orality. Asian American literature abounds in culinary metaphors and references, but few scholars have made sense of them in a meaningful way. Most literary critics perceive alimentary references as narrative strategies or part of the background; Xu takes food as the central site of cultural and political struggles waged in the seemingly private domain of desire in the lives of Asian Americans. Eating Identities is the first book to link food to a wide range of Asian American concerns such as race and sexuality. Unlike most sociological studies, which center on empirical analyses of the relationship between food and society, it focuses on how food practices influence psychological and ontological formations and thus contributes significantly to the growing field of food studies. 

Food Culture in the Pacific Islands

The food culture of the Pacific Islands has been determined by isolation from the rest of the world. Original immigrants from Asia brought their foods, animals, and culinary skills with them, then for several thousand years, they were largely uninfluenced by outsiders. The tropical climate of much of the region, unique island geology and environmental factors also played a role in the evolution of islander cuisine, which is based on unique ingredients. The staples of breadfruit, yams, taro, coconut, sweet potato, and cassava are incorporated into a cuisine that uses cooking and preservation techniques unique to Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia. Today, food culture in the Pacific is largely one of extremes. Although traditional foods and cookery survive and are highly valued, Westernization has meant that the overall diet of islanders has been negatively transformed and that islands are net importers of unhealthful foods. Ironically, the tourism industry has re-engaged islander people in food production and boosted their sense of identity. Students, food mavens, and travellers will find this to be a stellar introduction to the current culture of the Pacific Islands, with discussion of Hawaii, Australia, and New Zealand included. Recipes are interspersed throughout, and a timeline, glossary, selected bibliography, and photos round out the coverage.

Chow Chop Suey: food and the Chinese American journey

A food history that illuminates a community's struggle for survival.

Flavors of Empire: Food and the Making of Thai America

With a uniquely balanced combination of salty, sweet, sour, and spicy flavors, Thai food burst onto Los Angeles's and America's culinary scene in the 1980s. Flavors of Empire examines the rise of Thai food and the way it shaped the racial and ethnic contours of Thai American identity and community. Full of vivid oral histories and new archival material, this book explores the factors that made foodways central to the Thai American experience. Starting with American Cold War intervention in Thailand, Mark Padoongpatt traces how informal empire allowed U.S. citizens to discover Thai cuisine abroad and introduce it inside the United States. When Thais arrived in Los Angeles, they reinvented and repackaged Thai food in various ways to meet the rising popularity of the cuisine in urban and suburban spaces. Padoongpatt opens up the history and politics of Thai food for the first time, all while demonstrating how race emerges in seemingly mundane and unexpected places.

Chop Suey, USA

An epic tale of globalized cultural exchange by means of our first "fast food."

Recipes

Vegan Indian Cooking

This beautiful follow-up to Anupy Singla's widely praised first cookbook, theIndian Slow Cooker, is a unique guide to preparing favorite recipes from the Indian tradition using entirely vegan ingredients. Featuring more than 50 recipes, and illustrated with color photography throughout, these great recipes are all prepared in healthful versions that use vegan alternatives to rich cream, butter, and meat. The result is a terrific addition to the culinary resources of any cook interested in either vegan or Indian cuisine. Singla--a mother of two, Indian emigre, and former TV news journalist--has a distinctive style and voice that brings alive her passion for easy, authentic Indian food. Some of these recipes were developed by her mother through the years, but many Singla developed herself, including fusion recipes that pull together diverse traditions from across the Indian subcontinent. She shows the busy, harried family that cooking healthy is simple and that cooking Indian is just a matter of understandinga few key spices. As Singla sees it, acquiring and using the proper spices is the key to preparing her healthful recipes at home. Singla has recently brought to market her own line of traditional Indian spice trays (also known as amasala dabba), which is being sold by retail outlets like Williams-Sonoma.Vegan Indian Cooking builds off of Singla's vast expertise in simplifying and perfecting Indian spices and unique, custom spice blends, making delicious Indian cooking accessible to even the most hurried home chef.

East Meets Vegan

A vibrant tour of Asia in 90 vegan recipes When Sasha Gill went vegan, she wasn't about to leave her family's home-cooked favorites behind. Pad thai without fish sauce? Curry without ghee? In East Meets Vegan, Sasha proves that Asian cooking can be plant-based--as well as easy, affordable, and delicious! Here are: Veganized favorites: Spring rolls, red bean pancakes, shiitake ramen, mango lassis Can't-believe-it's-vegan twists: Tandoori cauliflower "wings," pineapple fried rice, jackfruit biryani, "butter chicken," a sushi feast to feed a crowd Mix-and-match pairings: Combine leftovers for your own take on Asian fusion. Bursting with more than 100 sumptuous photographs, this is your passport to a culinary adventure--from the comfort of your kitchen.

Cook Real Hawai'i

The story of Hawaiian cooking, by a two-time Top Chef finalist and Fan Favorite, through 100 recipes that embody the beautiful cross-cultural exchange of the islands. Even when he was winning accolades and adulation for his cooking, two-time Top Chef finalist Sheldon Simeon decided to drop what he thought he was supposed to cook as a chef. He dedicated himself instead to the local Hawai'i food that feeds his 'ohana--his family and neighbors. With uncomplicated, flavor-forward recipes, he shows us the many cultures that have come to create the cuisine of his beloved home: the native Hawaiian traditions, Japanese influences, Chinese cooking techniques, and dynamic Korean, Portuguese, and Filipino flavors that are closest to his heart.   Through stunning photography, poignant stories, and dishes like wok-fried poke, pork dumplings made with biscuit dough, crispy cauliflower katsu, and charred huli-huli chicken slicked with a sweet-savory butter glaze, Cook Real Hawai'i will bring a true taste of the cookouts, homes, and iconic mom and pop shops of Hawai'i into your kitchen.

Cooking from the Heart: the Hmong Kitchen in America

Simple, earthy, fiery, and fresh, Hmong food is an exciting but still little-known South Asian cuisine. In traditional Hmong culture, dishes are created and replicated not by exact measurements but by taste and experimentationOCofor every Hmong recipe, there are as many variations as there are Hmong cooksOCoand often served to large, communal groups. Sami Scripter and Sheng Yang have gathered more than 100 recipes from Hmong-American kitchens, illustrated them with color photos of completed dishes, and provided descriptions of unusual ingredients and cooking techniques.Cooking from the Heart is the first cookbook to clearly set out the culinary traditions of the Hmong people as well as the cultural significance such traditions hold. The recipes are accompanied by anecdotes, aphorisms, and poems that demonstrate the importance of food and cooking in Hmong culture and offer a dramatic perspective on the immigrant experience. Scripter and Yang outline diet restrictions and taboos as well as how herbs and foods are traditionally used for healing purposes. The dishes featured in Cooking from the Heart range from well-known items such as egg rolls and green papaya salad to more unfamiliar dishes such as Nqaij Qaib Hau Xyaw Tshuaj (Chicken Soup for New Mothers) and Dib Iab Ntim Nqaij Hau Ua Kua (Stuffed Bitter Melon Soup).The oral tradition by which these recipes have been passed down has meant that Hmong cooking has not yet reached a wide audience in the United States. While designed for an American kitchen, Cooking from the Heart encourages readers to seek out Hmong herbs and vegetables only recently introduced in the United States. After all, the authors say, the essence of Hmong cuisine is cooking with an adventurous and creative spiritOCofrom the heart."

Indian-Ish

Named one of the Best Cookbooks of Spring 2019 by theNew York Times,Eater, andBonAppétit "A joy to cook from, and just as much fun to read." --Margaux Laskey, theNew York Times A witty and irresistible celebration of one very cool and boundary-breaking mom's "Indian-ish" cooking--with accessible and innovative Indian-American recipes Indian food is everyday food! This colorful, lively book is food writer Priya Krishna's loving tribute to her mom's "Indian-ish" cooking--a trove of one-of-a-kind Indian-American hybrids that are easy to make, clever, practical, and packed with flavor. Think Roti Pizza, Tomato Rice with Crispy Cheddar, Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Green Pea Chutney, and Malaysian Ramen. Priya's mom, Ritu, taught herself to cook after moving to the U.S. while also working as a software programmer--her unique creations merging the Indian flavors of her childhood with her global travels and inspiration from cooking shows as well as her kids' requests for American favorites like spaghetti and PB&Js. The results are approachable and unfailingly delightful, like spiced, yogurt-filled sandwiches crusted with curry leaves, or "Indian Gatorade" (athirst-quenching salty-sweet limeade)--including plenty of simple dinners you can whip up in minutes at the end of a long work day. Throughout, Priya's funny and relatable stories--punctuated with candid portraits and original illustrations by acclaimed Desi pop artist Maria Qamar (also known as Hatecopy)--will bring you up close and personal with the Krishna family and its many quirks.

Asian Vegetarian Cookbook

Eating vegetables need not be bland nor boring as veteran chef and renowned author Azrah Kamala Shashi shows in her latest cookbook, Vegetarian Feasts. Filled with attractive full-coloured photographs, the recipes are straightforward and easy-to-follow. Eat your way to a healthier lifestyle.

Little Thai Cookbook

Thai cuisine - one of the most exotic cuisines in Asia is a perfect and harmonious blend between spicy, hot and bland ingredients with unforgettable flavourful results! Bring with you the alluring flavours of Thailand with The Little Thai Cookbook. This collection of 45 recipes features some of the country's most popular dishes including spicy noodles with meat sauce, tangy papaya salad, piquant seafood soup and the refreshing mock pomegranate seeds in sweetened coconut milk. Clearly explained recipes ensure that home cooks will be able to produce authentic and delicious Thai food to share wit

Food from Fiji

Rourou Soup

Rourou Soup – Rourou is the Fijian name for taro leaf, a common vegetable on the islands. Taro leaf soup is usually a simple preparation seasoned with onion and perhaps enriched with milk or coconut cream. When served as a main dish, rourou soup usually contains fish or meat and some taro or cassava root.