Moms and food—there always seems to be a deep connection between the two. And often, it’s homemade goodness that incessantly sets the mood at the dinner table. On top of that, don’t you just love it when your family praises you about how your cooking can make them feel at home—always looking forward to mealtime?
Preparing food for your family is surely one of your topmost priorities as a homemaker, and you must’ve already been doing it for days, months, years, or decades even. It’s exciting, but at times, you may be running out of ideas on what to serve. If you’re still here reading, that means you’re on the lookout for new and fresh recipes to experiment with. Well, here’s a tip, momma: Try Asian food.
Asian food is teeming with a variety of flavors. It has been influenced by different cultures, traditions, and cooking practices that you can easily distinguish it from other cuisines. The common ingredients present in Asian dishes are seafood, a variety of herbs and spices, rice, chicken, pork, and beef. This cuisine also involves various cooking methods such as steaming, braising, stir-frying, and deep-frying.
Here are some of the reasons why Asian food could be your next best friend:
It’s Healthy Food With A Twist
As a mom, it’s also non-negotiable to serve delicious and healthy food to your family. Asian food’s very well-known for having healthy ingredients that may seem simple at first glance, but soon after, you’ll realize that they’re actually nutritious and flavorful. Most Asian dishes lack dairy and additives, which is why they’re a healthier option compared to other cuisines.
Vietnamese food, for example, is typically healthy and simple, like their famous spring rolls and pho. If your family enjoys noodles and soups, you can check out Thai, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean recipes. Most of these noodle dishes are easy to make, as long as you have the right ingredients for them. For example, for a pho, it’s highly recommended that you buy fresh noodles along with ingredients such as beef, bouillon, fish sauce, chili pepper, and hoisin sauce to achieve the distinct taste and flavor that the dish offers.
Here are some of the popular Asian soups and noodles:
- Bibim Naengmyeon or Korean spicy cold noodles
- Tonkotsu ramen from Japan
- Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup)
- Mee Goreng (Indonesian fried noodles)
Another popular ramen from Japan is their miso ramen made with miso broth and paste, which is distinctively rich in flavor. What’s good about their noodles and soups is that they’re also available in instant packs which are easy to cook and prepare.
Experience The Asian Way Of Eating
If you’ve been to Asian countries, you’ll know how they’re not a fan of eating with cutlery. Apart from chopsticks, Asians would use their hands to eat, and it’s something that may seem strange for other cultures, but totally enjoyable for them once they get to try it. Eating with your hands is a normal practice in Southeast Asian countries, and it’s a technique that involves using all your fingertips to mix the rice with all the other food on your plate.
The famous Peking Duck from Beijing, for example, is best eaten with your bare hands (make sure they’re clean!). Dip it in plum sauce or dollop hoisin sauce and enjoy—licking your fingers at some point is totally expected. Just imagine having this for dinner at home and letting your children eat their hearts out sans the spoon and fork. Yum! Eating your food the Asian way is actually another interesting way to bond with your family over food.
Chopsticks, on the other hand, are commonly used when eating some Asian food and while some think it’s difficult, this is actually very easy to master. Your kids can also take advantage of the opportunity to practice their chopsticks skills. They’ll most likely end up enjoying how to pick up their food using it!
Quick And Easy Cooking Methods
Moms are always a great fan of quick and easy cooking. Asian cooking is quite easy to master, compared to western and other international cuisines. It can be any mom’s instant BFF, particularly those who are working and always on the go. You don’t even have to be a master chef to be good at stir-frying, steaming, or braising. You can simply find recipes online that are easy to follow and can be made at any time of the day.
If you particularly like to try Chinese cuisine, don’t get intimidated by the complicated names of their dishes. The secret is to understand the different methods of Chinese cooking which are not very complicated, to begin with.
Asian Veggie Dishes Are Fun
Perhaps one of the most common predicaments of moms would be how they can make their kids enjoy vegetables. If you must know, Asian veggie dishes are just as good as those cooked with meat. Some of the vegetable options you can mix and match are shiitake mushrooms, broccoli, green beans, bok choy, zucchini, and coleslaw.
Have you tried serving tofu yet? As a vegetable protein, you’ll be surprised as it’s good for an appetizer, and there are literally hundreds of ways to cook it. Marinated, lightly fried, steamed, or scrambled—tofu’s amazing as it is.
Cook It To Win It
As you can see, Asian food’s just as good as any other cuisine, or may even be better, depending on your preferences. Apart from its varied palate, the flavors are also not easy to forget. The options are practically endless, you surely won’t run out of lunch or dinner ideas. Asian breakfast recipes can also be a lifesaver, like the fluffy Japanese pancakes that are so easy to make, and can be enjoyed by your kids as they start their day.
What do you think of all these dishes so far? Do you think you’re up for the challenge to try any of them soon? Your family will surely be amazed at your cooking skills when you serve Asian food at your dinner table. Good luck and stay in touch with your new BFF in the kitchen!
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