Why Western and Asian foods taste different

Pickled herring and egg salad with pasta

Food Diary (December 18, 2011)

Breakfast: Rolled oats with raisins, sunflower seeds and flax seeds

Lunch: Pickled herring and egg salad with pasta

Dinner: Vegetable and green pea stew

Baking/sweets:

With a Glass just tagged me in “bloggers unplugged” which involves answering personal questions. Here we go:

1. What, or who, inspired you to start a blog?

You and other food bloggers

2. Who is your foodie inspiration?

No one in particular, I get inspiration from different TV programs and blogs

3. Your greasiest, batter-splattered food/drink book is?

I own only one cookbook, nonya flavours: A complete guide to Penang Straits Chinese Cuisine. Which reminds me, I need to cook more recipes from that book. Its relatively unused, there is no batter splattered on it. 

4. Tell us about the best thing you have eaten in another country, where was it, what was it?

I’ll be boring and say that the best thing can sometimes depend more on the circumstances and less on the thing. A simple burger, BBQ, pie or just about any food tastes heavenly after a fantastic night out, or in good company, or both.

If I was to ignore all circumstances and focus only on food I would say foie gras ice cream and French fries, both from different Stockholm restaurants, remains most memorable. I think the fries were made in goose fat.

I should mention nasi lemak and char kway teow from Singapore/Malaysia, bacon and egg pie in NZ…I think we are supposed to name just one dish. 

5. Another food blogger’s table you’d like to eat at?

Depends on the budget, how far will you take me:)

6. What is the one kitchen gadget you would ask Santa for this year (money no object of course)?

I am not falling for this one. I recently realized Santa does not exist. So this year I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands, I am buying myself a hand held blender. The blender will come with either a 30 or 60 day money back guarantee. In case Santa shows up I will return the one that I buy. 

7. Who taught you how to cook?

In no particular order, my mum, grandmother, myself and some friends

8. I’m coming to you for dinner, what is your signature dish?

Are you allergic to anything? Any likes/dislikes?

Jokes aside, I have no signature dish. Depending on the day and mood it can be braised pork, some kind of vegetarian concoction, chocolate or coconut based dessert, pickled herring salad…

Since you like to invite yourself and give me no opportunity to say no, I may include innards, pickled herring and other exotic ingredients in the menu!

9. What is your guilty food pleasure?

Maybe more than reasonable amounts of sweets/desserts, pork (not the lean kind!), caviar (this gives me no guilt, its nutritionally good but financially bad)!

10. Reveal something about yourself that others would be surprised to learn?

One of my ex-girlfriends was/is a smoker. I asked if she would quit smoking if I stopped my heart beat. I stopped my heart beat and she quit smoking. My heart beat resumed so did her smoking, after some months though (referring to smoking). No one else knows that I have an unusual strategy to encourage smokers to quit, now you know, but you don’t know me:)

Now I need to select bloggers otherwise the fun stops. I understand you may not be able to do this considering it is a busy time of the year. If you cannot complete this mission I totally understand.

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Why do Western and Asian foods taste different? Experts have found the answer, or more like they have found what most people knew anyway.

381 ingredients, 1021 flavour compounds and 56,498 recipes were analysed and it was found that Western and Asian foods 'pair' flavours in completely different ways. North American and Western European recipes tend to pair flavours that 'match' such as butter and milk. Both Southern European and East Asian recipes tend to avoid pairing ingredients that share flavours. An example is the garlic and sesame oil pairing, these ingredients don't share as many flavour compounds. 

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