Discovering a new world of taste

      Spices, ginger and other seasonings have been traded by Chinese, Indian and Arab merchants long before the Europeans began their own epic voyages of discovery at the end of the 15th century. The so-called Age of Discovery—when the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and British sailed across uncharted seas—led not only to the source of precious spices, and to treasure troves of gold and silver, but to the discovery of a host of previously unknown vegetables and fruits. Over the next few centuries, New World plants, such as tobacco, chilies, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, peanuts, corn and tomatoes, spread throughout the world, to Asia as well as to Europe, while some Asian plants (particularly tea) became very popular in many parts of the world.

      We are in the midst of another era of discovery today. Thanks to a growing interest in Asian cuisines as a result of large-scale Asian migration and increasing international travel, dozens of previously unknown vegetables from around Asia are now readily available. They are planted in the West or imported for sale in farmers' markets, supermarkets, Asian stores and specialty shops everywhere from Seattle to Sydney, Berlin to Boston and London to Los Angeles.

      Asian vegetables offer a new world of flavors and textures, as well as exciting possibilities in the kitchen. However, the challenge of identifying unfamiliar vegetables, then knowing how to select, store and prepare them deters many cooks from experimenting with the exotic-looking produce now available. This timely book introduces cooks to everything they might need to know about all the major vegetables—fresh, dried, salted, or processed—used in Asia.

      Major Asian cultures, particularly Indian and Chinese, have a strong tradition of using a wide range of vegetables. Indeed, with the largest population of vegetarians worldwide, India has some of the most imaginative and delicious recipes for fresh vegetables, as well as for lentils and dried beans.

      As a result of the Buddhist prohibition on killing animals, China and Japan have both had periods in their history where the eating of meat (although in the case of Japan, not chicken and fish) was banned, and when chefs and home cooks had to rely solely on vegetables to create imaginative meals. Many Chinese Buddhists today avoid meat on the 15th day of each lunar month, and meat is still not eaten in Buddhist monasteries—many of these (especially in China) have restaurants that serve excellent vegetarian food to the general public.

      China first developed the art of making bean curd or tofu, a delicious meat substitute, from the dried soy bean, the plant with the richest protein content. Japan and Korea followed suit, and both countries now make a range of products from the soy bean. Tofu and other soy bean products are increasingly enjoyed by vegetarians and non-vegetarians around the world, and are described in detail in this book.

      In many Asian countries, meat is expensive and is served mainly during festivals. Vegetables thus have a greater importance than they tend to in the West, where larger amounts of protein are eaten. Grain—generally rice—forms the staple food, accompanied by vegetables and fresh fish from the sea, rivers or lakes.

      Home cooks in India, China and Japan, and to a lesser extent in Korea (where the climate limits the variety of vegetables cultivated), are skilled