Flavors of Asia and Africa

Asia is the world’s largest continent, consisting of 48 countries including China,

Japan, Philippine, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, etc. Asia occupies four-
fifths of the giant Eurasian landmass. Asia is more a geographic term than a
homogenous. Asia have established the broadest variety of human adaptation found
on any of continents. Asia 4.54 billion inhabitants. Asia occupies 60% of the world’s
population. Asia is the home of the most populous countries, China and India, together
constitute about 36% of the world’s population. Asia the home of many famous
landmarks like Mount Everest, Dead Sea, The Himalayas etc. Asia is divided into 5(five)
parts: Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Western Asia. Asia is diverse
with its culture and religion. Due to countries in Asia differ in cultures, they also differ in
the types of cuisine they mostly eat. Like in china they mostly eat noodles while in
Japan they mostly eat seafood like salmon in sushi.

Africa, which is also known as “The gift of the Nile” is the second largest
continent after Asia that covers 6% of Earth’s surface. Africa is also the second most-
populous continent. The total population of Africa is estimated at 1.26 billion,
representing 17% of the world’s population. This continent is surrounded by large bodies
of water like the Atlantic Ocean, on the north by the Mediterranean sea, on the east by
the Red sea and the Indian ocean. Like in Asia, Africa is also divided into 5(five) parts:
Northern Africa, Western Africa, Central Africa, Eastern Africa, Southern Africa. Africa
has eight major physical regions: the Sahara, the Sahel, the Ethiopian Highlands, the
Savanna, the Swahili Coast, the rain forest, the African Great Lakes, and southern
Africa. The African Great Lakes region has diverse range of aquatic resources and
terrestrial animal life.

As we all know, food is an important necessity in our lives. Regardless on our age,
we all need food. People connect to their cultural or ethnic group through similar
patterns. They often use food as a means of retaining their cultural identity. People from
different cultural backgrounds eat different food. The ingredients, methods of
preparation, preservation, techniques, and types of food eaten at different means vary
among cultures. Food items themselves have meaning attached to them. Nation or
countries are frequently associated with certain foods. For example, many people
mostly Asians associate China with noodles, rice, meat, and seafood. Yet Chinese eat
many other food other than those.

The uniqueness of different cuisines in Africa and Asia is because of the climate,
because some of the countries like the Philippines which has a tropical climate while on
the other hand, Japan gas a different climate which is evident in its 4 seasons. The
cuisines are also unique because of the culture and geography of the people, like in
Japan where they mostly eat sushi because they are near Pacific Ocean. And because
of their main ways of living is fishing. In Asia and Africa we usually use soy sauce and
vinegar for cooking to add little flavor unlike herbs and spices.
 Asian cuisines include several major regional cuisines: central, eat, north, south,
Southeast , and west Asian. Ingredients common to many cultures in east and southeast
regions of the continent include rice, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, chilies, dried onions,
soy, and tofu. Stir frying, steaming, and deep frying are common cooking methods.

Rice is a common to most Asian cuisines, different varieties are popular in the
various regions. Basmati rice is popular in the Indian subcontinent, jasmine rice is often
across the Southeast Asia, while long-grain rice is popular in China and short-grain in
Japan and Korea. Curry is a common dish in South, Southeast, and East Asia. Curry
dishes have their origin in Indian subcontinent. With present-day Northern India,
Bangladesh, and Pakistan mainly using a yogurt as, while in Southeast Asia they
generally use coconut milk as foundation. Most central Asian nations have similar
cuisines to each other as well as their neighbors, taking many feature of the
neighboring cuisines of western and eastern Asia particularly Mongolia. However, many
of the same countries use horse meat and mutton as the most common meats, similar
to beef. The cuisine evolved to meet the needs of nomad lifestyle. West Asian cuisines
are diverse while having a degree of homogeneity. Some commonly used ingredients
include olives and olive oil, pitas, hone, sesame seed, dates, sumac, chickpeas, mint
and parsley.

Common to most of the continent in Africa are meals with less meat, plenty of
whole grain and beans, and even more fresh fruits and vegetables. Probably Africa is
the healthiest continent all over the world. Eating habits of the different African regions
vary greatly. Milk, curd and whey would make the bulk of the diet in some areas while
in other milk cannot be produced due to disease of the cattle. Grains are staple food in
Eastern African diet, where they us cattle, sheep, goat as coin and rarely, if ever, eat
their meat; while central Africa residents not only eat beef and meat, when available,
but hunt for the other meals in the forest as well. Over several centuries, traders,
travelers, migrants and immigrants all have influenced northern Africa cuisines. In the 1st
century Phoenicians brought sausages, while the Carthaginians introduced wheat and
its by-product, semolina. The Berbers adapted semolina into couscous one of the main
staple foods. Olives and olive oil were introduced before the arrival of Romans. In
southern Africa their cooking is called “rainbow cuisines”, as the food in this region is a
blend of many cultures. A typical West African meal is made of starchy items and can
contain meat, fish as well as various spices and herbs.

To sum it all, food is an essential part of our culture. We grow up eating the food
of our culture. It becomes the part of who each of us are. Many of us associate food
from our childhood with warm feelings and good memories and it ties us to our families,
holding special personal value for us. Food from our family often becomes the comfort
food we seek as adults in times of frustration and stress. It may show our like and dislikes.
It is able to express identity, values, status, power, artistry, and creativity. It also operates
as an expression of cultural identity. Food is a portal into culture, and it should be
treated as such. Traditional cuisines is passed down from one generation to another. It
also operates as an expression of cultural identity.
 Immigrant bring the food of their countries with them wherever they go and
cooking traditional food is a way of preserving their culture when they move to new
places. What stays the same though is the extent to which each country or
community’s unique cuisine can reflect its unique history, lifestyle, values, and beliefs.