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| Your Ethnic Food Guide By: Deepti Dhir and Eve Solomon Have you and your friends ever gone to an ethnic restaurant to find yourselves just staring at the list of items on the menu? Do you always order the same dish because you are too afraid to try anything else? This week we bring you a guide to ordering ethnic food, so you can now include “eating out” as part of your weekend fun. Foods from different parts of the world really open the door to new cultures and destinations. Make sure you do not miss out on this mouthwatering experience right in your own neighborhood! Indian Remember in history class when you learned about European voyagers in the 15th and 16th centuries setting sail to try and find a passage to the east. What was one thing they were looking for? Spices. Till today, spices such as turmeric, cumin, cardamom, and red chili powder are used in Indian family households. "Our spices are very healthy,flavorful and form the basis ofall our cooking and have been used since ancient times and also hold medicinal properties," says Mr. K.N. Vinod, chef and co-owner of several Indian restaurants in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. He further emphasizes this unique- ness of spices in Indian food. “We can combine the same spice in different permutations and combina- tions to produce different tastes. This gives a great variety of flavor to Indian food. Even modern American chefs, fascinated by Indian spices, are trying to incorporate them into their foods." A traditional meal consists of roti or bread, dal or lentils, yogurt and a type of vegetable. So, to stay authentic, make sure you order from a variety of sections on the menu. Indians really know how to cook their vegetables, so this is the one time when you can make your mom happy. Almost any vegetable with breads like naan or tandoori roti work well. If it is meat you are craving, especially chicken, look out for the words tandoori, tikka, or makhani, and you will surely go for seconds. If you have never tried Indian food before, the strength of the spice and flavors may be a bit much to handle. Make sure you cool off with raita, a yogurt-based side dish, or a glass of cold mango lassi. In the dessert section, make sure to try kulfi, an Indian form of ice cream, and kheer, a rice pudding. Be careful because sometimes people find Indian sweets too sweet for their taste. But if you have a sweet tooth, then go for it! Food differs geographically in India, with South Indian cooking having more of a foundation in rice, coconut and lentils. It is very much worth trying the south’s famous dosas or crêpes, which can be eaten plain or with various fillings, and dipped in some sambar. Chinese Unlike most ethnic foods, which have become more and more popular within the past couple of decades, Chinese Food restaurants are the old classics in the world of ethnic food. Mr. Min of Tien Tsin restaurant in Rome, Italy revealed to me that the restaurant where he works as manager has been there since 1945. Considering Italians’ general hesitation to stray from their native cuisine, Tien Tsin’s fifty-year presence in Rome is pretty impressive! Mr. Min suggested that those who have never tried Chinese Food should stick to the most ‘Western’ dishes. Appetizers such as spring rolls and dumplings, main courses like fried rice, chow mein, a noodle dish with a mix of vegetables and meat fried in a Wok, and some variation of fried chicken—be it lemon or sesame chicken. When asked about the authenticity of the dishes, Mr. Min laughed and looked dubiously at his colleagues, who were seated around a big table eating before the restaurant opened. “The difference is, Italy has regional cuisine: the best pizza is in Napoli for example, but one province in China is as big as Italy or bigger, every province has within it many ways of cooking, for example Shanghai is sweeter, Shichuang is spicier, Hong Kong is lighter. Here at Tien Tsin we have a mix of methods from all over, and the ingredients are different, the food in China is different.” The point? When you venture into a Chinese restaurant, don’t expect a journey to China. What do the Chinese chefs eat? The staff at Tien Tsin sat around a table of peking duck, a sweet, fatty duck usually served whole with plum sauce, a whole white fish, steamed with vegetables, and white rice. For a more authentic meal, it seems necessary to go simple: steer clear of the greasy westernized dishes, which are all typically fried. For dessert? Small egg custard pies! We hope this guide helps Athena readers delve deeper into those cuisines they’ve already tried, or get up the courage to taste something new! Happy Eating! Coming up next month… Your guide to Japanese and Thai food! |
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