The Foods of Asia
Asia's food traditions run thousands of years deep. Explore the grain-and-ferment table of Han-dynasty China, the lost street eats of old Edo, the delicate flower pancakes of Joseon Korea, and the mindful vegetarian cuisine of Japan's Buddhist temples.
Frequently asked questions
- What did people eat in Han-dynasty China?
- Han tables centred on grains — millet in the north, rice in the south — with fermented sauces, pickles, soy in its early forms, and steaming and boiling as the dominant techniques, much of it recognisable in Chinese cooking today.
- What was Edo-period street food?
- The food stalls of Edo (old Tokyo) served early sushi, tempura, soba and grilled eel to a fast-moving city — arguably the world's first great fast-food culture, and the root of dishes now eaten everywhere.
- What is shojin ryori?
- Shojin ryori is the vegetarian temple cuisine of Japanese Buddhism: seasonal, plant-based and precise, built to nourish without harm and to make a meal itself a form of practice.