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Eat Drink Asia
Deep dive into the forgotten history behind some of Asia’s most popular dishes that have gone global with feature and podcast series Eat Drink Asia. Join reporters Alkira Reinfrank and Bernice Chan as they speak with chefs, restaurateurs and food experts to uncover the human stories behind these much-loved foods and drinks.
Updated: 12 May, 2021
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[1]
Why Singapore can’t claim Hainanese chicken rice as its own
Rivalry between Malaysia and Singapore has simmered since 1965 when the two nations went their separate ways. One perennial issue is which can lay claim to Hainanese chicken rice. But has anyone considered Hainan’s position?
27 Feb, 2021
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[2]
Tempura isn’t from Japan? How the country made the dish its own
Tempura – seafood or vegetables coated in batter and deep-fried – is as much a staple of Japanese cuisine as sushi and sashimi, but its origins are on the other side of the world.
15 Jan, 2021
[3]
Journey to the West: how tofu made its way to America
From its invention in China 2,000 years ago to acceptance in mainstream America today, tofu has gone from an acquired taste to trendy superfood.
15 Nov, 2020
[4]
Egg tart history: from medieval England to global dim sum hit
Chefs in Canton, southern China, created the egg tart by adapting an English recipe for custard tarts brought there by homesick merchants. Custard tarts go back to 15th century England, where they were a savoury affair and contained bone marrow.
25 Sep, 2020
[5]
The hidden history of xiaolongbao, Shanghai’s famous soup dumplings
It is said that xiaolongbao, or soup dumplings, loved around the world thanks to Taiwanese restaurant Din Tai Fung, originated in snack shops in a town on the outskirts of Shanghai, and may have had a very different name.
19 Aug, 2020
[6]
How Parasite put ‘cheap student grub’ into high-end restaurants
Ram-don, or jjapaguri, is not typically served with marbled sirloin like it is in the film Parasite, but the dish is common in South Korea, a country that embraces its love of instant noodles.
26 Jun, 2020
[7]
A refugee invented butter chicken, and changed the face of Indian cuisine
The story of butter chicken is one of three hard-working refugees, a hugely popular Delhi restaurant, and an accidental combination of ingredients born of necessity.
26 May, 2020
[8]
How Korean fried chicken – the other KFC – became a huge hit
South Korea is widely known for having one of the best and most crispy versions of fried chicken, a dish enjoyed the world over that was first introduced to the country by US troops during the Korean war.
08 Dec, 2019
[9]
How Vietnam’s humble banh mi took on the world
Introduced to Vietnam by the colonial French, the baguette was later adapted for local tastes. Banh mi is still sold in Vietnam as a cheap snack, but can now also be found around the world.
27 Oct, 2019
[10]
‘A taste of America’: how Spam became a hit in Asia and beyond
Fried, baked, boiled or braised, pork-based Spam was first a hit in the US during the Great Depression and then in Asia after World War II. Now some chefs are incorporating it in upmarket dishes.
29 Sep, 2019
[11]
Mooncakes then and now
We tried KFC’s spicy chicken mooncakes so you don’t have to.From the end of the Yuan Dynasty to modern Hong Kong, mooncakes have been the bearers of political messages.
30 Aug, 2019
[12]
The story of Sichuan food and the secret to its popularity
We think of Sichuan food as numbing and super hot, but the cuisine is much more subtle than that, say chefs and fans. Dishes such as mapo tofu and Sichuan hotpot are popular all over the world, but two-thirds of Sichuan dishes aren’t fiery.
28 Jul, 2019
[13]
How sushi took over the world (and it’s not from Japan)
Sushi reached China, then Japan from the Mekong River, and was later exported to the US and the rest of the world. Originally a dish of fermented whole fish preserved with inedible salted rice, it has evolved with technology into what we know today.
30 Jun, 2019
[14]
Hot facts about sriracha sauce, and why you’re saying it wrong
Huy Fong’s sriracha is an American-made hot sauce with Thai roots, invented by a Chinese-Vietnamese refugee who started out delivering his product personally across California. Most non-Thais are mispronouncing it.
24 May, 2019
[15]
The story of Sichuan food and the secret to its popularity
We think of Sichuan food as numbing and super hot, but the cuisine is much more subtle than that, say chefs and fans. Dishes such as mapo tofu and Sichuan hotpot are popular all over the world, but two-thirds of Sichuan dishes aren’t fiery.
28 Jul, 2019
[16]
Your ultimate guide to dim sum
A journey into the history and culture of dim sum – why it’s served on trolleys, what the path to becoming a dim sum chef is like, and the painstaking work behind a simple har gau.
30 Mar, 2019
[17]
Taiwanese bubble tea: from pearl of the Orient to global hit
Created in Taichung, Taiwan in the 1980s, bubble tea is a mix of milk tea, tapioca pearls and syrup. It spread through Asia, gaining popularity and then exploded across the United States.
23 Feb, 2019
