Asian cooking can generally be classified into several categories on the basis of the regional styles of cooking and the people and culture of those regions. Some of the main categories of Asian food are East Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian, Central Asian and Middle Eastern. In common usage however, Asian food (also referred to as Asian cuisine) primarily includes South and Southeast Asian cuisine. The main countries that constitute this region are India, China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma etc. Chinese food is generally considered to be East Asian food, even though China stretches from across mid-Asia to the Far East.

Rice is the most important staple through most of China. In some regions however, noodles are preferred to rice. Most foods are prepared by mincing or cooking, and are cooked in a wok, using very little oil. Traditionally, there are eight main regional cuisines in China: Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Sichuan and Zhejiang. The three distinct regional cuisines however, are Shanghainese characterized by hot and spicy chilly pepper flavoring, Cantonese associated with flavorful meat and vegetable combinations, and Mandarin associated with steamed noodle and bread dumplings. Since Japan is an island nation, much of its food includes fish and fish-based ingredients. Rice and sliced, salted vegetables are staples in Japanese cooking. Soy products such as soya sauce, soya paste and tofu are also used in many Japanese preparations. Japanese cuisine also includes sushi, meats in teriyaki sauce, lightly battered and fried meat and fish, as well as shellfish called tempura. Japanese food is healthy, tasty and simple to cook. It is low-fat, low-cholesterol, and well-known for reducing heart-related diseases.

While different parts of India are known for their different cultural backgrounds, they are also known for their different flavors and cuisines. Vegetarian food includes khakra and dhokla from Gujarat, daal-baati-choorma from Rajasthan, the Kashmiri dum-aloo, as well as dosas and kesari bhaat from South India. Non-vegetarian delicacies, especially the tandoori kind, were especially devised for the Nawabs of India. The saffron-flavoured reshmi kebab, and the lime juice and garlic marinated fish tikka serve as delectable appetizers in combination with the yoghurt-marinated chicken sheek kebab. Tandoori food is the perfect evidence of the richness of India's cultural diversity and royalty. Asian recipes were casually shared among the womenfolk in Asia, who generally got together after a long day's work, to discuss the day's events. Many of these recipes were guarded as important family secrets and carefully passed down from one generation to another. Thai food is a blend of Chinese, Malay, Indian, Myanmar, Khmer, Laotian and to a lesser extent, Portuguese cuisines. It is a harmonious blend of indigenous spices. Malaysian cuisine consists of fish, seafood, vegetables and poultry, though beef is conspicuously absent. It is usually spicier than Chinese food. Indonesian cuisine is also known for Chips making machine its unique blend of sweet and sour spiciness. Asian cooking has enormous potential in modern times, as Asian food chains are springing up all over the world very rapidly, and are also enjoying immense popularity.

Posted by: liza Jackson at September 12, 2019 11:16 AM (d3jXg)

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Hello:In Part 4 of our 7 part series we ll discuss what it means to know your market.When dining out, your expectations can vary. Maybe you don t feel like slaving over a stove so you go out to grab a bite. In a case like this some fast food will do the job just fine.There are times though when you want to sit down for dinner and have a nice time without spending a fortune. We re not talking about a special occasion. Just one of those days when a Number 1 combo from the Drive Thru doesn t do it for you. So you head to the diner where the food is a notch above fast food but not gourmet.

Good food at a reasonable price, nothing wrong with that.Sometimes, however, a special occasion calls for a break from the ordinary routine. You want to go someplace you DON T usually go so you head to a fancy restaurant. Maybe you have to make reservations and dress up to fit the atmosphere. This may even mean wearing a tie!Think of the establishment in each of these three scenarios: each one has done its research and knows its market. They know what kind of clientele to expect, maybe even dictating the terms (reservation and tie) and catering appropriately to that clientele.Meal for four at Burger King: $25Meal for four at Le Gourmet Expensive : $600 or more.Granted, in the coffee shop business the tastes don t cover a wide range. However the consumer sees Dunkin Donuts differently than HDPE PIPE welding machines they see Starbucks, even though they are in the same business and in competition with one another.So ask yourself: Where do I fit?What crowd should I cater to?Set up your coffee in a slum neighborhood and you ll have a hard time getting people to pay $2 and up for a cup of coffee.

However, if you open up a shop in New York s arts district you will easily be able to sell that $2 or more cup of coffee. The key? Knowing your market.The only way you can know your market is a study in demographics. Take a survey of people in your area. There are several things you need to know. Who lives there? What is their income level? And ultimately, what are their preferences? Don t forget about the competition. Notice who s become established in the area. Maybe Starbucks opened a store there... and it failed. This could be a dead giveaway of how viable a high class type coffee shop will do in your target area.Before you ever open a coffee shop, get to know your market. You can avoid a disaster by doing diligent research.See you soon with more.To YOUR coffee shop success,Byron Michaels

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