Asian Dining Arising (2/4)

We’ve come a long way, baby, since “ethnic food” meant pizza, tacos and chicken chow mein. Wasabi power, Saigon cinnamon and other unusual ingredients have shelf space in supermarket aisles. Restaurants offer ethnic cuisines from specific regions rather than lumping dishes under “Italian”, “Mexican” and “Chinese”. “The American consumer is more savvy about the authenticity of ethnic foods, and foods are becoming more regionalized. We’re exploring more, so today “Italian” can mean Tuscan dishes or “Asian” can mean Japanese, Szechwan or Indian. Thai and Vietnamese foods are on the radar,” says Chef Bill Briwa, chef-instructor for the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone Center, based in California’s Napa Valley. “American consumers are incredibly demanding. We want food that not only tastes good and fills our bellies, but we think of food as entertainment. We want quick and easy preparation, good value for our money, the freshest ingredients, good flavor, and nice presentation. Ethnic food addresses all those desires,” Briwa says. Seven out of 10 shoppers ages 25 to 39 purchase ethnic foods at least once a month, according to the Food Marketing Institute’s Trends in the United States, and more Americans are eating ethnic foods more often now than two years ago. Asian food and diets Asian diets that emphasize vegetables, fish and balanced portions of grains have long been considered among the healthiest diets in the world. Now more than ever, American consumers are looking east for nutritional advice. Asian restaurants, with tasty treats from China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam continue to be hot franchise opportunities. Mongolian barbecue-style franchises offer the nutrition customers want with the fun of a build-it-yourself meal that is cooked to order. Noodles are another hot Asian import, and franchises like Wild Noodles, Zyng Noodlery, and Nothing But Noodles are serving up meals with an international flair, combining Asian, Italian, and American tastes on the same menu. The Asian plan for diet has proven to be among the healthiest nutritional plans in existence. The success of this type of diet is evidenced by the low rates of heart disease, cancer and other diseases among those practicing this type of eating plan. For the purpose of this article, the term Asian refers to people native to the countries of Japan, China, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and India. The basis for this plan is simple. Rather than taking protein from milk and meats, as is done in most Western cultures, the Asian diet uses rice, beans, fish, nuts, grains and seeds as its protein sources. Meat, poultry and eggs are used sparingly. Since meat and meat products are linked to heart disease and cancer, a diet low in these foods naturally leads to a lower incidence of these diseases. Rice, noodles, breads and grains are used as the main components of dishes that include generous amounts of mushrooms, fruits and vegetables. The fruits and vegetables are high in fiber and add to the protection against heart disease while providing extra vitamins and antioxidants. Except in India, milk, cheese and other dairy products are rarely eaten. This is an excellent for lowering fat but the lack of dairy foods can lead to calcium deficiencies. When adopting the Asian diet, the use of calcium supplements is recommended. Another important component of this diet is soy. Soy foods provide a main source of protein in the Asian diet. Soy foods such as tofu, miso and tempeh can be found more often in supermarkets rather than health food stores. Soy contains isoflavones, which are compounds that can stop the mutation of regular cells into cancer cells. Soy foods also lower cholesterol and are a good source of iron. New to the food market are soy milks, which contain no lactose, and tofu pizza and hot dogs, for those who wish to introduce smaller amounts of soy to their diets.