Asian
Don't leave Asian food for take-out and Sunday buffets only! Bringing this cultural food into your home is not only easy, but also packed with fresh flavorful recipes, healthy ingredients, and is so easy for parents to make at home! This handy Beginner's Guide to Kid Friendly Asian Food is the perfect way to expand your child's palate.
When starting to introduce International Cuisine to your family meals, Asian food is a great place to start! Not only to most people have some exposure to Asian cuisine already, but its easy to find fast, fresh, flavorful meals the whole family will enjoy!
START WITH THE HOW TO TEACH CHILDREN TO BE WORLD FOOD EXPLORERS GUIDE
If you haven’t gone over the above guide it’s a good place to start so that you can successfully introduce your children to new and adventurous foods. Here’s some things to get you started on your next food adventure- Asia!
The continent of Asia actually encompasses a whole vast array of peoples and cuisines, but for the sake of this guide, we will focus on East and SouthEast Asian cuisines, which includes:
- Chinese
- Japanese
- Korean
- Mongolian
- Taiwanese
- Burmese
- Cambodian
- Filipino
- Loatian
- Thai
- Vietnamese
Tips to Make Asian Food Kid Friendly:
- Include Known Favorites. Asian cuisine is so handy because you can add in pretty much any vegetable you have on hand! I always try to add in a few that are different colors or sizes to add some visual variety. Make sure that at least one is something that your kid already loves, and try one that they might not be so familiar with.
- RICE! Rice is a great fall back because kids love it! Its easy to make, its helps dilute new flavors and sauces, and its a basic staple for Asian cuisine. There are a bajillion varieties, but you can stick what you like on hand, whether its jasmine or brown, but either way - a bowl of plain rice is where its at.
- Noodles are included in a good majority of majority of Asian dishes, and can easily be swapped out for rice. Don't get too hung up on the kind of noodle - they are easy to swap out!
Top Ten Flavors of Asian Cuisine:
- Ginger - Can be used grated, minced, sliced, and in so many other ways!
- Miso Paste - This soybean paste comes in a variety of colors and flavor intensities. It has sweet overtones and is mildly sweet
- Chinese 5 Spice - A great blend of spices that adds depth of flavor.
- Soy Sauce - A great way to add salty flavor to just about everything! You can also replace with gluten-free tamari.
- Sesame Oil - With a great toasty, nutty, aromatic flavor, this rounds out dressings, dipping sauces and marinades.
- Rice Vinegar - A mild vinegar used for marriages, dipping sauces, and vinaigrettes.
- Fish Sauce - A must have funky flavor addition and a great way to add some "umami" to any dish. A little goes a long way!
- Oyster Sauce - This sauce might seem similar to Fish sauce, and it does have a similar flavor but has much more depth of flavor and is more a thick sauce than the thinner fish sauce.
- Hot Chili Sauce - Adds heat and a little more flavor to any dish. Garlic Chili Sauce or Sriracha, or Gogochang are great options.
- Coconut Milk - Used prevalently in SE Asian cooking, and is slightly sweet flavored.
Other Resource You Might Need:
Tools and Gadgets for Eating Asian Food at Home:
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You actually don't need any fancy equipment to enjoy Asian food at home! The following are fun to have, though!
- Kid-Friendly Chopsticks make eating Asian food not only seem authentic, but WAY FUN!
- A Rice Cooker helps make rice SO fast and easy - plus it can keep it warm for hours! Its not essential to have, but its super nice to have if you have the cabinet space for it!
