Asian ethnic … now for everyone: "Asian" food today defies definition more than ever. Like the size of the continent to which it refers, this category is huge, with a cuisine that is as diverse as the countries that call Asia home

Prepared Foods, Nov, 2003 by Eric Carre, Dari Carre

Asian Americans are the fastest and wealthiest growing population today, with two thirds clustered heavily in California, New York, Hawaii, Texas and Illinois. Though representing just 4.3% (or 12 million) of America's population, the 2000 census reported a 63% increase over 1990 statistics.

Once driven by the longing of first and second generation Asian immigrants for their homeland foods, today, ethnic prepared foods appeal to just about every other American.

At first, small businesses tied to community immigrant populations began producing traditional dishes. Along the way, they discovered that selling through ethnic food shops was tar easier and more profitable than jockeying with the supermarket giants. With the advent of ethnic superstores (the Pacific Northwest's Uwajimaya, 99 Ranch Markets in California, and the East Coast's Han Ah Reum Asian Marts), today's mainstream supermarkets finally carry a diverse assortment beyond the ubiquitous prepared sushi.

Due to popular new selections, the frozen ethnic foods market experienced a total of $2.2 billion in sales for 2001 (the last year of complete figures), the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) reported. Of this, Asian foods rang up $463 million to rank in third place--a 12.3% increase from the previous year. Italian foods came in first with $1.68 billion, while Mexican cuisine was second at $488 million.

Ironically, major corporate players have been taking notice of this category's growth in profits, too. Some have been producing their own product versions geared to the mass market (Uncle Ben's Rice and Noodle Bowls), reinventing others (Con Agra's La Choy brand), or quietly acquiring these small, specialized manufacturers under their own umbrellas (frozen food processor Ethnic Gourmet Foods of Framingham, Mass., is now owned by Heinz).

Chinese: The First Asian Food

To understand the food, one must understand the culture behind it. America's first encounter with Asian food began when Chinese immigrant laborers, mining for gold and laying track, brought their cooking to our shores in the mid-1800s. Years passed, families settled and grew, and restaurants offering traditional foods sprang up. Available in America for so long now, Chinese is no longer thought of as exotic. Today, Asian operated Chinese restaurants exist in just about every city in the U.S.

As the Asian population grew in numbers and diversity, restaurants expressing their unique cooking styles increased their presence in larger cities--fueling the interest in Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, and Indian foods, among many others.

Our current knowledge and appreciation of "Chinese" cuisine has since evolved into its distinct regional differences--Cantonese, Hunan, Szechuan, and so on, further emphasizing that Chinese--or any Asian food--no longer can be lumped into one category.

Broad Culinary Brush with Broad Appeal

Asia is a continent with distinct languages, cultural reference points, histories, and religions. While many countries share staple ingredients and cooking techniques, there are distinct differences from one region to the next.

In contrast to Western-style cooking where elements of a single meal are isolated, Asian cuisine is anchored in the philosophy of creating balance and harmony through the combination of flavors and textures--and frequently all within the same dish. Rice, noodles, legumes and bread are the backbone of this cuisine. Often steamed or stir-fried, vegetables provide the flavors, textures and colors: fruits appear in everything from savory dishes to desserts to drinks. Spices and spice blends also lend strong flavors and varying heat levels. Simple and complex sauces and pastes round out the mix.

Bolstered by this broad spectrum of flavors and textures and high visual appeal, Asian food is perceived as healthy and very affordable.

Setting the Trends

Through the influence of cooking techniques such as stir-frying and smoking and the use of woks, restaurant chefs have been expressing Asian food trends as they pave the way for consumer education and discovery.

Soy sauce is at the heart of Asian cuisine; the use of other ingredients can vary by country and region. Ginger, garlic, chile peppers sesame, star anise, and tamarind. Cilantro, Szechuan peppercorns, galangal, kaffir lime, rice wine, garam marsala, and cardamom. They are but a few of the ingredients characterizing this flavorful cuisine.

Whether remaining 100% authentic to the specific cuisine, fusing it to another, or tweaking it to the American palate, Asian-themed restaurants, such as PF Chang's China Bistro, Thaifoon, RA Sushi, and Big Bowl, are flourishing. Even mainstream American restaurants with broad-based menu concepts have tapped into the movement, incorporating Asian ingredients into contemporary cooking--be it French, Latin American, or even Southwestern. As an example, one may have already tasted the Thai ingredients offish sauce or shrimp paste in other cooking before having them in a Thai dish itself.