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Eat Drink Asia is an award-winning podcast by the South China Morning Post that deep dives into the forgotten history of some of Asia's most popular dishes that have gone global. Discover the human story behind some of Asia's most loved foods, drinks and condiments with SCMP journalists, as they speak with chefs, restaurateurs and food experts from across the region.
35 Episodes
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Black moss is synonymous with Lunar New Year feasts because its name in Cantonese sounds lucky – fat choy being a homonym for “get rich”. However, cultivation of the moss has taken an unfortunate toll on some arid regions of mainland China. Post deputy culture editor Charmaine Mok reports on how overharvesting of black moss has turned some areas into desert.
Read Charmaine’s full story: https://sc.mp/ldgag
Golden oysters are a plump delicacy symbolising prosperity and they adorn many tables at Lunar New Year in Hong Kong. Post reporter Lisa Cam travels to the city’s Lau Fau Shan area to discover how this delicacy is made and why it has been a staple for the local Shajing community.
Read Lisa’s full story: https://sc.mp/k4583
Sweet and sour pork is served around the world to diners who consider it among the most iconic and beloved of Cantonese dishes. Hosts Charmaine Mok and Sam Evans sit down with Post reporter Lisa Cam to discuss its evolution including how it made its way from the Chinese port city of Shanghai to Hong Kong, and around the globe including on the menus of British-Chinese takeaway shops.
Read more about sweet and sour pork: https://sc.mp/4xny
1American fast food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken or KFC has found its way onto the Christmas dining tables of millions of Japanese families. Hosts Charmaine Mok and Sam Evans explore how this surprising holiday tradition started. They speak with Tokyo-based chef Daniel Calvert, who is currently serving fried chicken at his restaurant and with Susan Jung, who wrote a cookbook about fried chicken in Asia.
South Korean exports of coffee mixes and instant coffee sticks have risen as the world’s K-drama fans react to seeing the products featured on TV series such as Moving, Vincenzo and My Mister. This Post story, reported by Kwak Yeon-soo and narrated by Charmaine Mok, explores how entrepreneurs in South Korea and the US are remaking the humble product into something that is now contributing to hallyu or the “Korean wave”.
Read Yeon-soo’s article here: https://sc.mp/2ecl
Classic dishes including siu mai and har gow can be found in nearly every dim sum restaurant around the world. But where can you find quail egg siu mai, soup dumplings and preserved sausage buns? Journey with hosts Charmaine Mok and Sam Evans to find out why these varieties of dim sum are endangered. Post reporter Lisa Cam has the story of a labour shortage the industry faces, and how a restaurant in Hong Kong is trying to revitalise these dishes before they go “extinct”.
Frozen Sara Lee pound cakes could soon become harder for fans to find after the Australia-based manufacturer went into voluntary administration on October 17, 2023. Post deputy culture editor Charmaine Mok muses about how the ready-to-eat dessert has been a staple found in the freezer compartments of many Asian families for years, even making an appearance on the popular Netflix show Beef.
Read Charmaine’s full story here: https://sc.mp/7em1
Century eggs are often portrayed in the West with a tinge of disgust, but Charmaine Mok and Sam Evans are on a mission to demystify the traditional Chinese snack. Post reporter Lisa Cam also joins the Eat Drink Asia hosts on a journey to discover three Cantonese dishes made with century egg and crack open secrets about their health benefits linked to traditional Chinese medicine.
Wok hei is what differentiates an ordinary stir-fried dish from a perfect one. Hosts Charmaine Mok and Sam Evans speak with Post reporter Lisa Cam to discuss the art and science behind wok hei, and why it has become so beloved among Cantonese food fans. Hear from the cookbook author who first translated wok hei into English, and a Hong Kong chef who is breaking barriers by wielding the wok.
An SCMP archive special: the story of dumplings is the story of the globalisation of Chinese cuisine - take the journey from Beijing to Shanghai, Hong Kong and down the ancient Silk Road to discover who invented them - and how a traditional Chinese medicine cure evolved into a meal enjoyed around the world. Interviewees: Lu Hongbin; Du Yichu restaurant, Beijing; Hu Wei-I, Wan Shou Zai restaurant, Shanghai; Wang Hong Chun, Ah Cun Shandong Dumpling, Prince Edward; Dr Dai Zhaoyu, senior lecturer,…
Is this poached chicken dish served with various condiments originally from Singapore or Malaysia? It's a question that stirs up quite a debate between these two countries where eating and criticising the other side’s cuisine are national pastimes. In this episode we trace the origins of Hainanese chicken rice and find out how there's a lot more that goes into making this succulent dish fragrant and flavourful than meets the eye.
Tempura is an ubiquitous Japanese dish, with seafood or vegetables coated in batter and deep-fried. But did you know that tempura originated in Portugal? Bernice and Alkira trace its origins back to the 16th century when Portuguese missionaries sailed to Japan and traded guns, tobacco and flour. They taught the Japanese how to use the flour to make tempura. It has since evolved into a high culinary art form in Japan. Featuring chef Eisaku Hara of Uchitsu Tempura, chef Rodolfo Vicente of Casa…
Before plant-based meats and oat milk there was tofu. It's a popular staple in Asian cooking that was first written about before the Sung dynasty in 960 AD. Bernice Chan and Alkira Reinfrank look at how tofu made its way to America in three waves that started with Benjamin Franklin, Asian immigrants in the 1800s, and finally during the hippie counterculture in the late 1960s. Featuring Renee So of Kung Wo Tofu Factory, Jenny Yang of Phoenix Bean in Chicago, Bill Shurtleff, founder and president…
Cantonese egg tarts are hard to resist with their silky egg custard filling and flaky pastry crust. Found in bakeries and eaten at the end of dim sum, the egg tart is a sentimental dessert in Hong Kong and across southern China, but its roots are not native to the region. It’s believed the British first brought custard tarts to southern China in the 1920s, where local chefs adapted the recipe before it was brought to Hong Kong. To uncover the full history of the egg tart we travel all the way…
Xiaolongbao - or soup dumplings as they are known in the West - are delicate parcels of pork and broth that are served piping hot in a bamboo steamer. In this episode Alkira Reinfrank and Bernice Chan uncover the origins of this golf-ball sized dumpling, tracing it back to a district on the fringes of Shanghai, China. They speak to the daughter of a xiaolongbao master to find out what makes the perfect soup dumpling, and find out how Din Tai Fung began in Taiwan selling cooking oil then made…
Jjapaguri, or ram-don, as it is known in the Academy award-winning movie Parasite, is a super easy and cheap dish that simply mixes two kinds of instant noodles together. In this episode of Eat Drink Asia, we look into the food references in the film and how a dish only known to Koreans quickly became something global audiences salivated over.
Vicky Cheng, chef and owner of one-Michelin-starred VEA tells us how to turn a humble pack of instant noodles to a glorious okonomiyaki — a classic Japanese pancake.
As popular and ubiquitous as curry is around the world, the word ‘curry’ doesn’t actually exist in India. In this episode we look into butter chicken – not curry – a dish that balances the smokiness of the meat and the silkiness of the sauce like no other. We traced it back to the grandson of the inventor of this iconic dish, who told us its origin story of hard work, resilience, and hope.
Sound effects from Klankbeeld, digifishmusic, SoundLover16 on Freesound.org.
This is a quick coconut fish stew recipe that will make you look like the chef of the house. It's shared by chef Palash Mitra, who helms the Michelin-starred restaurant New Punjab Club in Hong Kong.
How to make it:
Cut the fish into manageable pieces and season with salt, turmeric, crushed peppercorns, and curry leaves (optional).
Heat some coconut oil and add in mustard seeds, chopped shallots, tomatoes, and a bit of ginger.
Sautée till transparent and add the fish, lightly fry and…
Listen to top chefs in Hong Kong describe how they cook their favourite comfort dishes at home. Today's recipe from chef Barry Quek only requires three ingredients: instant noodles, an onion, and a hard cheese, like cheddar or parmesan.
How to make it:
Slice about half an onion into thin slices then heat oil in a pot and saute the onions until they turn light brown, about 10 minutes.
Add the seasoning packet from the instant noodles and stir for about a minute then add enough water to cook…
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