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Asian recipes

968 Asian recipes, from China, India, Japan, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand. Each one says which country it belongs to and where the recipe came from.

• Ada, sourced from India. A rice-flour parcel steamed inside a banana leaf, which is the mould. vegan.
• Ada pradhaman, sourced from India. Rice flakes in a sauce of coconut milk cooked with jaggery. vegetarian.
• Adhirasam, sourced from India. The dough ferments for three to five days in the sun before anything is fried. vegetarian.
• Afritada, sourced from the Philippines. Chicken in a plain tomato sauce, with the potatoes fried before they go anywhere near it. Chicken.
• Agedashi dōfu, sourced from Japan. Tofu pressed, dusted in starch and fried, with the broth poured round it and never over it. Fish, Tofu.
• Agujjim, sourced from South Korea. Monkfish steamed on a bed of beansprouts and never stirred into the sauce, which is thickened around it at the end. Fish.
• Akhuni, sourced from India. Soybeans boiled soft but left whole, then fermented until they smell. vegan.
• Akki rotti, sourced from India. A rice-flour flatbread from Karnataka, finished over an open flame so its edges char. vegetarian.
• Akuri, sourced from India. Eggs taken off almost runny, with fried onion as the flavouring rather than spice. Egg, vegetarian.
• Aligue fried rice, sourced from the Philippines. Fried rice with crab fat folded through off the heat, so it coats rather than cooks. Shellfish.
• Aloo Chap, sourced from India. No peas in it, a batter round the outside, and puffed rice alongside. vegan.
• Aloo chokha, sourced from India. Mashed boiled potato taking its mustard oil raw, the side that goes with litti. vegan.
• Aloo Gobhi, sourced from India. Cauliflower is the other half, and turmeric is what makes it yellow. vegetarian.
• Aloo Mutter, sourced from India. The gravy is tomato made creamy, and the spicing is mild on purpose. vegetarian.
• Aloo paratha, sourced from India. A wheat flatbread whose spiced potato filling goes inside a ball of dough before it is rolled. vegetarian.
• Aloo Tikki, sourced from India. The peas go inside the potato and it is shaped into a cutlet. vegetarian.
• Ampaw, sourced from the Philippines. Leftover rice dried hard, puffed in hot oil, and bound into bars with caramel. vegan.
• Anarsa, sourced from India. It is rolled in white poppy seeds and fried poppy-side down first. vegetarian.
• Anchovy and Kelp Stock, sourced from South Korea. The stock most Korean soups and stews are built on, where the kelp comes out before the water boils and the anchovies go in after. Fish.
• Andong Jjimdak, sourced from South Korea. A dark soy-braised chicken with no chilli paste in it at all, its heat coming from whole dried chillies. Chicken.
• Anishi, sourced from India. Taro leaves fermented in a sack for days, then pressed into cakes and smoked. vegan.
• Ankimo, sourced from Japan. Liver de-veined, cured, rolled into a cylinder and steamed, then chilled before slicing. Fish.
• Anpan, sourced from Japan. A soft enriched bun round bean paste, with a cooked flour paste in the dough for softness. Egg, vegetarian.
• Apas, sourced from the Philippines. Rolled thin enough to see light through, and sugared before it goes in, not after. Egg, vegetarian.
• Appam, sourced from India. Coconut milk goes into the batter and it is cooked in a bowl-shaped pan, so it is thick in the middle and lacy at the rim. vegan.
• Arroz a la Cubana, sourced from the Philippines. Four things cooked separately and plated together, never mixed in the pan. Beef, Egg.
• Arroz ala Valenciana, sourced from the Philippines. A paella-shaped dish built on glutinous rice and coconut milk rather than stock. Chicken, Egg.
• Arroz caldo, sourced from the Philippines. A thick chicken and rice porridge carried by ginger, with toasted garlic and calamansi on top. Chicken.
• Asado roll, sourced from the Philippines. A soft baked roll round a soy-braised pork filling reduced until it is almost dry. Pork, Egg.
• Ashoka Halwa, sourced from India. A Thanjavur halwa in which moong dal stands in for the wheat that was scarce. vegetarian.
• Atchara, sourced from the Philippines. Shredded green papaya salted and squeezed before it ever meets the vinegar. vegan.
• Aubergine with Minced Pork, sourced from China. Aubergine fried in long batons with pork scattered through it and a sharp sauce. Pork.
• Avial, sourced from India. The vegetables are boiled rather than fried, and only crisp ones go in. vegetarian.
• Baek-kimchi, sourced from South Korea. Kimchi with no chilli in it at all, stuffed with pear and radish and left in a pale brine. vegetarian.
• Bagnet, sourced from the Philippines. Pork belly boiled, air-dried, then fried three separate times so the skin shatters. Pork.
• Bagoong fried rice, sourced from the Philippines. Fried rice seasoned with fried shrimp paste and served with raw green mango against it.
• Baingan Bharta, sourced from India. The aubergine is charred whole over a flame until the skin blackens, and that smoke is the dish. vegan.
• Bakarkhani, sourced from India. A hard-crusted Mughlai bread whose sheet is stretched and folded back over ghee again and again. vegetarian.
• Bal mithai, sourced from India. Roasted khoya cut into fudge and rolled in sugar-coated poppy seeds. vegetarian.
• Balao-balao, sourced from the Philippines. Whole small shrimp fermented in salted rice for a week, then cooked before eating. Shellfish.
• Balbacua, sourced from the Philippines. Oxtail and skin cooked long past tender, until the broth sets to jelly when it cools. Beef.
• Balikucha, sourced from the Philippines. Dark sugar boiled to a hard ball and then pulled by hand until it turns pale and opaque. vegan.
• Bamboo shoot salad, sourced from Thailand. Boiled bamboo shoots dressed warm, with the shoots boiled twice in changed water first.
• Banana chip, sourced from the Philippines. Sliced thin across and fried twice, so they stay crisp under the glaze. vegan.
• Bananacue, sourced from the Philippines. Saba bananas fried in sugar that caramelises around them in the pan. vegan.
• Baozi, sourced from China. A baozi, also known as bao or bau, is a type of steamed, filled bun or. vegan.
• Barfi, sourced from India. Khoa and sugar cooked to a fudge and cut cold, with nothing set in syrup. vegetarian.
• Barquillos, sourced from the Philippines. Paper-thin wafers rolled round a dowel in the seconds before they set. Egg, vegetarian.
• Barquiron, sourced from the Philippines. A wafer roll packed with polvoron crumb, which has to go in while the roll is still warm. Egg, vegetarian.
• Basundi, sourced from India. It is stirred constantly so that no skin forms at all, which is the opposite of what rabri wants. vegetarian.
• Batchoy, sourced from the Philippines. A long pork bone broth over egg noodles, finished with crushed pork crackling. Pork.
• Batchoy Tagalog, sourced from the Philippines. A pork innard soup thickened with blood and finished with misua, with no noodle bowl to it. Pork.
• Bati, sourced from India. The bread that uses the least water, which is why it keeps in a desert. vegetarian.
• Baye baye, sourced from the Philippines. Pressed rather than cooked, and it has to be eaten the day it is made.
• Bebinca, sourced from India. Between seven and sixteen layers, each one baked before the next is poured on. Egg, vegetarian.
• Beef Chow Fun, sourced from China. Wide rice noodles in a dry wok at the highest heat, turned with a spatula and never stirred, so they char instead of breaking. Beef.
• Beef Curry, sourced from China. Beef shin in a curry thickened by potato rather than by flour or coconut. Beef.
• Beggar's Chicken, sourced from China. A whole chicken wrapped in leaves, sealed inside a flour and salt casing and baked for hours, then broken open at the table. Chicken, Pork.
• Beguni, sourced from India. Aubergine cut the long way, in a gram flour batter, fried in mustard oil. vegan.
• Beijing Pork, sourced from China. Shredded pork in a dark sweet sauce, rolled up at the table with raw spring onion. Pork, Egg, Tofu.
• Benne Dose, sourced from India. Butter goes into the batter itself, not only onto the finished dosa. vegetarian.
• Beondegi, sourced from South Korea. Silkworm pupae simmered in their own broth until it has almost gone, and never fried.
• Bhakri, sourced from India. Millet flour and hot water, flattened by hand rather than rolled. vegan.
• Bhatura, sourced from India. The dough is soured and fermented overnight with yogurt, so it is a sourdough rather than a quick bread. vegetarian.
• Bhel puri, sourced from India. Built one ingredient at a time, with no dahi anywhere in it. vegan.
• Biangbiang Noodles, sourced from China. Dough ripped by hand into wide belts and finished by pouring smoking oil over dry chilli and garlic in the bowl. vegan.
• Bibim Guksu, sourced from South Korea. Cold noodles in a thick sauce with no broth at all, dressed only when everything else is on the table. Egg.
• Bibimbap, sourced from South Korea. A rice bowl whose every vegetable is cooked and seasoned separately, arranged in sections and mixed only at the table. Egg, vegetarian.
• Bibingka, sourced from the Philippines. A rice cake baked in a banana leaf with heat above and below. Duck, Egg.
• Bibingkoy, sourced from the Philippines. Filled rice balls boiled in a ginger coconut syrup, so the filling is the surprise. vegan.
• Bicol Express, sourced from the Philippines. Pork in coconut milk reduced until the oil breaks out, with a great deal of chilli. Pork, Shellfish.
• Bikaneri bhujia, sourced from India. Moth bean flour with the gram flour, which is why it is crunchier than sev. vegan.
• Biko, sourced from the Philippines. A sticky rice slab with whole grains and a caramel top, cut in squares. vegan.
• Binagol, sourced from the Philippines. Grated taro cooked to a stiff paste and baked back inside half a coconut shell. Egg, vegetarian.
• Binagoongan, sourced from the Philippines. Pork belly browned hard and then braised in shrimp paste alone, with no soy and no vinegar. Pork.
• Binaki, sourced from the Philippines. Grated fresh corn steamed in its own husks, with cornmeal added only to hold it together. vegetarian.
• Binakol, sourced from the Philippines. Chicken simmered in coconut water rather than stock, with the coconut flesh added at the end. Chicken.
• Binangkal, sourced from the Philippines. Dense flour balls coated in sesame and fried low and slow so the middle cooks through. Egg, vegetarian.
• Binatog, sourced from the Philippines. Dried white corn soaked overnight and boiled until the kernels burst open, with fresh coconut. vegan.
• Bindaetteok, sourced from South Korea. Pancakes ground from soaked mung beans with no flour in the batter at all, fried thick in a great deal of oil. Pork.
• Bingsu, sourced from South Korea. Shaved frozen milk rather than crushed ice, which is a texture you cannot get from a blender. vegetarian.
• Binignit, sourced from the Philippines. Root crops and sago in coconut milk, added in order of hardness. vegan.
• Biryani, sourced from India. Two layers of rice with the meat between them, which is what a pilau is not. Lamb.
• Biscocho, sourced from the Philippines. Bread baked once, sliced, buttered and baked again until it is dry all the way through. vegetarian.
• Bisi Bele Bhath, sourced from India. Rice, dal and vegetables cook in one pot, and the masala has its own name. vegetarian.
• Bistek, sourced from the Philippines. Thin beef seared fast in calamansi and soy, under more onion than seems reasonable. Beef.
• Black Sesame Soup, sourced from China. A hot sweet soup ground from toasted sesame and soaked rice, thickened by the rice alone and by nothing else. vegan.
• Boat noodles, sourced from Thailand. A dark spiced beef noodle broth thickened with blood stirred in off the boil. Pork, Beef.
• Bokkeum-bap, sourced from South Korea. Plain fried rice where the soy goes round the edge of the pan rather than onto the rice, so it caramelises instead of steaming. Pork, Beef, Egg.
• Bombay mix, sourced from India. A dozen separately fried things tossed together, each kept crunchy. vegan.
• Bonda, sourced from India. A ball of filling dipped whole in gram flour batter, so the batter is only a coat. vegan.
• Boondi, sourced from India. Batter dropped through a slotted spoon, so it fries as separate pearls. vegan.
• Bopis, sourced from the Philippines. Lungs and heart boiled, minced fine, then fried dry with vinegar and chilli. Pork.
• Braised Aubergine, sourced from China. Aubergine browned hard and then braised in a sweet-sour sauce that reduces onto it. vegan.
• Braised Beef, sourced from China. Beef shin cooked long and slow with daikon, and the broth kept to drink alongside. Beef.
• Braised Chicken, sourced from China. Chicken thighs cooked with dried mushrooms and the water they soaked in. Chicken.
• Braised Duck, sourced from China. Duck legs with their fat rendered out and poured away, then braised in wine and ginger. Duck.
• Braised Pork, sourced from China. Pork shoulder braised gently with rock sugar, with chestnuts added near the end. Pork.
• Braised Pork Belly, sourced from China. Pork belly cooked in caramelised sugar and soy until the sauce is thick enough to coat it. Pork.
• Braised Pork Ribs, sourced from China. Short ribs fried then braised in a sweet-sour sauce reduced hard until it turns sticky. Pork.
• Brazo de Mercedes, sourced from the Philippines. A meringue sheet rolled around a yolk custard, using both halves of the same eggs. Egg, vegetarian.
• Bread pakora, sourced from India. Triangles of white bread in gram flour batter, often with potato between two slices. vegan.
• Bringhe, sourced from the Philippines. Glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk and turmeric in a leaf-lined pan, with chicken on top. Chicken, Egg.
• Broas, sourced from the Philippines. Dry sponge fingers baked twice, so they snap instead of bending. Egg, vegetarian.
• Bua loi, sourced from Thailand. Small rice-flour balls coloured with real vegetables, boiled apart from the coconut milk. vegan.
• Buckwheat tea, sourced from Japan. Roasted groats brewed with genuinely boiling water, and then eaten as well as drunk. vegan.
• Budae-jjigae, sourced from South Korea. A stew arranged in sections in a cold pan, with the broth poured over at the table so nothing is cooked down into anything else. Pork, Fish, Tofu.
• Buddha's Delight, sourced from China. A braise built almost entirely from dried things, where the water they soaked in is the only stock there is. Tofu, vegan.
• Bukayo, sourced from the Philippines. Coconut strips cooked in muscovado until the syrup will hold them in a heap. vegan.
• Buko pandan, sourced from the Philippines. Green pandan jelly cubes and coconut strips in sweetened cream, with the pandan actually infused. vegetarian.
• Buko pandan cake, sourced from the Philippines. A green pandan sponge rolled warm in a cloth round coconut cream, so it never cracks. Egg, vegetarian.
• Buko salad, sourced from the Philippines. Young coconut and tinned fruit in sweetened cream, with no gelatine and no pandan in it. vegetarian.
• Bulalo, sourced from the Philippines. Beef shank boiled until the marrow slides out, in a broth left clear. Beef.
• Bulgogi, sourced from South Korea. Beef part-frozen so it can be sliced almost transparent, marinated with grated pear and cooked in a pan hot enough to colour it in seconds. Beef.
• Bungeoppang, sourced from South Korea. A thin batter in a fish-shaped mould filled halfway, the paste laid in, and more batter poured over before it is closed. Egg, vegetarian.
• Burong isda, sourced from the Philippines. Fish fillet salted and buried in rice to ferment for a week, then fried before it is eaten. Fish.
• Burong mangga, sourced from the Philippines. Green mango left in brine for a week, which ferments rather than pickles. vegan.
• California roll, sourced from Japan. An inside-out roll built on cling film, with the rice outside and the nori hidden. Shellfish, Egg.
• Camachile cookie, sourced from the Philippines. A firm biscuit rolled and curled into a ridged crescent, cut from a rope rather than stamped. Egg, vegetarian.
• Camaron rebosado, sourced from the Philippines. Butterflied prawns in a pale puffed batter, straightened so they fry flat. Shellfish, Egg.
• Camote cue, sourced from the Philippines. Sweet potato slices fried through first, then sugar thrown into the oil to glaze them. vegan.
• Camote halaya, sourced from the Philippines. Sweet potato cooked down much further than a yam halaya needs, then dried out in the oven. vegetarian.
• Cansi, sourced from the Philippines. A sour beef soup where the acid is a fruit simmered in it, not vinegar poured in at the end. Beef.
• Cantonese Chicken, sourced from China. A whole chicken scalded, glazed and left to dry overnight before it is roasted. Chicken.
• Cantonese Chicken Wings, sourced from China. Wings braised in soy and rock sugar until the liquid has gone and only a glaze is left. Chicken.
• Cantonese Pork Soup, sourced from China. Pork bones boiled three hours and skimmed, for a clear broth the meat has given everything to. Pork, Shellfish.
• Cantonese Roast Pork, sourced from China. Pork shoulder marinated a full day and roasted in strips, basted with maltose near the end. Pork, Tofu.
• Cantonese Seafood Soup, sourced from China. A clear thickened soup where every piece of seafood goes in after the heat is off and cooks in the residual heat alone. Fish, Shellfish, Egg.
• Carne norte guisado, sourced from the Philippines. Tinned corned beef with the onions cooked down to sweetness first and the potatoes fried apart. Beef.
• Cascaron, sourced from the Philippines. Fried first, then turned in a caramel that sets hard and crackles. vegan.
• Cassava cake, sourced from the Philippines. Grated raw cassava baked with coconut milk under a custard topping grilled at the end. Egg.
• Castella, sourced from Japan. A honey sponge with no butter and no raising agent, lowered in temperature as it bakes. Egg, vegetarian.
• Chadachadi, sourced from India. It comes off the heat when the charring sizzles, and the crust is stirred back in. vegan.
• Chakuli Pitha, sourced from India. Rice flour and black gram, not soaked and ground rice, and hours of fermenting rather than a night. vegetarian.
• Champaran meat, sourced from India. The pot is sealed with dough and then shaken, not stirred. Lamb.
• Champorado, sourced from the Philippines. A chocolate rice porridge eaten with salted dried fish, which is the point. Fish.
• Chamthong, sourced from India. Nothing is fried at any point: the vegetables are boiled with herbs and the fermented fish. Fish.
• Chana Masala, sourced from India. The chickpeas are soaked overnight and amchoor is what sharpens the sauce. vegetarian.
• Chandrakanti, sourced from India. The flour is split green gram as well as rice, and the shape is a choice the source does not make. vegetarian.
• Chapati, sourced from India. It is finished off the griddle, straight on the flame, where it balloons. vegetarian.
• Chapssaltteok, sourced from South Korea. Rice dough steamed before it is shaped and then beaten glossy, wrapped round red bean paste and dusted to stop it sticking. vegan.
• Chawanmushi, sourced from Japan. A savoury custard steamed with the lid ajar, set just firm enough to hold a spoon's dent. Chicken, Fish, Shellfish, Egg.
• Chazuke, sourced from Japan. Hot tea or dashi poured over cold rice at the table, assembled and never cooked. Fish.
• Chhena, sourced from India. The milk is boiled, cooled to 75 to 80 degrees before the acid goes in, and there is no rennet in it at all. vegetarian.
• Chhena Gaja, sourced from India. The water is squeezed out and the dough dried before it is cut into rectangles and boiled in a thick syrup. vegetarian.
• Chhena Jalebi, sourced from India. The curds are rolled into pretzel shapes and deep-fried, not piped as a batter. vegetarian.
• Chhena Jhili, sourced from India. Wheat flour is worked into the curds before they are fried, which is what makes it hold its shape. vegetarian.
• Chhena Kheeri, sourced from India. The fried cubes go into the milk and the milk is then boiled down around them to a rabri. vegetarian.
• Chhena Poda, sourced from India. It is baked for hours and its flavour comes from the sugar caramelising, with no syrup anywhere in it. vegetarian.
• Chhenabara, sourced from India. It is fried to a burnt brown crust over a centre that stays soft. vegetarian.
• Chicharon, sourced from the Philippines. Pork skin boiled, dried, then fried twice, because it only puffs in the second fry. Pork.
• Chicken 65, sourced from India. It is boneless and deep-fried, and the heat is red chilli rather than a masala. Chicken, Egg.
• Chicken and Corn Soup, sourced from China. A thickened soup finished with egg white poured in a thin stream off the heat. Chicken, Egg.
• Chicken Chettinad, sourced from India. Kalpasi, the black stone flower, is in the paste, and nothing else here uses it. Chicken.
• Chicken Chow Mein, sourced from China. Noodles pressed into the pan until one side crisps, then turned. Chicken.
• Chicken Curry, sourced from China. Chicken on the bone in a sauce split from coconut cream, done in half an hour. Chicken.
• Chicken Feet, sourced from China. Feet braised, fried, then steamed, so the skin puffs and then softens to jelly. Chicken.
• Chicken galantina, sourced from the Philippines. A whole chicken boned out through the back, stuffed, tied and roasted so it carves in rounds. Chicken, Pork, Egg.
• Chicken in Black Bean Sauce, sourced from China. Chicken stir-fried fast with fermented beans crushed into the oil. Chicken.
• Chicken Inasal, sourced from the Philippines. Chicken marinated in calamansi and lemongrass, basted with annatto oil over coals. Chicken.
• Chicken Karahi, sourced from India. There are no onions in it at all, which its article says is what distinguishes it. Chicken.
• Chicken Salad, sourced from China. Poached chicken torn by hand and dressed cold, with no heat anywhere near the finished bowl. Chicken.
• Chicken Tikka, sourced from India. The pieces are boneless and brushed with ghee at intervals while they cook. Chicken.
• Chikki, sourced from India. A jaggery syrup made with as little water as possible, rolled to six or eight millimetres. vegetarian.
• Chikuzenni, sourced from Japan. Root vegetables fried in oil before any liquid, then simmered down until the pan is nearly dry. Chicken, Fish.
• Chim chum, sourced from Thailand. A clay pot of herb broth on the table, with raw meat dipped in a few slices at a time. Pork, Shellfish, Egg.
• Chinese bhel, sourced from India. Fried noodles and raw cabbage, tossed the way a bhel is tossed. vegan.
• Chingudi Jhola, sourced from India. The prawns are fried in mustard oil first, and the tomato and garlic are what make it red. Shellfish.
• Chirashizushi, sourced from Japan. Seasoned rice cooled with a fan while it is cut with vinegar, scattered rather than rolled. Fish, Shellfish, Egg.
• Chitranna, sourced from India. It is lemon rather than tamarind, and the seasoning has its own name. vegan.
• Chole bhature, sourced from India. The chole takes its dark colour from amla or tea rather than from spice. vegetarian.
• Chongqing Noodles, sourced from China. Thin noodles under a bowl sauce where the spooned sediment from the bottom of the chilli oil matters more than the oil itself.
• Chori burger, sourced from the Philippines. A longganisa patty flattened in the pan, in a soft roll with the dressing under the meat. Egg.
• Chueotang, sourced from South Korea. Whole small fish boiled soft and pushed through a sieve, bones and all, so the broth is made of the fish itself. Fish.
• Chūkadon, sourced from Japan. A stir-fry thickened in its own wok liquid and tipped straight over rice. Pork, Shellfish.
• Churma, sourced from India. Baked bread crushed back into ghee and sugar. vegetarian.
• Coconut jam, sourced from the Philippines. Two ingredients and two hours, and the only skill is not walking away near the end. vegan.
• Cold Sesame Noodles, sourced from China. Noodles rinsed cold and turned through a loosened sesame paste sauce. vegan.
• Congee, sourced from China. Rice cooked in twelve times its volume of water until the grains burst and thicken it. vegan.
• Congee with Century Egg, sourced from China. Congee with salted pork and century egg, half the egg stirred in and half kept back. Pork, Egg.
• Cornick, sourced from the Philippines. Dried corn soaked, dried again and deep-fried until it splits and goes hard. vegan.
• Crema de fruta, sourced from the Philippines. Four layers built in a dish and set with a clear gelatine top poured cool, never warm. Egg.
• Crispy kangkóng, sourced from the Philippines. Water spinach leaves fried in a thin cornflour batter, with every leaf completely dry first. vegan.
• Crispy Pata, sourced from the Philippines. A whole hock boiled tender, dried hard, then deep fried in one piece. Pork.
• Crispy tadyang ng baka, sourced from the Philippines. Simmered until it falls off the bone, dried hard, then fried until the outside shatters. Beef.
• Crossing the Bridge Noodles, sourced from China. A bowl of broth under a seal of hot fat, into which raw slices and noodles are dropped at the table and cook in the bowl. Chicken, Pork, Egg.
• Curd Rice, sourced from India. The rice is cooled to room temperature before the curd goes in, or it ferments. vegetarian.
• Curry bread, sourced from Japan. A proved bread roll filled with cold set curry, crumbed in panko and deep-fried. Egg.
• Curry puff, sourced from Thailand. Two doughs rolled and coiled together so the pastry bakes in visible spiral layers. Chicken.
• Daab Chingri, sourced from India. It is sealed inside a green coconut with dough and slow-cooked in the shell it is served in. Shellfish.
• Dabeli, sourced from India. The name means pressed, and the potato goes into the bun under pomegranate and peanuts. vegetarian.
• Dahi, sourced from India. Milk soured by its own bacteria, and the starter can be a dried chilli stem. vegetarian.
• Dahi baigana, sourced from India. Built so it can be made without onion or garlic, for the festivals that forbid them. vegetarian.
• Dahi Machha, sourced from India. The sauce is yoghurt and the turmeric is what makes it yellow. Fish.
• Dahi vada, sourced from India. Fried lentil balls dropped into water first, and only then into thick yoghurt. vegetarian.
• Dahibara Aloodum, sourced from India. The fried baras soak in water first and then in thin yoghurt for hours, and two separate curries go on top. vegetarian.
• Daifuku, sourced from Japan. A soft rice dough made in a microwave in three bursts, wrapped round bean paste while hot. vegan.
• Daing, sourced from the Philippines. Fish butterflied, cured in vinegar and garlic, dried hard, then fried skin down. Fish.
• Dak Galbi, sourced from South Korea. Chicken and vegetables cooked down on a flat plate, where the cabbage goes in last and is barely cooked. Chicken.
• Dal badam chakki, sourced from India. Dal flour and ground almond set as a fudge and cut in slices, which is what chakki means. vegetarian.
• Dal bati, sourced from India. A bread dough kneaded with yoghurt and rolled to tennis-ball size, with a rai-jeera dal. vegetarian.
• Dal Makhani, sourced from India. Some of the lentils are mashed as it simmers, and kasuri methi and butter go in at the end. vegetarian.
• Dandan Noodles, sourced from China. A sauce built cold in the bottom of the bowl and never cooked, with hot noodles dropped on top and stirred up at the table. Pork.
• Dango, sourced from Japan. Two rice flours together, boiled then grilled, with a glaze thickened by starch. vegan.
• Dao Xiao Mian, sourced from China. Noodles shaved off a block of dough straight into the boiling water, so they are cooked in the order they are cut. Beef.
• Daral, sourced from the Philippines. Thin green rice-flour crepes rolled round a sweet coconut filling cooked dry first. Egg, vegetarian.
• Dashi, sourced from Japan. A stock made in twenty minutes without boiling, where every temperature is deliberate. Fish.
• Deep Fried Chicken, sourced from China. Boneless chicken in a coarse starch coating, fried once and served dry. Chicken, Egg.
• Deep Fried Tofu, sourced from China. Firm tofu pressed, dried and fried twice, with a dry salt to dip it in. Tofu, vegan.
• Dhansak, sourced from India. Meat cooked into a sweet and sour lentil sauce, with caramelised rice beside it. Lamb.
• Dhebra, sourced from India. A Gujarati pearl-millet bread fried until small brown spots appear, which keeps for days. vegan.
• Dhokla, sourced from India. The batter is rice and chana dal, fermented at least four hours before it is steamed. vegan.
• Dhoper chop, sourced from India. An egg-shaped potato cutlet in a jacket of white bread, whose name means a lie. vegetarian.
• Dinakdakan, sourced from the Philippines. Grilled pork face and ears sliced and dressed cold, served at room temperature rather than hot. Pork, Egg.
• Dinamita, sourced from the Philippines. Long chillies deseeded, stuffed with cheese and rolled in a wrapper that must be sealed properly. Pork.
• Dinuguan, sourced from the Philippines. Pork in a dark blood sauce, with the vinegar in before the blood so it never curdles. Pork.
• Dolsot Bibimbap, sourced from South Korea. Bibimbap in a stone bowl heated empty until it smokes, so the rice pressed against it forms a crust you scrape up as you eat. Egg, vegetarian.
• Dongbei Pork, sourced from China. Pork in a thick potato-starch batter, fried twice and tossed in a clear sweet-sour sauce. Pork.
• Dongchimi, sourced from South Korea. Whole small radishes left in a clear brine that is itself the thing being made, and is drunk cold. vegan.
• Doodhpak, sourced from India. The milk is slow-boiled down before serving and it is eaten with puris rather than on its own. vegetarian.
• Dopiaza, sourced from India. The onions go in twice, boiled into the gravy and fried over the top. Lamb.
• Dorayaki, sourced from Japan. Two pancakes browned evenly on one side only, rested so the batter goes glossy. Egg, vegetarian.
• Dosa, sourced from India. The batter is rice and black gram at three or four to one, ground fine and fermented overnight. vegan.
• Double Ka Meetha, sourced from India. It is leavened double roti, and it soaks in sugar syrup rather than milk. vegetarian.
• Dry Pot Chicken, sourced from China. Chicken and hard vegetables cooked down in a wok until almost nothing wet is left, then carried to the table still in the pan. Chicken.
• Dubu Kimchi, sourced from South Korea. Boiled tofu laid in slices beside stir-fried kimchi and pork, with the two never mixed together. Pork, Tofu.
• Duck Pancakes, sourced from China. Thin wheat pancakes rolled in pairs and steamed, then peeled apart. vegan.
• Dum Aloo, sourced from India. Small potatoes are deep-fried whole first, then cooked slowly sitting in the sauce rather than above water. vegetarian.
• Dumpling Soup, sourced from China. Thin-skinned dumplings cooked in the broth they are served in. Pork, Shellfish.
• Dumplings, sourced from China. Pleated dumplings with a thick skin, boiled and drained, sturdy enough to fry afterwards. Pork.
• Dwaeji-gukbap, sourced from South Korea. Pork broth over rice, where the broth is ladled on and poured back twice to bring the rice up to temperature. Pork, Shellfish.
• Ebi chili, sourced from Japan. Prawns velveted in egg white and starch, in a sauce built on ketchup as much as chilli bean. Shellfish, Egg.
• Ebi furai, sourced from Japan. Prawns slit and stretched straight, crumbed with the tails left clean, and fried in two minutes. Shellfish, Egg.
• Egg Fried Rice, sourced from China. Day-old rice fried hard in a dry pan, with the egg poured over the rice rather than cooked first. Egg, vegetarian.
• Egg Pancake, sourced from China. A thin batter spread on a hot pan with an egg cracked straight onto it. Egg, vegetarian.
• Egg pie, sourced from the Philippines. A deep custard tart with a browned top, baked hot then cool so it sets without splitting. Egg, vegetarian.
• Egg Roll, sourced from China. A thick wheat wrapper around a filling cooked and cooled first, fried until blistered. Pork, Egg.
• Embutido, sourced from the Philippines. A pork meatloaf rolled in foil and steamed, with the egg running down the middle of every slice. Pork, Egg.
• Empanada, sourced from the Philippines. An orange rice-flour crust, deep-fried, with an egg cracked in at the moment of folding. Egg.
• Enduri Pitha, sourced from India. It is wrapped in a turmeric leaf and steamed, and the leaf is the flavour. vegetarian.
• Ensaymada, sourced from the Philippines. A rich yolk dough rolled with butter and coiled, then buttered and cheesed hot. Egg.
• Eo-mandu, sourced from South Korea. Dumplings whose wrapper is a thin slice of white fish rather than dough, dusted with starch and steamed. Pork, Fish, Egg, Tofu.
• Erissery, sourced from India. Grated coconut is toasted to deep brown in the final tempering, and its article calls that the signature. vegan.
• Eromba, sourced from India. Everything is boiled and then smashed by hand, not cooked down into a curry. Fish.
• Espasol, sourced from the Philippines. A soft rice-flour log rolled in more rice flour, toasted, so it never feels wet. vegan.
• Estofadong baboy, sourced from the Philippines. Pork caramelised in sugar before any liquid goes in, then braised with vinegar and fried saba. Pork.
• Fakthong kaeng buat, sourced from Thailand. Pumpkin poached uncovered in salted coconut milk, cut large so the pieces survive the cooking. vegan.
• Falooda, sourced from India. Nothing in it is cooked at the point of serving: it is layered cold in a glass. vegetarian.
• Filipino spaghetti, sourced from the Philippines. A deliberately sweet meat sauce built on banana ketchup, with the sweetness balanced not hidden. Pork.
• Fish longganisa, sourced from the Philippines. A skinless fish sausage held together by pork fat and a long rest, chilled before it is fried. Pork, Fish.
• Flan cake, sourced from the Philippines. Sponge batter poured onto raw custard and baked in one tin, which separates as it cooks. Egg, vegetarian.
• Food for the gods, sourced from the Philippines. A dense date and walnut bar underbaked on purpose, so it stays chewy rather than cakey. Egg, vegetarian.
• Fujian Red Wine Chicken, sourced from China. Chicken braised in the lees left over from making rice wine, which colour the dish deep red and carry all of its flavour. Chicken.
• Fuqi Feipian, sourced from China. Beef and offal braised, cooled completely and sliced thin, then dressed cold with no heat anywhere at the end. Beef.
• Gajar Ka Halwa, sourced from India. The carrots are grated and cooked down in milk, and the nuts are fried in ghee before they go on. vegetarian.
• Galbi, sourced from South Korea. Short ribs butterflied open along the bone into a flat sheet, marinated, and grilled fast. Beef.
• Galbijjim, sourced from South Korea. The same cut as galbi, left whole, blanched and braised until a sauce reduces onto it, with nothing grilled at all. Beef, Egg.
• Galbitang, sourced from South Korea. Short ribs in a broth that stays clear, which is why it is skimmed constantly and never boiled hard. Beef, Egg.
• Galho, sourced from India. A rice and pork porridge carried by Chinese knotweed. Pork.
• Gamjatang, sourced from South Korea. Pork spine simmered until the meat falls off, with the potatoes going in whole and late so they hold their shape. Pork.
• Garaetteok, sourced from South Korea. Steamed rice flour pounded hot until it stops tearing, then rolled into the cylinders tteokbokki and tteokguk are cut from. vegan.
• Garam masala, sourced from India. Whole spices roasted and then ground, and no composition is more correct than another. vegan.
• Gavvalu, sourced from India. Dough rolled on a ridged tool so each piece curls into a cowrie shell. vegetarian.
• Ghari, sourced from India. A puri dough closed round a mawa filling and coated in ghee. vegetarian.
• Ghee, sourced from India. Butter simmered until the solids settle, and only the clear fat is kept. vegetarian.
• Ghevar, sourced from India. The batter is poured into hot ghee and sets as a honeycomb disc. vegetarian.
• Ghugni, sourced from India. Coconut and tamarind go in the gravy, and it is eaten with puffed rice. vegan.
• Gimbap, sourced from South Korea. Seaweed rolls whose rice is seasoned with sesame oil and salt and never with vinegar, with each filling cooked separately. Pork, Shellfish, Egg.
• Ginanggang, sourced from the Philippines. Saba grilled dry on a skewer, then brushed with margarine and rolled in sugar off the heat.
• Ginataang ampalaya, sourced from the Philippines. Bitter gourd salted to take the edge off, then finished in coconut milk with shrimp. Shellfish.
• Ginataang hipon, sourced from the Philippines. Prawns cooked in their shells in coconut milk, added at the very end of a sauce made first. Shellfish.
• Ginataang isda, sourced from the Philippines. Fish laid in a finished coconut sauce and never stirred, so the pieces stay whole. Fish.
• Ginataang kalabasa, sourced from the Philippines. The squash itself thickens the sauce, so the coconut milk goes in early and long. Shellfish.
• Ginataang kuhol, sourced from the Philippines. River snails purged for two days, then simmered in coconut milk with taro leaves. Shellfish.
• Ginataang labong, sourced from the Philippines. Bamboo shoots boiled twice in changed water, then simmered in coconut milk with shrimp paste. Shellfish.
• Ginataang langka, sourced from the Philippines. Jackfruit stays fibrous and takes an hour, so the coconut milk is held back to the end. Fish.
• Ginataang Mais, sourced from the Philippines. A warm sweet corn and glutinous rice porridge in coconut milk. vegan.
• Ginataang manok, sourced from the Philippines. Chicken simmered in coconut milk, thin first and thick at the end so it never splits. Chicken.
• Ginataang munggo, sourced from the Philippines. Mung beans boiled plain and then finished in coconut milk, not stewed in it from the start. Pork.
• Ginataang saba, sourced from the Philippines. Saba and sago in sweet coconut milk, with the sago cooked apart so it does not cloud the pot. vegan.
• Ginataang ubod, sourced from the Philippines. Heart of palm cut along the grain and barely cooked, so it keeps its snap in the coconut milk. Pork, Shellfish.
• Ginisang Munggo, sourced from the Philippines. Mung beans cooked to collapse before anything else enters the pot. Pork, Shellfish.
• Gising-gising, sourced from the Philippines. Chopped long beans in coconut milk with enough chilli to wake you up, which is the name. Pork, Shellfish.
• Gopchang Jeongol, sourced from South Korea. An intestine hotpot whose entire success is decided by rubbing them with flour and salt before anything else happens. Beef, Fish.
• Goto, sourced from the Philippines. Rice porridge with tripe boiled tender long before it meets the rice. Beef.
• Green curry, sourced from Thailand. The paste cracked in coconut cream until the oil runs green, and nothing boiled afterwards. Chicken.
• Green tea ice cream, sourced from Japan. A custard base with the matcha sifted and pasted, never spooned straight into liquid. Egg, vegetarian.
• Greens in Oyster Sauce, sourced from China. Greens blanched briefly and dressed with a warmed oyster sauce, so the stems stay firm.
• Gujeolpan, sourced from South Korea. Eight fillings around a stack of paper-thin pancakes, every filling cut to the same length so the roll closes. Beef, Shellfish, Egg.
• Gul-gukbap, sourced from South Korea. A clear light soup where the oysters go in off the heat and are never boiled. Fish, Shellfish.
• Gulab Jamun, sourced from India. The dough is milk solids, and it fries at a low temperature. vegetarian.
• Gyeongdan, sourced from South Korea. Small filled balls that are boiled rather than steamed and rolled in powder the moment they come out of the water. vegan.
• Gyeran Jjim, sourced from South Korea. Eggs sieved and then never stirred again, steamed gently until they set like a savoury custard. Fish, Egg.
• Gyeranppang, sourced from South Korea. A sweet batter with a whole egg cracked straight onto it in the tin, baked until the yolk is just set. Egg, vegetarian.
• Gyoza, sourced from Japan. Dumplings fried, steamed and fried again in one pan, with a lacy skirt made from a flour slurry. Pork.
• Gyūdon, sourced from Japan. Thin beef and onion simmered until the liquid almost goes, with no egg binding it. Beef, Fish.
• Haejang-guk, sourced from South Korea. A clear beansprout soup where the lid stays off from the moment the sprouts go in. Fish.
• Hainanese Chicken Rice, sourced from China. A poached chicken and a plate of rice cooked in its fat and its broth, so the rice carries the whole dish. Chicken.
• Hakka Pork, sourced from China. Belly fried until its skin blisters, then steamed on a bed of preserved greens that take up the fat. Pork.
• Hakka Pork Soup, sourced from China. A twelve-minute soup where the pork is the point rather than the broth. Pork.
• Hakka Pork with Taro, sourced from China. Slices of belly and taro stacked alternately and steamed, then turned out as a single dome. Pork, Tofu.
• Halabos na hipon, sourced from the Philippines. No water goes in the pan: the prawns cook in what they give up, in about four minutes. Shellfish.
• Halo-halo, sourced from the Philippines. Layers built in a specific order under shaved ice, to be mixed by whoever eats it. Egg, vegetarian.
• Hamburg steak, sourced from Japan. A patty bound with milk-soaked panko, thrown between the hands and dimpled before it cooks. Pork, Beef, Fish, Egg.
• Hamonado, sourced from the Philippines. Pork braised sweet in pineapple, marinated briefly because pineapple does not stop. Pork.
• Handvo, sourced from India. There is a vegetable in the batter, which is what makes it a cake rather than a sponge. vegetarian.
• Hardinera, sourced from the Philippines. A meatloaf steamed upside down in a tin, so the decoration ends up on top. Pork, Egg.
• Hayashi rice, sourced from Japan. A brown stew built on tomato and red wine with no spice at all, thickened by a dark roux. Beef, Fish.
• Hentak, sourced from India. The fish is dried and crushed to a powder before it ferments, and the aroid stems are sunned for a day first. Fish.
• Hiyashi chūka, sourced from Japan. Noodles washed in iced water and dressed in a sharp cold sauce, with toppings in stripes. Pork, Fish, Egg.
• Hoedeopbap, sourced from South Korea. Raw fish on rice with a sharp gochujang dressing that does not touch the fish until the bowl is at the table. Fish.
• Horumonyaki, sourced from Japan. Offal boiled and scrubbed clean first, then grilled fat side down over a high heat. Beef.
• Hot and Sour Soup, sourced from China. A thickened soup where the heat is white pepper rather than chilli, and the vinegar goes in after the pan has left the stove. Chicken, Pork, Egg, Tofu.
• Hot Dry Noodles, sourced from China. Noodles boiled the day before, oiled and cooled on a tray, then reheated in ten seconds and tossed with sesame paste and no broth at all. vegan.
• Hōtō, sourced from Japan. Unsalted flat noodles cooked in the miso broth itself, thickening it as they go. Pork, Fish.
• Hotteok, sourced from South Korea. A yeasted dough filled with sugar and nuts and pressed flat in the pan with an oiled lid, so the filling melts to a syrup. vegetarian.
• Humba, sourced from the Philippines. Pork braised dark and sweet with fermented black beans, which is what adobo has not got. Pork.
• Hunan Chicken, sourced from China. Chicken braised briefly with pickled red chillies and finished with vinegar off the heat. Chicken.
• Hunan Pork Belly, sourced from China. Pork belly sliced and steamed for two hours over fermented beans and dried chilli. Pork.
• Hunan Pork with Green Peppers, sourced from China. Thin pork and fresh green chillies thrown together over the highest heat you have. Pork.
• Hyderabadi biryani, sourced from India. Raw marinated meat under part-cooked rice in a pot sealed with dough. Goat.
• Hyderabadi haleem, sourced from India. Mashed as it cooks until the meat is no longer in pieces. Lamb.
• Hyderabadi marag, sourced from India. A thin mutton soup thickened with cashews and cream rather than flour. Lamb.
• Ice buko, sourced from the Philippines. A coconut ice block frozen solid without churning, in a cup with a stick in it. vegetarian.
• Ice scramble, sourced from the Philippines. Shaved ice beaten with milk to a pink slush, not layered like a halo-halo. vegetarian.
• Idiyappam, sourced from India. The dough is pressed through a press into noodles and then steamed. vegan.
• Idli, sourced from India. The lentils are ground fine and the rice coarse, separately, and then it is steamed rather than fried. vegan.
• Igado, sourced from the Philippines. Pork and liver cut in matchsticks, with the liver cooked separately and put back at the end. Pork.
• Imagawayaki, sourced from Japan. Two batter discs cooked in rings and pressed together round the filling while still wet. Egg, vegetarian.
• Imarti, sourced from India. The batter is black gram with saffron in it, piped as a flower with a ring in the middle. vegetarian.
• Inarizushi, sourced from Japan. Fried tofu pouches de-oiled, simmered sweet, squeezed out and filled with cold sushi rice. Fish.
• Inihaw na Liempo, sourced from the Philippines. Belly grilled slowly over embers and basted only in the last few minutes. Pork.
• Inipit, sourced from the Philippines. Two thin sponge sheets pressed onto a thick custard and cut into bars. Egg, vegetarian.
• Injipuli, sourced from India. The ginger is fried brown before anything else, which is what takes its rawness out. vegan.
• Inubaran, sourced from the Philippines. Chicken and banana pith in coconut milk, with the pith soaked in salted water so it keeps white. Chicken.
• Inun-unan, sourced from the Philippines. No oil and no browning at all: raw fish into cold vinegar, and the pan is never stirred. Fish.
• Isaw, sourced from the Philippines. Chicken intestines cleaned properly, boiled tender, then grilled hard on skewers. Chicken.
• Jajangmyeon, sourced from South Korea. Wheat noodles under a black bean sauce whose paste is fried in oil for a full five minutes before anything else happens. Pork.
• Jalebi, sourced from India. A plain-flour batter piped in a spiral, and it is eaten with curd or rabri. vegetarian.
• Jalfrezi, sourced from India. A stir fry made to use up cold meat, with the technique brought by Chinese labourers in Assam. Chicken, Lamb.
• Janchi Guksu, sourced from South Korea. Thin noodles cooked apart and rinsed cold, with a clear anchovy broth poured over them so it stays thin. Fish, Egg.
• Japanese curry, sourced from Japan. A brown roux cooked twenty minutes and stirred in off the heat, mild and thick and faintly sweet. Beef.
• Japanese milk bread, sourced from Japan. A tall square loaf with a cooked flour paste in the dough, baked lidded for flat sides. Egg, vegetarian.
• Japchae, sourced from South Korea. Sweet potato starch noodles dressed in soy and sesame while still hot, with every vegetable cooked separately and folded in cold. vegan.
• Java rice, sourced from the Philippines. Fried rice turned orange by annatto oil made first, not by a powder stirred in at the end.
• Jeera Aloo, sourced from India. It is dry, cumin-led, and its article says it is not hot unless you make it so. vegan.
• Jhunka, sourced from India. The gram flour paste is sauteed until it stiffens, which is what separates it from the wet, mild pithla. vegan.
• Jingisukan, sourced from Japan. Lamb grilled on a domed pan with the vegetables in the trough catching everything that runs down. Lamb.
• Jjamppong, sourced from South Korea. A red seafood noodle soup whose vegetables are charred in a dry screaming-hot wok before any liquid. Chicken, Pork, Fish, Shellfish.
• Jokbal, sourced from South Korea. Trotters braised for hours and then cooled in their liquid before slicing, which is the only way they cut cleanly. Pork, Shellfish.
• Jolbhora sandesh, sourced from India. A chhena sweet with a liquid centre of date palm jaggery, which is what the name means. vegetarian.
• Jumeok-bap, sourced from South Korea. Seasoned rice squeezed into balls in the fist rather than rolled, so the outside holds and the middle stays loose. Fish.
• Kaalan, sourced from India. Pepper leads it, and the curd is stirred one way over a low heat because boiling curdles it. vegetarian.
• Kababayan, sourced from the Philippines. Small dense muffins with a sunken ring round the dome, baked in a hot oven that drops. Egg, vegetarian.
• Kabayaki, sourced from Japan. Steamed before it is grilled, then dipped and grilled three times to build the lacquer. Fish.
• Kabiraji, sourced from India. The cutlet is wrapped in a coat of deep-fried egg floss, which is the whole dish. Chicken, Egg.
• Kabkab, sourced from the Philippines. A large thin cassava cracker dried to a board and fried flat in seconds. vegan.
• Kachori, sourced from India. A round pastry with gram flour and ghee in it, stuffed with dry dal before frying. vegetarian.
• Kadboli, sourced from India. Four flours in one dough, where kodubale uses only two. vegan.
• Kadhi, sourced from India. Yoghurt and gram flour are simmered together until the gravy thickens, and it must not be allowed to split. vegetarian.
• Kadyos, baboy, kag langka, sourced from the Philippines. Pigeon peas, pork hock and unripe jackfruit in a sour broth the peas turn purple. Pork.
• Kadyos, manok, kag ubad, sourced from the Philippines. Pigeon peas and chicken with banana pith, soured with lemongrass and batwan and built in that order. Chicken.
• Kaeng hang le, sourced from Thailand. A dry curry with no coconut milk, carried by ginger and tamarind and a long slow braise. Pork.
• Kaeng khae, sourced from Thailand. A thin herbal curry with no coconut, built on more green leaves than anything else. Chicken.
• Kaeng pa, sourced from Thailand. A waterbased curry with no coconut and no sugar, hot and herbal rather than rich. Pork.
• Kaeng phrik kraduk mu, sourced from Thailand. Pork ribs simmered long in a thin chilli broth, with the ribs cooked before the paste goes in. Pork.
• Kaeng som, sourced from Thailand. A thin sour curry with no coconut milk at all, soured with tamarind and sharpened at the end. Fish.
• Kaeng tai pla, sourced from Thailand. A fiercely hot curry built on fermented fish innards, boiled and strained before anything else. Fish.
• Kahwah, sourced from India. The spices are boiled with the green tea, and the almonds go in the cup. vegetarian.
• Kai yang, sourced from Thailand. A butterflied chicken pressed flat and grilled slowly bone-side down for most of the time. Chicken.
• Kaju katli, sourced from India. A single-thread syrup poured onto ground cashews and cut into rhombuses. vegetarian.
• Kakara Pitha, sourced from India. Wheat flour rather than rice, and a pinch of edible camphor in the filling. vegetarian.
• Kaki furai, sourced from Japan. Shucked oysters dried hard, crumbed and fried fast so the inside stays liquid. Shellfish, Egg.
• Kakiage, sourced from Japan. A loose fritter of matchstick vegetables held by barely enough batter, slid in on a flat spoon. Shellfish, Egg.
• Kakigōri, sourced from Japan. Ice shaved into ribbons from a slow-frozen block, piled high and syruped in layers. vegetarian.
• Kakinada Kaja, sourced from India. One form is a hollow cylinder holding the syrup inside it, the other a layered diamond holding it between the sheets. vegetarian.
• Kakuni, sourced from Japan. Pork belly boiled twice before it is braised, so the braise itself stays clear and sweet. Pork, Egg.
• Kalakand, sourced from India. Two dairy preparations in one sweet: chhena kneaded soft and stirred into milk already reduced by half. vegetarian.
• Kalamay, sourced from the Philippines. Stirred without stopping until it leaves the pan clean, which takes about forty minutes. vegan.
• Kaldereta, sourced from the Philippines. A tomato stew thickened with liver spread, which is what makes it kaldereta. Pork, Beef.
• Kalguksu, sourced from South Korea. Hand-rolled wheat noodles cooked in the broth rather than beside it, so the starch they shed is what thickens it. Fish.
• Kamameshi, sourced from Japan. Rice cooked in a small iron pot with a hard burst at the end to make a crust on the base. Chicken, Fish.
• Kamo nanban, sourced from Japan. Duck fat rendered into the broth and the leek charred in it, with the soba boiled apart. Duck, Fish.
• Kanda kachori, sourced from India. A cooked onion filling bound with besan before it is stuffed. vegetarian.
• Kanika, sourced from India. Turmeric colours the rice and the grains stay separate, so it is not a pudding. vegetarian.
• Kansar, sourced from India. Coarse wheat flour and tepid water, with no milk and no fruit, and the sugar goes on at the table. vegetarian.
• Kapeng barako, sourced from the Philippines. Ground coarse and boiled in the pot rather than dripped, then left to settle. vegan.
• Karaage, sourced from Japan. Marinated thigh in potato starch, fried twice at two temperatures, with no batter at all. Chicken.
• Kare-kare, sourced from the Philippines. Oxtail in peanut sauce thickened with toasted ground rice, with the bagoong served separately. Beef, Shellfish.
• Kati roll, sourced from India. A skewer-roasted kebab rolled in a paratha, and the name is the skewer. Chicken, Egg.
• Katsu curry, sourced from Japan. A plated dish about keeping the crust dry: sauce to one side, cutlet sliced at the last second. Pork.
• Katsu-sando, sourced from Japan. A cutlet between buttered crustless slices, pressed and rested before the crusts come off.
• Katsudon, sourced from Japan. A fried cutlet given ninety seconds in seasoned dashi, so one face stays crisp. Fish, Egg.
• Kelp tea, sourced from Japan. Powdered kelp dissolved in hot water rather than brewed, and drunk as a savoury cup. vegan.
• Kenchin-jiru, sourced from Japan. A clear vegetable soup where the tofu is crushed by hand and fried before any liquid. Fish, Tofu.
• Kerala Beef Fry, sourced from India. The meat is pressure-cooked soft first and then roasted dry in the spices. Beef.
• Kesari Bat, sourced from India. Saffron is in the name and it is what colours it. vegetarian.
• Khai yat sai, sourced from Thailand. A thin flat omelette folded into a sealed parcel round a filling cooked and cooled first. Pork, Egg.
• Khaja, sourced from India. The dough is layered like pastry before it is fried, and the syrup is called paga. vegetarian.
• Khakhra, sourced from India. It is pressed against the griddle as it roasts, until it is completely dry and brittle. vegan.
• Khaman, sourced from India. No rice and no fermenting: the lift comes from lemon juice and curd. vegetarian.
• Khandvi, sourced from India. The batter is cooked to a paste, spread thin and rolled tight while it is warm. vegetarian.
• Khanom babin, sourced from Thailand. Small coconut cakes cooked on a griddle under a lid, browned on both faces and chewy inside. Duck, Egg.
• Khanom bueang, sourced from Thailand. A wafer-thin crisp shell spread with meringue cream and folded while it is still flexible. Egg.
• Khanom chan, sourced from Thailand. Nine thin steamed layers built one at a time, each set before the next is poured. vegan.
• Khanom chin, sourced from Thailand. Rice soaked until it sours, ground, and extruded straight into boiling water. vegan.
• Khanom khai nok kratha, sourced from Thailand. Sweet potato dough balls fried twice and pressed between fries so they puff hollow. vegan.
• Khanom krok, sourced from Thailand. Two batters in one hollow, a savoury rice base and a sweet coconut top, joined in the pan. vegan.
• Khanom met khanun, sourced from Thailand. Mung bean paste shaped like a seed, dipped in yolk and set in syrup. Duck, Egg.
• Khanom mo kaeng, sourced from Thailand. A dense baked custard thickened with mung bean, finished under fried shallots. Duck, Egg.
• Khanom sot sai, sourced from Thailand. A clear tapioca wrapper round sweet coconut, with a salty cream layer sealed in beside it. vegan.
• Khanom tan, sourced from Thailand. A batter leavened by the palm fruit itself fermenting overnight, then steamed in leaf cups. vegan.
• Khanom thian, sourced from Thailand. A sticky black-sesame dough round a savoury-sweet mung bean filling, folded into a leaf pyramid. vegan.
• Khanom thuai, sourced from Thailand. Two layers steamed in small cups, a sweet base and a salty coconut top that must not merge. vegan.
• Khanom Tokyo, sourced from Thailand. A soft thin pancake rolled while warm, filled sweet or savoury, cooked on one side only. Egg.
• Khanom tom, sourced from Thailand. Boiled rice-flour balls round a caramelised coconut filling, rolled in coconut while wet. vegan.
• Khao chae, sourced from Thailand. Cooked rice rinsed until the water runs clear and served in scented iced water, with side dishes. Pork, Shellfish, Egg.
• Khao kha mu, sourced from Thailand. A pork leg braised whole for hours in five-spice soy until the skin goes to jelly. Pork, Egg.
• Khao khluk kapi, sourced from Thailand. Shrimp paste rice served with its garnishes separate, mixed by whoever is eating it. Pork, Shellfish, Egg.
• Khao mak, sourced from Thailand. Steamed sticky rice inoculated with a yeast ball and left two days until it swims in its own liquor. vegan.
• Khao mu daeng, sourced from Thailand. Roast pork sliced over rice with a dark gravy thickened separately and poured at the table. Pork, Egg, Tofu.
• Khao niao sangkhaya, sourced from Thailand. A steamed coconut custard set over sticky rice, with the custard strained and steamed low. Egg, vegetarian.
• Khao phat amerikan, sourced from Thailand. Fried rice seasoned with ketchup rather than fish sauce, served with fried chicken and an egg. Chicken, Egg.
• Khao soi, sourced from Thailand. A coconut curry noodle bowl with two noodles, one boiled in it and one fried on top. Chicken.
• Khao tom, sourced from Thailand. Cooked rice dropped into hot stock so the grains stay whole, not boiled down into porridge. Pork.
• Khao tom mat, sourced from Thailand. Part-cooked coconut rice wrapped round a whole banana in banana leaf and steamed. vegan.
• Khatkhate, sourced from India. At least five vegetables, and tirphala -- Sichuan pepper -- is what makes it. vegan.
• Kheer, sourced from India. The rice goes in whole and the grains stay visible in the finished pudding. vegetarian.
• Khichdi, sourced from India. Rice and lentils boiled soft together until they lose their shape. vegetarian.
• Khichra, sourced from India. The same pot as haleem with the meat left in chunks. Lamb.
• Khichu, sourced from India. An alkaline salt goes in, and that is what makes the dough stretch. vegan.
• Khira Sagara, sourced from India. The chhena marbles are not fried at all: they go into the thickened milk raw. vegetarian.
• Khoa, sourced from India. Milk reduced to a fifth of its volume in a shallow pan, which is what most Indian sweets are made of. vegetarian.
• Khoya Paneer, sourced from India. Thickened milk goes into the gravy as well as the cheese, and it is meant to be hot. vegetarian.
• Khua kling, sourced from Thailand. Mince dry-fried with paste until no liquid is left at all, and fiercely hot by design. Pork.
• Kimchi, sourced from South Korea. Salted cabbage dressed in chilli and left to ferment, where the brining is judged by bending a leaf rather than by the clock.
• Kimchi Bokkeumbap, sourced from South Korea. Fried rice that needs the rice cold and a day old, because fresh rice steams instead of frying. Pork, Egg.
• Kimchi Jjigae, sourced from South Korea. A stew built on kimchi old enough to be sour, fried hard in pork fat before any liquid goes anywhere near it. Pork, Fish, Tofu.
• Kinalas, sourced from the Philippines. A thin beef broth with a separate thick brown sauce spooned over, which is the dish. Beef, Egg.
• Kinamatisang manok, sourced from the Philippines. Chicken in a thin broth of fresh tomatoes only, with no paste, no tin and no root vegetables. Chicken.
• Kinilaw, sourced from the Philippines. Raw fish cured in vinegar rather than citrus, which changes both the taste and the clock. Fish.
• Kinilnat, sourced from the Philippines. Vegetables blanched for seconds and dressed, not stewed -- a side, not a soup.
• Kinpira, sourced from Japan. Burdock cut in matchsticks, soaked to stop it browning, and fried before any liquid goes in. vegan.
• Kiping, sourced from the Philippines. A coloured rice-paste wafer pressed onto a real leaf, steamed, dried, and eaten fried.
• Kiritanpo, sourced from Japan. Half-pounded rice moulded round a skewer and grilled, then simmered in chicken broth. Chicken.
• Kkanpunggi, sourced from South Korea. Double-fried chicken tossed in a sauce reduced to almost nothing, so it coats as a glaze rather than a liquid. Chicken, Egg.
• Kluai buat chi, sourced from Thailand. Bananas poached briefly in salted coconut milk, where the salt is as important as the sugar. vegan.
• Knickerbocker, sourced from the Philippines. Fresh fruit and jelly in a tall glass under shaved ice and a pink cream poured at the table.
• Kombdi vade, sourced from India. A bone-in chicken curry with fried rice-flour dumplings and solkadhi beside it. Chicken.
• Kongbap, sourced from South Korea. Rice cooked with beans soaked overnight, where the water is reduced to allow for what the beans already hold. vegan.
• Kongnamul, sourced from South Korea. Soybean sprouts cooked under a lid that goes on before the heat and does not come off, then dressed cold. vegan.
• Koottu, sourced from India. The lentils and the vegetables are cooked separately and then combined, thicker than sambar and looser than a stir-fry. vegan.
• Korean Fried Chicken, sourced from South Korea. Chicken fried twice and sauced only after the second fry, so the crust survives the sauce. Chicken.
• Kori rotti, sourced from India. Crisp dry rice wafers under a coconut milk and red chilli chicken curry. Chicken.
• Korma, sourced from India. It is braised in yoghurt and it is deliberately the mildest of these, aromatic rather than hot. Lamb.
• Kozhukkatta, sourced from India. A steamed rice-flour shell round coconut cooked in jaggery syrup. vegetarian.
• Kuaitiao khua kai, sourced from Thailand. Noodles fried almost dry over a low flame for a long time, so they catch rather than steam. Chicken, Shellfish, Egg.
• Kulawo, sourced from the Philippines. Banana heart dressed in coconut milk made from coconut burnt black over a flame first. vegan.
• Kulcha, sourced from India. The dough is fermented in earthen pots before it goes anywhere near the tandoor. vegetarian.
• Kulfi, sourced from India. It is never churned, and the slow cooking browns the milk before it is frozen. vegetarian.
• Kung chae nampla, sourced from Thailand. Raw marine prawns butterflied and dressed to order, with the sauce made before they are cut. Shellfish.
• Kung Pao Chicken, sourced from China. Kung pao chicken (gong bao in Mandarin) is a spicy Sichuan recipe made with diced chicken, chili peppers and peanuts, named after a court official. It is a popular dish served at Chinese restaurants throughout the United States and the UK. Chicken.
• Kushikatsu, sourced from Japan. Small pieces on skewers in a batter rather than egg wash, with one dip of the shared sauce. Pork, Shellfish, Egg.
• Kutsinta, sourced from the Philippines. A steamed rice cake whose chew and colour come from a little lye water. vegan.
• Kuzhambu, sourced from India. A tamarind broth with fenugreek and toor dal, thin as a broth or thick as a gravy. vegan.
• Kwek Kwek, sourced from the Philippines. Boiled quail eggs in an orange batter that has to be thick enough to cling. Egg, vegetarian.
• La tiang, sourced from Thailand. A lace of egg drizzled from the fingers into a hot pan, folded round a sweet-salty filling. Pork, Egg.
• Laal maas, sourced from India. Mathania chillies in a yoghurt sauce, hot enough to have covered the smell of game. Lamb.
• Laapsi, sourced from India. Broken wheat rather than flour, cooked in milk with dried fruit in it. vegetarian.
• Laddu, sourced from India. Something already cooked bound into a ball with syrup, and the name means small ball. vegetarian.
• Laing, sourced from the Philippines. Dried taro leaves simmered in coconut milk and deliberately not stirred. Pork, Shellfish.
• Lamb Curry, sourced from China. Lamb with whole spice and yoghurt stirred in off the heat, and no coconut at all. Lamb.
• Lamian, sourced from China. Wheat noodles pulled out by hand rather than rolled and cut, where each rest is what makes the next pull possible. vegan.
• Landang, sourced from the Philippines. Starch scalded and worked into pearls by hand, which is the entire preparation. vegan.
• Larb, sourced from Thailand. Minced meat cooked in its own liquid and dressed off the heat, with toasted rice powder for body. Pork.
• Lassi, sourced from India. Yoghurt let down with water and blended, served in a clay cup. vegetarian.
• Latik, sourced from the Philippines. Coconut cream cooked until it splits, giving crisp curds and clear oil. vegan.
• Laung lata, sourced from India. The fold is pinned shut with a clove, which is what the name is. vegetarian.
• Lechon, sourced from the Philippines. A rolled belly stuffed with lemongrass, dried hard, then blasted for the skin. Pork.
• Lechon baka, sourced from the Philippines. The oven version of a spit-roast calf, said plainly rather than pretended otherwise. Beef.
• Lechon Kawali, sourced from the Philippines. A slab of belly boiled, dried, fried, and only then cut. Pork.
• Lechon Manok, sourced from the Philippines. A whole chicken stuffed with lemongrass and turned slowly over coals. Chicken.
• Lechon Sauce, sourced from the Philippines. A dark sweet-sour liver sauce, thickened with breadcrumbs rather than flour. Pork.
• Lengua de gato, sourced from the Philippines. A piped batter so loose it spreads itself thin, which is why they are never rolled. Egg, vegetarian.
• Lengua estofado, sourced from the Philippines. Ox tongue peeled while hot and braised in a sweet soy sauce with fried saba. Beef.
• Lengua pastel, sourced from the Philippines. Ox tongue in a white cream sauce under a pastry lid baked separately and laid on at the end. Beef, Egg.
• Liangpi, sourced from China. Noodles made by washing the gluten out of a dough, steaming what settles, and eating the washed-out gluten alongside. vegan.
• Linagpang, sourced from the Philippines. The fish is grilled first and then torn into the broth, so the soup tastes of smoke. Fish.
• Linarang, sourced from the Philippines. Salted black beans and a little coconut milk, which makes it a stew rather than a braise. Fish.
• Linga (cookie), sourced from the Philippines. Thin sesame biscuits with the seeds toasted before they go in, not after. Egg, vegetarian.
• Litti, sourced from India. A wheat ball stuffed with sattu and roasted on hot charcoal. vegetarian.
• Lokot-lokot, sourced from the Philippines. A thin batter drizzled into hot oil as a lace and rolled into a tube while it is still limp. vegan.
• Lomi, sourced from the Philippines. The noodles thicken their own broth, and an egg is drizzled through at the end. Pork, Egg.
• Longganisa, sourced from the Philippines. A sweet pork sausage that needs two days before it tastes of anything. Pork.
• Luchi, sourced from India. It is maida rather than atta, and the oil is spooned over each one so it fills with air. vegetarian.
• Lugaw, sourced from the Philippines. Plain rice porridge, kept deliberately bland because of who eats it.
• Luk chup, sourced from Thailand. Mung bean paste modelled into fruits and dipped in clear jelly three times for a glass shell.
• Lukhmi, sourced from India. A flat square pastry whose dough is made with yoghurt instead of water. Lamb.
• Lumpia, sourced from the Philippines. Thin rolls kept thin, sealed with flour paste and fried twice. Pork, Egg.
• Lumpiang adobo, sourced from the Philippines. A wet, salty, already-cooked filling reduced almost dry or it bursts the wrapper. Pork.
• Lumpiang gulay, sourced from the Philippines. The everyday fried one, and the salting step that stops it steaming itself soggy. vegan.
• Lumpiang Hubad, sourced from the Philippines. The sariwa filling served with no wrapper at all, which the name says. Pork, Shellfish.
• Lumpiang isda, sourced from the Philippines. Already-cooked fish, so a cooler oil and a shorter fry than any meat lumpia. Fish.
• Lumpiang keso, sourced from the Philippines. Cheese and a wrapper, frozen first, and the shortest fry of any lumpia. Egg.
• Lumpiang labong, sourced from the Philippines. Bamboo shoots boiled in two changes of water before they go anywhere near a wrapper. Pork.
• Lumpiang Sariwa, sourced from the Philippines. A fresh unfried roll in a soft crepe, under a thick garlic peanut sauce. Pork, Shellfish, Egg.
• Lumpiang singkamas, sourced from the Philippines. Jicama salted and drained, and it is the one fried lumpia that stays crunchy inside. Shellfish.
• Lumpiang ubod, sourced from the Philippines. The one that is never fried: a soft crepe, with garlic-peanut sauce poured over. Pork, Shellfish, Egg.
• Luosifen, sourced from China. A broth simmered from snails and bones for hours, where the smell everyone mentions comes from the bamboo rather than the snails. Pork, Shellfish, Tofu.
• Lyangcha, sourced from India. Fried hard, boiled in hot syrup, then left for hours in cold scented syrup until it goes soft. vegetarian.
• Maachha Bihana, sourced from India. The roe is bound with black gram paste, fried as dumplings, and only then simmered. Fish.
• Machher Jhol, sourced from India. The potatoes are there to thicken it, not to pad it out. Fish.
• Maeuntang, sourced from South Korea. A fierce red fish stew built from the head and frame left after filleting, rather than from the fillet. Fish, Tofu.
• Maiz con hielo, sourced from the Philippines. Nothing is cooked and nothing is stirred: it is built in the glass in layers. vegetarian.
• Maja Blanca, sourced from the Philippines. A coconut pudding set with cornflour and topped with toasted coconut curds. vegetarian.
• Makhan Bada, sourced from India. A maida dough deep-fried in ghee and then dipped in sugar syrup. vegetarian.
• Maki mi, sourced from the Philippines. The broth is thickened on its own and poured over noodles boiled separately. Pork.
• Makizushi, sourced from Japan. Rolled in a bamboo mat with a bare strip of nori at the far edge to seal it. Fish.
• Makunouchi, sourced from Japan. A packed box designed to be eaten cold, with everything cooled separately before it is filled. Fish, Egg.
• Malabar Matthi Curry, sourced from India. It is never stirred: the pot is swirled, because stirring breaks the fish. Fish.
• Malpua, sourced from India. The batter stands for hours and is spooned into the fat as a pancake with crisp edges. vegetarian.
• Mami, sourced from the Philippines. Wheat egg noodles in a broth kept clear by cooking them somewhere else. Chicken, Egg.
• Mamón, sourced from the Philippines. A tall soft chiffon sponge baked in paper cups and brushed with butter while hot. Egg, vegetarian.
• Mamon tostado, sourced from the Philippines. A sponge made, sliced thin and dried hard in a low oven until it snaps. Egg, vegetarian.
• Mamuang kuan, sourced from Thailand. Mango purée cooked down to a paste and dried in thin sheets until it peels away clean. vegan.
• Mamuang nampla wan, sourced from Thailand. Sour green mango with a thick caramelised fish sauce dip, reduced and cooled before serving. Shellfish.
• Manda Pitha, sourced from India. A steamed rice-flour shell around a coconut filling, and a fried semolina one in the west. vegetarian.
• Manda roti, sourced from India. A bread rolled so thin it is served folded like a handkerchief, cooked on the outside of an upturned pan. vegetarian.
• Mandu, sourced from South Korea. Dumplings whose filling is squeezed dry in a cloth before it goes near a wrapper, because water is what bursts them. Pork, Egg, Tofu.
• Mandu-guk, sourced from South Korea. Dumplings cooked in the broth they are served in, which therefore must not be allowed to boil. Pork, Fish, Egg, Tofu.
• Mangalore bajji, sourced from India. A curd batter mixed stiff enough to be the ball itself, with no filling in it. vegetarian.
• Mango cake, sourced from the Philippines. A whole-egg genoise layered with fresh mango and a cream stabilised against the fruit's juice. Egg.
• Mango float, sourced from the Philippines. Layers of biscuit, whipped cream and mango set in the fridge, never baked and never gelatine. vegetarian.
• Mango sticky rice, sourced from Thailand. Steamed sticky rice dressed with salted coconut milk while hot, with a thicker salted sauce on top. vegan.
• Manjū, sourced from Japan. A thin steamed skin round bean paste, with the dough mixed soft and left barely handled. vegan.
• Mantou, sourced from China. Plain steamed bread with nothing inside it, where the whole difficulty is the minute after the heat goes off.
• Maroi Bori Thongba, sourced from India. Chives stand in for onion and garlic entirely, and the protein is sun-dried lentil nuggets. vegan.
• Maruya, sourced from the Philippines. Saba sliced and fanned out, dipped in batter and fried flat, then sugared. Egg, vegetarian.
• Masa podrida, sourced from the Philippines. A very short crumbly cookie made with yolks only and no liquid at all. Egg, vegetarian.
• Masala Dosa, sourced from India. Poha goes into the batter, and the crepe is wrapped round a spiced potato filling. vegan.
• Masala omelette, sourced from India. The pan is cold when the egg goes in, and the heat comes on after. Egg, vegetarian.
• Massaman curry, sourced from Thailand. A mild long-cooked curry with whole spices and potatoes, cooked until the beef gives entirely. Beef.
• Matar Paneer, sourced from India. Peas and paneer in a tomato sauce, with the garam masala going in at the end. vegetarian.
• Mechado, sourced from the Philippines. A pot roast with a strip of pork fat pushed through the middle of the beef. Pork, Beef.
• Melonpan, sourced from Japan. A soft bun under a cookie lid scored in a grid, with the two doughs proved at different rates. Egg, vegetarian.
• Menchi katsu, sourced from Japan. A minced patty chilled hard before crumbing so it survives the oil, and fried from cold. Pork, Beef, Egg.
• Mi krop, sourced from Thailand. Vermicelli fried to a crisp nest and tossed in caramel at the last second, eaten immediately. Pork, Shellfish, Egg.
• Miang kham, sourced from Thailand. Raw bits wrapped in a leaf one at a time, with a thick sauce reduced until it coats. Shellfish.
• Mihidana, sourced from India. The batter goes through a perforated ladle so it fries as separate grains. vegetarian.
• Minatamis na saging, sourced from the Philippines. Saba simmered in dark syrup made before the fruit goes in, so the slices stay whole. vegan.
• Mirchi bada, sourced from India. A stuffed chilli fried once with the potato and then battered and fried again. vegan.
• Mirchi ka salan, sourced from India. Chillies in a ground peanut sauce that is deliberately grainy. vegan.
• Misal, sourced from India. The tarri is the heart of it, and its colour comes from the spices and nothing else. vegan.
• Mishti Doi, sourced from India. It ferments overnight in earthenware, whose porous walls both thicken it and hold the temperature. vegetarian.
• Miso soup, sourced from Japan. Dashi with miso dissolved into it off the boil, because boiling miso is the one way to ruin it. Fish, Tofu.
• Misua, sourced from the Philippines. Salted thread-thin wheat noodles that need one minute and no extra salt. Pork, Egg.
• Miyeok-guk, sourced from South Korea. A plain seaweed soup whose seaweed is fried in sesame oil before any water goes in. Beef, Fish.
• Mochi, sourced from Japan. Glutinous rice steamed whole and pounded until no grain is left, from one ingredient. vegan.
• Modak, sourced from India. Two versions, one fried and one steamed, and the shell can take khoya. vegetarian.
• Mohanthal, sourced from India. A besan sweet into which a sugar syrup is poured, which is what separates it from magas. vegetarian.
• Monjayaki, sourced from Japan. A deliberately runny batter cooked inside a ring of its own solids and eaten off the griddle. Fish, Shellfish.
• Mooncake, sourced from China. A baked pastry with a moulded pattern on top that comes out hard and pale and is not ready for two days. Egg, vegetarian.
• Morcón, sourced from the Philippines. A beef sheet rolled raw round egg and sausage and braised, with the braising liquid as sauce. Pork, Beef, Egg.
• Moron, sourced from the Philippines. Two rice doughs, one plain and one chocolate, rolled together so the finished log is striped. vegan.
• Motsunabe, sourced from Japan. Cleaned offal simmered in a garlic broth under a dome of cabbage and chives that is not stirred. Beef, Fish.
• Mu kratha, sourced from Thailand. A domed pan grilling meat in the middle while a moat of broth cooks everything else. Pork, Shellfish, Egg.
• Mu ping, sourced from Thailand. Pork marinated in coconut milk overnight and basted with it, grilled fast over a high heat. Pork.
• Mughlai paratha, sourced from India. A wheat flatbread folded round egg and onion and fried flat, as a gozleme is. Lamb, Egg.
• Murgh Musallam, sourced from India. The bird goes in whole, stuffed with boiled eggs. Chicken, Egg.
• Murukku, sourced from India. Rice and urad flour piped into coils, and the name means twisting. vegetarian.
• Mysore pak, sourced from India. Steam escaping through the greased flour is what makes it porous. vegetarian.
• Naan, sourced from India. It is leavened with yeast and slapped onto the wall of the oven, not laid on a griddle. vegetarian.
• Nabadwip-er Lal Doi, sourced from India. The milk is boiled over wood until it turns red, three litres down to one, before it is set at all. vegetarian.
• Nabak-kimchi, sourced from South Korea. A pink water kimchi cut into thin squares, where the chilli is steeped in muslin so the brine colours without going gritty. vegan.
• Naengmyeon, sourced from South Korea. Cold noodles in a broth served half-frozen and slushy, which is a temperature rather than a flavour. Beef, Egg.
• Nam ngiao, sourced from Thailand. A tomato and pork rib noodle broth with no coconut, thickened by dried kapok flowers. Pork.
• Nam phrik kapi, sourced from Thailand. A thin salty dip built on shrimp paste toasted first, with everything else pounded in raw.
• Nam phrik long ruea, sourced from Thailand. A dip served as a composed plate, with the accompaniments part of the dish rather than beside it. Pork, Duck, Fish, Egg.
• Nam phrik num, sourced from Thailand. Green chillies grilled whole and skinned before they are pounded, so the dip tastes of smoke.
• Nam phrik ong, sourced from Thailand. A simmered dip rather than a pounded one, cooked down with pork and tomato until the oil separates. Pork.
• Nam tok, sourced from Thailand. A whole cut grilled and sliced, dressed in the larb manner but never minced. Pork.
• Namkhaeng sai, sourced from Thailand. Shaved ice heaped over toppings put in the glass first, with a syrup poured at the table. vegetarian.
• Nanbanzuke, sourced from Japan. Fried fish put hot into cold marinade, so it drinks it instead of sitting in it. Fish.
• Nankhatai, sourced from India. A shortbread of three flours: refined, chickpea and semolina. vegetarian.
• Naporitan, sourced from Japan. Spaghetti boiled soft, rested overnight if you can, and fried in ketchup.
• Neer dosa, sourced from India. A rice batter thinned with water and never fermented. vegan.
• Neyyappam, sourced from India. Fried in ghee, which is exactly what its name says. vegetarian.
• Nga Thongba, sourced from India. Dried citrus peel and hooker chives are what make it, not the fish. Fish.
• Ngari, sourced from India. The pot is sealed with fish paste, leaves and mud, and left at room temperature for months. Fish.
• Ngo hiang, sourced from the Philippines. Wrapped in bean curd sheet and steamed before frying, which is why it slices cleanly. Pork, Shellfish, Egg, Tofu.
• Nihari, sourced from India. Shank and marrow cooked overnight, flavoured with long pepper rather than black. Beef, Lamb.
• Nikujaga, sourced from Japan. A shallow simmer under a drop lid, where the liquid never covers what is cooking in it. Beef, Fish.
• Nikuman, sourced from Japan. A yeasted bun proved twice and steamed white, with the filling set firm by chilling. Pork.
• Nilagang baka, sourced from the Philippines. Brisket boiled soft with the vegetables added in four waves, saba bananas among them. Beef.
• Nilagang saging, sourced from the Philippines. Saba boiled in their skins in salted water and eaten plain, with nothing added at all. vegan.
• Nilasing na hipon, sourced from the Philippines. Prawns steeped in beer and then fried in their shells, with the marinade reduced into a dip. Shellfish.
• Nilupak, sourced from the Philippines. Boiled cassava pounded with butter and milk while hot, pressed into a block and cut cold.
• Noon chai, sourced from India. Soda turns it burgundy, cold water holds the colour, and the milk makes it pink. vegetarian.
• Nuea phat phrik, sourced from Thailand. Beef seared in two batches so the pan never drops, with the chillies as a vegetable. Beef.
• Nurungji, sourced from South Korea. Cooked rice pressed into a pan and left completely alone until it lifts off in one crisp disc. vegan.
• Oden, sourced from Japan. A long gentle simmer in an almost clear broth, with everything added at a different hour. Beef, Fish, Egg, Tofu.
• Odong, sourced from the Philippines. The tin of sardines is the stock, sauce and protein all at once. Fish.
• Okonomiyaki, sourced from Japan. A cabbage pancake bound by grated yam and dashi batter, pressed once and then never again. Pork, Fish, Egg.
• Okoy, sourced from the Philippines. A lacy deep-fried fritter of whole small shrimp and shredded sweet potato. Shellfish, Egg.
• Olan, sourced from India. There is no tempering at all: the coconut oil and curry leaves go in raw at the end. vegan.
• Omurice, sourced from Japan. Ketchup rice under an omelette taken off barely set, draped rather than wrapped. Chicken, Egg.
• Onigiri, sourced from Japan. Warm rice pressed into a triangle with wet salted hands, firm outside and loose inside. Fish, Egg.
• Onsen tamago, sourced from Japan. An egg held at 68C so the white stays loose and the yolk sets — the opposite of a soft-boiled egg. Fish, Egg.
• Oondees, sourced from India. Four-inch spheres of cooked semolina, steamed rather than fried. vegan.
• Oritang, sourced from South Korea. Duck blanched and then skimmed twice, because getting the fat out is the whole problem with the bird. Duck.
• Oshiruko, sourced from Japan. A sweet bean soup with the sugar added only after the beans are soft, and grilled mochi in it. vegan.
• Oshizushi, sourced from Japan. Rice and fish pressed in a wooden box and cut into blocks with a wet blade. Fish.
• Osmania biscuit, sourced from India. Salty as well as sweet, which is what the Nizam asked for. Egg, vegetarian.
• Otap, sourced from the Philippines. Laminated like a puff pastry, then flattened hard so the layers bake out instead of up. vegetarian.
• Ou khatta, sourced from India. Elephant apple cooked down in jaggery, sweet and sour at once. vegan.
• Oyakodon, sourced from Japan. Chicken simmered in seasoned dashi with the egg added in two stages and never set hard. Chicken, Fish, Egg.
• Oyster Omelette, sourced from China. Oysters in a starch batter that sets to a chewy translucent sheet, with the egg poured over it rather than beaten into it. Shellfish, Egg.
• Oyster omelette, sourced from Thailand. A starch batter fried to a crisp sheet before the egg goes on, with the oysters added late. Shellfish, Egg.
• Paciencia, sourced from the Philippines. Tiny dropped cookies baked dry in a cool oven until they lift off the paper on their own. Egg, vegetarian.
• Pad thai, sourced from Thailand. Rice noodles soaked rather than boiled, cooked two portions at a time in a sauce made first. Shellfish, Egg, Tofu.
• Paddu, sourced from India. An idli batter cooked in the indentations of a special pan, so each one is a ball. vegan.
• Paelya, sourced from the Philippines. Plain rice and stock, not the glutinous rice and coconut milk of an arroz a la valenciana. Chicken, Shellfish.
• Pajeon, sourced from South Korea. A thin batter poured over whole spring onions in a pan hotter and shallower-filled than feels right, so the edges go lacy and crisp. Egg, vegetarian.
• Pakhala, sourced from India. Rice washed or lightly fermented in water, and the liquid is the dish as much as the rice. vegetarian.
• Pakora, sourced from India. Whatever is dipped, the batter is gram flour, sometimes cut with rice flour. vegan.
• Palak Paneer, sourced from India. The spinach is boiled and pureed before anything else, and only spinach goes in. vegetarian.
• Palathalikalu, sourced from India. The strands are cooked in milk rather than water, which is what pala means. vegetarian.
• Palitaw, sourced from the Philippines. Flat rice discs that tell you they are cooked by floating, which is the name. vegan.
• Pan de coco, sourced from the Philippines. Filled before the second prove, so the coconut sets inside the crumb rather than on it. Egg, vegetarian.
• Pan de monggo, sourced from the Philippines. Soft rolls filled with a sweet mung bean paste cooked down until it leaves the pan. Egg, vegetarian.
• Pan de monja, sourced from the Philippines. A plain, close-crumbed milk bread, creased deeply down the middle before it proves. Egg, vegetarian.
• Pan de regla, sourced from the Philippines. A soft roll split and filled with a thick red bread-and-milk paste, cooked until it holds. Egg, vegetarian.
• Panchratna Dal, sourced from India. Five dals in equal quantities, and the name counts them. vegetarian.
• Pancit, sourced from the Philippines. Noodles cooked by absorbing broth in the pan, a ladle at a time. Chicken, Pork.
• Pancit Canton, sourced from the Philippines. Wheat noodles stir-fried dry, a different noodle from the bihon version. Chicken, Pork, Shellfish.
• Pancit choca, sourced from the Philippines. Black from squid ink, and dry rather than a soup -- the ink goes in at the end. Fish, Shellfish.
• Pancit miki, sourced from the Philippines. Fresh thick round noodles stir-fried dry, rinsed first so they do not glue together. Chicken.
• Pancit Molo, sourced from the Philippines. A dumpling soup with no noodles in it, despite the name. Chicken, Pork, Shellfish, Egg.
• Pancit Palabok, sourced from the Philippines. A thick orange shrimp sauce poured over rice noodles, never tossed with them. Pork, Fish, Shellfish, Egg.
• Pandesal, sourced from the Philippines. Soft rolls cut from a log and rolled in breadcrumbs before proving. Egg, vegetarian.
• Paneer, sourced from India. The drained curds are soaked in chilled water for hours before they go under a weight. vegetarian.
• Paneer Tikka, sourced from India. It is threaded on a skewer with peppers and onion and grilled until the surface singes. vegetarian.
• Panipuri, sourced from India. A hollow semolina puri punctured with a finger, filled, and eaten in one bite. vegan.
• Panjiri, sourced from India. It stays dry and loose, and the spices are cumin, coriander, dry ginger and fennel rather than cardamom. vegetarian.
• Panocha mani, sourced from the Philippines. Roasted peanuts set in muscovado boiled to the hard crack, poured thin and snapped when cold. vegetarian.
• Panta Bhat, sourced from India. Leftover rice soaked overnight and eaten in the morning, with mashed potato beside it. vegan.
• Pantua, sourced from India. The colour is decided by how long it fries, from pale brown to nearly black. vegetarian.
• Panyalam, sourced from the Philippines. A loose batter deep-fried so it puffs and frills at the edge like a dark flower. vegan.
• Papadam, sourced from India. Thin discs of black gram dough dried hard before they are fried or flipped over a flame. vegan.
• Papaitan, sourced from the Philippines. An offal soup made bitter on purpose with bile, added off the heat and tasted in stages. Goat.
• Paratha, sourced from India. The dough is folded and rolled with ghee between the folds, which is where the layers come from. vegetarian.
• Pares, sourced from the Philippines. A sweet star anise braise served as a pair with a separate bowl of its own broth. Beef.
• Paruppusilli, sourced from India. Two dals are soaked and ground rather than boiled, and the beans are cooked dry. vegan.
• Pasanda, sourced from India. Meat flattened into strips, in a sauce of almonds ground in warm milk. Lamb.
• Pashti, sourced from India. A rice-flour flatbread kneaded in hot water and cut into circles with the rim of a plate. vegetarian.
• Pastel, sourced from the Philippines. The savoury one: a creamy chicken pie under a pastry lid, and not the sweet Camiguin bun. Chicken, Egg.
• Pastel de Camiguin, sourced from the Philippines. The sweet one: a soft bun filled with yema custard, and not the chicken pie. Egg, vegetarian.
• Pastil, sourced from the Philippines. Rice and dry shredded meat wrapped in banana leaf, and the meat must be cooked to threads. Chicken, Beef.
• Pastillas, sourced from the Philippines. Milk boiled down to a paste and rolled, with no flour and no setting agent at all. vegetarian.
• Pata Tim, sourced from the Philippines. A whole hock braised until it collapses, in a sweet star anise soy. Pork.
• Pathiri, sourced from India. A wheat flatbread remade in rice flour, which is what its name records. vegan.
• Patoleo, sourced from India. A rice paste and a coconut filling steamed inside a turmeric leaf, and the leaf is not eaten. vegan.
• Patrode, sourced from India. Colocasia leaves spread with a tamarind paste, rolled and steamed until the leaves are cooked through. vegan.
• Paturi, sourced from India. Fish in a mustard paste tied inside a banana leaf with twine and steamed. Fish.
• Pav bhaji, sourced from India. Cooked and mashed on a flat griddle, with the pav soaked in butter on the same iron. vegetarian.
• Peda, sourced from India. Khoa cooked on until it browns, then pressed into thick semi-soft balls. vegetarian.
• Pesaha appam, sourced from India. A rice cake made unleavened on purpose, like the matzo it is said to come from. vegan.
• Pesarattu, sourced from India. It is whole green gram with no black gram in it, and it is not fermented overnight. vegan.
• Petha, sourced from India. Ash gourd cured in lime water before it is boiled, which is what makes it crunchy. vegan.
• Phanaeng, sourced from Thailand. A curry reduced until it clings to the meat, thickened by peanut rather than by flour or time. Beef.
• Phat kaphrao, sourced from Thailand. A two-minute stir fry where the basil goes in off the heat and must be holy basil. Pork, Egg.
• Phat khi mao, sourced from Thailand. Wide noodles with no sweetness and a great deal of fresh chilli, pounded rather than sliced. Pork.
• Phat khing, sourced from Thailand. Young ginger in matchsticks as a vegetable rather than a seasoning, barely cooked. Chicken.
• Phat mi Khorat, sourced from Thailand. Thin noodles fried dry with a fermented fish sauce, darker and plainer than pad thai. Pork, Fish.
• Phat phrik khing, sourced from Thailand. A stir fry with curry paste and no liquid, where the long beans are half the dish. Pork.
• Phat si-io, sourced from Thailand. Wide fresh noodles charred in a dry hot pan before any sauce touches them. Pork, Egg.
• Pheni, sourced from India. Finer strands than seviyan, and sutar means thread. vegetarian.
• Philippine Adobo, sourced from the Philippines. Pork braised in vinegar and soy, with the vinegar left alone until it has boiled. Pork.
• Philippine asado, sourced from the Philippines. Pork braised whole in soy, star anise and calamansi, then sliced and returned to its sauce. Pork.
• Phirni, sourced from India. The rice is ground to a powder first, so it sets smooth with no grains in it at all. vegetarian.
• Piaparan, sourced from the Philippines. Chicken cooked with dry grated coconut rather than coconut milk, so the sauce stays thick. Chicken.
• Piaya, sourced from the Philippines. Unleavened, filled with muscovado and cooked dry on a griddle, not baked. vegan.
• Pickled Cabbage, sourced from China. Cabbage left to sour under its own brine, with no vinegar in it at all. vegan.
• Pickled Cucumber, sourced from China. Cucumber salted until it gives up its water, then dressed, so it stays crisp instead of going limp in the bowl. vegan.
• Pickled Eggs, sourced from China. Eggs held in a salt brine for a month, until the yolks firm up and turn orange. Duck, Egg.
• Pickled Garlic, sourced from China. Whole cloves kept under vinegar, which turns them green and then blue-green before they settle. vegan.
• Pickled Ginger, sourced from China. Young ginger sliced thin and dressed in a sweet vinegar, ready to eat the same afternoon. vegan.
• Pickled Mustard Greens, sourced from China. Mustard greens wilted in the sun and packed dry, so they sour without sitting in liquid. vegan.
• Pickled Radish, sourced from China. Daikon salted to draw its water out, then dressed sweet and sour and eaten within the week. vegan.
• Pickled Turnip, sourced from China. Turnip salted and then dried until leathery, so it keeps its chew instead of softening. vegan.
• Pig's Trotters and Ginger Vinegar Stew, sourced from China. Pig's trotters and ginger vinegar stew (豬腳薑) is a Cantonese Chinese dish traditionally prepared for new mothers, but which is now also a popular everyday dish. The main ingredients of Pig's Trotters and Ginger Vinegar Stew are: pig trotters, ginger, Chinese sweet black vinegar, eggs, salt, and oil. You want to be able to fill your pot, so actual quantities will depend on your pot. Pork, Egg.
• Pinagong, sourced from the Philippines. A dense domed roll scored into plates across the top, baked hard and rolled in breadcrumbs. Egg, vegetarian.
• Pinakbet, sourced from the Philippines. Vegetables layered and shaken rather than stirred, seasoned only with bagoong. Pork, Shellfish.
• Pinangat na isda, sourced from the Philippines. Soured with fruit rather than vinegar, which is gentler and tastes of the fruit. Fish.
• Pinasugbo, sourced from the Philippines. Banana cut in long strips, fried, then glazed in muscovado caramel with sesame. vegan.
• Pinikpikan, sourced from the Philippines. Chicken charred over a flame before it is simmered, with salt-cured pork for depth. Chicken, Pork.
• Pininyahang hipon, sourced from the Philippines. Prawns with pineapple in coconut milk, where the acid is boiled down before the milk goes in. Shellfish.
• Pininyahang manok, sourced from the Philippines. Chicken in pineapple and milk, with the chicken marinated in milk so the acid cannot curdle it. Chicken.
• Pinni, sourced from India. It is rolled into a ball and keeps for weeks without refrigeration. vegetarian.
• Pionono, sourced from the Philippines. A thin sponge rolled while warm and cut across, so every slice is a spiral. Egg, vegetarian.
• Pitsi-pitsi, sourced from the Philippines. Steamed in small portions so it sets to a chewy jelly, then rolled in coconut.
• Piyanggang manok, sourced from the Philippines. Chicken grilled and then simmered in a paste of coconut burnt to actual charcoal and ground. Chicken.
• Poached Chicken, sourced from China. A whole chicken cooked in water that never boils, then dropped into ice. Chicken.
• Pochero, sourced from the Philippines. A beef and tomato boil with bananas in it, added late so they hold. Beef.
• Podo Pitha, sourced from India. It bakes overnight and the crust is meant to come out burnt. vegetarian.
• Poee, sourced from India. A Goan leavened pocket bread fermented with toddy and baked on the floor of the oven. vegan.
• Polvoron, sourced from the Philippines. Toasted flour pressed into moulds, with no baking at any point. vegetarian.
• Pongal, sourced from India. The rice is cooked in boiling milk, and the name means boil over. vegetarian.
• Poornalu, sourced from India. A fried dumpling whose filling has its own name, poornam. vegan.
• Pootharekulu, sourced from India. A sheet of rice starch thin as paper, folded round sugar and ghee. vegetarian.
• Popiah, sourced from China. Soft wheat skins rolled around a long-braised turnip filling, never fried, and drained hard so the skin does not go through. Pork, Shellfish, Egg, Tofu.
• Poqui poqui, sourced from the Philippines. Charred aubergine broken up and scrambled through egg, soft rather than set. Egg, vegetarian.
• Poriyal, sourced from India. It is a stir-fry, and the coconut goes on at the end as a dressing rather than into the dish. vegan.
• Pork Knuckle, sourced from China. A whole knuckle braised three hours until the skin is sticky and the meat falls off the bone. Pork.
• Pork Tenderloin, sourced from China. Tenderloin seared whole, rested, and sliced thin across the grain. Pork.
• Pritong saging, sourced from the Philippines. The plain one: halved lengthways, fried soft in a little butter, nothing added. vegetarian.
• Proben, sourced from the Philippines. Boiled first to tenderise, dried, then cornflour-coated and fried very hot. Chicken.
• Pulihora, sourced from India. The souring paste is made in advance and keeps for months, then stirred through cooked rice. vegan.
• Pumpkin-coconut custard, sourced from Thailand. Coconut custard steamed inside a hollowed pumpkin, so the vessel is cooked with the filling. Duck, Egg.
• Puran poli, sourced from India. A sweet stuffed flatbread rolled out in rice flour, or in oil with no flour at all. vegetarian.
• Puri, sourced from India. The dough is made deliberately stiff, at about 48 per cent water, which is why it puffs instead of soaking. vegan.
• Puri bhaji, sourced from India. Deep-fried rounds of flour with a spiced potato that may be dry or in gravy. vegan.
• Puto, sourced from the Philippines. A wet rice batter and hot steam, and why the steamer lid has to be wrapped in a cloth.
• Puto bumbong, sourced from the Philippines. Purple glutinous rice steamed loose in bamboo tubes, never packed, with butter and coconut. vegetarian.
• Puto Calasiao, sourced from the Philippines. Tiny steamed rice cakes from a batter left to ferment for days, with nothing on top of them. vegan.
• Puto mamon, sourced from the Philippines. Steamed like a puto but built like a sponge: whisked whites, no rice flour at all. Egg, vegetarian.
• Puto seco, sourced from the Philippines. Not steamed and not a cake: a dry cornflour biscuit that collapses on the tongue. Egg, vegetarian.
• Putok, sourced from the Philippines. A hard close-crumbed roll slashed in a cross so it bursts open in a hot oven. vegetarian.
• Puttu, sourced from India. Coarse rice and grated coconut are layered and steamed in a cylinder, never mixed into a dough. vegan.
• Pyeonyuk, sourced from South Korea. Boiled pork wrapped tight and pressed under a weight as it cools, so it slices thin without falling apart. Pork, Shellfish.
• Queso ice cream, sourced from the Philippines. A cheese ice cream where half the cheese is melted in and half is left in shreds.
• Rabri, sourced from India. The skin of cream is lifted off as it forms and set aside, again and again, until the milk is used up. vegetarian.
• Rafute, sourced from Japan. Skin-on belly simmered in spirit and raw sugar until the skin itself is the thing you eat. Pork, Fish.
• Ragi rotti, sourced from India. A finger-millet breakfast bread spread onto the hot griddle by hand and cooked crisp. vegan.
• Raita, sourced from India. The name is black mustard, and the mustard is fried before it meets the yoghurt. vegetarian.
• Rajma, sourced from India. The spices go in whole rather than ground, and the gravy is thick enough to sit on rice. vegetarian.
• Ras Malai, sourced from India. The discs are cooked in syrup and then lifted out of it into milk, which is what they are served in. vegetarian.
• Rasabali, sourced from India. The patties are flattened so they can absorb the thickened milk more readily. vegetarian.
• Rasam, sourced from India. The lentils are optional and the tart stock is not, which is why it is thinner than sambar. vegetarian.
• Rasgulla, sourced from India. The balls are simmered in a light syrup until it has permeated them, and are never fried. vegetarian.
• Rat na, sourced from Thailand. Charred wide noodles under a separate thickened gravy, the two never cooked together. Pork.
• Red Bean Paste, sourced from China. Vegetables | Beans | Chinese Cuisine. vegan.
• Red Bean Soup, sourced from China. Adzuki beans simmered until they collapse of their own accord, with the sugar kept out until they have. vegan.
• Red Cooked Chicken, sourced from China. Chicken simmered in a dark soy liquid that is kept and used again. Chicken.
• Red curry, sourced from Thailand. The plainest of the coconut curries, thinner than phanaeng and hotter than green. Pork.
• Roast Chicken, sourced from China. A chicken butterflied flat so the whole skin faces the heat at once. Chicken.
• Roast Duck, sourced from China. A duck scalded, dried a day, and roasted long and low so the fat leaves before the skin crisps. Duck.
• Rogan Josh, sourced from India. The red comes from alkanet or Kashmiri chilli, not from tomato. Lamb.
• Rosquillo, sourced from the Philippines. A hard sweet ring with a scalloped edge, baked dry enough to keep for weeks. Egg, vegetarian.
• Roti sai mai, sourced from Thailand. A paper-thin cooked-on-one-side wrapper rolled round spun sugar, assembled at the last second. Egg, vegetarian.
• Sabudana khichri, sourced from India. Coarsely ground peanuts mixed through the drained sago before anything is heated. vegetarian.
• Sachima, sourced from China. Strands of egg dough fried crisp and then bound in a sugar syrup, where the syrup temperature decides whether it sets or sags. Egg, vegetarian.
• Sago with coconut milk, sourced from Thailand. Sago hydrated off the heat rather than boiled, so the milk stays loose instead of turning to glue. vegan.
• Sai bhaji, sourced from India. Dal and greens cooked to one smooth mass, and the name means green vegetables. vegan.
• Sai krok Isan, sourced from Thailand. A pork sausage made sour by three days of fermentation on cooked rice, not by any acid. Pork.
• Sai ua, sourced from Thailand. A fresh sausage carrying its aromatics in the mince, grilled slowly in a coil. Pork.
• Sakhu sai mu, sourced from Thailand. Small tapioca pearls worked into a dough with hot water, wrapped round a sweet-salty pork filling. Pork.
• Sakinalu, sourced from India. Rice flour alone, trailed into concentric circles and fried. vegan.
• Salabat, sourced from the Philippines. Ginger sliced and simmered long, not steeped, which is what makes it hot at the back. vegan.
• Salted duck egg, sourced from the Philippines. Three weeks in brine, and the only way to know they are ready is to open one. Duck, Egg.
• Sambar, sourced from India. Pigeon peas and a tamarind broth, with the vegetables cooked in it rather than beside it. vegan.
• Samgyeopsal, sourced from South Korea. Thick pork belly grilled plain with no marinade at all, cut up with scissors in the pan and wrapped in a leaf at the table. Pork.
• Samgyetang, sourced from South Korea. A whole small chicken stuffed with soaked glutinous rice and sewn shut, so the rice cooks inside it rather than in the broth. Chicken.
• Samosa, sourced from India. A maida pastry folded round a filling that was cooked and cooled first. vegetarian.
• Sana thongba, sourced from India. A paneer curry whose gravy is milk rather than tomato or onion. vegetarian.
• Sandesh, sourced from India. The curds are tossed with sugar over a low heat and never boiled or fried. vegetarian.
• Sangkhaya, sourced from Thailand. The custard itself rather than a finished sweet, steamed in a bowl and spooned over other things. Duck, Egg.
• Sanna, sourced from India. It is fermented with toddy or coconut water rather than yeast. vegan.
• Sannakji, sourced from South Korea. Small octopus cut up and dressed in sesame oil, eaten while the pieces still move, and cut small because the suckers still grip. Shellfish.
• Sans rival, sourced from the Philippines. Four full-size cashew meringue layers under buttercream, trimmed square and chilled not frozen. Egg, vegetarian.
• Sapin-sapin, sourced from the Philippines. Three layers steamed one at a time, each set before the next is poured on. vegan.
• Sarapatel, sourced from India. The meat is parboiled before it is diced, and offal is half of it. Pork.
• Sarbhaja, sourced from India. The skins of milk stacked and then fried, which is what the name says. vegetarian.
• Sarpuria, sourced from India. The same milk skins layered rather than fried, with chhena and cream between them. vegetarian.
• Sarsiado, sourced from the Philippines. Fried fish under a tomato sauce thickened with egg poured in off the heat. Fish, Egg.
• Sarson ka saag, sourced from India. Mustard greens cooked down in ghee with garlic, ginger and chilli, and little else. vegetarian.
• Satsuma-age, sourced from Japan. Fish paste beaten until it turns sticky and pale, then fried twice at two temperatures. Fish, Egg.
• Scallion Pancake, sourced from China. A coiled flatbread with oil and flour rolled through it, so it cooks into separate layers rather than one slab. vegan.
• Sekihan, sourced from Japan. Glutinous rice steamed in the beans' own cooking water, aerated to keep the colour red. vegan.
• Sencha, sourced from Japan. Brewed well below boiling and poured out in rotation so every cup is the same strength. vegan.
• Seolleongtang, sourced from South Korea. Marrow bones boiled hard for most of a day until the broth turns milky white, with the first boil thrown away. Beef.
• Sesame Chicken, sourced from China. Fried chicken turned through a sesame glaze added off the heat at the last moment. Chicken, Egg.
• Sev puri, sourced from India. Flat papri topped with potato and chickpeas and buried in sev, served without sauce. vegan.
• Sevai, sourced from India. The rice paste is steamed as lumps before it is pressed into threads. vegan.
• Shab deg, sourced from India. Turnip and mutton left in the pot overnight, which is what the name says. Lamb.
• Shabu-shabu, sourced from Japan. A plain kombu broth meat is swished through for seconds, with two dipping sauces doing the work. Beef, Fish, Tofu.
• Shacha Noodles, sourced from China. Noodles built around a jarred sauce of dried seafood and garlic, where the work is loosening it without frying it. Beef.
• Shahi Paneer, sourced from India. Ground cashews and cream are emulsified into the sauce, and no whole spices go in. vegetarian.
• Shahi Tukra, sourced from India. White bread is fried and then milk and sugar are added to it. vegetarian.
• Shakoy, sourced from the Philippines. A twisted yeasted dough fried slowly and rolled in sugar, chewy rather than crisp. Egg, vegetarian.
• Shami kebab, sourced from India. Meat and chana dal boiled together until tender, ground, and bound with egg. Beef, Lamb, Egg.
• Shandong Fried Chicken, sourced from China. Chicken brined, dredged dry and fried twice, so the crust stays crisp as it cools. Chicken.
• Shankarpali, sourced from India. Semolina in the dough with the maida, which is what makes it snap. vegetarian.
• Shaobing, sourced from China. A baked layered flatbread whose layers come from a cooked flour-and-oil paste rolled through it rather than from folding alone. vegetarian.
• Sheer Khurma, sourced from India. The vermicelli is fried in ghee before any milk goes near it. vegetarian.
• Sheermal, sourced from India. A mildly sweet saffron bread in which warm sweetened milk replaces the water of a naan dough. vegetarian.
• Shorshe Ilish, sourced from India. Mustard arrives three ways: the white seed, the brown, and the oil. Fish.
• Shrikhand, sourced from India. The yoghurt is hung in cloth for hours and nothing is cooked at any point. vegetarian.
• Shrimp Lo Mein, sourced from China. Soft noodles tossed through a sauce rather than fried in it. Shellfish.
• Shrimp Toast, sourced from China. Prawn paste spread on stale bread and fried paste side down. Shellfish, Egg.
• Shrimp with Lobster Sauce, sourced from China. Prawns in a savoury sauce set with beaten egg, containing no lobster at all. Pork, Shellfish, Egg.
• Shukto, sourced from India. Deliberately bitter, and a version without bitter vegetables uses fenugreek to keep it. vegetarian.
• Sichuan Boiled Fish, sourced from China. Fish slices poached in a thin broth, with hot oil poured over chillies at the table. Fish, Egg.
• Sichuan Chicken, sourced from China. Chicken fried dry with whole chillies until the pieces are almost crisp, with no sauce at all. Chicken.
• Sichuan Fish Soup, sourced from China. A sour fish soup that takes its sourness from pickled greens rather than vinegar. Fish.
• Sichuan Fish with Tofu, sourced from China. Fish and tofu braised together in a thickened sauce and served in the pan. Fish, Tofu.
• Sichuan Pork in Garlic Sauce, sourced from China. Shredded pork stir-fried fast in a sauce that is sour, sweet and hot at once. Pork.
• Sili ice cream, sourced from the Philippines. Coconut ice cream infused with chilli, where the heat is set by steeping time and tasted for. vegetarian.
• Silvana, sourced from the Philippines. Two cashew meringue discs round buttercream, rolled in crumbs and eaten frozen. Egg, vegetarian.
• Sinabawang corned beef, sourced from the Philippines. A thin corned beef broth where the tin is fried first and the fat skimmed off the top. Beef.
• Sinabawang gulay, sourced from the Philippines. A clear vegetable broth seasoned only with shrimp paste, with everything added by hardness.
• Sinampalukan, sourced from the Philippines. Chicken soured with young tamarind LEAVES rather than the fruit, which gives a green sourness. Chicken.
• Sinangag, sourced from the Philippines. Yesterday's cold rice fried in garlic oil, with the garlic fried twice. vegan.
• Sinantolan, sourced from the Philippines. Grated santol rind squeezed repeatedly to take the sourness down, then cooked in coconut milk. Pork.
• Singju, sourced from India. It is not cooked at all: raw vegetables shredded fine and dressed. Fish.
• Singori, sourced from India. A cone of sweetened khoya wrapped in a maalu leaf, which gives it its shape and its scent. vegetarian.
• Sinigang, sourced from the Philippines. A sour pork broth where the souring agent is the whole decision. Pork.
• Sinseollo, sourced from South Korea. A set-piece casserole arranged in coloured rings around a central chimney that is filled with hot charcoal at the table. Beef, Fish, Egg.
• Siomai, sourced from the Philippines. Open-topped pork and prawn dumplings, steamed, with calamansi and chilli oil on the side. Pork, Shellfish, Egg.
• Siopao, sourced from the Philippines. A white steamed bun round a sweet soy pork filling, each one sitting on its own paper. Pork.
• Sisig, sourced from the Philippines. Pork boiled, then grilled, then chopped and served on a plate hot enough to sizzle. Chicken, Pork, Egg.
• Sitabhog, sourced from India. Pressed into threads that look like rice, with small jamun through it. vegetarian.
• Siu Yuk, sourced from China. Roast pork belly where the skin blisters into hard bubbles, which takes a day of drying and then fifteen fierce minutes. Pork.
• Smoked Chicken, sourced from China. Chicken brined, steamed, then smoked over tea, sugar and rice in a lined pan. Chicken.
• Soan papdi, sourced from India. A pulled sugar dough whose name means golden flaky layer. vegetarian.
• Soba, sourced from Japan. A buckwheat dough with no gluten of its own, hydrated in three pours and worked fast. vegan.
• Sohan halwa, sourced from India. A halwa set with cornflour, boiled until solid, and brittle rather than fudgy. vegetarian.
• Solkadhi, sourced from India. It is a drink, and the pink comes from kokum skins. vegan.
• Som tam, sourced from Thailand. Green papaya pounded rather than tossed, so the shreds bruise and take up the dressing. Shellfish.
• Songpyeon, sourced from South Korea. Half-moons of scalded rice dough shaped round a sesame filling and then steamed, on pine needles if you have them. vegetarian.
• Sopas, sourced from the Philippines. A milky chicken and macaroni soup, with the pasta boiled apart so it does not drink the broth. Chicken, Pork.
• Sorbetes, sourced from the Philippines. A coconut and milk ice thickened with cornflour instead of eggs, so it scoops soft from a tub. vegetarian.
• Sotanghon, sourced from the Philippines. Mung bean glass noodles, soaked cold, in a chicken broth coloured with annatto. Chicken.
• Soup Number Five, sourced from the Philippines. A clear bull's testicle broth, with the preparation of the meat the whole of the work.
• South Indian parotta, sourced from India. Maida where the northern paratha is atta, and the dough is coiled into a spiral. Egg, vegetarian.
• Soy Egg, sourced from China. Eggs peeled before they go into the braise, so the colour is even and the white takes the liquid directly. Egg, vegetarian.
• Spam musubi, sourced from Japan. Glazed fried luncheon meat pressed onto rice in the tin it came out of. Pork.
• Spanish bread, sourced from the Philippines. A soft roll wound from a triangle round a butter and breadcrumb filling that must not be overfilled. Egg, vegetarian.
• Ssambap, sourced from South Korea. A table of leaves and fillings where the rice is pressed into a small ball before it goes in the leaf. Pork, Beef.
• Ssamjang, sourced from South Korea. Two parts fermented soybean paste to one of chilli paste, mixed cold, for wrapping grilled meat in a lettuce leaf. vegetarian.
• Steamed Buns with BBQ Pork, sourced from China. This is a yeast dough bun that is stuffed with a meat filling and steamed until cooked. Chicken, Pork.
• Steamed Chicken, sourced from China. Jointed chicken steamed in its own dish, so nothing it gives off is lost to the water. Chicken.
• Steamed curry, sourced from Thailand. A curry set like a mousse by egg and steaming, beaten in one direction until it stiffens. Fish, Egg.
• Steamed Egg Custard, sourced from China. A savoury custard steamed until it is just set, smooth enough to take the shape of the spoon. Egg.
• Steamed Fish, sourced from China. A whole fish steamed eight minutes, its liquid thrown away and replaced. Fish.
• Steamed Ground Pork, sourced from China. A single pork patty steamed flat with an egg sunk into the middle. Pork, Egg.
• Steamed Short-Grain Rice, sourced from South Korea. Rice and water and nothing else, soaked before it cooks and left under the lid for a full ten minutes after the heat goes off. vegan.
• Sticky rice in bamboo, sourced from Thailand. Rice and coconut milk sealed in green bamboo and roasted over a fire until the tube chars through. vegan.
• Stir-fried ice cream, sourced from Thailand. A liquid base spread on a frozen steel plate and scraped into rolls as it sets. vegetarian.
• Stir-fried Tomato and Egg, sourced from China. Two ingredients cooked separately and brought back together, where the eggs leave the pan before the tomatoes go in. Egg, vegetarian.
• Stuffed Tofu, sourced from China. Blocks of tofu hollowed and packed with a springy fish paste, fried on the cut face only and then braised. Pork, Fish, Egg, Tofu.
• Suam na mais, sourced from the Philippines. A thin corn soup thickened only by grating half the cobs instead of cutting them. Pork.
• Suea rong hai, sourced from Thailand. A fatty cut grilled whole and rested, sliced across the grain, with a sour roasted dip. Beef.
• Suimono, sourced from Japan. A clear soup where the dashi is the dish and everything else is arranged, not simmered. Fish, Shellfish.
• Sujebi, sourced from South Korea. Dough rested two hours so it can be torn into pieces thin enough to see light through, dropped straight into the broth. Fish.
• Suji Ka Halwa, sourced from India. The semolina is toasted in fat before any liquid, and the sweetener can be syrup, honey or jaggery. vegetarian.
• Sukhdi, sourced from India. The jaggery goes in equal to the flour and only once the pan is off the heat, then it sets and is cut. vegetarian.
• Sukhothai noodles, sourced from Thailand. A sweet-sour pork noodle broth with raw long beans cut in and ground peanuts on top. Pork.
• Sukiyaki, sourced from Japan. Beef seared in beef fat then braised shallow in sweet soy, dipped in raw egg to eat. Beef, Fish, Egg, Tofu.
• Suman, sourced from the Philippines. Glutinous rice part-cooked in coconut milk, wrapped in wilted banana leaves and boiled. vegan.
• Sundae, sourced from South Korea. Blood sausage filled only two thirds because the rice and noodles swell, steamed slowly and sliced cold. Pork.
• Sundubu Jjigae, sourced from South Korea. A fierce red stew with tofu so soft it cannot be handled, tipped in whole and broken in the pot with a spoon. Pork, Fish, Shellfish, Egg, Tofu.
• Surnoli, sourced from India. Cooked on one side only, under a lid, so it stays yellow and full of holes. vegetarian.
• Sushi Rice, sourced from Japan. Short-grain rice dressed while hot, where the dressing is cut through with a slicing motion and never stirred. vegan.
• Sweet and Sour Pork, sourced from China. Marinated pork fried twice and met by a red fruited sauce off the heat, so the coating is still crisp when it reaches the plate. Pork, Egg.
• Taho, sourced from the Philippines. Warm silken tofu in brown syrup with sago, scooped in sheets rather than spooned in lumps. Tofu, vegan.
• Taisan, sourced from the Philippines. A chiffon loaf brushed with butter and crusted with sugar and cheese the moment it leaves the tin. Egg.
• Taiyaki, sourced from Japan. A thin batter in a hot fish mould, filled on a half-set base and closed before it rises. Egg, vegetarian.
• Takikomi gohan, sourced from Japan. An everyday pot of rice cooked in dashi, folded through at the end and never crusted. Chicken, Fish.
• Tamago kake gohan, sourced from Japan. A raw egg beaten into rice hot enough to thicken it but not to cook it. Egg, vegetarian.
• Tan ngang, sourced from India. A puri made with curd instead of water. vegetarian.
• Tandoori Chicken, sourced from India. The chicken is skinned before it is marinated, so the yoghurt reaches the meat. Chicken.
• Tangsuyuk, sourced from South Korea. Starch-battered pork fried twice, with the sauce served beside it in a bowl rather than poured over. Pork, Egg.
• Tangyuan, sourced from China. Glutinous rice balls with a black sesame filling that runs when they are cut, served in a thin ginger syrup.
• Tapa, sourced from the Philippines. The cure itself, two days in soy and calamansi, and not the breakfast plate. Beef.
• Tapsilog, sourced from the Philippines. Three things on one plate, and the name is their three first syllables. Beef, Egg.
• Tataki, sourced from Japan. Seared hard for seconds on every face and chilled at once, so the inside stays raw. Beef, Fish.
• Tea Egg, sourced from China. Boiled eggs cracked all over and steeped for a day, so the liquid reaches the white through the shell and leaves it marbled. Egg, vegetarian.
• Tekkadon, sourced from Japan. Raw tuna cut thick and laid on cooled sushi rice, with nothing cooked at the final step. Fish.
• Temaki, sourced from Japan. A cone rolled at the table by each diner, where the nori has to stay crisp until the last second. Fish, Shellfish.
• Tendon, sourced from Japan. Tempura fried separately and brushed with sauce, the one donburi that is never simmered. Fish, Shellfish, Egg.
• Tenshindon, sourced from Japan. A soft crab omelette laid over rice, with a sharp sauce made separately and poured on after. Shellfish, Egg.
• Teriyaki, sourced from Japan. A glaze reduced onto the meat in the pan, from four ingredients and no bottle. Chicken.
• Thai fried rice, sourced from Thailand. Plain fried rice seasoned only with fish sauce, finished with lime and prik nam pla at the table. Chicken, Egg.
• Thai suki, sourced from Thailand. A plain clear hotpot whose entire character is in the sauce, not in the broth. Pork, Beef, Shellfish, Egg, Tofu.
• Thai tea, sourced from Thailand. Tea brewed far stronger than drinkable, then cut with two milks and poured over a full glass of ice. vegetarian.
• Thalassery biryani, sourced from India. Kaima rice instead of basmati, which its own source makes the whole difference. Chicken.
• Thalipeeth, sourced from India. The flour is roasted before it is ground, and it has legumes and spices in it already. vegan.
• Thapthim krop, sourced from Thailand. Diced water chestnut coated in tapioca flour and boiled, so each piece sets in a slippery shell. vegan.
• Tharoi Thongba, sourced from India. It is river snails, and the shells are trimmed so the meat can be sucked out at the table. Fish, Shellfish.
• Theeyal, sourced from India. The name means burnt dish, and the colour comes from roasting the coconut before grinding it. vegan.
• Thepla, sourced from India. Fenugreek leaves and gram flour go into the dough itself, not onto the finished bread. vegetarian.
• Thong muan, sourced from Thailand. A coconut wafer pressed between irons and rolled round a stick in the seconds before it hardens. Egg, vegetarian.
• Thong yip, sourced from Thailand. Strained yolk cooked in syrup and pinched into a five-pointed cup while hot. Duck, Egg.
• Thong yot, sourced from Thailand. Strained yolk dropped from a height into syrup so each one sets as a tear with a tail. Duck, Egg.
• Thua khiao tom namtan, sourced from Thailand. Whole mung beans boiled soft before any sugar goes near them, then sweetened and rested. vegetarian.
• Tibok-tibok, sourced from the Philippines. A milk pudding set with rice flour, where the milk and not coconut carries the whole dish. vegetarian.
• Tilkut, sourced from India. Sesame pounded into the sugar rather than stirred into a syrup. vegan.
• Tinapa, sourced from the Philippines. Fish brined, dried to a tacky skin, then hot-smoked until it is cooked and keeps. Fish.
• Tinola, sourced from the Philippines. A clear chicken broth led by ginger, with no souring agent at all. Chicken.
• Tiyula itum, sourced from the Philippines. A long beef broth coloured black by burnt coconut, which here is one seasoning among many. Beef.
• Tocino, sourced from the Philippines. Pork cured sweet and red for three days, then fried in water first and its own syrup after. Pork.
• Tofu with Ground Pork, sourced from China. Soft tofu in a thickened chilli bean sauce, the pork used as a seasoning rather than a filling. Pork, Tofu.
• Tokneneng, sourced from the Philippines. Whole boiled chicken eggs in orange batter, with the boiling and the frying set by the larger egg. Egg, vegetarian.
• Tokoroten, sourced from Japan. Seaweed boiled to a jelly, set, and pushed through a box to make noodles. vegan.
• Tokwa't baboy, sourced from the Philippines. Fried tofu and boiled pig's ear dressed at the last moment, so the tofu is still crisp. Pork, Tofu.
• Tom kha kai, sourced from Thailand. An opaque coconut soup where galangal is the loudest thing in it and nothing ever boils. Chicken.
• Tom khlong, sourced from Thailand. A thin sour soup built on smoked dried fish and charred aromatics, with no fresh protein at all. Fish.
• Tom yam kung, sourced from Thailand. A clear hot-sour prawn soup built on a stock made from the prawn heads and shells. Shellfish.
• Tonjiru, sourced from Japan. Pork and roots fried in sesame oil first, simmered long, with the miso still added off the heat. Pork, Fish.
• Tonkatsu, sourced from Japan. A thick cutlet crumbed in panko and fried once at a steady heat, rested and cut across. Pork, Egg.
• Tortang carne norte, sourced from the Philippines. Tinned corned beef fried dry first so the omelette is not greasy. Beef, Egg.
• Tortang kalabasa, sourced from the Philippines. Grated squash salted and squeezed dry before it meets the egg, so the fritter sets crisp. Egg, vegetarian.
• Tortang sardinas, sourced from the Philippines. Tinned sardines drained hard and broken coarse, set in egg with tomato and onion. Fish, Egg.
• Tortang talong, sourced from the Philippines. Whole aubergines charred black, peeled, flattened and set in egg. Egg.
• Tsokolate, sourced from the Philippines. Thick drinking chocolate from pure cacao tablets, whisked until it foams on top. vegetarian.
• Tsukune, sourced from Japan. Chicken meatballs grilled dry first and glazed only at the end, with cartilage for texture. Chicken, Egg.
• Tteokbokki, sourced from South Korea. Rice cakes simmered in a chilli sauce that is reduced onto them until it clings, which is what stops it being a soup. Fish.
• Tteokguk, sourced from South Korea. A clear soup in which the rice cake ovals go in for the last three minutes and no longer. Beef, Fish, Egg.
• Tupig, sourced from the Philippines. A flat rice and coconut batter grilled inside banana leaves until the leaf scorches through. vegan.
• Turon, sourced from the Philippines. Banana and jackfruit rolled and fried in sugar that caramelises onto the wrapper. vegan.
• Tuslob buwa, sourced from the Philippines. A bubbling pan of brain and liver kept boiling at the table while rice is dipped into it. Pork.
• Tuyo, sourced from the Philippines. Salted hard and dried in the sun for two days, then fried fast in very hot oil. Fish.
• Twice Cooked Pork, sourced from China. Pork belly simmered whole, cooled, sliced thin and then fried hard with leeks. Pork.
• Ube cake, sourced from the Philippines. A sponge carrying a heavy yam purée, which changes the fold, the oven and the test for done. Egg, vegetarian.
• Ube cheesecake, sourced from the Philippines. A baked cheesecake carrying ube halaya, with the sugar cut back because the halaya brings its own. Egg.
• Ube ice cream, sourced from the Philippines. Ube ice cream thinned deliberately, because halaya freezes far harder than a plain base. vegetarian.
• Ube macapuno, sourced from the Philippines. Purple yam cooked down to a stiff jam with macapuno strings folded in at the end. vegetarian.
• Udon, sourced from Japan. A very stiff salted dough kneaded underfoot, rested twice and cut thick. vegan.
• Ulava charu, sourced from India. The horse gram is boiled and then taken out, so only its broth is served. vegan.
• Umeboshi, sourced from Japan. Unripe plums salted under a weight for a month, then dried in the sun for three days. vegan.
• Unadon, sourced from Japan. Grilled eel over rice in two layers, with the sauce split between the fish and the grain. Fish, Egg.
• Undhiyu, sourced from India. It finishes dry, with every chunk keeping its shape, so it is barely stirred. vegan.
• Unni appam, sourced from India. Mashed ripe banana in the batter, cooked in the moulds of an unniyappakaara. vegetarian.
• Upma, sourced from India. Dry-roasted semolina made into a thick porridge, and the name is salt plus meal. vegetarian.
• Uraro, sourced from the Philippines. Arrowroot cookies that collapse to powder in the mouth, baked pale and stamped with a mould. Egg, vegetarian.
• Uttapam, sourced from India. It is poured thick and the toppings are pressed into the wet batter. vegan.
• Vada pav, sourced from India. A potato fritter in a bun cut almost through, with a dry garlic and coconut chutney. vegan.
• Vindaloo, sourced from India. Pork marinated in palm vinegar and garlic, and the vinegar is the dish rather than the heat. Pork.
• Waffle dog, sourced from the Philippines. A thick batter cooked around a skewered sausage in a mould, not dipped and deep-fried. Egg.
• Waknatoy, sourced from the Philippines. A tomato pork stew with pickles in it, and the pickle liquid goes in too. Pork.
• Wonton Wrappers, sourced from China. Wonton wrappers are thin pasta-like wrappers used for wontons. They are suitable for wonton soup. Oversize (7-inch / 45 cm square) wrappers may be used as egg roll wrappers. Round wrappers are best for making potstickers. Egg, vegetarian.
• Xacuti, sourced from India. White poppy seeds and nutmeg go in with the toasted coconut. Chicken.
• Xiaolongbao, sourced from China. Steamed dumplings with soup inside them, which gets there as a cold jelly cut into cubes and folded through the filling. Pork.
• Xinjiang Lamb, sourced from China. Lamb seared hard and tossed with whole cumin toasted in the same pan, with nothing wet added. Lamb.
• Yakgwa, sourced from South Korea. A dense wheat pastry fried gently from cold oil and then left to soak in warm syrup for hours. vegetarian.
• Yaki udon, sourced from Japan. Thick udon fried in a soy and dashi seasoning rather than a sauce, and dried before it goes in. Pork, Fish.
• Yakisoba, sourced from Japan. Steamed wheat noodles loosened with water, not oil, and sauced only at the very end. Pork, Fish.
• Yakisoba-pan, sourced from Japan. Fried noodles in a split roll, assembled around keeping the bread dry. Fish, Egg.
• Yam khai dao, sourced from Thailand. Eggs deep-fried until the edges are lacy and brittle, then cut up and dressed while warm. Egg.
• Yam Soup, sourced from China. A soup the yam itself thickens, with no starch and no long boiling. Pork.
• Yellow curry, sourced from Thailand. The mildest of the curries, carried by turmeric and dry spice rather than by chilli. Chicken.
• Yema, sourced from the Philippines. A firm egg-yolk and milk candy cooked to the point where it holds a shape, wrapped in paper. Egg, vegetarian.
• Yema cake, sourced from the Philippines. Chiffon sponge under a thick yema frosting, with grated cheese over the top. Egg.
• Yen Thongba, sourced from India. It is country fowl, and the onions go in as a paste rather than sliced. Chicken.
• Yōkan, sourced from Japan. Bean paste set with agar and boiled hard after it dissolves, which gelatine cannot do. vegan.
• Youtiao, sourced from China. A fried dough stick that is hollow inside, because two strips are jointed down the middle so they pull each other open in the oil. vegan.
• Yugwa, sourced from South Korea. Dough dried hard and then fried at two temperatures so it puffs hollow, glazed and rolled in puffed rice. vegetarian.
• Yukgaejang, sourced from South Korea. A red beef soup whose meat is boiled and then pulled apart by hand along the grain, never chopped. Beef.
• Yukhoe, sourced from South Korea. Raw beef cut by hand into strips and never minced, dressed at the last moment and eaten at once. Beef, Egg.
• Yusheng, sourced from China. A raw fish salad built in layers and then tossed at the table, where everything is shredded to the same size and dressed at the last moment. Fish.
• Zarda, sourced from India. It is boiled sweet rice, and the yellow is colouring as much as saffron.
• Zhajiangmian, sourced from China. A bean sauce fried slowly until the oil splits out and floats, served over noodles with raw vegetable shreds piled on top. Pork.
• Zhaliang, sourced from China. A fried dough stick wrapped in a soft steamed rice sheet, where the contrast only survives if the two meet at the last moment. vegan.
• Zhangcha Duck, sourced from China. A duck cured, smoked, steamed and then fried, where each of the four stages undoes a problem the one before it created. Duck.
• Zongzi, sourced from China. Glutinous rice and pork tied up in bamboo leaves and boiled for hours, where the fold is the only thing stopping it unpacking itself. Pork, Egg.
• Zōni, sourced from Japan. A clear dashi broth with grilled mochi added at the last second so it does not dissolve. Chicken, Fish.
• Zōsui, sourced from Japan. Rice rinsed and simmered in broth until it thickens, the pot's last course rather than a soup. Fish, Egg.

What counts as Asian

A country on the Asian landmass, or in the island chains off it.

This rule is ours. It is not borrowed from any standard, so it is a choice rather than an authority, and you may reasonably disagree with where it lands.

No borderline has had to be decided yet: China, Japan, the Philippines and Thailand are nobody's edge case. The countries that straddle the Urals or the Bosphorus will be decided here, in the open, when a recipe needs them to be.

Or widen it

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