The lowdown on Japanese beef: Wagyu, Kobe, Matsusaka… what’s the difference?
Whenever I hear (or read) someone say that Kobe beef is THE STANDARD and far superior than wagyu, I go HUH? Kobe beef IS …
Food Tales
What is omurice? Is it Japanese, Korean or Taiwanese?
Omurice, or omelette rice, is a Japanese rice-and-egg dish that fuses local cuisine with the Westerner’s love for ketchup. …
Sate / satay is not peanut sauce
Sate / satay is skewered meat. Not only chicken but just about any meat including organ meats. It’s Indonesian / Malaysian …
Snack attack: toasted flatbread with cheese dip
Make an easy snack by toasting flatbread and serving it with flavored cheese softened in the microwave. It's ready in five …
What your coffee says about you, and why psychologists want to know
It's a marketing game. Psych studies on coffee drinkers and how they want their drink are used for ad targeting.
Ambrosia: the colonial root of Filipino fruit salad
Filipinos look forward to noche buena and the most important Christmas dessert. Fruit salad. I wonder how many realize how …
Is there such a thing as “pure” cuisine?
Ramen, beef pho, banh mi, Thai curry and khao soi are fusion dishes. Colonization, trade and migration gave birth to fusion …
The truth about Filipino adobo
There is a misconception that Filipino adobo is part of the Spanish legacy. It is not. In fact, despite the similarities in …
Let’s talk about chocolate, shall we?
Chocolate comes from the fruit of the cacao tree. There is no credible scientific study to prove that it is an aphrodisiac …
Food bowls: Asian versus non-Asian
Food bowls are traditionally Asian. Bibimbap, donburi, gaifan, bun cha — all of which are about harmony of ingredients. …
The evil drink I can’t live without
Did you know that coffee used to be called Satan's drink and Catholics were forbidden to drink it? Then, a Pope decided to …
Symbolic food on Lunar New Year
Wherever in the world the Lunar New Year is celebrated, there’s always symbolic food chosen for their appearance, …