History of

Asian Cuisine
Presented by: Jojith G. Tandaguen,
LPT

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Lernen
Outcomes:
After the completion of this
lesson, you will be able to
competently do these:
1. Relate and recognize the
history of cuisine in every
country.
History of Asian
Cuisine

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PhotoPhoto
by Unknown
by Unknown
Author
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is licensed
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under
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CC BY-SA
History of Asian Cuisine

Philippines China Japan Korea

Malaysia /
Vietnam India Thailand
Singapore

Indonesia
 Philippines
• Beginning of Malayo-Polynesian
• Around 3200 BC, Malayo-Polynesians settled in
the Philippines. They are the origin of Filipino
food, who brought farming, cooking methods
(steaming, boiling, and roasting).
• Chinese Traders
• Chinese brought soy sauce, fish sauce, bean
sprouts, tofu, bamboo shoots, lemongrass, and
noodles (pancit miki, bihon, canton, sotanghon).
Led to the birth of Filipino-Chinese dishes such as
pansit, lumpia, siopao, and siu mai.

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 Philippinen
• Spanish Conquistadors
• Introduced cooking methods like sautéing and braising, as
well as new ingredients like garlic, onion, tomato, corn and
potato.
• Introduced Christmas with paella, relleno, stew, embutido,
leche flan, and churros
• American Influence
• Introduced hotdog, hamburger, spam, fried chicken, and
pie. Brought freezing, and pre-cooking techniques, and
putting anything and everything into a sandwich.
• Introduced canned evaporated milk, condensed milk,
canned sauces, and processed cheese
• Brought us kitchen conveniences like refrigerator, pressure
cooker, oven toaster and microwave.
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 China
• It is believed that Chinese were already experimenting with
fancy cooking on silk and bamboo before thousand years of
Christ’s birth
• Cantonese, Shandong, Sichuan and Huaiyang are the four
most influential Chinese cooking styles
• Their staple foods are rice, noodles, soyabean, wheat and
vegetables
• In Chinese cuisines, dried Chinese mushrooms, dried baby
shrimps, dried tangerine peel and dried Sichuan chilies are
added for extra flavor.
• A number of sauces are based on fermented soybeans like
Hoisin sauce, ground bean sauce and yellow bean sauce.

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 Japan
• Traditionally, all the different elements are separated into
small dishes in a Japanese meal. It used to be considered
bad form to have all the food in one bowl or on one
plate! This is a dining style that originated in the
Kamakura period, and it was mainly adopted from the
classical Chinese style of serving food, as well as the way
Buddhist tea ceremony is served.
• 1920s, 90% of Japanese were vegetarian and most
people only ate fish on very festive occasions.
• During Kofun, China brought chopsticks to Japan; at this
time, they were only used by nobility, the trend didn't
catch on with the lower classes until the 9th century Tang
Dynasty.
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 Korea
• Joseon dynasty, made eating one of the most
important times of day in the extended family
farm home and the royal court. 
• Historically, growing, harvesting, preparing and
eating food has been a social event.
• Rice, noodles, vegetables, meats, and tofu is the
key ingredients in Korean cuisine.
• Traditional Korean meals boast abundant side
dishes, steam-cooked short-grain rice, soup,
kimchi, sesame oil, soy sauce, salt, garlic, ginger,
gochujang, doenjang.
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Vietnam
• Vietnam’s history is scarred by invasion.
• The Chinese brought noodles and wontons
• Phở bo / Pho ga, the most famous Vietnamese
dish in the world, was only created in Northern
Vietnam in the early 20th century.
• French brought baguettes
• Americans dropped hamburgers and beefsteak
 Malaysia / Singapore
• Both Singaporean and Malaysian cuisine take
influence from Chinese, Indian, Malay and
Peranakan cultures.
• Chicken Rice is widely considered Singapore’s
most famous dish and one of the city-state’s
national dishes. In Malaysia, however, the
chicken is served roasted or even in a BBQ or
honey-style sauce. 

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Indien
• “One of the world’s most diverse cuisines”
• Dates back over 5000 years. Each region has its own
traditions, religions and culture that influence its food.
• Hindu, and Buddhist tend to be vegetarian
• Muslims tend to have meat dishes, although pork is
forbidden. Indian food has been influenced by Mongolian,
Persian and Chinese cuisine, among others. The common
thread throughout the centuries remains the distinct
mixing of spices that invariably give Indian cuisine its flavor
and aroma.
Thailand
• A blend of eastern and western influences, Thai food
harmonizes the dietary preferences of many cultures
into a synthesis that blends sweet, sour, spicy, and
bitter flavors to create a unique dining experience. 
• Historically, aquatic animals, plant and herbs were
popular ingredients included in most meals. Large
quantities of meat were mainly avoided, thanks in
part to the Buddhist background.
• The favored methods of food preparation in this
traditional Thai cuisine included stewing, baking, and
grilling. 
Indonesien
• Indonesia has attracted many traders due to its
beneficial geographical location.
• It is known for rich resources of spices.
• Around 2000 BC, Chinese brought ingredients
such as tea, noodles, cabbages, soybeans and
more made their way in, along with the stir-frying
method.
Suggested Readings:
• https://guidetothephilippines.ph/articles/history-culture/philippines-food-guide
• https://foodnetphilippines.wordpress.com/2016/11/08/first-blog-post/
• https://japanfoodstyle.com/history-of-japanese-cuisine/
• https://hannaone.com/korean-cooking-blog/the-amazing-history-of-korean-cuisine.html
• https://explorepartsunknown.com/vietnam/8-essential-vietnamese-dishes/
• https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/indian_cuisine
• https://raturecipes.medium.com/the-history-of-indonesian-cuisine-9e302243a781
Cuisine Food
Filipino a.

Chinese
b.
Activity:
Korean

Japanese • List down at least two (2)

Vietnamese famous food in the following
Malaysian
cuisines.
Singaporean
• Write your answer in a table,
Word Format.
Indian
• Cite sources.
Thai

Indonesian
Checking Your Understanding:
1. Why do we need to know the history of the cuisine?
_______________________________________________________
___________________________________________.
2. What do you think is the best food/dish that will represent the
Filipino Cuisine? Why?
_______________________________________________________
___________________________________________.
References:
Origins of food we love: The Cuisines of the Philippines. (2017). Retrieved December 1,
2021 from https://www.gadventures.com/blog/origins-food-we-love-cuisine-philipines/
History of the Filipino Cuisine. (2009). Retrieved December 1, 2021 from
https://www.pinoyedition.com/history/history-of-the-filipino-cuisine/
History of Chinese Cuisine. (2017). Retrieved December 1, 2021 from
https://www.powershow.com/view0/87050c-YTI2O/History_of_Chinese_cuisine_powerpoi
nt_ppt_presentation
Chinese Cuisine. (2015). Retrieved December 1, 2021 from
https://www.slideshare.net/UmeshPyakurel/chines-cuisine-53513573
A short history of Japanese Food. (2015). December 1, 2021 from
https://www.sushisushi.co.uk/blogs/education/a-short-history-of-japanese-food
Korean Cuisine. (2019). Retrieved December 1, 2021 from
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Korean_cuisine
References:
Understanding Vietnam’s History Through Food. (2011). Retrieved December 1, 2021 from
https://www.citypassguide.com/travel/vietnam/food/blog/top-5-dishes-to-eat-in-Hanoi
Singaporean vs Malaysian Food: What's The Difference? (2018). Retrieved December 1,
2021 from
https://theculturetrip.com/asia/singapore/articles/singaporean-vs-malaysian-food-is-there-
really-a-difference/
A guide to Indian cuisine. (2017). Retrieved December 1, 2021 from
https://www.culinaryschools.org/international/indian-cuisine.php
A brief history of Thai cuisine. (2019). Retrieved December 1, 2021 from
https://thaiginger.com/a-brief-history-of-thai-cuisine/
5 Interesting Facts About Indonesian Food History. (2020). Retrieved December 1, 2021,
from https://luxofood.com/5-interesting-facts-about-indonesian-food-history/