Although westerners might be most familiar with the spicy foods “south of the border” in Mexico and South America, thanks to massive immigration from parts of Asia to the west in the second half of the twentieth century, Europeans, Americans, and Canadians are now discovering some of the world’s spiciest cuisines – mostly arising from South Asia. Asian cuisine varies greatly from nation to nation, but some of the cuisines best known for their spicy flavors are those of Szechuan Province in China, the Punjab region in India and Pakistan, and, although perhaps lesser known, the east-meets-west-meets-Indian cuisine of Hong Kong.
Szechuan Province, China
Szechuan, Szechwan, or Sichuan Province is a landlocked south western province of China that has become world-renowned for its spicy food, especially because of its use of chilis and the Szechuan peppercorn. Some of the more famous Szechuan dishes include Kung Pao Chicken and Hot and Numbing Fish. It will certainly help to learn Chinese to order your desired amount of spicyness.
Szechuan cuisine also includes less spicy dishes, such as the Tea Smoked Duck, which is traditionally made by smoking a duck over tea leaves. What’s more, the chilli peppers which feature so prominently in most favorite spicy Szechuan dishes are not actually native to the region; Christopher Columbus brought the chili pepper back with him from the West Indies, and the chilli pepper eventually spread through Europe, to India, and from India to China via missionaries.
Punjab Region of India and Pakistan
Punjab is a region that lies partially in Pakistan (55% of its total area) and partially in India (45% of its total area). The people of Punjab speak primarily Punjabi, rather than Hindi, the official language of the Republic of India, or Urdu, the national language of Pakistan. Not only is the people of Punjab’s language distinct, so is its cuisine. Although typically grouped in indiscriminately by westerners as “Indian food”, Punjabi cuisine is just one of the many cuisines of India. In 1947 when India and Pakistan became two different countries, Punjab experienced a diaspora as many of its inhabitants moved abroad to seek more stable parts of the world. Because Punjabis immigrated in large numbers to the west, most of the “Indian food” that westerners enjoy is actually Punjabi cuisine, which can be different from the cuisines of South India.
Punjabi cuisine is traditionally tandoor food – that is, food cooked in the traditional earthen tandoor ovens. It is from Punjab that westerners enjoy such dishes as Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Tikka, Tandoori Lamb etc. Although Punjabi food includes vegetarian dishes, South Indian cuisine is more often vegetarian than not, and relies more heavily upon curry than upon some of the more burn-your-taste-buds-off spices.
Hong Kong
The cuisine of Hong Kong is an interesting blend of different cuisines and cultures. Although its base is Cantonese cuisine (the cuisine of southeastern China), Hong Kong cuisine also incorporates many other influences, including western influences, Japanese influences, and other influences of Southeast Asia. The result is that within the very cosmopolitan city of Hong Kong, virtually every cuisine of the planet is available; and within more traditional Hong Kong restaurants, the cuisine is a unique melting pot of cultures and tastes.
Common ingredients in Hong Kong cuisine include Chinese broccoli (Kai-lan), Hoisin sauce (a sauce similar to soy sauce but whose traditional ingredients include sweet potatoes, red chilli peppers, and garlic), azuki beans, and shiitake mushrooms.
Don’t forget when traveling to these nations that the western palate’s notion of “hot” and the Asian notion of “hot” can be vastly different! Protect your mouth and your gut when sampling these spicy nations!
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