{ Ed i t o r ’ s
NOTE
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“‘Your Ma does not always say what she’s thinking or
feeling,’ Daddy said. ‘But when she cooks, she puts her
whole mind and heart into the food and you’re bound
to learn something about her’. So I searched for Ma in
her spices and sauces, her mixed vegetables and her
sweet desserts.”
ASIAN Geographic can be found on board and
at the following locations:
Airlines & Lounges
— Sugarbread, Balli Kaur Jaswal
Clubs & societies
CAFÉS & Restaurants
tOURISM BOARDS
M
y childhood memories are of my vegetarian mother standing over
the stove in the sweltering heat – mixing, mixing, mixing – concocting a
delicious meat-based dish for her picky-eater children, and in a separate
pot, something for her husband and herself. She would then serve us
first, me by her own hand, before she ate herself. When I grew up, I ate her
dishes less and less, favouring instant meals and fast food instead. But
today, nothing compares to her lovingly prepared food, and whenever I get
a chance to have her dalchawal (lentils and rice), it feels like she is feeding
me, her three-year-old, all over again.
That is the idea of food I’ve always had: a selfless dish with a story to tell.
Each ingredient and every process tells a tale of a home and a homeland.
In this issue, we journey through the history of staple Asian foods, rice and
noodles, and their associated dishes around the region. You may see stark
differences as well as uncanny resemblances among dishes, and each dish
will show you part of a nation’s culture and tradition. Our feature articles
highlight the unique street food culture of Asia, and take you through the
fascinating history and practice of the paan (betel nut) custom. And in case
it all makes you feel a little peckish, we have also provided some inspiration
for amazing restaurants, cafés, and other dining experiences for any mood,
budget and event, so you can have your fix in any corner of Asia.
Be warned though: your mouth will water and you may hear a rumble –
from your tummy, of course. But we promise it will be worth the journey.
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Newsstand Distribution
ASIAN Geographic can be found in the following countries. If
you have difficulty finding us on newsstands, please contact our
distributors: ChinA and HONG KONG Times Publishing (HK) Ltd;
INDONESIA Java Books; Philippines Alpha Stream Marketing;
Malaysia Pansing Marketing Sdn Bhd; Singapore Singapore
Press Holdings Ltd; THAILAND Asia Books Co Ltd
media correspondents
India, Sri Lanka
RMA Media, Faredoon KUKA | [email protected]
Nepal, Bangladesh
Media South Asia (P) Ltd | [email protected]
Thailand
Radius | [email protected]
China
Hainan Periscope Social Media Company | [email protected]
Japan
Keiichi ARANTANI | [email protected]
a
Shreya Acharya