John Myers
There is no uniform “Asian cuisine”. Nevertheless, very similar types of vegetables are used in the regional cuisines of Asia, for example in Japan, Korea, Vietnam, China, India, or Thailand (Thai recipes). After all, one can speak of vegetables that are typical of many Asian dishes. It is striking that many ingredients are not exotic at all, but are also ubiquitous in the rest of the culinary world:
- Eggplant
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Spring onions
- Garlic
- carrots
- Paprika
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini
- Sugar snap
- Onions
In addition to the well-known types of vegetables, many Asian cuisines use vegetables that are not unknown in this country, but are not among the typical ingredients of regional dishes:
- Leaf mustard
- Chayotes
- Chinese cabbage (Learn how to prepare it in a variety of ways with the help of our Chinese cabbage recipes. Of course, Korean kimchi is particularly popular here. You can find the recipe for it in our Korean recipes. Our Chinese recipes also offer inspiration!)
- Lotus roots
- Baby corn
- Okra
- Pak Choi (mustard cabbage)
- Hearts of Palm
- Sprouts – including mung beans, soybeans, bamboo (typical for wok and stir-fry dishes such as our Asian noodle pan or chop suey)
- Sweet potatoes
- Water spinach
Mushrooms are also widespread in Asian cuisines. They are processed both fresh and in dried form:
- Oyster mushrooms
- Mushrooms
- Enoki
- Maitake
- Morels
- Mu-Err
- Shiitake (The mushrooms are often used as an ingredient in various ramen recipes.)
You can find great cooking ideas for oyster mushrooms in our oyster mushroom recipes!
Herbs, aromatic leaves, and roots provide the typical taste of many Asian dishes. Here is a small selection:
- Chinese chives
- Chili peppers
- Galangal (Thai ginger)
- Ginger
- Coriander
- Lime leaves
- Thai basil / red basil
- Lemongrass
