I'd Like to Order Kung Pao Chicken Smothered with Melted Cheese! (Yuk!)

A few years back, I was having a spirited discussion with co-workers at one of my temp jobs and the discussion turned to food preferences. Mexican versus Chinese. 

I said: “I love Chinese food!”

My co-worker's response was:

“No way! Chinese food doesn't have near enough cheese for me!!”

I laughed and thought to myself: 'Yep! She's right about that!'

But why? ⍰
Why is there hardly any cheese in Chinese cuisine?

Did some research. Here is the quick answer, according to Corinne Trang, affectionately referred to by her many admirers as the “Asian Julia Child”. She says: “In Asian food culture, you have thousands, countless amounts of herbs and spices that we use at any given time. So few of these spices go well with cheese.” *

Nevertheless, there is a food trend going in the “fusion” direction and chefs are experimenting with incorporating cheese into Asian recipes.

I seriously doubt that you can order a plate of kung pao chicken smothered with melted cheese.  I didn't say the chefs had taken leave of their senses.  😋

But what do you think of this "adaptation"?

Do you like Chinese food with or without cheese?

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*Quote Source:

Kuo, Stephanie. "The Real Reason There's No Cheese In Asian Cuisine." CheeseRank : Your Go To Guide for All Things Cheese. N.p., 28 July 2014. Web. 15 June 2017. (NOTE: Links to an archived copy.)

It Turns Out, There is Such a Thing as Chinese Cheese

The Blog: Cookbook author and teacher Diana Kuan writes about traditional and modern takes on Asian home cooking on her blog, Appetite for China. She has also recently launched an online shop called Plate and Pencil, with cute gifts like a "Dumplings Around the World" tote bag.

Discovering Cheese in One of the Most Unsuspecting Places

It's nearly impossible for any Westerners to remember the first time they tried cheese. From pizza to pasta to hunks eaten on their own, cheese's ubiquity in our diets means that we've been enjoying it since before we could eat most other solid foods. For Liu Yang, a cheesemaker in Beijing, the ...

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Foodie Friday : Who Loves Nachos?

This foodie blog is US-based but readers and subscribers are from around the world.  I grew up in Miami, Florida (USA) and I never really knew anything about nachos until I moved from Florida to Texas in 1987. That basically means that I was on planet earth, living in one state in the same country, for about 30 years before I knew there was such a thing as nachos.  

Since I am sharing content with a global community of foodies and food lovers,  I may be talking about a snack or fun food that some of you have not heard of.  So I'm wondering …

Do you like nachos?

For those of you who don't know nachos is a plate of corn tortilla chips smothered in melted cheese and you throw on any additional toppings that you like: ground beef, chopped tomatoes, chopped green onions, salsa, whatever! Nachos are really popular in Texas. It's a great snack. It's fun food for a party.

Have you ever tasted nachos?

Yes

No

Online Quiz Maker

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Do you like nachos?

Yes

No

Quiz Maker Online

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Is there a snack or fun food where you come from that is similar to nachos?

Yes (See comments)

No

Create an online quiz

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Foodie Fun! Love Me Some Nachos | https://t.co/oEHiAVw4r1 https://t.co/oUpCKCCWXK via @flipboard @EverydaySpices #foodies #foodlovers #foodieFriday #funfood #foodfun #favoritefoods for #munchies #cheeselovers #nacholovers

— My Fox Nooze (aka Joie de Vivre Magazine) (@FoxMarks_ATX) September 12, 2019

21 #Nachos That Changed The World ~ https://t.co/3141Rx7caT via @flipboard @EverydaySpices #funfood #foodfun #Iheartnachos #recipes #tailgating

— My Fox Nooze (aka Joie de Vivre Magazine) (@FoxMarks_ATX) September 12, 2019

Are the Foods You Love to Eat on a List?

FOOD! This topic has so much variety that one of my friends suggested the best 2 words to describe it is “food diversity”. Diversity is right. People love sharing recipes. Nutritionists and medical practitioners share information about health benefits, health tips, and healthy eating. Others like to go on a sort of “food safari” and talk about all the bizarre foods they discovered.

#1 Top 10 List of Superfoods

10 Everyday Superfoods - https://t.co/Adn9FPN6Kd ~ These 10 #superfoods top the list of the best healthy foods to eat every day. ~ https://t.co/rLgAzkwcEk via @EatingWell ~ #healthyeating #dietandnutrition #Top10Lists pic.twitter.com/esnt1qHmI9

— EverydayExoticSpices (@EverydaySpices) March 12, 2019

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EatingWell publishes a free newsletter and you can receive articles with weight loss tips and healthy recipes. They published a top 10 list of superfoods you can and should eat every day The great thing about this list is there is a superfood (or super drink) that can please everybody in my house. My daughters love tea. My husband loves oranges. And I love sweet potato!

• Nourishing Superfood Bowls: 75 Healthy and Delicious Gluten-Free Meals to Fuel Your Day

#2 Medical Advice About Superfoods

What are #superfoods and why should you eat them? by Megan Ware RDN LD
(Last updated Mon 7 Jan 2019) ~ Excellent article published Medical News Today discusses #Healthbenefits AND #HealthTips for taking #supplements #HealthyEating #diet and #nutrition ~ https://t.co/xvMQFMajYt pic.twitter.com/HbVtJUg2Xc

— EverydayExoticSpices (@EverydaySpices) March 12, 2019

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For contrast and comparison, another listing of superfoods was published via Medical News Today and it shares insightful information about the health benefits and about taking supplements.

• Superfood Kitchen: Cooking with Nature's Most Amazing Foods (Julie Morris's Superfoods)

#3 WARNING: Delicacies Can Be Dangerous!

Top 15 Most Dangerous Foods in the World (Read this before eating) - https://t.co/kdauKXAaiZ ~ "Some of the most dangerous foods on the planet are delicacies in some countries. Prepare them wrong and you can die! Try these foods at your own risk!" #exotic #foodanddrink pic.twitter.com/veqADGZj6e

— EverydayExoticSpices (@EverydaySpices) March 12, 2019

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Many people are blessed to travel the world and get introduced to new foods they have never tasted or even heard of. Here is some advice you should never ignore. In some countries, certain foods may be considered “delicacies” but … “Prepare them wrong and you can die!” Some foods don't even require preparation because they are eaten raw. My first time seeing this fruit was when I visited The Bahamas to meet my husband's parents. I tasted it. It was delicious. So it was a shock to see that star fruit was on this list of "dangerous foods". Who knew?

• Superfoods Cookbook: Book One: 75+ Recipes of Quick & Easy Cooking, Low Fat Cooking, Gluten Free Cooking, Wheat Free Cooking, Low Cholesterol Cooking, ... - weight loss plan for women) (Volume 29)

#4 100 Healthiest Foods ~ Is Your Favorite Food on the List?

100 Healthiest Foods on the Planet | Eat This, Not That! ~ https://t.co/tLSBCmpK78 ~ #HealthyFood #healthyeating #eathealthy #fruitsandveggies @EatThisNotThat pic.twitter.com/MO9wWXQdRx

— EverydayExoticSpices (@EverydaySpices) March 12, 2019

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It's great to review a Top 10 List of healthy foods to eat. But a list of the Top 100 healthy foods gives you more to choose from. That's 10 times YUM! YUM! Pomegranates, one of my favorite fruits is on this list. Spirulina is also on the list. To my surprise, certain meats, like bison, are also on the list.

• Diabetes Superfoods Cookbook and Meal Planner: Power-Packed Recipes and Meal Plans Designed to Help You Lose Weight and Control Your Blood Glucose   

Original source:  Virily.com

QOD (Question of the Day): Homemade Pizza or Buddha's Delight?

Watched parts of two new cooking shows and was torn between the two brand-new episodes because they both came on at the same time, on different channels. (NO! Never learned how to program a VCR!)

- So on one show, the guy lives on a farm and he was making pizza. He milked the cow that morning and used that milk to make fresh mozzarella cheese.

- On the other show, the lady was visiting a farm and planned to prepare dishes using freshly picked produce. She ended up serving a #vegetable platter. All sorts of root veggies are sliced thin like potato chips (raw; not cooked).

QOD (Question of the Day):

- If you have to choose between pizza and a veggie delight*, as your last supper, which would you pick?  (* Some folks call a vegetable platter or plate with all veggies, Buddha's Delight.)

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If it's my last supper, I'm going for the pizza – loaded with meat and veggies!! Extra large.  Extra cheese.  And I'm not sharing!! ☺   

FYI. In America, October is National Pizza Month.

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Originally published at Persona Paper on April 30, 2015.