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The term 'Asian cuisine' can be used broadly to define the foods native to or inspired by a massive swath of the planet. Foods from regions as ostensibly disparate as southern India to Korea, Thailand to Japan, and Mongolia to Indonesia all fairly fall under the umbrella term of Asian food (sometimes also referred to as 'Eastern'). This comes as no surprise, really, when one realizes that the greater continent of Asia accounts for more than 4.1 billion of the earth's inhabitants (the current global population is estimated to be around 7.5 billion people, for reference).
Given the diversity inherent, then, in Asian cooking, one might think that the best way to begin their own journey toward mastering a given cuisine is to simply find an Asian cookbook covering the foods of a region they already know they like. That, in fact, would be an oversimplification. For just as so-called Western cooking has changed and evolved in recent years, so too has the approach to food preparation changed globally. As just one clear example, consider a cookbook that would never have been seen just a generation ago, such as a guide dedicated to 100 percent vegan Indian cooking.
Also keep in mind that compared to many types of cooking (Americana and basic Italian, for example), adroit Asian cooking can be quite difficult to learn and master. A Japanese itamae (chef) typically works for five years before he or she even begins to prepare the rice used to make sushi; the full training may last twenty years. So be ready to be patient, and by all means start with a basic cookbook.
The Complete Asian Cookbook
Once you know which general type of food you wish to prepare -- Japanese or Mongolian, e.g. -- it is then time to decide whether you approach the cuisine generally in terms of taste or preparation method. Many Asian cookbooks focus on the tools and techniques used in the preparation, such as the wok and stir-fry cooking or the gear used in the process of pickling foods such as is common in much Korean cooking. Other books approach their recipes in terms of ingredients used. Both approaches will likely involve a good deal of investment in new gear, new staple foods, or both.
Asian Cookbooks For Beginners
Finally, consider whether you prefer a book the reads more like a manual or more like a volume of prose. Many cookbooks (Asian and otherwise, of course) weave a story into their pages, telling tales of the author's life, of a given place or time, or taking some other narrative approach. Other books are much more matter-of-fact, focusing on lists of ingredients and step-by-step instructions. There is no right or wrong approach, merely that which suits your preference.
Asian Cookbooks Best
Overview
Oriental Cookbooks
With a collection of over 800 authentic recipes from countries across Asia, including India, China, Japan, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand, The Complete Asian Cookbook remains the most authoritative resource on Asian cookery available today, and and is now available in this convenient ebook edition.
Charmaine Solomon started her career in food as a journalist and feature writer for an English-language newspaper in Sri Lanka, where she wrote a cookery column dispensing recipes and food ideas with flair. Descended from generations of talented cooks - a legacy passed on to her daughters Deborah and Nina, who closely assisted in this revised edition - Charmaine is recognised as one of the world's most knowledgeable and practical writers on Asian cooking. She has taught Southeast Asian, Chinese and international cooking, and continues to be inspired by the food traditions across Asia.
In putting together The Complete Asian Cookbook, Charmaine travelled widely through many parts of Asia, revisiting familiar places and discovering new ones to ensure that, as always, her recipe development was completely authentic. In recognition of her contribution to food media, Charmaine was made a member of the Order of Australia in 2007.
