Burmese Ginger Salad

Southeast Asian salads from Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Burma (at least these are the ones that I am familiar with) share common ingredients and flavor in my opinion, such as lemon juice, peanuts, fish sauce, cilantro, shrimp, and more.  The following ginger salad recipe is no exception.  I have an earlier post for Vietnamese Lotus Stem Salad recipe in this blog as well if you are interested.

Who would have thought of using ginger as one of the main ingredients in a salad, I have always use it as a flavoring ingredient in steam fish, stews, or stir fry but never in a salad.  When I was first introduced to it by my friend, Jasmine, who was born in Burma, I liked it right away.  It gives a very different aroma, texture and flavor to the salad that I never had before.  Of course, there are variations of ginger salad recipe but this one is Jasmine's version of it and I have made this salad many times over.

Thai Style Cole Slaw

Fusion has becoming a trend in the foodie world.  This is mainly due to the adaptation of flavor, texture, or taste to accommodate the general public's palate.  At the same time, more and more Americans are exposed to ethnic foods through its myriad of immigrant population.  As a result, some chefs in the States have integrated two or more different cuisines or ingredients and come up with a new flavor and dish.  Chef Ming Tsai from his PBS show - Simply Ming calls it "East meets West".  Of course, fusion food actually is not a new phenomenon.  Older immigrants from Italy, England, Germany, and others had already influenced many of the American staple foods.  We would generally label them as "American" because of the fact that these fusion of food or ingredients have been long assimilated into the mainstream.

In any case, this Thai style cole slaw recipe is one of them.  The recipe comes from my culinary class.  It makes a good side dish or salad to either Western or Asian main course or BBQ.  It has a combination of peanut, sweet and tangy flavors and the texture is similar to regular cole slaw - crunchy.

Lotus Stem Salad

I am always fond of South East Asian cuisine, maybe because I was born in Indonesia and it suits my palate - tropical sensation.  I feel "at home" when I eat South East Asian food.  Overall, there are some similarities in ingredients, taste and texture within these countries cooking.

This lotus stem salad is very similar to typical Thai salads, especially the dressing.  I have eaten this salad in a Vietnamese restaurant here in the Bay Area.  It was recommended by a friend of mine whose husband was originally from Vietnam.  I like it a lot since then but didn't know how to make it until I found the recipe from a Vietnamese cookbook - "Pleasures Of The Vietnamese Table" by Mai Pham.

Lotus stems are white thin spears, it has crunchy texture and the ability to absorb sauces well.  In the U.S., I can only find lotus stems (sometimes labeled lotus rootlets) packed in brine in jars (see photo below).  This salad is very refreshing (fresh herbs) with sweet and citrus flavor, perfect for warm weather.

Lotus Stem Salad

Kato's Japanese Cabbage Salad

This is a simple salad that is delicious and great for summer BBQ or potluck.  I made this salad frequently for potlucks due to popular demands from friends who had tried it.  Interestingly kids love this salad and they often requested their moms to ask me bring this salad to potluck parties.