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1. How were Hong Kong egg tarts invented?
Originally from medieval England. Learn more

2. Who can claim Hainanese chicken rice, Singapore or Malaysia?
Neither because it came from Hainan. Learn more

3. Did you know tempura is not from Japan?
Tempura came from Portugal. Learn more

4. How did tofu make its way to North America?
By Asian immigrants in the 1800s. Learn more

5. How did xiaolongbao become a worldwide hit?
Din Tai Fung is credited with spreading xiaolongbao globally. Learn more

6. What is butter chicken? Isn't it curry?
Butter chicken developed into what is known as curry in the west. Learn more

7. How did KFC or Korean fried chicken become popular around the world?
The method of cooking. Learn more

8. How was banh mi invented?
The French colonized Vietnam. Learn more

9. How did Spam become so popular in Asia?
Cheap form of protein distributed by the Americans. Learn more

10. How have mooncakes evolved?
Hong Kong chefs experiment with different ingredients. Learn more

11. Is Sichuan cuisine all spicy?
Not all dishes are fiery hot. Learn more

12. What is "ramdon", the noodle dish in the Oscar-winning movie Parasite?
A combination of two different instant noodles with beef. Learn more

13. Did you know sushi didn't come from Japan?
Originally from Mekong river area. Learn more

14. Where is sriracha sauce originally from?
Thailand. Learn more

15. Who invented pad Thai?
The Thai government. Learn more

16. Who invented bubble tea?
Taiwanese Liu Han-chien. Learn more



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Food and Drinks

16 things you may not know about Iconic Asian food

Is Hainanese chicken rice a Malaysian or Singaporean dish? Photo: Winson Wong

Unlike a lot of Western fried food, tempura is known for its light and airy batter. Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Tofu has come a long way, from its invention in China 2,000 years ago to acceptance in mainstream America today. Photo: Getty Images

The history of the famous Hong Kong dessert goes back to medieval England. Photo: Hotels.com

Xiaolongbao from Old Bailey restaurant at Tai Kwun, Hong Kong. Photo: Nora Tam

Ram-don, or jjapaguri, might not typically be served with marbled sirloin like it is in the film Parasite, but the dish is still a common one in a country that embraces its love of instant noodles.

The story of butter chicken – like this one held by Hong Kong chef Palash Mitra – is one of three hard-working refugees, a hugely popular Delhi restaurant and an accidental flavour combination born out of necessity and leftover tandoori chicken. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Chef Yong Soo-do with his Korean fried chicken, whose preparation includes marinating it overnight in brine, then putting it in a tempura batter with home-made chicken powder. Photo: Tory Ho

Le Petit Saigon chef Theign Yie Phan with a pork banh mi. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Spam was invented in 1937 in the small town of Austin, in the US state of Minnesota, but it wasn’t until World War II that sales boomed and it became a worldwide hit. Photo: Alamy


This year Shang Palace in the Kowloon Shangri-La hotel has made a mooncake using the savoury preserved duck eggs encased in a mooncake pastry crust with pickled ginger. Photo: Shang Palace at Kowloon Shangri-La


A classic Sichuan dish: crispy diced chicken with dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns at Sichuan Lab in Hong Kong. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

The sushi that we know today has come a long way from its origins.

A bottle of Huy Fong’s famed hot sauce in the Asian food section of a New York supermarket. Photo: Alamy

Pad Thai served from a boat in Amphawa, Thailand, for breakfast. Photo: Alamy


Christopher Cheung enjoys a bubble tea with his wife on his wedding day.

Lifestyle

Food & Drink

Knowledge

Topics

Iconic Asian food

Explainers


Where is sushi from? How about tempura, and sriracha? How did Korean fried chicken become so popular, and what's the story with butter chicken? We explore the history of some iconic Asian dishes and foods



Hong Kong culture

Asian recipes