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Indian food is so incredibly varied and is well known for producing unbelievable flavour combinations. Some being tangy, spicy, creamy, rich, subtle, pungent, mild or hot and more! Some of us might associate Indian food as "curry", but the fact is it incorporates a range of dishes made up of different combinations of spices and herbs. It encompasses a broad category that contains a lot of different cultural and historical points. So, let's clarify what's going on with this whole myth of curry!

The term ‘noodles’ was manufactured the west, describing foods that are long and stringy. However, in China, a noodle is not called a ‘noodle’, it is called ‘miàn’ or ‘mein’.  Miàn is not related to the shape of the food, but the fact it is made from flour in a liquid. Funnily enough in this sense, dumplings and tortellini are both are miàn! The Malaysian word ‘mee’ is derived from the Chinese name.

Rice is one of the most used grains on the planet. It’s a staple food for a large portion of the world’s population with hundreds of varieties. When selecting rice, enthusiasts will look carefully for the colour, fragrance, flavour and texture.

Stir-frying is a method of cooking where ingredients are fried in a small amount of very hot oil while being stirred. This technique originated in China but has spread into other parts of Asia and the West. To traditionally stir-fry, the most obvious tool you need is a good wok and spatula. However, if you don’t have a wok, that shouldn’t stop you! Simply use a large, wide frying pan with some other basic pantry ingredients. You’ll soon be able to whip up the most delicious stir-fry recipes.

Soy Sauce 

 We can’t talk about Chinese cuisine without mentioning soy sauce! It is foundational to so many Chinese dishes we have grown to love. It’s also used across an array of other Asian countries who use it as a staple for cooking, dipping sauces, marinades and dressings.

Chinese food has influenced many other cuisines, catering to local palates for many years. Food staples are rice, soy sauce, noodles, tea and tofu. Many day-to-day utensils such as chopsticks, woks and rice cookers can now be found in kitchens globally. China has many ethnic backgrounds which have their own preference for seasoning and cooking techniques.

A substance called capsaicin gives chillies their distinctive hot, peppery taste. The chemical stimulates areas of your skin and tongue that normally sense heat and pain, fooling your brain into thinking they are burning! Capsaicin has been found to repel or poison mammals but not birds, according to BBC. These are some main fresh and dried varieties available in Australia.

It’s not that you've formed an emotional bond to your food, 'onion tears' are just caused by a gas called Propanethiol S-oxide. When mixed with an onion’s enzymes, they create a sulphur gas that irritates your eyes.

Our salads have come a long way from a sad bowl of a few leaves of lettuce, onion and unripe tomatoes. These days a salad can be an entire meal with interesting ingredients, textures and flavours! They are a great way to use up excess produce lurching in the depths of your crisper and are an ideal for bulking up your fruit and veg intake too. A delicious salad can transform ordinary ingredients into something exciting and colourful. The use of nuts, meats, pulses and even seafood are great additions. Combining a mixture of raw and cooked fruits and vegetables provides contrast in visual appeal and taste. For every salad you create, there is a perfect dressing!