5 unexpected Asian delicacies best savoured with a pair of chopsticks

STORYCedric Tan

Nov 29 , 2018

Chopsticks have been used for thousands of years for eating sweet and savoury foods, including Peking duck and carrot cake, in many parts Asia, including China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam. Photo: Getty Images

Food and Drinks

Forget Dolce & Gabbana’s clumsy suggestions about what you can eat with them – the utensils and these regional culinary delights make a perfect match

Few inventions from antiquity have survived the transition into modern day.

A pair of chopsticks is one such item.

The sole means of feeding much of the Asian region, including China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam, for a few thousand years, the wisdom of the humble chopsticks may not apply to eat inordinately large pizzas and cannolis – as Italian luxury fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana has found to its cost – but it still looms significantly for the culinary culture of Asia in general.

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In multi-racial Asia, where food culture is as accepting as it is exciting, eating with a pair of chopsticks is certainly a joy not to be missed.

Let’s take a look at some of the continent’s most famous delicacies that one can best savour with a pair of chopsticks – because it’s quite simply twice the fun.

Teochew muay (porridge)

Teochew muay served with chye poh omelette at the Lemon Garden, Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, in Malaysia. Photo: Cedric Tan

Teochew porridge is a popular staple for breakfast as well as supper in Southern China and Southeast Asia.