When I first moved to Buenos Aires from Singapore in April of 2010, I was constantly praised for being able to embrace a culture so different from the one I had grown up in.
New found friends would look at me in admiration, applauding me for uprooting myself from the small southeast Asian island nation and planting myself in Argentina, without any friends nor family, apart from Juanās.
Even today, I see the look of surprise creep over strangersā faces when they realize that Iāve only been here for the past three-and-a-half years, instead of being born here. They gasp in shock and then quickly congratulate me on how well I speak Spanish, and laugh in delight when I use ālunfardoā, the words specific to PorteƱos, which refer to those who live in the Argentine capital city.
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But largely, after I started getting interested in cooking, attending culinary classes, and launching this food blog, the thing people mostly comment on is my ability to adapt to a completely different cuisine.
In Asia, rice is a protected staple whose place on the dinner table is bordering on sacred, whereas bread is what Argentinians almost cannot live without. Beef, which barely figures in local Singapore cuisine, apart from some delicious beef noodle soups, is what Argentina is famous for, and most families, unless they are vegetarian, have beef incorporated into so many things ā milanesas, asados, pastel de papas (cottage pie),Ā empanadas and the list goes on. I wasnāt a fan of beef before I arrived in Argentina, but the Argentine steak really does live up to international expectations. Iāve now come to accept eating beef about four to five times a week, in almost any form ā minced, fillet, barbequed, baked, stir-fried, once even raw!
Argentinians also have a soft spot for sweet (read: intensely sweet) foods. Desserts, tea-time, snacks, anything that’s sweet, makes its way into their daily diet.
Dulce de leche, some sort of caramelized milk, which is literally Argentinaās favorite sweet sauce, manages to find its way in almost any dessert possible ā cakes, cookies, biscuits, crepes, even rice puddings! To my largely savory palette, it was hard getting used to so many sweet things; cakes tend to be incredibly sweet, dulce de leche lurking everywhere, but over the years, even my savory preferences have given way and I actually look forward to desserts, something I barely did back in Singapore.
Sometimes I secretly give myself a pat on my back and feel amazed at how much Iāve incorporated the Argentine cuisine into my diet (I didnāt have much of a choice).
But every once in a while, a craving for the taste of Asia hits me, and hits me hard.
Iāve come to realize that there are certain things that take me straight back to the streets of Asia the moment I get a taste or a whiff of them, and two of those things are sesame oil and soy sauce.
There is something ridiculously comfortingĀ about the taste of both sesame oil and soy sauce; both ingredients that are fundamental in many Asian dishes. And Iāve realized that sometimes, when I miss home and the dishes that I grew up being surrounded with, thereās a quick fix to my desperate craving ā this healthy and delicious Asian slaw.
The idea to make this Asian slaw first came to me when I saw this cute mushroom burgers on Sprouted Kitchen.
It took me a while to finally buy my julienne peeler, but since Iāve gotten it, I havenāt quite stopped using it since. Itās so practical, and such a time-saver, especially when youāve got a ton of vegetables to julienne (which means to slice into very thin strips), such as in this Asian-inspired salad!
I adore free-style salads like this.
You can use whichever vegetables you like; this is the sort of flexible salad whose main guideline is āthe more colors and textures, the better!āĀ I ended up using normal cabbage and red cabbage, carrots, and cucumber, all thinly peeled and shredded.
(Kitchen tip: This peeler really makes it such a breeze to peel the carrots and cucumber, and Iād say itās my best kitchen utensil investment this year.)
In the fifteen minutes or so it takes to get your vegetables peeled and shredded, put on some soothing music and let you hands mindlessly do the work.
Once the vegetables have been prepped, combine them together in a large salad bowl. By then, your stomach is probably growling, but donāt worry, itāll take you just one minute to prepare the dressing.
Using soy sauce and sesame oil in equal quantities then mix them together. Pour this delicious dressing over the vegetables, add a dash of sesame seeds as garnish, mix well, and serve.
Youāll be transported back to Asia in no time.
ASIAN SLAW WITH SESAME SOY DRESSING
(Serves 2 as a meal or 4 as a side)
Inspired by Sprouted Kitchen
Ingredients:
1) One small cabbage
2) One small red cabbage
3) 2 large carrots
4) 2 large cucumbers
5) Ā½ cup sesame oil
6) Ā½ cup soy sauce
7) 3 tablespoons of sesame seeds (black, white or both)
Steps:
1) Using a thin knife, slice the cabbages as thinly as you possibly can, the finer the better
2) Peel the carrots using this julienne peeler, which will leave them into thin even strips.
3) Do the same for the cucumbers.
4) Combine shredded vegetables in a large bowl
5) Mix sesame oil with soy sauce, pour over the vegetables, garnish with sesame seeds, mix well and serve
* Note: I strongly recommend using this julienne peeler (see picture below) if you don’t already have one. It has made my life so much easier whenever I want to make noodles from vegetables, such as zucchini noodles, these eggplant noodles, or just a simple Asian slaw!!
nibbles by nic says
One of my favorites! I love cole slaw and learning new variations. Plus Asian food is my favorite! Thanks a ton for stopping by our Munching Mondays Party!!! xo Nic
felicia | Dish by Dish says
Thanks for stopping by Nic! I hope you’ll like this Asian version of coleslaw! xoxo
Michaela An Affair from the Heart says
Love this!! I make something similar, that I LOVE, and this will be a fantastic new one to try!
felicia | Dish by Dish says
Hello Michaela!! This is super easy to make, and I love that it’s a vibrantly colorful and tasty salad! I hope you’ll love it too!! š Thanks so much for dropping by!!
Caroline says
Oooh, Felicia, this slaw looks beautiful! I love salads like this, with Asian flavors. I could eat that all day long! I’m pinning this now to make this weekend! I actually just bought some cabbage yesterday!
felicia | Dish by Dish says
Hi Caroline! So glad to have u stop by!! Thanks so much for pinning and I hope u’ll enjoy it as much as I did! Sesame & soy sauce in a dressing is hard to go wrong! Plus, all that veg is so refreshing! Sending love! <3
Jess @ On Sugar Mountain says
Ooooo this slaw looks divine, Felicia! I am always impressed by how you move from culture to culture in your cooking. I always find that being extremely American (i.e. a lot of American food served as I was growing up) I struggle to find authenticity in my cooking when it goes international. I mean, it’s good, but is it as good as it is overseas? Practice makes progress though, and I think I can get started with this slaw!
felicia | Dish by Dish says
Hey jess, thanks so much for your encouraging words! I suppose, I just mix and match ingredients according to what cuisine I’m in the mood for cooking, and while it may not be the most authentic, I believe the kitchen and eating allows for flexibility that shouldn’t be limited to what the “experts” say is correct. If you feel you’re very American in your cooking, just try using ingredients and flavors that you haven’t ventured into yet before; try shopping in an Asian supermarket for example; buy a couple of grains or vegetables you’ve never cooked with before, and I bet your cooking will be anything but “extremely American”, in your words! xoxo, felicia
Mrs y Moodliar says
Divine healthy salad.
felicia | Dish by Dish says
thank you! glad you like it and thanks for stopping by!
Miranda says
Felicia, I must add to the chorus of people amazed by your adaptation to a whole new continent. Although I’m sure your life has been made richer for it (and getting to be with Juan, of course!) that move takes such courage and confidence!
This slaw looks perfectly refreshing! I hadn’t heard of a julienne peeler before, and after seeing it on the link you provided, I’m not sure how I have lived without one for so long. Thank you for the introduction.
felicia | Dish by Dish says
Miranda! Trust me, get this julienne peeler and your whole vegetable peeling experience will be lifted to a whole new Nirvana level! Haha, at least I feel that way. Thanks for your kind words dear friend!! And you’re right, my life has been made richer for the round-the-world move, and I’m glad I took the risk! Have a beautiful weekend!! xoxo, Felicia
Grace Lim says
I love salad in any form Ha ha. This one you posted looks very refreshing and yes, I can imagine the combination of sesame oil and soy sauce bringing out the rich aroma when mixed with the salad.
Enjoy your salad darling! š
felicia | Dish by Dish says
thanks mummy! it was a great salad!! Everytime I make salads I think of you!! I remember how you used to pile your plate high with salads when we went to buffets!!