Top 10 Best Traditional Food in Asia (Updated)

Asian traditional cuisine is such a rage around the globe as it offers a blend of flavors in its numerous dishes. If the Asian foods list is your favorite cuisine and you are out looking for some inspiration to cook up a storm at home or just thinking of what would be your next Asian foods to try or culinary destination, then you’ve come to the right place. World’s #1 Source of Research-Based Content, The Daily Top 10, is about to share with you the Top 10 Best Traditional Food in Asia, as in today’s article.

Do you love the traditional food cuisines in Asia? So do we. First, let’s see why most of us love them before moving into the top 10 list.

Why Do We Love Traditional Asian Food?

Asia serves the most diverse and delicious traditional foods in the world. It combines spices, culture, landscape, and vegetation, all present in the unique taste on every plate and every bowl. Asia will never run out of style in satisfying your hungry tummies from traditional food; for whatever continent you are from, Asian cuisine is a must on your list.

Now, wait no further; let’s see what are the best traditional food in Asia that you should try at least once in your lifetime!

TOP 10: Adobo

One of the most popular traditional foods in Asia, Adobo is a well-known and popular Filipino traditional dish to the point that its very name is connected to the country, the Philippines, and its people. According to Recipetineats, this cuisine in Asia is cooked by marinating either seafood, meat, or vegetables in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and black peppercorns.

Although similar to its Spanish variant, Philippine Adobo has an entirely different cooking process and uses ingredients native to Southeast Asia. This dish is a living legacy of how pre-colonial Filipinos used to cook food with vinegar and salt to preserve them.

TOP 9: Nasi Goreng

Considered Indonesia’s national dish, Nasi Goreng is a fried rice dish that is cooked with a wonderful mix of meat and vegetables. What sets Nasi Goreng apart from regular fried rice dishes is its distinct smoky aroma, caramelized flavors, and savory taste mentioned in BBC Good Food.

Another thing that makes this food specialty cuisine in Asia even more special is that there is no single defined recipe on how to prepare it, and there are many variations that have been made. These variations even depend from household to household.

TOP 8: Kimchi

Kimchi is also as popular worldwide as Blackpink and BTS. Indeed, this classic and spicy dish from Korea became one of the favorite side dishes of Asians. According to BBS Good Food, this traditional side dish is made from salted and fermented vegetables – the most common are Nappa cabbage and Korean radishes that come with a lot of seasonings like chili powder, scallions, garlic, ginger, and salted seafood.

TOP 7: Nasi Lemak

Thanks to Nasi Lemak, you can taste a bowl of simple rice differently. The name refers to the creaminess of coconut milk; this is also considered Malaysia’s national and traditional dish.

This popular Malay dish consists of coconut milk rice, slices of cucumber, anchovy, roasted groundnuts, and hard-boiled egg – best partnered with fried chicken or chicken rendang. The preparation of this food is quite tedious, so BBC Good Food is recommended to cook the anchovy a day before to shorten the cooking period. The heavenly fragrance of this dish added to the wow factor.

TOP 6: Satay

Satay is the undisputed Royalty of Asian Foods. Of course, the spelling is different from country to county, be it sate, satay, satey, sati, or whatever, it’s meat on a stick roasted over charcoal or open fire. It is available everywhere from Singapore to the Philippines, Vietnam to Papua.

While in Muslim countries like Indonesia or Malaysia, it’s mainly chicken or beef sticks, delicious chicken or beef, satay in Thailand is very famous for its organ state, being its liver, heart, or stomach of pigs or chicken. You can also find frogs or even bug meat on a stick, fried in oil or ‘au natural, especially in Thailand, Cambodia, or Laos.

Satay usually comes with various dips, peanut sauce is the most popular, and you mainly have sticky rice or lontong with it. Most of the time, you will have chopped onions, cucumber, or other veggies as well.

TOP 5: Ambuyat

Ambuyat had captured the hearts not only of Bruneians but also foreigners. This dish became the comfort and convenient food for Bruneians during World War II when rice was scarce, making this an iconic part of traditional cuisine. This humble food is starchy, like a carb dish made from sago starch and hot boiling water. It may sound simple to prepare, but it is quite tiring, especially the stirring and crushing part of sago starch.

According to TasteAtlas, the Ambuyat is taken with a sauce made from binjai – a mango-like but very sour local fruit. This dish is best accompanied by side dishes like vegetables, fish, or meat.

TOP 4: Pho

Before you try Pho, you would never have guessed that a soup could make it one of the major Asian dishes in every stomach’s heart. But this incredibly simple, surprisingly heavenly Vietnamese dish is simply the best. It’s also a great hangover food.

Herbs, meat, and rice noodles somehow manage to mix to create utter perfection. You are usually served the noodles and meat in a broth with the herbs on the side so you can add to taste. Chiles, Thai basil, cilantro, onions, and bean sprouts are some of the most common herbs. You can also add hoisin sauce to enhance this meal’s flavor, which is comforting, healthy, cheap, and delicious.

TOP 3: Hyderabadi Biryani

Hyderabadi Biryani, also known as Hyderabadi dum biryani, is a style of biryani from Hyderabad, India, made with basmati rice and meat. Originating in the Nizam of Hyderabad kitchens, it combines elements of Hyderabadi and Mughlai cuisines.

According to BBC Good Food, the central ingredient used in making biryani is basmati rice, certain spices, and a base of meat, vegetables, and/or eggs. Some components can be added if you wish to add the ingredients like dried fruits, nuts, and yogurts. It is believed that this dish was inspired by emperor Shah Jahan’s queen, Mumtaz Mahal, in the early 1600s. The word biryani is from ‘brian,’ which means fried or roasted.

TOP 2: Pad Thai

Pad Thai is a dish that originates from Thailand and is very common there. This dish consists of rice noodles, dried shrimp, tofu, bean sprouts, and eggs. If you prefer using meat, then chicken and pork are the best choices to use. It has an intricate sweet, salty, and sour flavor, a balanced contrast of flavors.

Pad Thai is one of the dishes popular in Thailand and several other countries. There was once a public contest to find a new national noodle dish, and the winner then was the Pad Thai dish which consisted of peanuts, egg sprouts, and radishes.

TOP 1: Sushi

Who on earth did not know and dreamt of tasting sushi? This traditional Japanese dish is very popular around the world. It is prepared with vinegared rice with sugar and salt, mixed with a delicate selection of ingredients, like seafood, vegetables, and tropical fruits. Sushi preparation is hard, from selecting and cleaning seafood to cutting to presentation – all must be well thought out. It is also best served with pickled ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce.

What is Asia’s Best Traditional Food?

The food reflects what kind of culture and tradition a particular continent has. It can tell you many stories and has the power to go back in time and travel to the present. Asia presents traditional food that can be loved by everyone.

Now, it’s time to indulge in Asia’s finest and most unique cuisine with its Top 10 Best Traditional Food below:

1. Sushi
2. Pad Thai
3. Hyderabadi Biryani
4. Pho
5. Ambuyat
6. Satay
7. Nasi Lemak
8. Kimchi
9. Nasi Goreng
10. Adobo

If you’re visiting Asia and traveling for food, or just getting ready in your kitchen to try some traditional Asian dishes, then our list of the top 10 best traditional foods in Asia absolutely cannot be missed. In addition to that, make sure you check out our website to be updated on the latest research-based trends.