With a growing popularity all over the world, cheese has been creatively adapted into a variety of dishes in Asia. Here's a list of five of the most unusual cheese inspired dishes from Asia. Cheese connoisseurs will want to make sure that all these dishes are definitely ticked off their list!
Moussaka
Usually homemade and extremely creamy, Moussaka is an aubergine and potato dish that is popular in Greece and Levant, Middle East. On the surface, it’ll look like a normal baked dish straight out of the oven.
The cheese is mixed in with the white sauce and lamb mince and it’s a sensation for foodies who have never tried this before! It’s easy to cook at home and can be enjoyed with a nice salad and crusty bread!
Jjimdak
What might surprise some people is that Jjimdak is from Korea, the country that has a love for three things; chilli, coffee and cheese. Cheese can be put on anything over there but one dish in particular that’s covered in cheese excellence is Jjimdak.
Jjimdak is a popular dish filled with japchae noodles, chicken, rice cake and cheese. A popular place to try Jjimdak is at Wicked Jjimdak in Hongdae which offers customers the option to choose the spice and type of jjimdak they want.
Enchiladas
Not only is Korea into cheese but so is Mexico. Cheese is used in many dishes such as fajitas or quesadillas but enchilada is also a common dish that is quite favourable to eat.
Enchilada is a corn tortilla coated in cheese so much that you forget the other ingredients hidden underneath. On top of that, enchilada usually has beans, vegetables, meat with a mixture of chilli-based sauces.
Knafeh
Not all cheese can be in savoury dishes, but also in desserts. For those who don’t know, Knafeh is a traditional Middle Eastern dish that’s made from a noodle-thin pastry and soaked with sugar-based syrup layered in cheese.
It’s gooey but also tastes similarly to cannoli which is pretty nice. For a more sweeter experience, you can also add chocolate and nuts!
Naan Bread
Naan bread is a flatbread dish in India and a staple in Indian food. What you might not know is that there are different types of naan such as the cheesy naan bread!
Whether it’s stuffed with cheese or cheese on top of the flatbread, it’s something you need to try at least once in your life! It’s also very easy to make at home and goes well with curry, tandoori chicken or daal.
Why is cheese so popular?
Cheese is often regarded as a guilty pleasure in food but can boost a dish to be even more delicious and addictive than it originally was. Depending on the cheese, there’s different tastes. For most dishes, cheese brings a creamier and soft taste to most foods like macaroni cheese or the base of flavour such as pizza. Due to its texture, cheese has been creatively incorporated into the below dishes and many more. These include thai green curry, dips, pasta, and more.
Despite its reputation, cheese does have benefits. Cheese contains a good amount of calcium which is good for your teeth and neutralising the build-up of acid in your mouth. As a dairy product, cheese also has a great source of protein. There’s a variety of textures and flavours such as mozzarella, cream cheese, parmesan, cheddar and more to choose from. The dairy products has become so popular in countries such as South Korea that most restaurants will have some form of gooey goodness as a meal option!
Let us if you try any of these uncommon cheesy dishes! In addition, if you think we can expand this list further, email us at contact@honestfoodtalks.com