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I was watching HGTV last night and the real estate agent mentioned to the American couple looking to buy a home in Japan that it was not common for a Japanese kitchen to include an oven. Just curious - Why is that? Is that also true for other Asian countries?
It must be obvious that Japanese cooking does not involve much baking but I was wondering if that was because there are so few ovens in homes or is it the reverse, because they don't bake, there is no need for ovens?
Ovens are rare in most east Asian countries. Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, etc. cuisines do not include many baked items (although many types of baked pastries and breads are super popular in east Asia, few people bake them at home)
We live in a modern luxury apartment, and what looks like an oven in our kitchen is actually a dish dryer/disinfector. They are very rare as built in appliances, but countertop, toaster-style ovens are somewhat common.
I was watching HGTV last night and the real estate agent mentioned to the American couple looking to buy a home in Japan that it was not common for a Japanese kitchen to include an oven. Just curious - Why is that? Is that also true for other Asian countries?
It must be obvious that Japanese cooking does not involve much baking but I was wondering if that was because there are so few ovens in homes or is it the reverse, because they don't bake, there is no need for ovens?
It is not because there are so few of ovens, but rather it is because the typical cooking style in Asia doesn't require an oven.
For example, in Chinese cuisine, most of it is related to sauteing, frying, stewing, where an oven is completely useless. If you give my mother an oven, she wouldn't know what to do with it. Actually she stayed in Canada for 3 months, cooked every day and never used the oven once. I use it occasionally, only to bake pizzas or cakes.
An Asian person can ask the same questions, why typical American kitech doesn't come with a wok.
An Asian person can ask the same questions, why typical American kitchen doesn't come with a wok.
A typical American kitchen doesn't come with any pots and pans. It is true that if you buy a typical boxed "starter" set, a wok will not be included, but all major manufacturers of kitchenware do make a wok or a wok-like pan.
I completely understand that typical Asian cuisine is cooked over an open flame. But even if one doesn't bake breads and pastries, there is an advantage to cooking many meats and other savory dishes in an oven (surrounded by heat), as opposed to merely heating them from the bottom. Westerners have adopted many Asian foods and cooking techniques and they are very popular--maybe Asians would also enjoy learning how to use an oven.
Westerners have adopted many Asian foods and cooking techniques and they are very popular--maybe Asians would also enjoy learning how to use an oven.
A lot of younger Chinese - particularly women - buy toaster ovens to make cakes, bread, and pastries, and experiment with chicken, pizza, etc. it’s kind of a trendy, cute thing to make pastries or bread for coworkers or friends.
We usually buy baked food from shops, very few people baked at homes.
Wheat is the staple in Northern China, cooked by a few other methods, not mainly baking in China. Rice is seldom baked, unless deliberately cooking rice in a western way. Baked rice and things like tea mixedwith coffee and milk are common in Hong Kong east meets west fusion type restaurants.
Homes in Asia from Japan to Indonesia should all have electric rice cookers instead of ovens.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LauraC
I was watching HGTV last night and the real estate agent mentioned to the American couple looking to buy a home in Japan that it was not common for a Japanese kitchen to include an oven. Just curious - Why is that? Is that also true for other Asian countries?
It must be obvious that Japanese cooking does not involve much baking but I was wondering if that was because there are so few ovens in homes or is it the reverse, because they don't bake, there is no need for ovens?
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