WOK STAR!
Wok star! By Matt Murphy

Entrepreneurial TV celebrity chef, author and businesswoman Ching He Huang has recently released her new book Ching's Chinese Food in Minutes.
Here she answers a few questions on Asian fusion foods.
Matt: Hi Ching, I hope you are well. We don’t have long so I’ll get straight into things. Can you break down Asian fusion cuisine into three easy words for our public?

Ching: Quick, tasty and healthy.


Matt: OK Ching, what is your favourite Thai/Asian fusion dish?


Ching: Too difficult to answer but I do love Thai curries, soups and salads.


Matt: Salads? I didn’t expect that. I have heard this cuisine is generally heathier than your regular far eastern food types. Why is this?


Ching: Well it's low in calories, as long as you don't use too much oil or coconut cream, but yeah, it's generally healthy.


Matt: These types of restaurant have become more and more popular in recent years. Why do you think this is?


Ching: Because it’s delicious! There is great variety and many flavourful combinations: sweet and sour, sour and spicy etc...


Matt: OK, so what is your overall impression of Asian fusion foods?


Ching: Good honest food.


Matt: Straightforward – thanks for that. What type of drinks would you say best compliment Southeast Asian food?


Ching: Light, bubbly and subtle fruit flavours work well for soft drinks, light beers and crisp white wines.


Matt: You’re not getting away with it that easy so, come on, if you had to pick a dish or something you are quite partial to, it would be?


Ching: I like a good aubergine yellow curry with rice.


Matt: For somebody who is new to Asian fusion cuisine, or who has not really experienced it, can you explain it for them?


Ching: Well, it uses a huge variety of ingredients in a big range of ways. Thai food has taken Chinese techniques and ingredients like stir-frying and noodles and incorporated that into the cuisine. But commonly Thai chefs have a love of sweet, salty, fiery, sour flavours.


Matt: I have noticed the big variety of chillies available which are well suited to Thai and Asian cooking. Where do you source yours and which do you use?


Ching: Frezno and birdseye chillies – I grow my own!


Matt: Great. Asian fusion is no doubt going to get more and more popular, but do you think these restaurants are a good idea and will they survive?


Ching: Yes, fusion has been going on for centuries. As long as the food is prepared and cooked well.


Matt: Ching, thank you for your time today, ithas been great to have a chat. Hopefully we can catch- up in the new year.


Ching's new book Ching’s Chinese Food in Minutes published by Harper Collins is available now in all good book shops – so get your copy and get the wok out!


Download one of Ching's favourite recipe's direct from the new book here!