Tiger Diets: The Asian Diet Pyramid

By Kimberly J. Decker, Contributing Editor

We all have heard of the benefits of adhering to the healthy eating plan known as the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid, but why stop there? Boston-based Oldwaysworking with the Cornell-China-Oxford Project on Nutrition, Health and Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, and the Harvard School of Public Health, Bostonreleased the Asian Diet Pyramid in 1995. Traditional Asian eating patterns were definitely a good fit" for the healthy-pyramid model, says Cynthia Harriman, director of food and nutrition strategies, Oldways. There are some definite pluses that make the Asian diet special, and very healthful."

Pyramid scheme

As with other pyramids, the diet rests on a base of grain foods eaten dailyprincipally rice and rice-based noodles and dumplings; corn; millet; barley; and wheat-based breads like chapatti and naan. Fruits, legumes and vegetables make up the next tier, with typical Asian produce-market staples like daikon, lotus root, kumquats, mushrooms, taro and snap peas among the key features. Plus, theres the soybean in all its manifestationstofu, tempeh, soymilk, edamame and yuba, or tofu skinfor high-quality plant protein. Like the Mediterranean diet," Harriman says, the Asian diet is largely plant-based, and were all coming to the realization that the healthiest diets, in general, are."

Fish, shellfish and dairy are optional daily" choices, whereas eggs, poultry and sweets, like mango pudding or bean-filled mocha cakes, appear more as weekly" treats. Meat is reserved as a monthly extravagancepossibly the roast suckling pig at a birthday banquet, or the Vietnamese specialty bo luc lac, or shaking beef."

All in the preparation

The pyramid reserves a thin sliver for oil, which is an essential element in Asian cooking, notes Robin Stotter, founder and principal, Restaurant Development Associates, Scottsdale, AZ, a consultant to P.F. Changs on global brand development. But Asian cooks use just enough for flavor, texture and heat. Its crucial you get the oil to a very high temperature," he notes. If you ever have Japanese tempura done just right, they heat the oil so high that when you batter the food and plunge it into the oil, it creates a barrier that allows the food inside to steam," which leaves barely enough sheen oil to coat your fingers.

Rather than relying on high levels of oil, the Asian diet relies on flavorful fermented foods. If you look at miso, tamari, kimchi and yogurt, you see that fermented foods are definitely part of the Asian diet," Harriman says.

In traditionally brewed soy sauces, including shoyu and tamari, fermentation breaks down proteins into umami-rich amino acids, and carbohydrates into simple sugars. Fermentation not only improves flavor, it makes certain nutrients more bioavailable. People in Asia have been eating this way for centuries," Stotter says.

As the predilection for fermentation demonstrates, Asian cultures arent hostile to processed" foods. Often, we think that processing means pasteurizing and sterilizing," Harriman explains, whereas with traditional processing methods, very often we encourage the proliferation of good bacteria to crowd out bad bacteria. Thats in marked contrast today, where the idea is that the safest food is the most-sterile food."

Sterility aside, fermentations in modern operations proceed under highly controlled conditions to ensure safety. But they still operate in line with long-held tradition, as in the production of naturally fermented soy sauces, miso paste and other key ingredients.

Asian sauce solutions

Fermentation is one way the Asian kitchen creates complex flavors, particularly in ubiquitous ingredients like soy sauce and fish sauce. While many common Asian ingredients contain sodium, Stotter points out that Asian cooks and consumers dont add appreciable saltif anyin the kitchen or at the table. Rather, he says, the rich, satisfying, savory flavors of the fermented sauces themselves do salts work for them. Its in the fermented foods where youre really getting the flavor," he says. And its actual flavor, and not just saltiness."

Strategically deploying these high-flavor, umami-rich sauces helps replicate the wisdom of the Old Countries and gives consumers their fill without goading them into excess. Theres a theory in the dietary and nutrition community that full flavors satisfy because a flavor meter inside of us doesnt let us feel satisfied until weve experienced a certain amount of flavor," Harriman says. Having bland foods just doesnt fill us up as well."

In Asia, being full isnt even the goal. Researchers have attempted to tease out the secrets to the Okinawans famously long lives, and among other factors they cite hara hachi buroughly translated as eating until youre 80% full." Says Harriman: You dont eat until you cant eat anything else. You eat until you cant feel your hunger anymore."

Kimberly J. Decker, a California-based technical writer, has a B.S. in consumer food science with a minor in English from the University of California, Davis. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she enjoys eating and writing about food. You can reach her at [email protected].

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