Posted on Aug 31, 2016 in
DELICIOUS,
FEATURES
COMMUNTY CULTURE | By Zeenat Kassam Mitha –
Culture is comprised of many elements including customs, practices, dress, community beliefs and food. Fort Bend County is home to one of the most diverse communities in the world, and hence, it has many cuisine options available and tantalizing tastes to please every palate. Asian food represents a large portion of the restaurants in Fort Bend. The most visited Asian restaurants include Chinese, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Pakistani, Korean and Japanese.
Filipino
Owners Tita, Vic and JV Villanueva at Jambeto’s Bakery & Café, a Filipino eatery offering specialties such as Brazos de Mercedes, a merengue based cupcake, and Silvanas, a Filipino macaroon. Stafford: Jambeto’s Bakery & Café – www.jambetos.com
Sugar Land: Songkran Thai Grill – www.songkranthaikitchen.com • Aling’s – www.alingshakka.com
There are only a handful of Filipino eateries in Fort Bend and its vicinity. I recently visited one that is growing and encouraging a fusion mix, and I learned about bakery goods, filling entreés and thirst-quenching beverages. Jambeto’s Bakery & Café in Stafford offers authentic Filipino food. “Filipino noodles, also known as
Pancit, are sautéed with garlic, ginger and other spices, and that is one of the differences between
Pancit, Filipino noodles.
our noodles and other noodle-based meals from other Asian restaurants,” said Vic Villanueva, head chef and baker at Jambeto’s. Villanueva explained that Vietnamese noodles are usually boiled, and Thai noodles vary due to their seasoning but are well known for their coconut and peanut flavoring in recipes.
“There is a mix of flavors in the Filipino cuisine as the country of The Philippines is close to Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia, but it was ruled by Spaniards for quite some time, so it has Spanish food influence,” said JV “Jambeto” Villanueva, the namesake and co-owner. “There are also many people from India who reside in The Philippines, so there is also an Indian influence through their spices in the rice dishes and main entreés.”
Thai
Pho, Vietnamese noodle soup.
Thai cuisine also has its own unique flavors. “Authentic Thai noodles use a variety of fresh ingredients like lime, garlic, Thai chilies, vinegar, palm sugar and fish sauce to bring out the robust flavor. Garnishes like bean sprouts, green onion and basil add another layer of flavor to the noodles,” explained Amrita Karnani, co-owner of Songkran Thai Grill in Sugar Land.
Vietnamese
In Vietnamese cuisine, the rice noodles – pho – are boiled, and vegetables such as alfalfa sprouts, herbs and meat such as chicken, beef or shrimp are added in a soup-like meal as one way to eat pho. Another popular dish includes pho with lettuce, bean sprouts and a meat choice with a vinegar seasoning.
Chinese and Indian
Aling’s restaurant in Sugar Land features a fusion menu combining Chinese and Indian food. The taste is very warm to the stomach and implements a variety of spices including turmeric, cumin, mustard seeds and red chili sautéed with garlic and ginger.
The wonderful thing about diversity in food choices is the ability to allow our palates to try some of the same ingredients we are used to eating but that taste completely different based on the mix and quantity of spices, vegetables and meats, as well as the cooking method.
Enjoying the richness of culture through cuisine is a delicious way to learn history and appreciate diversity – right here in Fort Bend.
