Customer Reviews

Culinaria Southeast Asia: A Journey Through Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia (Cooking)

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Superb explanation with spectacular photos. The only draw back is that it lacks the Indian aspects of food in Malaysia. The Indian community and it's food forms part of Malaysian culinary and was totally left out in this book. It talks about the Chinese and Malay though leaving out the other major ethnic group comprising Malaysia.

I love this book. It is a joy to read and has a wide array of dishes from southeast Asia. I also have Culinaria Germany. Compared to other cookbooks Culinaria Southeast Asia goes above and beyond in terms of information. Compared to Culinaria Germany it is, I feel, not as thorough. Don't get me wrong, this is a great book with tons of information, but it is highlighting three countries, including the fourth largest nation in the world in terms of population (Indonesia). Culinary Germany is strictly about Germany and it is probably twice as long as this one. Another reviewer mentioned how this book leaves out Malay Indian cuisine. It does not talk much about the Chinese in Indonesia either. I guess what I am saying is I wish this book had been as detailed as Culinaria Germany as the regions it highlights certainly have as much to offer in the way of culture and food as the different regions in Germany. Having said that however, this cookbook offers more information on the food and culture of Southeast Asia than any other cookbook I have encountered. Besides that it is fulled with amazing pictures and that is always a plus for me. I would highly recommend it!

The Southeast Asia volume in the Culinaria series is as terrific as all the others. Not just recipes, but really the story of the tradition, the production of the ingredients, and the preparation of national dishes. My favorite is the Hungary volume, but each one is fascinating on its own. Many other cookbooks have marvelous photographs, but in this series they show food as experienced by the people of the country. Some ingredients come from just a single place, and how they are made is explained in very charming style. If you love cooking because of its traditional and cultural significance, these can't be beat. The buyer should be aware that the countries covered are limited to Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia -- and do not include Thailand or Vietnam.

I love this book. I was born and grew up in South East Asia and I found this book covers a pretty good and authentic representation of the foods in these three countries. I like how this book provides a lot of pictures and the cultural background of each dish. Even as I grew up with these food, I didn't know some of the background and history the food and this book explains it all. I believe you can really get to know a culture from its food.
I don't think it is meant as a recipe book (in a traditional sense), more like an introduction of the food in these regions but there are recipes and general how-to's, along with the pictures of the spices and the end result. There are a few typos in the spellings or names of some of the food but in general, it is pretty accurate. The book is a delight to look at and read (not boring at all). I would highly recommend it for people who wants to get an intimate peek into these south east asian countries and their cuisines.

This is the last gift my gramma gave to me for Christmas. She bought this before she died last December. What I love more than anything about this book is the story and explanation of the culture and history of the ingredients used in Southeast Asian cooking. It's a way for me to connect with my gramma and a way for me to know more about my culture as an Dutch-Indonesian American.

There are recipes, but this book shines in educating its reader.