Asian cultures and the lack of cheese?

[slackerinabox]

I just noticed that, unless I'm missing something, most asian cuisines (indian, chinese, japanese, korean) seem to lack cheese as an ingredient in their food. There are small exceptions, North indians have "paneer" that's sorta like chunks of cheese but used in cooking kinda like soy is, not melted onto to stuff.. Any reasoning behind this?

 

[ElFenix]

lactose intolerant

 

[madworm]

abundance of other spices and choices used for flavoring?

 

[Canai]

Little grazing land? (in japan's case anyway)

 

[slackerinabox]

Originally posted by: madworm
abundance of other spices and choices used for flavoring?

true... but mexican food is spicy, flavorful yet uses cheese.. i think there's must be another reason.

 

[DaWhim]

we don't really eat any diary products. not traditionally.

 

[WobbleWobble]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
lactose intolerant

That's what a gastroenterologist told me.

 

[slackerinabox]

Originally posted by: WobbleWobble

Originally posted by: ElFenix
lactose intolerant

an entire continent?

 

[nweaver]

cows are holy, but what about camel/goat/hamster cheese?

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212

Originally posted by: WobbleWobble

Originally posted by: ElFenix
lactose intolerant

an entire continent?

just about everyone is lactose intolerant to some extent. and if you don't have dairy for a long period in your life, it gets worse. so if you didn't grow up with dairy, you're likely so lactose intolerant that milk and cheese will tie your stomach in knots.

 

[slackerinabox]

Originally posted by: nweaver
cows are holy, but what about camel/goat/hamster cheese?

i'm going to pass on the hamster cheese but, yeah.. and i dont' think it's sacrilige (f spelling) to milk a cow.

 

[jtvang125]

Because cheese and rice don't go well together.

 

[Dacalo]

Cheese is nasty if you think about it. It took me a while to start eatting it. I still don't like cheese on my burger and such, but I do like pizza.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: jtvang125
Because cheese and rice don't go well together.

I disagree. i made some great cheesy rice this afternoon.

 

[FoBoT]

http://www.mongolfood.info/en/recipes/byaslag.html

 

[mercanucaribe]

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212

Originally posted by: nweaver
cows are holy, but what about camel/goat/hamster cheese?

i'm going to pass on the hamster cheese but, yeah.. and i dont' think it's sacrilige (f spelling) to milk a cow.

Indians do milk cows.. and use a lot of milk. That's why the cow is sacred in the first place. East Asians are mostly lactose intolerant.

 

[slackerinabox]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
http://www.mongolfood.info/en/recipes/byaslag.html

yes, mongolians use cheese... though it's very rare.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: nweaver
cows are delicious, but what about camel/goat/hamster cheese?

Fixed...

You ever try to milk a hamster? :laugh:

 

[So]

Originally posted by: WobbleWobble

Originally posted by: ElFenix
lactose intolerant

That's what a gastroenterologist told me.

Yeah, but I'm reasonably sure whites are so tolerant of lactose BECAUSE there is traditionally a lot of cheese in our diets.

 

[Ika]

I don't think cows are very abundant in eastern Asia. And in the Hindi religion (that's what it's called, right?), cows are so sacred that bus drivers will swerve themselves off the road to avoid hitting cows. I bet they would consider milking such a holy creature a bad idea.

 

[csiro]

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212

Originally posted by: WobbleWobble

Originally posted by: ElFenix
lactose intolerant

an entire continent?

Yea, about 70% of the world's population is lactose intolerant.

 

[WobbleWobble]

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212
an entire continent?

Wiki with a chart listing lactose intolerance by group

 

[Baked]

I guess you never been to Mongolia. I love all dairy products, but then my family's totally assimulated.

 

[Mo0o]

Indians use plenty of dairy based products

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212

Originally posted by: madworm
abundance of other spices and choices used for flavoring?

true... but mexican food is spicy, flavorful yet uses cheese.. i think there's must be another reason.

spices =/= spicy

Mass Asians historically did not eat much meat. You needs cows and such for that.