People recognize Southeast Asia as one of the regions with great culinary diversity. Each country in the region has its own specialties that reflect its culture, history and local ingredients. With a unique blend of spices and distinctive cooking methods, food from Southeast Asia offers a taste sensation like no other. Here are five must-try foods from Southeast Asia

1. Ayam Penyet (Indonesia)

Ayam Penyet is one of the most famous dishes from Indonesia. Named Ayam Penyet means “chicken that is pulsed” or “pressed”. The dish features deep-fried battered chicken served with spicy sambal, tempeh, fried tofu, and fresh vegetables like cucumber and cabbage. Ayam Penyet originated in East Java, where people combine crispy fried chicken with spicy and appetizing sambal terasi. The distinctive feature of Ayam Penyet is that the chili paste is spicy and aromatic, providing a combination of savory, spicy, and slightly sweet flavors that are very indulgent to the tongue.

2. Nam Khao (Laos)

Nam Khao is a crispy rice salad that is a Laotian specialty. They make it from fried rice mixed with meat, grated coconut, peanuts, and spices like lime, lime leaves, and coriander. Nam Khao was first recognized in the Vientiane area and is now a popular food throughout Laos. The hallmark of Nam Khao is the crunchy texture of the fried rice and the fresh flavor of the spices used. This unique flavor makes Nam Khao a light yet rich dish.

3. Nasi Lemak (Malaysia)

Nasi Lemak is a very popular Malaysian national dish. This dish consists of rice cooked in coconut milk, served with spicy sambal, ikan bilis (fried anchovies), peanuts, boiled eggs and sliced cucumber. This dish is often found throughout Malaysia, either as breakfast, lunch or dinner. The history of Nasi Lemak comes from the tradition of farmers in Malaysia who needed a filling and nutritious meal. The hallmark of Nasi Lemak is the savory and creamy rice thanks to the coconut milk, and the sweet and spicy chili sauce.

4. Banh Mi (Vietnam)

Banh Mi is a Vietnamese sandwich inspired by the French baguette. It consists of a baguette filled with various fillings such as grilled meat, pate, pickled vegetables, cilantro, and chili. Banh Mi originated during the French colonial period in Vietnam when people introduced baguettes and later adapted them with local ingredients. The hallmark of Banh Mi is the combination of bread that is crispy on the outside yet soft on the inside, as well as fresh and diverse fillings, giving it a great combination of flavors and textures.

5. Mohinga (Myanmar)

Mohinga is a fish noodle soup that is the national dish of Myanmar. It consists of rice noodles served in a savory fish soup, with the addition of spices such as garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and fermented fish paste. They usually serve Mohinga with toppings such as boiled eggs, fried plantains, and coriander. The history of Mohinga stems from the traditions of traders and fishermen in Myanmar who relied on fish as a staple of their diet. The hallmark of Mohinga is its rich and aromatic gravy, giving it a deep and hearty flavor.

Retail Food Product Innovation Inspiration

Food companies can use these foods as inspiration for retail food product innovation. The unique flavors and appeal of each dish offer a great opportunity to create interesting and differentiated food products in the market. For example, you can adapt penyet chicken into a powder flavor and apply it to instant or cup noodles, puffy snacks, potato chips, cassava chips, and tempeh chips. You can also apply it to other foods.

Collaboration with Flavor Companies

To bring these authentic flavors into food products, companies can work with innovative flavor companies such as Falmont. This collaboration is important so that the resulting retail food products taste similar to the original dish, thus still appealing to consumers with their authenticity.

Falmont is a flavor company in Southeast Asia that has expertise in duplicating flavors in existing flavors. Through in-depth research and modern technology, Falmont is able to achieve high flavor accuracy. With Falmont’s support, food companies can develop authentic and innovative products, maintain the unique flavors of Southeast Asian specialties, and expand their appeal in the global market.