Taste Atlas released top 10 Asian beverages. Which one do you like?
- Sato - Thailand
Sato is a sticky (glutinous) rice wine produced in Thailand. The drink is from Northeast Thailand (Isan), and it was originally used as a ceremonial beverage for special occasions. It's created with steamed rice and a lukpaeng starter, which is made up of rice starch, yeast, and a blend of herbs and spices.
Before the drink is filtered and ready to consume, the components are fermented for several weeks. The best examples of this rice wine are usually home-brewed, but commercial variants are also available.
- Rượu - Vietnam
Vietnamese rice wine is known by a variety of names, but it is most commonly referred to as ru, a term that is also applied to other alcoholic beverages. Ru go or ru is a distilled rice wine that is frequently infused with fruit, while ru cn is a fermented rice wine that is typically created in clay pots and served with straws.
The latter is frequently infused with herbs and sometimes produced with other basic ingredients. Another popular alternative is ru thuc, a distilled variant that is typically infused with plants, herbs, or whole animals and is regarded a medicine.
- Ais Bandung - Malaysia
Bandung is a popular pink-hued beverage popular in Malaysia, especially among the Malai population. Bandung is a simple drink prepared with milk and rose syrup that can be made using condensed milk, fresh milk, evaporated milk, or any combination of the three depending on where it is purchased.
It's usually served over ice, and it's extremely popular at weddings and at Ramadan's Iftar (fast-breaking meal).
- Vietnamese Drip Coffee - Vietnam
In Vietnam, coffee culture is an integral component of daily life. Coffee swiftly gained popularity after being introduced by French colonists in the mid-nineteenth century, and Vietnam is now one of the world's top coffee growers, as well as the leading producer and exporter of the Robusta coffee variety.
In Vietnam, Robusta is the most widely used kind. Because of the lengthy and long dark roast, it has a robust flavor and a thick texture. Occasionally, the beans are roasted with butter and sugar, and some people even roast them with cocoa and vanilla.
- Kopi Tubruk - Indonesia
The most popular coffee in Indonesia is kopi tubruk, which is thick and creamy. It includes combining fine or medium ground coffee with boiling or hot water in a simple recipe. The ingredients are blended until well combined, then put alone for a few minutes to allow the coffee grounds to settle at the bottom of the cup.
Although sugar is not required, most people prefer to sweeten their coffee by combining sugar and coffee grounds before adding water. Because both the process and the coffee are very similar to Turkish (Greek) coffee, this method of preparation is said to have been introduced by Middle Eastern traders.
- Bandrek - Indonesia
Bandrek (pronounced bun-drag) is a sweet and spicy hot beverage popular among West Java's Sundanese. It is consumed by Sundanese who live in the country's colder regions to keep warm during the winter.
Jahe (ginger) essence, gula merah (palm sugar), and kayu manis (cinnamon) are the key ingredients in bandarek, with optional star anise, cloves, and coriander seeds. Sweetened condensed milk, as well as chunks of young coconut flesh or durian fruit, can be added to taste.
- Vietnamese Iced Coffee - Vietnam
Strong coffee, condensed milk, and ice are combined in Vietnamese iced coffee. It's normally made with medium to coarse ground Vietnamese-grown coffee, usually the Robusta variety, brewed using a drip phin filter, which allows the coffee to slowly flow into the cup.
The coffee is then combined with condensed milk and served over ice. In most cases, it is served in a large glass. Although it is most usually made with condensed milk (cà phê sa á), a variant with simply coffee and ice (cà phê á) is also available.
- Kopi Luwak - Indonesia
Indonesian kopi luwak is frequently referred to as the world's most costly coffee. It's created from coffee beans that have been digested and excreted by the civet (luwak), a Southeast Asian cat-like creature, before being washed, ground, and roasted.
When coffee beans pass through the digestive tract of an animal, they lose their astringency, making the coffee softer, smoother, and less bitter. The coffee was supposedly found during Dutch colonial control in the 19th century, when local farmers were barred from harvesting coffee for personal consumption.
- Thai Iced Tea - Thailand
Strong black tea, condensed or evaporated milk, sugar, and spices are combined in an authentic Thai iced tea, which is poured over crushed ice. Crushed tamarind, anise, or cardamom are commonly added to the drink, which is traditionally brewed with loose-leaf black tea kinds such as Assam, Ceylon, or Keemun.
However, pre-packaged tea mixes including food coloring are frequently used in both street and restaurant versions nowadays, giving the tea an unnatural orange colour, although the traditional form should have a deep amber hue. Before combining with ice, the tea is normally cooled.
- Ipoh White Coffee - Malaysia
This coffee style developed in Ipoh, although it is not white, despite its name. The term comes from the roasting method of lightly toasting coffee beans in margarine before grinding and brewing.
This roasting method is usually linked with Hainanese immigrants in Malaysia, who altered the traditional method to create a softer, lightly caramelized coffee beverage. White coffee from Ipoh is frequently enhanced with condensed milk and topped with a gentle froth.
It should not be confused with white coffee, which can apply to any coffee that has been served with milk or creamer.
Source: TasteAtlas.com
