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ACH NEWS

2021 ASEAN Cooking Class (Spring & Summer)

The ACH’s 2021 ASEAN Cooking Class, which runs from May through July, is an interactive program in which participants learn how to prepare dishes and desserts from the ten ASEAN member states. This year’s class will feature, among others, the following three delicious dishes: Rendang (Indonesia), named by CNN the world’s most delicious food in 2020; Udang Sambal Serai Bersantan (Brunei Darussalam), known for the spicy savoriness of the country’s famous sambal sauce; and Nam Wan (Lao PDR), a Lao-style Patbingsu that is the perfect snack for a hot summer day. 

What makes the ASEAN Cooking Class special is that classes are taught by chefs hailing from the ASEAN countries who currently live in Korea and also introduce the culture of their respective home countries alongside cooking tips. The Cambodian class will be taught by Kheang Ye Kleang, a cooking instructor who has lived in Korea for 15 years and owns a restaurant in Gimhae with her Korean husband. Kleang noted that, because Cambodian dishes often include salted seafood that is similar to Korean Jeotgal, Cambodian cuisine is well suited to Korean palates, perhaps with the exception of a few strongly-scented vegetables. When asked to recommend just one Cambodian dish, Kleang immediately chose Lok Lak. “Lok Lak is a beef dish in which the beef is seasoned with fish sauce and cooked with various vegetables, including tomatoes and onions. It’s a favorite in Cambodia. Lok Lak is prepared slightly differently by each family. I recommend that, if you ever have the chance to travel around Cambodia, you compare Lok Lak from different regions to compare their tastes.” There are times that we suddenly remember a dish that we ate on of our holidays abroad. If you would like to travel to a Southeast Asian country, how about substituting the joy of actual travel with cooking the dishes taught in our ASEAN Cooking Class? If you forget part of the recipe, you can always refer to the ASEAN recipe cards and video distributed free of charge by the ACH.