Recipe: Carrot Ginger Salad

Carrot Ginger Salad

Happy & Healthy Cooking,

Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills

• adjust :

  to change seasonings or consistency to one's taste or to alter portion sizes.

• grate :

  to reduce food, like a carrot, to very small shreds or pieces of the same size by rubbing it on a tool with an outside surface that has holes with cutting edges (a grater).

• marinate :

  to soak food in a seasoned liquid to add flavor and tenderize it before cooking.

• t.a.t. :

  Taste, adjust, and taste again!

• taste :

  to put a bit of food or drink in your mouth to determine whether more of an ingredient is needed to improve the flavor.

• whisk :

  to beat or stir ingredients vigorously with a fork or whisk to mix, blend, or incorporate air.

Fun Facts about Carrot Salad!

• There are many versions of carrot salad, varying by regions and countries. The carrot salad many people in the United States are familiar with is carrot and raisin salad. Grated carrots are combined with raisins, sometimes crushed pineapple, and a mayonnaise dressing. 
• Brazilians mix grated or diced carrots in with cooked diced potatoes for a potato and carrot salad with mayonnaise dressing. Other ingredients may include hard-boiled eggs and olives. The salad is often served with "churrasco" (barbecued meat). They also have a carrot salad combined with beets and a vinaigrette dressing.
• "Morkovcha" is a carrot salad created by ethnic Koreans in Russia. Its name combines the Russian word "morkov" ("carrot") and the word "cha" in their Korean dialect (derived from the Korean "chae," literally "stick," but can be translated "shredded vegetables" or "vegetable salad"). The carrots are julienned (sticks) and marinated with vinegar, salt, coriander, garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes or ground cayenne. Hot oil is then added to the carrots.
• A carrot salad from Poland, "surówka z marchewki" ("salad with carrots"), consists of grated carrots, grated apple, chopped leek, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, and yogurt. 
• In Australia, a version of carrot salad is called "cheese slaw." Ingredients include grated carrots, grated cheddar cheese, and green onions with a mayonnaise dressing.

Let's Learn About Vietnam!

• The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is in Southeast Asia. Its government is a Unitary Marxist–Leninist one-party socialist republic. China is on Vietnam's northern border, Cambodia and Laos border it to the west, the Gulf of Thailand is southwest, and the South China Sea borders it on the south and east. The country is long, narrow, and shaped like an "S." At its most narrow point, it is only 30 miles wide.
• Vietnam's total area is 331,699, and the population in 2019 was over 96 million. Hanoi is the capital city, and Ho Chi Minh City is the largest. 
• The national language is Vietnamese, and French is spoken as a second language by many older, educated residents of former South Vietnam due to French colonial rule. Minority groups may speak different languages in various parts of the country. English is also frequently taught in schools.
• The Vietnamese language has six different tones. The meaning of a word will change with a change in tone. This makes their language somewhat challenging to learn.
• Vietnam has been under the rule of other countries throughout its history, first under China from 111 BCE until 939 CE, when an independent dynasty appeared. The French colonized Vietnam in 1887. Then, in 1945, Ho Chi Minh declared independence from France. However, France claimed power again during the First Indochina War, but Vietnam was victorious in 1954. The Vietnam War began soon after, and the country was divided into communist North Vietnam and anti-communist South Vietnam. After the war, which the North won in 1975, the country was reunified as a socialist state.
• Vietnam exports the most black pepper and cashews in the world and is the second-largest exporter of rice and coffee.
• There are several floating fishing villages in Halong Bay on the northeastern coast of Vietnam. Boats and houseboats are tied together, where people live, work, shop, and go to school, so inhabitants rarely have to put their feet on land.  
• Due to the narrow streets and expensive cars and taxes, Vietnam has about 50 million motorbikes on the roads every day. Some people have two motorbikes, one for work and one for pleasure. 
• Popular sports are football (soccer), table tennis (ping-pong), volleyball, badminton, and martial arts. 
• Vietnamese cuisine consists of five basic tastes (elements): bitter (fire), salty (water), sour (wood), spicy (metal), and sweet (earth). It is known for its fresh, healthy ingredients, and rice is a staple, as it is in many Asian countries. Spring rolls, "pho" ("fuh"), a dish with noodles, broth, herbs, and meat, and "banh mi," a sandwich on a baguette filled with meat, cucumber, cilantro, and pickled veggies, are three well-known Vietnamese dishes found in the United States.

What's It Like to Be a Kid in Vietnam?

• Family is very important in Vietnam, and children may live with their parents and grandparents, and maybe even aunts and uncles. 
• Since children make up almost a quarter of the population, schools are overcrowded, and the school day may be either a morning or afternoon shift six days a week. School uniforms are required. Primary school is required from ages six to eleven, and after exams, it is determined whether a student will go on to a secondary school or a vocational school. 
• Kids who live in rural parts of the country may need to help with crops or livestock, and you might see them leading or riding domesticated animals, like water buffalo. 
• Sports they participate in include soccer, badminton, tennis, karate, swimming, and cycling. In addition, kids may play group games like Cat and Mouse or Dragon and Snake or board games like "O an quan."
• Kids may eat similar things for breakfast and lunch, such as pho, spring rolls, or banh mi, although they may eat oatmeal or pastries for breakfast in the cities.