PlantAsia : Asia's Vegetable Wisdom in Recipes, Stories and Techniques
By Pamelia Chia
2025 • The Experiment
Originally self-published.
A boundary-pushing pan-Asian vegetarian cookbook, PlantAsia delivers traditional Asian vegetable wisdom reinvented through a modern, multicultural lens
PlantAsia is a continent-spanning celebration of Asia’s diverse and evolving food traditions that will transform the way you think about and cook with vegetables. Combining storytelling, technique, and unique flavor pairings, chef and author Pamelia Chia challenges and expands what we imagine when we think of vegetarian cooking.
Eight chapters, each focused on a different cooking technique, showcase recipes from more than fifteen countries:
Raw: Thunder Tea Kimbap, Naengmyeon with Watermelon Dongchimi
Steamed and Blanched: Watercress Noodles with Split Pea Fritters, Chayote and Glass Noodle Dumplings
Simmered: Beet Curry with Coconut Sambal, Bittergourd in Soy-Caramel Sauce
Fried: Tofu Puff Stir-Fry with Lemongrass and Long Beans, Fig and Brie Hotteok
Deep-Fried: Spinach Chaat with Chickpeas and Yogurt, Hot Butter Mushrooms
Charred and Grilled: Beer-Battered Eggplant Soba, Grilled Rice Paper with Tofu Sisig
Roasted and Baked: Charred Brussels Sprouts with Grapefruit and Yuba, Butternut Squash Dengaku
Sweetened: Chili-Flecked Jalebis with Mango Yogurt, Blackberry and Peach Gum Shortcake
Interviews and recipes from two dozen acclaimed chefs, food writers, and cookbook authors offer authentic and layered perspectives on the present and future of Asian cooking. Plus, Chia includes a detailed guide to buying and cooking with Asian ingredients.
Perfect for adventurous foodies, fans of Asian cuisines in search of inspiring and original recipes, and anyone looking for one-of-a-kind, vegetable-forward meals, this ambitious vegetarian cookbook is a dynamic and exciting celebration of all that vegetables have to offer.
Tags: AAPI & diaspora authors, asia, asian, australian, Books, chinese, food history, food writing, illustrations, indian, ingredients, Pre-Order, singaporean, south asian, southeast asian, sustainability, techniques, thai, Thailand, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian, vietnamese