Steaming

In the American Southwest, steam pits used for cooking have been found dating back about 5,000 years.

[5] From the eighth century CE,[citation needed] thin cypress strips were used to make steamers; today, their slatted bases are constructed from bamboo.

[citation needed] While steaming has not caught up in the west for assorted dishes, the technique has been heavily popularized worldwide by Chinese and East Asian cuisine.

[citation needed] Steamed meat dishes (except fish and some dim sum) are less common in Chinese restaurants than in traditional home cooking,[9] because meats usually require longer cooking times to steam than to stir fry.

Commercially sold frozen foods (such as dim sum) formerly had instructions to reheat by steaming, until the rise in popularity of home microwave ovens, which have considerably shorter cooking times.

[citation needed] Staple foods Dim sum Rice Seafood Soup Sweets Others There are recipes where sauce is added to the main ingredients, aiming to control smell or aroma, or keep moisture to the ingredients.

[citation needed] A 2007 USDA comparison between steaming and boiling vegetables shows the most affected nutrients are folic acid and vitamin C. When compared to raw consumption, steaming reduces folic acid by 15%, and boiling reduces it by 35%.

[14] Steaming, compared to boiling, showed 42% higher amount of glucosinolates in broccoli cooked for medium firmness.

[15] Phenolic compounds with antioxidant properties have been found to retain significantly better through steaming than through boiling or microwaving.