Asian traditions: use the easiest way to learn more about them on AsianDate blog.

Asian Traditions

Asian traditions date back thousands of years, and are still valued and upheld by the local people today, especially women in the dating world. To enter the life of an Asian woman, you can show your dedication by learning about her traditions.

Traditions in Asia can vary greatly; that is what is so unique about this blog. Which Asian traditions are your favorite? Which traditions are your Asian woman’s favorite? Finding out which Asian traditions belong to which parts of the continent brings you even closer to unlocking the magical beautiful possibilities Asia has to offer.

Take the time to learn everything you can about traditions in Asian culture, and you will benefit in many ways, including impressing your favorite lady! Think of this blog as your entrance way to discovering Asia and everything (and everyone) it has to offer.

Asian Date | The Fascinating World Of Kumaris: Nepal’s Living Goddesses

The Fascinating World Of Kumari, Nepal’s Living Goddesses

December 9, 2016 No Comments by AsianDate 2 minutes to read

Have you ever heard of a living god or goddess before? You most probably have not because it is not common. The deities that we know of in many religions, Greek mythology or even in our story books, usually manifest in the form of a spirit. But, the Kumaris of Nepal are different because they are living and breathing.

Introducing The Kumari

Asian Date | The Culture And Tradition Of Nepal

The Kumari can be as young as 4 years old. She has to live in a palace until she becomes a teen.

Yes, you read that right. In Nepal, a Kumari or Kumari Devi is a tradition where pre-pubescent, young girls are chosen and worshiped as living goddesses. In the Hindu religion, the chosen young girl is believed to be a manifestation of the female energy or devi. Practitioners also believe that the goddess Telaju presents herself in the chosen young girl. There are several Kumaris, one for each practicing region. The highest Kumari, however, is known as the Royal Kumari of Kathmandu.

Kumari’s believers pray to her and ask for their wishes to be granted. Gazing upon her is considered to bring good fortune in a believer’s life.

The Story Of Telaju And The King

One cannot fully grasp the tradition without understanding the most familiar story of how the tradition of Kumari began. There are several legends, but there’s a striking pattern to the legends – it involves King Jayaprakash Malla, the last Nepalese king of the Malla Dynasty. He and the Goddess Telaju have been playing a game of dice almost every night. The deal was for Telaju to continue playing the game as long as the King didn’t tell anyone of their meetings.

Out of curiosity, the queen secretly followed the king one night, to see who he has frequently been meeting. When the goddess Telaju found out, she was very angered and told the king that if he wanted to see her and still keep protecting his country, he would have to look for her among common people as she would reincarnate in a little girl. King obeyed and the tradition of Kumari was born.

What Happens When A Kumari Is Chosen?

Little girls as young as 4 years old will have to leave their family and live in the palace. The majority of the time they are looked after by their servants and only leave the palace when they are needed for ceremonial occasions. Kumari’s family rarely visits her. She doesn’t have a lot of playmates growing up like regular children. When she enters adolescents and menstruates, that’s the time that she leaves the palace and returns to her family. It is said that blood is a sign of the goddess Telaju leaving her body.

This is just one of the many interesting practices the Asian culture has. To know more about Asia and its people, check out more posts on our blog.

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Can’t Start Your Day Without Coffee? You Have Indonesia To Thank; Specifically the Island of Java

August 10, 2016 No Comments by AsianDate 2 minutes to read

First of all, did you know that coffee grows on trees? What we know as coffee beans are actually coffee seeds from a fruit called a “cherry” that grows on tall coffee trees in more than 70 different countries. Not all of that bounty will be suitable for your morning commute, though. Very specific conditions are necessary to produce coffee crops with high quality beans.

Coffee production is at its prime around the equator, as these areas provide the desired conditions to grow perfect crops. Ideal temperatures for coffee are between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and rainfall should be over six inches a month.

The trees also require quick draining soil and humidity helps to produce good crops. This is why coffee is commonly grown in elevated locations, to get the best crop possible. These equatorial regions are called the “bean belt,” a strip of the planet that would cut straight across a map. However, coffee grown at these levels will be more expensive because there is less oxygen, which means the coffee takes longer to mature.

Many of Indonesia’s islands fit this description, which is why the island nation is one of the world’s leading producers of coffee. Brazil still holds the top spot, but Indonesia isn’t far behind, having had coffee harvesting introduced to the region by Dutch colonizers in the 17^th century.

Much of Indonesia as a whole harvests and exports Robusta coffee, but the island of Java exports Arabica beans; Robusta and Arabica are the two types of coffee most widely grown and harvested. There has been contention about the differences between Robusta and Arabica coffees, but experts generally agree that Robusta is higher in caffeine content but lower in general quality than Arabica, therefore accounting for less than a quarter of the worldwide production of coffee.

The finest Java coffee comes from plantations on the five largest estates established by the Dutch government when Java was part of the Dutch East Indies. The largest coffee estates on Java, encompassing nearly 10,000 acres of coffee plantings, are Djampit (the biggest producer), Blawan, Pancoer, and Kayumas. Coffee has been growing in this area since the 17th century and has become one of the coffees enjoyed most frequently by people all around the world.

People who know the specific region where their coffee beans were sourced might use the name of the region when referring to it for accuracy. Similarly, coffee connoisseurs, not unlike wine lovers or professional sommeliers, might use the proper regional name out of respect.

Then there are the rest of us, the loads of people who call coffee “java” without really considering the literal source, the island of Java. “Java” has become near-ubiquitous as slang for coffee. By any name, coffee is a necessity for many, and now you know a bit more about how it gets from the tree to your lips.

Cobra Blood: An Indonesian Aphrodisiac

August 5, 2016 No Comments by AsianDate 3 minutes to read

You may not know it, but there are lots of reasons to drink cobra blood. Don’t believe us? Just ask the US Marines who partook during in-depth jungle survival training, or “Bizarre Foods” host Andrew Zimmern, who tipped back a glass just for the taste of it.

Snakes have been prominently featured in culture and healing throughout history, even having a starring role in the most famous story from the Bible. Asian medicinal practices have been using various snake parts in treatment since 100 AD. Cobra blood in particular is prized for its supposed healing properties, and has been used for everything from rashes and arthritis to surgical recovery and cancer.

There is, however, a slightly more salacious motivation driving those who visit snake blood purveyors in Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia: S-E-X.

Cobra blood has long been revered as a potent aphrodisiac and libido kick-starter. Visitors to these regions will find cobra blood offered in certain bars, restaurants, and also trucks and trolleys on the street. There is no conclusive scientific or medical evidence to the sex-drive-boosting claims, but that doesn’t stop masses of people from squeezing fresh blood from a snake’s body into their mouth.

That, or sucking the blood directly from the body of a snake that has just been beheaded in front of you, is the best way to consume the blood. And let’s be honest, it’s also the most badass. We even have a hunch that this badass-ness could be contributing to these libidinous claims.

Most aphrodisiacs, especially from the Far East, are derived from creatures that are either dangerous or extremely. The belief that power can be drawn from the bodies of rare, poisonous, or fierce animals operates on multiple levels. On one hand, the user can imagine that some part of the animal’s biological fierceness is now literally within them as well, and on the other, it’s thought that ingesting or slaughtering a dangerous animal is in itself a display of bravery and strength. The more poisonous the species is, the more potent its aphrodisiac qualities.

For those who don’t want to suck the blood straight from the snake’s body, there are other options. For the more genteel vampires out there, cobra blood cocktails are quite popular, utilizing a base of rice wine or vodka. Or, you could always toss it back from a shot glass.

Fear not, conservation-minded folks. It’s common to cook up the entire snake once you’re done ingesting its blood, either by roasting the meat and using it in soups, deep-fried on skewers, or just sautéed as a main dish.

There are restaurants that will let you select your snake and aid in its murder, and more adventurous tourists can prove their invincibility by biting the snake’s still-beating heart out of its body and feeling it beat in your mouth before you swallow it. Not kidding. This is a thing that people do.

At that point, it makes sense that your virility would be full and throbbing. But be warned that if you copy this behavior, which many people did after it was portrayed in the 2000 Leonardo DiCaprio movie The Beach, you’re risking infection and possible salmonella poisoning. But that doesn’t matter to a big, strong beast like you, right?

Take a look at the video below to see if you could handle it. Pro tip: It’s perfectly OK to say “no thank you.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNgziIrqCro

Destination: Dongchuan, China

December 14, 2015 No Comments by AsianDate 2 minutes to read

It’s hard to believe there are geographical locales that have gone undiscovered until recent decades, particularly in a country as widely explored as China, but the Dongchuan Red Lands appear to be just that sort of recently discovered world gem.