The name "Nan yang" originated from old Chinese sea-going maps. "Nan" means south and "Yang" means sea. Thus, "Nan Yang" refers to the area known today as South Pacific. More specifically, Nan Yang refers to the countries in the southern pacific region: Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the
… Philippines. The regional cooking of this area is known particularly for its use of spices such as chili, cinnamon, coconut milk, curry, fennel and lemongrass.Continued