Why Fusion Restaurant Dishes Are Increasingly Popular
Fusion restaurants seem to have swept into the culinary scene in the past decade and since then, their following has grown steadily. Their growing popularity has caused many to wonder what fusion cooking is and why fusion restaurants have become the “in” thing. The answers to both questions are interesting because they are in themselves commentaries on how people have converged and, consequently, how tastes in food have followed suit.
Defining Fusion Cuisine
Fusion cuisine is a broad term describing cooking that blends diverse ingredients and merges food preparation and presentation across regions and cultures. The most common example of fusion food would be the Mexican food chains across the United States which offer food that is not as strongly flavored as original food from across the border. Other examples would be the Chinese food chains that invariably serve chow mein and orange chicken in a style that is distinctly tailored to the American palate. Thai food in many places in the world is not as hot as they originally are in authentic restaurants in Thailand.
However, fusion cuisine is really more than just toning down spice; in many cases it will feature new creations that display varieties of ingredients from different cultures. An example of this would be the taco pizza which retains the Italian form but is topped with Mexican chorizo, cumin, pepperjack cheese (instead of mozzarella) and sometimes refried beans. There are many other dishes that show how the novel marriage of different regions or East and West takes place in a creative plate of meat or vegetables.
Why Fusion Restaurants Have Become Increasingly Popular
There are many reasons why places with fusion cooking have become popular. For one thing, with globalization the exposure to different tastes has become commonplace. People in Asia do not need to travel to know what an American burger tastes like. People in the United States can even get Thai food or Vietnamese pho delivered to their doorstep.
Also, migration and immigration play important roles in the mélange of ingredients and spices that now permeate the aromas of fusion kitchens. Added to this, the impact of mass media has shown people that when you eat out, you need not be limited to steak; or that if you must choose steak, there are a hundred interesting versions you can enjoy. Celebrity chefs and culinary contests provide the greatest exposure to dishes that manage to contain a global village in a single plate of chicken.
Interesting Samples of Fusion Fare
Everyone has probably tried Peking duck at one time or another. This incredible Chinese delicacy is the favorite of many diners from all over the world but a young chef gave a presentation truly unique and yet reminiscent of this gastronomic delight. The marinated duck was smoked and served in a glass container together with its super crunchy skin and sweet kumquats. This was not a Chinese dish but, like a second generation Asian American, it still knew where its roots lay.
One chef created a unique rendition of Korean tong dak fried chicken marinated in beer and an interesting, intercultural blend of spices. The chicken is air dried for hours, slow cooked in a rotisserie for more hours then chilled for the better part of a day. After that it is fried till unbelievably crispy.
Perhaps the current permutations of the Japanese sushi are the most widely consumed examples of fusion in the kitchen. Fans of westernized sushi consume tons of California style sushi daily and transforming sushi into a unique form seems to have become an art form in restaurants today. You now have sushi made with cream cheese, sushi made with avocado, sushi made with smoked salmon and yes, Spam.
Fusion cuisine and the restaurants that serve it are certainly here to stay. Hopefully, this international blending of food will give rise to a people-to-people understanding and appreciation of different cultures.
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