What Is Food Fusion?

Why Is Food Fusion So Popular?

The popularity of food fusion owes a lot to the mash-up. It is also growing in popularity because it allows chefs to create something distinctive from their competitors, a dish they can truly call their own. Another reason that chefs might do this is to stamp their identity on a certain form of cuisine, as well as introducing new food concepts to customers in subtle and interesting ways.

Mash-ups take existing foods that are already popular and fuse them together to create an unexpected marriage of flavour. Whether its yorkshire puddings served burrito style or sweet and savoury foods swapping roles, mash-ups are making waves of their own, driving the food fusion revival.

Some well-known food mash-ups simply bolt two names together, as in the ‘pizza-taco’, ‘cro-nut' or 'duffin'. To the purist these frankenstein creations may seem a little gimmicky but they are proving a great way to pull in the crowds. Undeniably a hit with the Gen Z age gap (those born after 1995), fancy treats are likely to be snapped first and tasted second, probably uploaded to instagram before taking their first bite. This can work to your advantage if you can get mash-ups on your menu and find a way to promote them.

Tip: You could be missing out on free promotional opportunities and potential outreach. Find out what social media can do for your business in our article on Social Media In Your Restaurant.

A History

Food fusion is massively misunderstood. With early world travellers exchanging and combining food knowledge, inevitably recipes would become more complex and interesting, taking influence from contrasting climates, ingredients and cooking methods. Therefore, the fusion of culinary techniques and recipes has been in existence since the dawn of international trade.

Sadly though, food fusion has suffered a turbulent past because of its application. At times fusions can be underwhelming, worse still a sentimental souvenir from a culinary voyage. Yet to dismiss fusion food on this basis is to miss out on fresh and exciting flavour combinations. When broken down to their core, many classic recipes owe their existence to a compound of several influences rather than a single source of origin, which is where the boundaries of food fusion can be blurred.
Perhaps this is why food fusion is referred to by some chefs as the 'F word'.

Arguably, one of the oldest food fusions is pasta, as many believe it to be a descendant of the Chinese noodle, brought to the Italians during the 13th Century. Closer to home, the Edwardians also celebrated food fusion. The combination of Indian and English produced dishes such as Kedgeree: adapting a traditional mix of rice and lentils known in Indian cuisine as 'Kicheri' for English tastes.

Even fish and chips is essentially an early fusion dish, combining elements of Jewish, French and Belgian cuisines. ‘Pescado frito’ contains the original ingredients of what we know now as fish & chips, yet it tends to be associated with the British seaside, accompanied by ketchup and lashings of salt and vinegar. The original recipe used fish coated in flour and dipped in batter before being fried. With the later inclusion of beer, corn flour and soda water there have been many modifications to the recipe since.

Among popular trips for the adventurous chef, Malaysia is a place full of food fusions. Home to exciting native cuisine as well as a strong influence of Chinese, Thai and Indian food, street food also plays a vital role in the everyday life of Malaysian citizens. Allegedly, one of the world’s first fusion restaurants resides in Macau, China, where a blend of Cantonese flavours, with olives and chorizo from Portugal date back around 450 years.

So, fusion has always been rooted in history, but is back in the consciousness of a new, bold generation wanting to experience fresh and exciting food. Daring and playful, fusions seem to be popping up everywhere from food trucks to fine dining.

Tip: If you are looking for the perfect crockery range that incorporates a mix of contemporary black styling and hand-crafted appeal, take a look at the Fusion range from Olympia.

Contemporary Fusions

Fast forward to the modern day and two increasingly popular styles of cuisine are becoming a distinct fusion within the global restaurant scene, a blend of Japanese and Peruvian food known as Nikkei. The origins of this mixture lie in the inclusion of fresh fish, lime and potatoes in both styles of cooking. and it’s no coincidence.

The Japanese introduced fresh ingredients to Peruvian cuisine, such as miso, ginger, soy and rice vinegar. In the spirit of Nikkei, a current popular dish that perfectly demonstrates both styles of cuisine is Ceviche Nikkei. It pays homage to the national dish whilst honouring some Japanese culinary techniques, such as using the zest and citrus power of a lime to keep the fish from over cooking. Zesters are useful tools not just for harnessing the flavour of citrus fruits but for making decorative twists for enhancing presentation.

Another dish that can be recognised as part of the Nikkei influence is ‘Tiradito’, a dish of thinly chopped and rolled salmon pieces with the presentation style of carpaccio or sashimi. This is best served immediately after ordering to preserve the freshness of the fish and retain a mild, bitter flavour that is typical of this cuisine.

When cooking with fusion recipes, spices are best kept in preserve jars. Clip-top bottles are especially useful for oil infusions, as well as syrups and dressings.

Tip: Take advantage of the brunch trend and incorporate fusions into your breakfast menu. Read more in our article How To Create The Perfect Breakfast Brunch Menu.

Fusion Tools & Utensils

There are also some kitchen gadgets that arguably are the result of food fusion itself, and one of these is the Japanese spiralizer. With a machine that encourages less carbohydrates in a diet, creates pasta-free noodles and vegetable ribbons it not only satisfies a gluten-free menu puts a creative twist on healthy food. Look for blade storage, interchangeable blades and a cleaning brush as features when browsing for the perfect spiralizer. If you are looking for some handy hints and tips on spiralizing techniques, take a look at our our article on How To Use a Spiralizer.

Food plating and presentation tools are one of the simplest ways to upscale your food and make it more photogenic. When it comes to fusion food, presentation is an integral part of giving it a clear identity. For instance, even with something as simple as a pumpkin and carrot soup, using precision tongs and other garnishing tools to add thin strips of carrot on top can help emphasize the ingredients of a dish. In this way you can also add extra value to your dish at the final stage of preparation, even with just a few plating tools to hand.

Tip: Prepare your kitchen for some intriguing food fusion dishes by setting your mise en place. Find out more in our article on What Is Mise En Place?