Fascination with FusionFused foods are a fast-growing trend popping up in restaurants and bars throughout the country. Fusion foods are in demand. by Kelly Tokarski
Fusion means fusing or melting; blending or a coalition. Okay, but what does that mean? Fusion is trendy. Fusion is tasty. Fusion is today. Fused foods are a fast-growing trend popping up in restaurants and bars throughout the country. Fusion foods are in demand.
With a never-ending battle to attract patrons and increase sales, restraunters, chefs and food managers are constantly looking for new trends to attract the masses. However, we have always had fusion cuisine; it is not a new concept. Cooks and chefs, as well as food product designers, have always adapted foods for special occasions and to utilize new ingredients. To stay on top, they must cater and appeal to people of all types and ages with their differing desires for variety, taste and texture.
First it was pretty food, then it was big food and then tall food – now it is fusion food. But what is fusion food? Is it a regional cuisine or is it a collection of seasonings, spices, flavors and textures entwined with meats, seafood, salads, pastas and soups from far off and exotic locales such as Morocco, Italy, China, the Bahamas and Spain? Fusion food is all this and so much more. We see Asian-Italian entrees such as stir-fried mahi-mahi, fresh vegetables, Hoison sauce, coconut milk and infused oils served over curried farelle noodles. Or we see Latin-style marinated chicken, fresh vegetables and citrus served over baby greens garnished with mandarin oranges and toasted coconut. We even see Pizza topped with goat cheese, Portobello mushrooms, caramelized onions and grilled shrimp.
We see articles about fusion foods in popular magazines and newspapers. We see it on television. The Food Channel even devotes a whole show on fusion foods called "East Meets West." Where the host, Ming Tsai, demonstrates that he is a new style of Asian chef on the cutting edge of sophisticated American cuisine. He presents his cuisine in an accessible way, revealing the basic flavors from Western and Eastern traditions and how they can be pared successfully. Viewers salivate through themed shows such as "East Meets West Steak with Potatoes" featuring delectable dishes such as grilled rib-eye steak au poivre with Dijon-roasted garlic aioli panko fries and tomato salad. Or "East Meets Southwest" with achiote marinated pork loin with pulled pork tamales and Hoisin key lime syrup.
The tastes and textures may come from familiar places, but fusing them together creates a new cuisine. So, what do you call this cuisine? There is strong historic precedent to refer to past dishes and techniques by using them to describe new creations. By doing so, diners can imagine what they will be eating. But no matter what the fusion entrée is called, it’s almost certain to be a hit. And it doesn’t matter if the meal is fabulous or not; it’s new, it’s fashionable, it’s fusion and it’s here to stay – at least for a while.
Fascination with Fusion
