The kitchen at home was my first science lab. Not because we were using bunsen burners and funnels or labelling salt as ‘Na’, but because that is where my mother experimented with spices. That is where she cooked up not only dishes, but also wrote recipes that put most cookbooks to shame. That is where I learnt that food is served best, hot and as an intersection between different cultures. She called it ‘mixing-and-matching’, but it is now widely known as ‘fusion cuisine’. An art that is redefining the parameters of the culinary world.
Food fusion as a trend is picking up traction now. However, the concept of mashing-up food together is as old as the 13th century. Pasta, an all time favourite of all cuisines worldwide, is believed to be a descendant of the Chinese noodle which was carried into the Italian cuisine. Apparently, even fish and chips was initially a fusion dish. An indication that it is not something new, but one that is making itself visible since the recent past.
Made up of sugar, spice and all things nice
Meza Malonga, a name that might ring a bell for some and might not for the others. Either way, it is a restaurant worth learning about. Not only because it is perched on a beautiful location in Kigali, Rwanda, but because having a meal from there is the equivalent of touring almost all of the countries in the African continent.
This restaurant, owned by Dieuveil Malonga, is the mother of all fusion cuisines. He hosts an Afro-fusion cuisine that has been marinated to perfection in diverse cooking traditions, dishes and ingredients of 48 African countries. The final product is a fine example of how food does not have borders, but rather should be one that lets one culture seep into another.
While on one hand it is about letting one culture influence another, or to throw a cluster of cultures into a pan, it is also about blending ingredients that are isolated in different categories. (such as savoury dishes, sweets, snacks). A horizontal fusion of sorts, where you let maple syrup flow into a salad dressing that is made out of dijon mustard, vinegar, olive oil and mayonnaise. Of course this might raise a few eyebrows, but as the adage goes, never judge a book by its cover.
Everything new is of course thrown into the ring where they have to box with criticisms, but at the same time they are also showered with praise. While there are many dishes that have become trends in fusion cuisine, this article will attempt to sift and sieve to pick a few.
Cuisines and dishes that add flavour to fusion cuisine
A dish that may sound quite simple at first, but will have your taste buds doing a dance number is the ‘Chocolate Avocado Toast’, an invention by chef Daniel Hillier: the head chef at Al Habtoor City Hotel Collection, Dubai. His dish was spoken of very highly in an article written by the NDTV ‘Food Desk’ about ‘Exploring the art of culinary fusion-the innovative blend of surprising ingredients’. The dish titillates all the senses because it is a melange of a ‘velvety and buttery’ texture, the sweetness of chocolate and the crispiness of toasted bread. Not only is this a treat for your palate, it is also a healthy snack to have when hungry.
Another dish that is not only innovative but brings together the East and the West is the ‘Wafu Italian’ cuisine. While this is still in its infant stages in America, it is a concept that is widely popular in the streets of Japan. It originated in Japan as early as in the 50s where a strand of spaghetti made its way into the mainstream Japanese dishes. If you stroll down the streets of Japan, one in every three restaurants feature Italian dishes such as pasta or meatballs in their menu. But these Italian dishes come with a Japanese twist where it is done so well to the point that you actually forget where they originated from.
‘Wafu’ in English is ‘Japanese-style’. Wafu-Italian is a way of cooking that combines the flavours and cooking methods of both Japanese and Italian dishes. While the U.S is familiar with American dishes putting an Asian twist on them, an Italian-Japanese combo used to be uncharted territory, up until recently. While there are many dishes that have debuted under this concept, the doctrine that acts as the heart of it is that once you taste a Wafu-Italian dish, you should not be able to discern which ingredient represents Japan and which one represents Italy. If you can tell the flavours apart, that means the dish is back at square one. The whole idea is to use the two to create a united one.
It is a given that main dishes and snacks wear fusion well, however, one that wears it the best is the dessert corner. The world has a soft spot for sweets. They levitate towards dessert like ants drift towards honey. Fusion delicacies that go beyond savoury dishes are welcomed by people with open arms.
One of the most popular countries for dessert, or sweets in general, is India. Chef Sandeep Chowdary who knew Indian sweets like the back of his hand decided to become adventurous with dessert. A successful brainchild of his is cheese brownies. The name may sound mundane, but what goes into it will take you by surprise. Pleasant surprise.
We are quite familiar with cheesecake and it already has a massive fanbase. Cheese brownies is a different take on the good ol’ brownie recipe. You just throw a dollop of cheese into it. And voila, the magic has been created. While the taste may initially taste foreign on the tongue, as all things new are, for anyone who loves cheesecake this will be another delightful addition.
Fusion cuisines owe their fame to its novelty. As much as humans like to associate what they taste with things that they know, they also like to define them in terms of things unknown. For an Asian, identifying cumin powder as an ingredient in a dish from a typical English eatery in the U.K., gives a feeling of familiarity. At the same time, it gives you the excitement of realising that this is a combination that you have never tried nor thought of. Thus, creating an emotional attachment to the dish.
New places, new flavours, new cultures. Fusion cuisines are an art because they speak to your emotions, like all food should.
(Sandunlekha Ekanayake)