New Trends in Fusion Cuisine
Praised then shunned, fusion cuisine is once again currying favour. Food Innovation Solutions explore three emerging fusion cuisine trends making their way to the mainstream.
Image: @pastaramen
‘Fusion’ has become a divisive word in the culinary world.The term dates back to the ‘80s, when chefs like Roy Yamaguchi and Wolfgang Puck began to intentionally combine flavours from different cultures, creating innovative dishes that quickly gained popularity across the US.As the trend gained traction across the globe, some chefs attempted to stand out by focusing less on marrying flavours and more on unexpected flavour combinations, haphazardly combining ingredients that didn’t necessarily work well together. By the ‘90s, food writers and critics claimed fusion food was more ‘con-fusion’ than anything, and it fell out of style.Fast forward to today, and fusion cuisine is back in the consciousness of a new generation seeking exciting, flavour-led dining experiences.Here are three new fusion cuisine trends making their way to the mainstream.
Fusion cuisine trends: Wafu Italian
Cacio e Pepe Gyoza Fritti from Robbie Felice of PastaRAMENImage: @robbiefelice
Fusing the delectable flavours, techniques and dish styles of Japan and Italy, Wafu Italian cuisine is gaining ground with chefs across the globe.Examples include James Beard Nominated Rising Star Chef Robbie Felice, who opened the first-ever Italian ramen shop PastaRAMEN in New Jersey earlier this year, with over 2,800 reservations made within the first 24 hours!His Wafu Italian dishes have ranged from cacio e pepe gyoza to mochi ramen carbonara tsukemen, with Robbie’s expert delivery gaining PastaRAMEN rave reviews across the US.
Fusion cuisine trends: third-culture cuisine
Tiradito, a staple Nikkei dish
Third-culture cuisine examples are popping up across the global foodservice scene, but what exactly does the term mean?‘Third-culture’ is a term used to describe a person who was raised in a culture other than their parents’ (or the culture of their country of nationality). Within this cohort of ‘third-culture kids’ is a new generation of chefs creating exciting new dishes influenced by their own multi-cultural upbringing.Examples include Luiz Hara, a pioneer of Nikkei (Japanese and South American) cuisine in London. Having grown up in a Japanese household in São Paulo, his popular supper clubs serve up a tasting menu of creative Nikkei dishes to curious diners at his home in Islington.
Fusion cuisine trends: chaos cooking
‘Harambe Loved Big Macs’ pizza from Boogy & Peel in WashingtonImage: @boogyandpeel
Chaos cooking is the modern resurgence of the 80s fusion cuisine trend, only this time round it's more tongue-in-cheek, more aggressive, and way more chaotic.In a nutshell, chaos cooking is combining ingredients that typically don't go together into a cohesive dish - think sashimi tostadas, or tandoori spaghetti.This fun food trend is sweeping TikTok by storm; in fact, #chaoscooking has 151 million views so far, with influencers creating everything from Pringles mash potato, to purple alfredo pasta.Restaurants and pop-ups across the US are catching on too, driven by a hungry audience of consumers craving novelty in their meals, and video-friendly foods they can show off to their friends. Examples include the Big Mac pizza at Boogy & Peel, or tandoori spaghetti from Pijja Palace.
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