Popularized by food and travel shows, fusion cuisine concept is one of the emerging food trends since 2013. These shows educate and expose the audience to unique foreign foods and flavors, enticing consumers to try new and bold combinations when ordering food1.
Fusion cuisine involves combining two or more different cuisines to create a harmonized dish that enhances flavor profiles. Through this manner of food preparation, marrying two or more cuisines allows diners to experience different cultures on a plate. Furthermore, fusion cuisine encourages chefs to be creative in experimenting with different combinations of dishes and introduce new flavor profiles to diners2. These dishes display a balance of salty, sour, sweet, hot, and cool flavors3. Ingredients that are commonly used in Southeast Asian cooking include soy sauce, cilantro, sesame oil, curry paste, coconut milk, and ginger4. For some chefs in Asia, they define Asian-Fusion cuisine by combining tastes from their diverse ethnic roots with culinary techniques5.
As Asian cuisine is one of the most popular ethnic cuisines in the United States, Asian-Fusion cuisine is especially prominent6.7. When Chef Keizo Shimamoto created the ramen burger in 2013 at a food festival in Brooklyn, it was an instant hit8. Over time, Asian-Fusion options have become a huge opportunity for many eateries to explore and attract more diners9. With many diverse cultures and ethnicities in Asia, there are plenty of fusion foods that are created such as Korean fried chicken, chicken karaage burger, and sushi burrito.
Korean Fried Chicken
Korean fried chicken is a Korean twist on the traditional Southern fried chicken in the United States10. The dish includes different bold flavors, from sweet hot sauce known as yangnyeom to barbecue and hot-pepper sauce with toppings such as spring onions, cheese, and garlic11. Its popularity is attributed to the popular Korean drama, My Love from Another Star, whose main character loves chimek, which is a combination of chicken and beer. The hit show had over two billion downloads in China alone12,13. This dish has led to Korean-based chains franchising overseas to the United States, China, and Southeast Asia14. Korean fried chicken is crispier as it is fried twice to achieve a crunchy texture and usually served with pickled radishes and beer or soju15.
Chicken Karaage Burger
The chicken karaage burger is the combination of the Japanese chicken karaage and western burger. Preparing this dish involves marinating chicken thigh meat with soy sauce and using potato starch as the batter. This method allows the meat to remain moist with a crunchy exterior16. A standard American fried chicken incorporates flour or beer while the chicken karaage burger uses potato starch as its coating instead17.
Sushi Burritos
Sushi burrito is a Japanese dish with Mexican influence. The dish serves a sushi roll, equivalent to the size of a burrito, stuffed with traditional sushi ingredients and presented like a burrito18. The sushi burrito is a fusion favorite and the ingredients offered are customizable19.
References:
1 Flavor & the Menu (2013). The Rebirth of Fusion [Online] Available at: https://www.getflavor.com/the-rebirth-of-fusion/
2 Lucky Foods (2015). Why Asian Fusion Restaurants Are So Popular [Online] Available at: http://luckyfood.com/blog/why-asian-fusion-restaurants-are-so-popular/
3 TansIndus (2015). SOUTHEAST ASIAN CUISINE [Online] Available at: http://www.transindus.co.uk/blog/southeast-asian-cuisine
4 The Kitchn (2013). 15 Basic Ingredients for Cooking All Kinds of East Asian Food [Online] Available at: http://www.thekitchn.com/15-basic-ingredients-for-cooking-all-kinds-of-asian-food-184504
5 CNN International (2015). Hottest Asia food trends in 2015 [Online] Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/16/travel/asia-food-trends/
6 VOA News (2015). Top 10 Most Popular Ethnic Cuisines in US [Online] Available at: http://blogs.voanews.com/all-about-america/2015/05/18/top-10-most-popular-ethnic-cuisines-in-us/
7 Euromonitor International (2015). Interest in Asian Cuisines is Driving New Concept and Menu Trends [Online] Available at: http://blog.euromonitor.com/2015/05/interest-in-asian-cuisines-is-driving-new-concept-and-menu-trends.html
8 First We Feast (2014). The Passion of Keizo Shimamoto: How the Ramen Burger Became a Stateside Phenomenon [Online] Available at: http://firstwefeast.com/eat/2014/05/keizo-shimamoto-ramen-burger-interview
9 Single Platform (2016). The Rise of Asian Food [Online] Available at: http://www.singleplatform.com/blog/2016/6/3/the-rise-of-asian-food
10 SBS TV (2016). There’s nothing hotter than Korean fried chicken [Online] Available at: http://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/2016/10/23/theres-nothing-hotter-korean-fried-chicken
11 The Korea Herald (2016). History of Korean-style fried chicken [Online] Available at: http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20160527000733
12 Munchies (2016). Behind Korea’s Obsession with Fried Chicken and Beer [Online] Available at: https://munchies.vice.com/en/articles/behind-koreas-obsession-with-fried-chicken-and-beer
13 DramaFever (2014). ‘My Love from Another Star’ sparks chicken and beer craze in China [Online] Available at: https://www.dramafever.com/news/my-love-from-another-star-sparks-chicken-and-beer-craze-in-china/
14 CNN International (2015). Watch your wing, KFC! Korean fried chicken (and beer) is here [Online] Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2015/06/21/travel/south-korea-beer-chicken/
15 Paste Magazine (2015). 5 Asian Fried Chicken Styles That Give The South a Run for Its Money [Online] Available at: https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/07/5-asian-fried-chicken-styles-that-give-the-south-a.html
16 MATCHA Japan Travel Web Magazine (2016). Learn More about “Karaage”, the Japanese Take on Fried Chicken [Online] Available at: https://matcha-jp.com/en/2212
17 Gurashii (2016). Fried Chicken vs Karaage: What’s the Difference? [Online] Available at: http://www.gurashii.com/fried-chicken-vs-karaage-whats-the-difference/
18 Business Insider Singapore (2014). San Franciscans Are Lining Up To Eat This Sushi-Burrito Hybrid Chicken [Online] Available at: http://www.businessinsider.sg/sushirritos-sushi-burrito-is-sweeping-san-francisco-2014-10/?r=US&IR=T#fOlu9wvlFrl9mZGw.97
19 Channel NewsAsia (2016). Gastronomic gimmicks: A look at culinary trends taking New York City by storm [Online] Available at: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/gastronomic-gimmicks-a/2805346.html