Thoughts & Musings
“So what is ‘fusion’?” A few people asked me recently.
Simply the fusing of distinctly different cuisines, I’d reply. Compared to authenticity, which celebrates adherence to classical recipes without even a slightest deviation, fusion exults tinkering.
Any experienced home chef has tinkered with recipes, of course, when it is necessary to substitute ingredients, with close results to an established recipe sometimes, and surprises other times. Still, fusion is far more risk-taking. You tinker from the very start. You conceptualize your product, plan for your adventure, and then methodically synthesize food of diverse traditions. You aim for an exciting outcome.
Small wonder that pioneers of fusion should come from cities with a vast mixture of ethnic populations. I first came across “fusion” in the early 1990s from The New York Times. A chef whose name skips my memory was creating masterpieces in a New York City restaurant. A westerner who’d grown up with Chinese, Malay and Indian food in Singapore, he went on to receive professional training in French cuisine. About the same time, friends also introduced me to Oritalia in San Francisco’s Japan town. Chefs there were crafting oriental interpretation onto Italian fare. They came up with flavors that stirred your emotions.
Today, some of the best food is fusion. During a Food Channel Iron Chef contest (aired during October 8, 2005 prime time), both Iron Chef America Moritori and challenger Chef Mike Simon dazzled the audience with a fusion Maki sushi roll, using asparagus, the key ingredient in this duel. One wrapped this elegant shoot with delicate crab meat in grape leaves; the other enveloped a mosaic of green and white sprouts with fresh tuna in Buscheutto over traditional seaweeds.
Arguably, fusion is all the rage among high cuisines nowadays. If so, why is there so little talk of it? Perhaps because lots of earlier fusion experiments turned out disappointing. I remember a beautifully conceptualized East-West style of dish that failed to deliver. It overused one oriental spice, and substituted tortured noodles for properly treated pasta. I’ve never returned to the same restaurant. So here lies the challenge of fusion: It must be provocative as well as thoughtful. You must give adequate respect to all the ingredients and processes that go into creating your unique dish. And you must begin with a deep understanding of diverse gastronomic foundations.
In the end, what can be more satisfying than getting the best of different culinary worlds? I like to compare a great fusion meal with an exquisite bouquet of flowers. You see each blossom display its unique color and aroma, with everyone thriving in perfect harmony with companion flora.
Don’t be afraid of tinkering, I’d advise. But do exercise your wisdom!