9/26/11

I can "Fusion Cuisine"

Dear “Foodies”,
today’s post is dedicated to one of my favourite topics in “Gourmet Cuisine”, I will talk about “Fusion Cuisine”.
If you have read my previous Posts and seen my recipes, you know that I love, not only cooking fusion dishes but also discover Restaurants that have “Fusion” in their Menus.
Fusion was introduced in mainstream Western Restaurants during the 70’s and it became an immediate success.
It started in Asian Restaurants in the UK and the States and apparently it was a clever way of introducing Asian cuisine to Westerns, that is, the food that was presented was different than the traditional Asian food prepared back home.
So, the Asian Chefs cleverly have reformed their cuisine by introducing local products (vegetables) and by reducing the level of spiciness (hot) and by reducing the use of many different spices and cooking oils. Such “morphose” of the Asian dishes made them more western, more gentile to the delicate palate of Europeans and North Americans.
If one of you readers had the chance of visiting Asia know exactly what I mean, that is Asian restaurants outside Asia do not offer proper Asian food, instead they serve us dishes that are inspired in original dishes (the real deal is miles away from the food served in western Asian restaurants).
Still, such clever adaptation generated a movement of free thinkers and “experimentors” that led to present modern fusion cuisine.
That is, take regional dishes from different parts of the world and mingle it together in exacting new creations.
If you are a big fan of Fusion Cuisine, you should memorise this name, Chef Wolfgang Puck was the first to mix Chinese and French cuisine in California, he is consider by many as the father of "Fusion Cuisine".
Now-a-days fusion cuisine is a hype and present world famous Chefs use it and abuse it, many restaurants use it as a pure marketing tool and their offer sometimes is poor, never-the-less the fact is that there are many good fusion restaurant.
My advice for all you gourmet lovers is… do not be afraid to try it, it can be a wonderful experience.
Bon Apetit,
Chef Gourmet Du Art