Expers' Viewpoints: Cuisines From Asia — Ideal for The Public (2/2)

New trends are fueled by innovation. Interesting things are going on through the movement of taking a scientific look at cooking. Paris Chef Pierre Gagnaire in his eponymous restaurant created a unique dessert by combining alginate, a natural setting agent derived from seaweed, with the juices of mango, orange and ginger. The end result? Palate-pleasing little beads similar in texture to salmon eggs, and bursting with refreshing fruit flavors. (Inspiration for this recipe came from a similar reaction of gypsum with soy, yielding….tofu!) This is just one example of the studies performed with physiochemist Hervé. This, a member of the French Group INRA of Molecular Gastronomy (Gastronomie Moléculaire). As today’s chefs come to understand the balance between the art of cuisine and technology of food science (aka ‘Culinology’), one could say that a culinologist is to food manufacturing as a molecular gastronomist is to the restaurant industry. Combining and Weaving Asian Ingredients for Success Some of the complementary fusion combos we’ve created for our clients (that either fuse ingredients or reinforce others) have been: - using white or yellow miso to reinforce the flavor of a chicken stock; - heightening the flavor of a brown roux with toasted sesame oil; - adding wasabi to a mustard sauce - use of aliginate (seaweed) in place of beef-based gelatin - the addition of soy sauce to chocolate desserts Nevertheless, it’s important to note that various staple ingredients have more than one version, ie: soy sauce (fermented vs. non fermented, Japanese, Chinese, Thai), miso (white, brown, red, etc.), fish sauce (Vietnamese, Thai), etc., and choosing the one with the proper flavor profile is key. Fusion is more than just an exciting-sounding combination of ingredient names on a menu. Successful mastery of fusing ingredients from different cultures begins with understanding what each ingredient can do and what is the end result when combined with other spices or flavors. If not, results will be catastrophic. California Fusion Movement: a Powerful Trend The California Fusion trend very likely evolved due to the large Japanese population as well as an abundance of near-year ‘round fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables -with many of these esoteric ingredient now being grown right in California. This is an encouraging culinary environment for exploration! Asian Ingredients Ideal for Health and Allergen Conscious Public Health-conscious consumers are choosing more vegetable-based dishes, often made with Asian ingredients, given their healthy perception. The opportunity to effortlessly up their “5-a day” quota combined with lower fat cooking techniques (steaming, etc.), and proteins shifting away from center-of-the plate focus, comes very close to achieving the new USDA food pyramid guidelines. However, today’s public seeking health benefits go beyond pure nutrition. Food allergens such as dairy and wheat cause people to seek alternatives: - Soy (edamame) and soy-based products such as tofu, soy milk, soy cheese, yogurts cheese, and dressings for heart and bone health. -Rice and rice noodles for gluten-free choices. An Abundance of Asian Ingredients in the U.S. Bok choy, tofu, soy milk, soy sauce, ginger, cilantro, coconut and coconut milk, prepared Asian sauces and pastes, miso are some of the ingredients of Asian cuisine easily located within the U.S. Vegetables are generally the most economical, such as bok choy and Chinese cabbage.