Expers' Viewpoints: Unlimitless Possibilities of Asian Fusion (1/2)

Wendy Hutton: a New Zealander by birth, first came to Southeast Asia in 1967 and has worked in the region ever since, specializing in writing on travel and food. She has eaten her way through every country in Asia, gathering recipes from cooks everywhere from simple villages to elegant restaurant kitchens. Since 1978, she has writ-ten or contributed to many books on Asian food, as well as writing reference books on Asian herbs and spices, vegetables and fruits. Her works include Cooks’ guide to Asian Vegetables, Green Mangoes and Lemon Grass: Southeast Asia’s Best Recipes from Bangkok to Bali. Asian Cuisines Gaining Popularity Asian cuisines and Asian restaurants are becoming more and more popular in recent two decades. Immigration obviously has had a huge part to play in the increasing aware-ness of all types of Asian foods. And to a certain extent, increasing trips/travel to Asia has allowed non-Asians to sample all kinds of delicious cuisine. Food magazines and TV celebrity chefs also increase awareness of a whole new way of cooking and eating, while the in-creasing number of specialty Asian stores and\farmers markets with the produce required makes it much easier to cook Asian food than it was a decade ago. When it comes to health, it’s true that the approach to eating in most Asian cuisines emphasizes grains, vegetables and fish, with only a small portion of meat. Tofu and other soybean products such as tempeh are a rich source of protein ideal for vegetarians. Asian ingredients are noted for its healthy benefits. It’s not so much a matter of ingredients but how the food is prepared. Steaming, quick stir-frying that seals in all the goodness, minimal use of deep-frying, and grilling are all techniques which ensure healthy food. So, too, does the Asian insistence on really fresh rather than frozen or processed ingredients. Some new trends appeared in Asian food scene with the development of Asian restaurants. Just as many Western chefs are experimenting with Asian ingredients and cooking styles, so, too, are Asian chefs (though not usually home cooks) experimenting with Western styles and ingredients, blending them with Asian food. It is incorrect to say that Asian food is not easily duplicated at home. With the correct ingredients and utensils, it’s not more complicated than other cuisines. Some of it can be more time consuming, it’s true, especially if making your own spice pastes, but the results are always worth the effort. In terms of the favorite cuisines, it seems that Thai and Vietnamese are still the most popular everywhere from Sydney to San Francisco, London to New York. Asian Fusion- Unlimited Possibilities Some of the most popular ingredients used in fusion cuisine would be fresh ginger, lemon grass, fish sauce, soy sauce, rice wine, fresh chillies, Japanese sweet rice wine (mirin). Most fusion introductions can be found eve-rywhere from starters to desserts. It could be just a subtle tweak, Such as flavoring the cream used to make a dessert with fresh gin-ger rather than vanilla, or making a pesto with coriander (cilantro) leaves and cashews rather than basil and pine nuts. The best way to weave Asian ingredients into other cuisines(French , Italian, etc.) is by experimenting. Often the fusion is in the style of presentation, such as serving Indian food already plated, rather than putting bowls in the center of the table for all to share. Asian seasonings and freshly made sauces often work well with simple salads, grilled fish and poultry, or even broiled steak. Other factors one has to consider when pro-ducing a successful combination of flavors when it comes to combining the ingredients of different cultures is the intensity and basic taste of the individual ingredient.