Cultural Appropriation or Appreciation: The Debate About Fusion Cuisine

In recent years, a brand new form of cuisine has emerged, a modern result of global interconnectedness, the ease of travel, and revolutionary school of thoughts: for instance, that blending cuisines is a good idea. Gone are the days of isolationism and protective hoarding of treasured recipes. Rather, this has marked the emergence of fusion cuisine.

Fusion cuisine is essentially merging elements or ingredients of different cultures’ cuisines into a new style of dish, one that highlights both cultures. Common examples you might know are Korean tacos, Tex-Mex, California rolls, and banh mi. These foods are undoubtedly delicious—but they also raise a crucial culinary debate: is incorporating these cultures malicious? 

The chief concern with fusion food is its lack of cultural context. Taking random parts of a cuisine and haphazardly mashing it together with another tends to result in an unappealing dish, as is an uneducated attempt to “fuse” foods in a manner that can be seen as insulting. Back in 2019, Lucky Lee’s, a New York-based Chinese restaurant by non-Chinese owners, advertised itself as offering a “clean” and less “oily” take on the cuisine (Eater NY). It played into racist stereotypes that have plagued the cuisine since the earliest Chinese immigrants arrived in America, and came as a result of misunderstanding the fundamentals of Chinese cuisine. Lucky Lee’s shut down within a year due to backlash, but it still represents a misinformed, if not malicious, attempt to change the nuances of Chinese cuisine for a different cultural audience.

That being said, fusion cuisine created with genuine good intentions is in no way cultural appropriation. That can be achieved through thorough research into the cultures, to understand their different approaches to cuisines and standout ingredients, as well as ensuring that what you create actually tastes good. The entire point of fusion cuisine is to advance culinary arts: combining existing dishes to make something new, something exciting. It makes dishes unique—done right, fusion food can broaden people’s perspectives of cultures. 

Proper fusion cuisine is crafted by appreciating the cultures that it draws from. Food, after all, is universal. A rapidly globalizing world can give us the opportunities to further this field, inventing brand-new takes on tradition and cuisine. 

Sources:

https://ny.eater.com/2019/12/6/20999639/lucky-lees-greenwich-village-clean-chinese-closed

https://www.escoffier.edu/blog/world-food-drink/whats-the-status-of-fusion-cuisine/

Photo Credit: Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts