North Meets South Fusion Food

[Andy Lynes]

Scotts rather good post on the definition of fusion cooking on this brief thread regarding Australian chef Christine Manfield's new London project East@West got me thinking why we rarely, if ever, hear about North meets South food. Maybe the thought of fusing the cuisine of Iceland with that of Mexico and coming up with boiled whale meat mole is good enough reason in itself, but has the food of a Northerly country ever gone South of the equator?

Has Eastern Europe ever skanked scoff in a rub-a-dub stylee with Jamacia? Has Benelux carnivalled cuisines with Brazil? Have I run out of these ridiculous queries too early to generate a decent arguement?

But seriously, are there examples, even within continents and countries of North meets South fusions, or are there socio-economic reasons as to why this rarely happens?

(Starter for 10 has to be Tex-Mex.)

[tryska]

what about diaspora cooking?

jamaica is an example, guyana and trinidad too - indian and african roots, new world ingredients - any of the formerly Portuguese held countries have a portuguese stamp on their food, certain types of Mexican food have spanish roots..

Actually i'm of the opinion that most food of the new world is fusion cooking at it's best, but i'm not exactly sure this is the answer you were looking for.

[Andy Lynes]

I suppose what I'm thinking about is the cooking of a cold country being fused with that of a warm climate country. There really is no reason why it couldn't happen today, it's just would anyone want it to?

[Adam Balic]

Scott's definition of 'fusion' was very good. So why continue with the lazy usage of the word?

The history of food is on of continuum  of 'fusion'. Look at Britain, (which I consider well 'North') most popular food for the masses is a bastardised form of Indian cooking. Five hundred years before that it was a bastardised form of Near-Eastern cooking. Most countries that have extensive trade routes have outside influences on their food.

I suspect that the only reason why there isn't any Whale Blubber Mole is becasue, it would be utterly revolting and that there are not great historic trade connections between Mexico and the whaling nations.

[Andy Lynes]

Can we then apply Scotts more sophisticated definition to the question of Northern cuisines mingling with those from the South?

[Carlovski]

Well I suppose any time you get any Mediterranean influances in french cuisine, that could count. And don't forget, most of the eastern influances are from the southern hemisphere.

[Adam Balic]

Can we then apply Scotts more sophisticated definition to the question of Northern cuisines mingling with those from the South?

Yep. Ever eaten a "potato" or a "tomato". They are from foreign parts, but I do hear tell that the "potato" is rather toothsome.

[Andy Lynes]

Potato? Tomato? You interest me strangely. Tell more of these wonders from affar.

[tryska]

tomatoes are very poisonous, i heard.

[Fat Guy]

There's a restaurant in New York (not sure if it's still around or not, actually) called Tja!, which describes itself as ScandinAsian.

[Andy Lynes]

Here's a webpage although the main restaurant site no longer appears to be available. Can't really detect an Asian influence on the dishes quoted though.

[Adam Balic]

Potato? Tomato? You interest me strangely. Tell more of these wonders from affar.

"Let the sky rain potatoes; let it thunder to the tune of Green-sleeves, hail kissing-comfits and snow eringoes."

Old Will thought that potatoes were sexy. Although he proberly just sat on them...

[Adam Balic]

Here's a webpage although the main restaurant site no longer appears to be available. Can't really detect an Asian influence on the dishes quoted though.

The Swedes didn't invade the right people. Try the Dutch, they like a good South-East Asian curry.

[Fat Guy]

There's a restaurant in Hell's Kitchen (Manhattan) called Old San Juan, which is Puerto Rican and Argentinean.

[Mabelline]

How about Marcus Samuelson (sic?). Would he qualify?

[Andy Lynes]

"New Scandinavian cooking", what does that mean exactly? Looking at the website its difficult to see how that differs from what other New York chefs are doing. Does he claim Southern Hemisphere influences?

[Andy Lynes]

I passed a Polish/Mexican bistro in Lonond's Shepard's Market last night. Not fused, just a list of Polish specialities and a list of Mexican specialities. Very odd indeed.

[tryska]

well...he does have "gravlax and tandoori smoked salmon" on the menu.

[Andy Lynes]

Yes, that rather sticks out from the rest of the menu items doesn't it?

[tryska]

yeah it does - looking through the rest it seems fairly straightforward and then this random fusion dish from hell.

[tammylc]

There's a restaurant in New York (not sure if it's still around or not, actually) called Tja!, which describes itself as ScandinAsian.

And then there's Sushi Samba - Japanese, Brazilian, Peruvian fusion. That's gotta count!

Website at: http://www.sushisamba.com/top.html but be warned - it's Flash and slow to load.

[Dave the Cook]

There used to be a restaurant in Washington D.C. called Thai Roma. I remember some interesting, if not entirely successful, noodle/pasta dishes with cross-cultural seasonings, spring rolls with Italian stuffings and vice-versa manicotti, and, for lack of a better description, fusion skewers.

On the off chance the place was still open (I was there maybe ten years ago), I googled it, and found this review by a fellow eGull:

Thai Roma

[Malawry]

I don't think Thai Roma is open anymore. They didn't spooge Thai and Italian much though, IIRC.

Google is a strange and wonderful thing.

[Toliver]

This isn't really fusion, but many years ago I remember there being a "half & half" restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona. One side of the menu was chinese food and the other side was mexican food.

I have no idea if they are still open.

[Mabelline]

Yeah, I don't know if it's what you'd consider fusion, either, but Laespi Gadeoro in Arlington, Texas is a "Mexican & Chinese Cuisine & Bakery" .