Understanding Asian Fusion Cuisine

Learn the flavor profiles and ingredients of different Asian countries. Use Asian fusion ideas to combine foods and create unique dishes.

Every culture has its traditional flavors. When we go out to eat, we have a set expectation for the flavor profiles we want. An example is when ordering Japanese versus Chinese foods, each type of food has a set expectation, despite both being Asian cuisine. To first understand Asian fusion, it’s best to learn the flavor profiles of each Asian culture. 

Table of Contents

Basic Flavor Principles of Asian Cuisines

Flavor Profiles and Ingredients 

• Chinese Food 
• Indian Food
• Japanese Food
• Korean Food 
• Middle Eastern Food 
• Mongolian Food 
• Filipino Food (Philippines)
• Russian Food  
• Thai Food 
• Vietnamese Food 

What is Asian Fusion Cuisine?

Asian Fusion Sauces, Pastes and Vinegar

Chef Myron’s^® Ready-to-Serve Asian Sauces and Rice Wine Vinegar

Basic Flavor Principles of Asian Cuisines

Many Asian countries aim to create a yin-yang balance with their foods. Colors also represent a type of taste. Sour is Green, Bitter is Red, Sweet is Yellow, Spicy is White and Salty is Black. In Eastern medicine, doctors will recommend eating a specific color of food to restore balance in the body.

When talking about Asian cuisine, we also need to talk about umami. Umami is a meaty, savory flavor on the taste buds. In Japanese, umami means “delicious taste.” The taste of umami comes from amino-acids, including glutamate. These amino acids are found naturally in high protein foods, seaweed, soy-based foods, aged or fermented foods and fish. Umami is very prized; therefore, in 1908, MSG was invented. MSG is a synthetic reproduction of natural glutamate. 

Flavor Profiles and Ingredients

Chinese Food

First of all, China is a vast country made up of many regions, each with its favorite flavors.  Central and Southern China are very liberal with chilies. Therefore, they are known for their spicy or pungent flavors. Northern China experiences cold winters. These winters shaped the tradition of fermenting vegetables and fish for long-term storage. Coastal regions of China tend to use a lot of salt. Eastern Chinese food has a milder, sweeter flavor profile.

Talking about China as a whole, the base flavors for many dishes are ginger, scallions and garlic. Chilies and soy sauce have become staple condiments. Here is a list of many common ingredients from traditional Chinese foods:

Indian Food

Indian cuisine is very aromatic and uses many spices and curries. Hinduism is one of the country’s most prominent religions, and although it does not prohibit eating meat, the concept of non-violence to all other life is encouraged. Therefore, many Hindus follow a vegetarian lifestyle. Cows are regarded as a member of the family rather than a source of food. Pork is also avoided as pigs are considered unclean animals.   

Japanese Food

Japanese food is simple, artistic and seasonal. In Japan, food is given a lot of thought. Etiquette rules dictate that food is to be treated with the highest respect. In Japan, it takes years to become a chef (sometimes up to 10 years). It’s a very high-paying, respected profession. They do their best to choose foods in their prime. Unlike other Asian countries, they use very little garlic or chili peppers (unless in season).

To bring out the natural flavors of some ingredients, they brew, age (ferment) and dry these staples. The base flavors of Japanese cuisine are fish, rice, mushrooms, seaweed and soy.  Here are some standard ingredients from traditional Japanese foods:

Korean Food

Compared to other Asian cuisines, Koreans place a heavy emphasis on beef and intensely flavor it with savory, spicy and bold ingredients. Korean food is known for having many side dishes (2 to 12) served with rice. Kimchi (salted fermented vegetables) are served with every meal. Korean meat dishes are generally marinated for an extended period of time to give them extra tenderness.

The critical base flavors of Korean food contain chili peppers, doenjang (fermented bean paste), garlic, ginger and gochujang (fermented red chili paste). Traditionally, Koreans also prepare their meals by the following five colors: red, yellow, green, white and black. Here are common ingredients used in Korean foods:

Middle Eastern Food 

The Middle East (a.k.a Western Asia) is a group of 17 countries, including Turkey and Egypt.  Middle Eastern cuisine is quickly gaining popularity worldwide. Unlike many other Asian countries, Middle Eastern countries consume dairy and bread, such as goat cheese, yogurt and pita bread. This area used to be known as the Fertile Crescent. This is the area that started using fermentation to make bread and beer. The Jewish and Muslim religions are prominent in the region. They do not consume pork and have made lamb the primary source of protein.

Staple flavor ingredients of the Middle East include chickpeas, dates, honey, olives, parsley, mint, rice, sesame seeds and sumac. Some common ingredients used in Middle Eastern foods include:

Mongolian Food

Mongolia is a cold desert with average temperatures around 65°F (20°C) to -13°F (-2°C). The cold temperatures influenced the food to lean heavily on meat and dairy. Mongolians eat animals such as camels, cattle, deer, goats, horses, marmot, sheep and yaks. Their diet traditionally includes a minimal amount of vegetables or spices. They roast, grill, smoke, dry and use hot rocks to prepare their meats. Millet is a staple grain as it grows fast and can withstand the extreme temperatures of the region.

Anytime you order Mongolian beef barbecue, know that what you’re eating is an example of Asian fusion. Authentic Mongolian food has minimal vegetables and little seasoning. Cows in Mongolia struggle with extreme temperatures and therefore beef is rarely eaten in Mongolia. A man named Wu Zhao-nan invented Mongolian beef barbecue in the 1950s. He also opened up the first Asian fusion, American-Chinese restaurant located in Taiwan. In other words, Mongolian beef barbecue has nothing to do with the country of Mongolia.

Critical ingredients of Mongolian foods include meat (especially mutton) and dairy. Here are other common ingredients used in Mongolian foods:

Filipino Food (Philippines)

Filipino cuisine is a fusion of Chinese, European and American influences. The Chinese have been visiting the Philippines since the 11th century. They brought with them knowledge of noodles, spring rolls, steamed buns, dumplings and stir fry. In the 16th century, the Spanish colonized the Philippines. They introduced cheese, olive oil, cured sausages, ham and spices, such as saffron and paprika. In the 19th century, the Philippines became a colony of the United States. They soon learned about pressure cooking, sandwiches, hamburgers and fried foods.  All of this was embraced and adapted into Filipino culture.

Staple ingredients of Filipino foods are garlic, ginger, chili peppers, peppercorns, onions, tomatoes, cilantro and kalamansi (citrus fruit). Other popular ingredients in Filipino cuisine include:

Russian Food 

Usually, when people talk about Asian cuisine, they don’t generally mean Russian. However, Russia is the largest country on the continent of Asia, so let’s cover it.

Many movies portray Russia as a tundra. In reality, Russia is home to many beautiful lakes, mountains and even volcanoes. The country has a short growing season. Therefore, a lot of hearty grains and root vegetables are grown, such as buckwheat, rye, beets, carrots, onions, garlic and potatoes. Wild berries and mushrooms are harvested throughout Russia during warmer months. In preparation for the long cold winters, they skillfully preserve foods with pickling and jams.

A staple for Russian households is adding sour cream and mayonnaise to their most popular dishes. A famous Russian dish that gained worldwide attention is beef stroganoff, a serving of beef, noodles, mushrooms and cream.

These are other typical ingredients used in Russian cuisine:

Thai Food

In 2018, CNN surveyed people to find out what are the World’s 50 Best Foods. Thailand had three dishes on that list, including the number one spot, Massaman Curry (#1), Tom Yum Goong (#8) and Som Tam (#46). The people of Thailand do their best to prepare foods that are perfectly balanced with salty, sweet, sour, spicy and bitter. They lean towards using fresh aromatic ingredients rather than dried herbs and spices.   

Key ingredients to many Thai dishes come from shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, coriander, kaffir lime leaves, chilies and basil. Some other Thai favorites are

Vietnamese Food

One of my favorite Asian foods, pho, comes from Vietnam. It’s a soup made with broth, rice noodles, herbs and meat. The Vietnamese use fresh aromatic ingredients. Vietnamese is considered by many as one of the healthiest cuisines in the world.

Staple Vietnamese ingredients include fish sauce, lime, shrimp paste and soybean paste. Here is a list of other traditional ingredients used in Vietnamese foods:

What is Asian Fusion Cuisine?

What happens if you want Korean food and your friends all want Thai? Or what if you wish for Asian and your friends prefer Mexican? Hey, no problem; this is where Asian fusion cuisine comes into play. Asian fusion restaurants offer foods with a multicultural influence. That means you can find things like Thai Hummus (a fusion of Thai and Middle Eastern). Possibly a Korean BBQ Burger (A Korean and American mix). You could even find an Orange Chicken Burrito (a fusion of Chinese and Mexican).

Traditional dishes have been fusing for thousands of years. However, with our current technology, easy travel and transportation, food fusions are happening faster than ever before.  An early example of Asian fusion is the use of spices used to make curries. Archaeologists discovered curries used first in the Middle East around 2600 BC. Around 2000 BC (600 years later), they found evidence of curries being used in India and Southeast Asia. In the 17th century, curry spices were introduced to British-English cuisine. In the 20th century, curries had become famous worldwide and were a part of international fusion cuisine.

Today, traditional Middle Eastern, Indian and Thai curries are very distinct; it would be hard to confuse them. An essential aspect of fusion foods is taking ideas and flavor balances from traditional foods and creating something truly unique.

Asian Fusion Sauces, Pastes and Vinegar

Asian cooking is a combination of fresh ingredients and base flavors such as sauces, pastes and vinegar. These base flavors are vital ingredients to many Asian dishes. Many of these flavor bases take a lot of time and work to prepare. They must be formulated, aged, fermented and brewed just right. Many domestic, industrial and foodservice kitchens do not have the tools, resources, time or the space available to create their own Asian bases. However, these products are commercially available.

Today’s Asian fusion flavor bases have a multicultural influence. And today’s foods are also influenced by health concerns. Worldwide, people are demanding non-GMO, organic certified, Kosher, gluten-free and MSG-free. Vegetarian and vegan Asian foods are also in demand.  Highly skilled chefs and food scientists come to the forefront of Asian fusion base flavors. Every ingredient that goes in needs to be analyzed, researched and sourced to ensure high quality and great taste.

Chef Myron’s^® Ready-to-Serve Asian Sauces and Rice Wine Vinegar

In mid-2019, JMH Premium acquired Chef Myron’s^® Asian Fusion ready-to-use sauce company, and six months later, it became part of the Summit Hills Foods family. Our team of chefs and food scientists have been working with the formulations and enhancing the taste, texture and quality as we take responsibility for the full-scale production of these premium Asian sauces. This has been a fun adventure as we have produced the Chef Myron’s^® line of Premium Asian Sauces on a much larger scale than ever before. They are available through foodservice distributors nationwide and through DOT Foods.