Saucy Porka Chorizo Egg Rolls
Haz clic aquí para leer esto en español
By Joy Pouros
Few expressions of culture are as universally appreciated as food. Culinary traditions have woven themselves into the fabric of society, defining how we celebrate, show love, or express condolences. Recipes and culinary techniques are passed down through generations, closely guarded with pride. As our world becomes increasingly interconnected, culinary boundaries blur, giving rise to a delicious phenomenon: fusion cuisine — something Mexican and Latin restaurants are in a perfect position to explore.
Historical Context
It’s hard to trace when culinary crossovers began, because they always have existed in some form. Wars, colonization, immigration, and trade have introduced new foods, spices, and cooking methods across the globe for centuries or millennia.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, Chinese immigrants introduced their food to America, but made it sweeter, boneless, and deep fried to appeal more broadly to the American palette. Today, Americans consider corned beef and cabbage to be an Irish dish, but the Irish actually eat cabbage and bacon. The adaptation was made when they immigrated to America and corned beef was more affordable. These are just a few examples in the modern history of North America, but similar cultural exchanges and evolutions have happened worldwide throughout history.
Fusion Today: Why and How
Today, combining foods and flavors from different cultures is done more intentionally than it has been historically. People are curious about different cultures and there is wider respect for different flavors and culinary traditions. This has created a fusion trend, where flavors and cultures are combined to create a new culinary experience.
Inspiration can come from food stalls or street vendors in dishes like Mexican street corn, for example. It can come from dishes most often considered for special occasions, like Japan’s sushi. It doesn’t matter where the inspiration comes from, what matters are the textures and flavors coming together.
Taking Inspiration from Mexico
Creating fusion dishes is deceptively difficult and requires chefs to have a deep understanding of the cooking techniques and flavor profiles of each culture. Wrong flavor combinations or cooking techniques can make dishes feel unbalanced and just tossed together. Done well, the end result should be creative and cohesive. And it can be done at restaurants at all price points.
The menu at Saucy Porka restaurants in St. Louis and Chicago is one example of a restaurant that offers creative, cohesive fusion cuisine. The website says the restaurant’s “bold menu celebrates fusions of flavor across cultures.” Dishes include Chorizo Egg Rolls made with ground pork, sweet potatoes, chihuahua cheese, red cabbage and onions served with jalapeño aioli and the Ropa Vieja Beef Bowl, beef brisket in a chili-citrus sauce served with jasmine coconut rice, scallions and kimchi.
Another example: Houston’s upscale Se7en, where the restaurant says diners can “embark on a culinary journey that bridges continents with our Mediterranean & Latin fusion menu.” That menu includes a salmon entrée featuring crispy skinned Atlantic salmon served on a bed of crab fried rice in house made pico de gallo, cincoro tequila lime butter sauce.
Consumers are more open than ever to trying new things and having new experiences. Culinary fusion creates opportunities for consumers to try something new and experience international flavors without a passport, while giving chefs the chance to be creative with menu development. Consequently, chefs shouldn’t be afraid to mix Mexican/Latin flavors and textures with those of other cultures as they push the boundaries of the culinary landscape today.
Joy Pouros is a writer in the training department at Culinary Software Services, where she writes on a variety of topics related to the restaurant industry.
Don't miss a thing! Subscribe to el Restaurante's digital publications for free by clicking here.