12 Fusion Dishes to Try

Fusion cooking involves combining the ingredients, culinary traditions, and techniques of different cultures to create new dishes. Chefs at fusion restaurants create original delicacies combining a variety of cuisines. For example, a popular Asian-Mexican fusion dish is the sushi burrito (or sushirrito), which uses sushi ingredients to create a large burrito-sized roll.

Diners worldwide flock to trending fusion dishes to sample foods they’ve seen all over social media. Many of these dishes are perfectly easy to make at home. Here are some iconic examples of fusion food mashups:

1. 1. Bánh mì sandwich: An original fusion dish and popular street food, this Vietnamese sub sandwich combines French elements (like a crispy baguette and paté) with Southeast Asian flavors (including ham and pickled veggies).
2. 2. Chicken teriyaki tacos: This Asian-Mexican fusion dish makes the perfect flavorful Japanese twist on the classic Mexican handheld street food. Prepare chicken teriyaki in a flavorful marinade, fold it up in a corn tortilla, and garnish it with Japanese seasonings (like furikake) for the ultimate fusion taco.
3. 3. Curry risotto: Instead of cooking this classic Italian rice dish in the typical wine and broth mixture, a Thai curry risotto incorporates yellow curry and coconut milk for warming comfort food.
4. 4. Kimchi quesadilla: Fold up some Korean kimchi—a chili-infused fermented cabbage—inside of a loaded Mexican cheese quesadilla for a decadent snack full of flavorful heat. Learn how to make kimchi.
5. 5. Korean tacos: Korean BBQ in taco form is a flavor mashup that might seem obvious in hindsight, but it was revolutionary back when Roy Choi started the Kogi truck in 2008. Kogi short rib tacos feature BBQ kalbi tucked into a tortilla with salsa and slaw.
6. 6. Kung pao chicken wings: Add spicy, sour, and sweet Chinese flavors to American chicken wings to create a flavorful new appetizer. Cook your chicken wings until crispy and toss in a kung pao sauce.
7. 7. Mexican lasagna: Cook lasagna noodles and fill them with your favorite Mexican ingredients—like shredded chicken, queso fresco, enchilada sauce, or salsa—instead of the typical marinara sauce.
8. 8. Paneer quesadilla: Put an Indian spin on the standard Mexican quesadilla by incorporating paneer cheese. Use veggies—like spinach—as a filling and serve with sour cream or mango chutney.
9. 9. Sloppy joe bao buns: Make an American ground beef “sloppy joe” using a Chinese bao bun instead of a seeded hamburger bun.
   
10. 10. Spam musubi: This popular Hawaiian side dish is a modified form of sushi, incorporating Japanese and American elements (owing to the spam replacing raw fish).
    
11. 11. Sushi burrito: A sushi burrito has the quintessential elements of a Japanese sushi roll: sushi rice and a seaweed wrap. However, it’s the size of a burrito and includes a variety of fillings to make a gluten-free fusion dish.
12. 12. Wonton tacos: Instead of a tortilla, use crisp wonton wrappers as fusion taco shells. Add ground beef, lettuce, and cheese for a traditional filling.

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