CHICAGO—Two-thirds of consumers eat a wider variety of ethnic cuisines now versus five years ago (National Restaurant Association, 2015), in particular foods and ingredients from Asia—everything from sushi, matcha tea to gochujang, fish sauce and ghee. In the November issue of Food Technology magazine published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), senior associate editor Karen Nachay writes about how Asian flavors are becoming more mainstream and infiltrating restaurants, consumers' kitchens and food products.
1. Filipino food which has been influenced by Chinese, Malaysian, Indonesian and Spanish is gaining traction. Flavors that are fermented and funky with offerings like banana ketchup, adobo, lumpia and halo-halo (CCD 2015).
2. Gochujang, fermented chili paste used in Korean cuisine “hits all the right flavor notes of spicy and savory,” according to Chris Warsow, corporate executive chef at Bell Flavors & Fragrances.
3. Korean BBQ is a method of grilling meat growing in popularity uses a tabletop grill to cook meats served along with garlic, vegetables, and flavorful sauces.
4. Asian citrus flavors such as calamansi lime, a hybrid of a mandarin orange and kumquat gives meat a sharp and citrus flavor and can also be used in dressings and sauces.
5. Fish sauce, a popular Asian condiment made with fermented anchovies and salt lends an umami flavor in many different foods such as soups and sauces.
6. Region-specific chili peppers with specific heal levels and flavors add distinction to many dishes. For example the devanur chili grown in southeast India has a medium heat level and earthy and nutty flavors.
7. Broth is the base for several Asian dishes like pho, a time intensive dish that involves the cooking of bones, meat and fat along with aromatics.
8. Ramen, long considered the food of poor college students in now becoming the main entrée at hip ramen shops across the country boasting a variety of broths with noodles.
9. Soy sauce has sweet and smoky components that can be used for curing bacon and other cured meats. It also adds complexity to cookies and cakes, enhances dairy, sweet and cocoa notes in chocolate syrup, helps moderate yeast activity in bread, and can even be used as a topping on vanilla ice cream (Kikkoman).
