The father of the concept of fusion cuisine: Who is Norman Van Aiken?

In the mid-1980s, he was the first to name the cuisine created by the synthesis of different country cultures and materials, fusion cuisine.

But over the years, such a concept did not exist, because the cuisines created by all the creative chefs in the world already inevitably contained a kind of fusion. That's why chefs' cuisine is now talked about.

Norman Van Aken is an American chef and author. Charlie Trotter named Van Aken the "Walt Whitman of American cuisine."

Norman Van Aiken is a creative/innovative chef. He is not one of those who are ingenious to sell the dishes he saw from his grandfather on tables covered with starch. One of those who take creativity to many different dimensions. He named the kitchen style he created "New World Cuisine". Since North, South, and Central America, which was discovered after the old European, Asian and African continents, is called the Loquat, it has created a very different, very beautiful, cuisine that you cannot easily encounter elsewhere, consisting of the combination of the cuisines of these regions. Norman has successfully implemented the claim that “Refined food does not have to be French or European” and has created a truly refined and high-end New World Cuisine.

What's in this kitchen? For one thing, it built its cuisine on the unique ingredients of the Florida coast, Central America (including Mexico and the Caribbean), and South America. At the same time, on the culinary techniques of these regions. For example, he used the service technique very well. There are traces of Peruvian cuisine, as well as New Orleans creole cuisine. There are tropical Caribbean flavors as well as Florida ingredients.

For example, he uses the conch mussel, which comes out of the seas of the Florida Keys, abundantly. Especially there is a soup (chowder) that he made from this mussel, which I cannot explain. It is a slightly sweet soup since it contains orange juice, but the harmony and extraordinariness of the different flavors it conveys to your mouth cannot be explained, it can only be experienced. I can honestly say that it was one of the best things I've ever eaten. I can tell you the recipe, but I have limited space; Also, the list of materials used is very long. In short, he first made shell juice with mussels, clams, and other stock materials. Then he drew this juice and mixed it with orange juice, cream, coconut milk, and saffron to make the sauce for the soup. In the middle of the bowl, he put potatoes, tomatoes, different fresh peppers, and corn kernels cut into small cubes, and placed plenty of slices of conch mussels dipped in breadcrumbs and fried. The bowl comes with these dry ingredients first, then they pour the sauce of the soup from the porcelain teapot. They put a spoonful of coconut whipped cream on top. Divine! This recipe is in the chef's book 'New World Cuisine'.

Published works

• Feast of Sunlight 1988
• The Exotic Fruit Book 1995
• Norman's New World Cuisine 1997
• New World Kitchen 2003
• My Key West Kitchen 2012, (with Justin Van Aken)
• No Experience Necessary: The Culinary Odyssey of Chef Norman Van Aken, 2013[2]
• My Florida Kitchen, 2017

https://normanvanaken.com/

Chef, Author, Consultant & Teacher

NORMAN VAN AKEN, BIOGRAPHY

https://normanvanaken.com/about/