In its nascent form, globalization has been around for millennia as exploration and conquest led to the discovery of treasures from distant lands. These treasures were diverse, but some of the most lasting and influential are the indigenous foods of each continent and their dispersal around the world.
Today, access to exotic flavors has never been easier thanks to the connectivity facilitated by the internet. And, with this access, there is a new phase of exploration and discovery as people’s tastebuds hunger for what is new.
In the bar world, mixologists have been experimenting with flavors for years, but now, more and more, we are seeing a cross pollination of products, both domestic and foreign, in cocktails, as well as novel ways to produce distinctive, non-indigenous foods locally.
Victor Lee, the venue manager at CEDROS in Tokyo, and his staff seek out ideas at home and abroad. “We get a lot of inspiration from seeing how other professionals work with flavors,” he says, “and if something really speaks to us, we’ll find a way to give it the CEDROS twist. It’s about staying curious and always looking for ways to evolve while staying true to our concept.”
Lee has found that tourists have “a growing curiosity and excitement around experiencing Japanese flavors—especially when they’re used in creative or unexpected ways.”
To introduce these elements seamlessly, the bar often blends Eastern and Western flavors. Currently, some of Lee’s favorite ingredients are shiso, yuzu, and wasabi because they are “fresh, vibrant, and incredibly adaptable” To make these flavors more approachable, they are integrated into familiar cocktails like the Shiso Collins and the Wasabi Gin & Tonic.
At De Vie in Paris, everything is approached seasonally and locally with produce sourced only from France and its nearest neighbors such as Piemonte, Italy and Catalonia, Spain. Founder and Co-owner Alex Francis says that even though guests visit for the French and European perspective, he still likes to incorporate rather foreign ingredients. However, his take is novel. Instead of sourcing ingredients from far-flung regions, he cultivates them locally. “It’s fun to surprise [guests] with ingredients they may not know can be grown in France—yuzu, for example, which many people think is only grown in Asia.”
Another tactic where De Vie thinks outside-the-box is in seeking out French producers who explore spirits that aren’t native to the country. As an example, Francis cites “a spirit maker in the south of France who produces a succulent-based spirit that is smoked with olive branches and is reminiscent of an agave-based spirit that we don't stock due to them not being produced in France.” In these ways, De Vie maintains its locavore philosophy, while also finding ways to incorporate unexpected flavors.
The concept at FURA in Singapore is to present “a journal of future foods” that promote sustainability and offer a low-carbon footprint. This philosophy governs the menu for both food and drink, focusing on components that are often unfamiliar to Western palates, but play a role in multiple global cuisines.
Co-owner Christina Rasmussen explains, “Because of our menu concept being very specific…we have parameters for which ingredients we work with. I'd say the most organic way for us to learn about new flavors and ingredients we can incorporate while still sticking to our ethos is our exposure to new cultures and foods through travel.”
These explorations have led to the incorporation of items like insect proteins, often cited as a rich food of the future, as well as the invasive spotted coral jellyfish. Among the unorthodox drink presentations is a cocktail called Get the Worm, a margarita infused with mealworms, which are eaten in countries as diverse as Southeast Asia and Mexico. Another cocktail, So You Bought Sad Corn?, highlights ways to repurpose or re-invent food components— here it’s corn vinegar caramel and corn husk meringue— that would otherwise be considered waste.
As there are few ingredients indigenous to Singapore—the country imports 90% of its foodstuffs—Rasmussen seeks out family farms across Malaysia that stress organic or biodynamic techniques. In doing so, she has found producers who are growing Western produce in her own backyard, much as De Vie’s Francis has. “Previously, we’d written those types of ingredients off since opening,” she notes, “but, now available as an option, they have a great story and flavor to share with guests.”
Beverage Director Jonathan Adler at Shinji’s in New York believes that “it is always important to use unfamiliar flavors with familiar presentations as we don't want to overwhelm guests.”
The bar’s Arroz Con Bangkok cocktail employs this approach, melding ingredients from both Thai and Mexican cooking. The drink has a liquid salt rum that blends salsa verde and prik nam pla. “Normally, incorporating something like fish sauce [prik nam pla usually combines fish sauce, Thai chiles, and lime] in a cocktail would be off putting,” says Adler, “but since the drink presents itself as a spicy margarita, it is much more understandable to guests.”
While Rasmussen uses her sustainable ethos as a way to educate guests, Adler finds that “the average consumer is a lot more adventurous and educated…so we don't necessarily need to educate them on flavor profiles, even the obscure ones, but rather address their interest in why we are using them.” Thus, “why” replaces “what.”
Shinji’s Symphony of the Senses cocktail uses nasturtium leaf, which is often used as an herb. To prime the customer, Adler says, “We explain the flavor profile as vegetal and peppery and actually garnish the base of the glass with the herb as a visual indicator but also as an edible garnish.”
The approachability and ensuing success of any ingredient relies a great deal on preparation. The same is true of lesser known and exotic, some might even say peculiar, ingredients. Francis likes to use as much of an item as possible, often incorporating the different parts of it in the same cocktail. When pumpkin is in season, his staff infuse the pumpkin skins in rye eau de vie, make a syrup from raw pumpkin, and also roast the flesh, which is made into a pumpkin puree. The solids left over from the strained puree are lacto-fermented and dehydrated to create a powder that is used as a garnish.
Both Adler and Rasmussen agree that infusions are a solid delivery system. Rasmussen has found that “nearly any moving part for drinks is an infusion, hot, room temp or cold, or then distilled. We feel this is the best way to best carry through flavors with certain ingredients that are more water, fat, or alcohol soluble.”
Adler finds that “more delicate flavors work well in infusions like sous vide as the alcohol extracts those flavors better… with spices and harder herbs syrups work really well.”
A technique used in Shinji’s Extreme Aviation cocktail combines fresh violet petals, which are quite delicate, with sugar and water in a food processor. It then stores the mixture it in a vacuum seal chamber to preserve the color, concentrate the flavor, and prolong its freshness until needed for use.
At CEDROS, Victor Lee lets the produce dictate the preparation whether it's a syrup, juice, or infusion. “We choose based on what makes the flavor shine,” he says.
Global flavors are perceived differently by people depending on their philosophy and technique. Each of these professionals has a specific goal in mind: Rasmussen’s focus is on sustainability, Lee has an East-meets-West approach, Francis’s commitment is to locality, and Adler’s goal is to combine ingredients in order to balance approachability and lack of familiarity. Regardless of their perspective, they all seek to surprise and delight their guests by exposing them to new flavors, unique delivery systems, or innovative techniques.
While “global” is a many-faceted term, global flavors—whether familiar or not— are becoming a fixture on menus as chefs and bartenders seek new outlets for their creativity, and guests display their curiosity and delight over what they don’t know.
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