Fusion con
When travelling, I like to try local and traditional foods, as much out of respect as curiosity. Besides, you're more likely than not to get a superior dining experience.
The best food in Singapore is to be found in the hawker markets. In Portugal, I've eaten octopus on spinach; squid cooked in its ink; and cuttlefish stuffed with garlic, simply because they are what local people eat, and the results have always excelled. Plus, each time I received a beaming smile from the owner, which is always good to have!
The food of French Polynesia, especially as available to tourists, has been dominated by colonial French cuisine. Now, as Alexandra Owens explains, a new wave of Tahitian chefs are reintroducing traditional ingredients and styles into their art.
She starts off well enough, with indigenous food from roadside stalls, food trucks, and canteens. But then spends most of the time with her subjects talking about fusing traditional dishes with external influences, to give them more of a modern twist
. In my opinion, fusion cuisine isn't authentic, it's just another bloody third way
.
I wish them the best of luck in their endeavours. But, should I ever visit French Polynesia, I'll settle for whatever and wherever the locals are eating.