Kwame Onwuachi's Advice On Marrying Cuisines In Your Cooking

When you're experimenting in your own kitchen, it's inevitable that mistakes will be made. Even cooking simple dishes relies on knowledge (or at least a sense) of ingredient ratios and cooking times that only comes with experience. However, if you're experimenting with fusion cuisines, which involve combining dishes from different cultures and food destinations around the world, then you have the opportunity to create something completely new — or you might mash together complex flavors in awkward ways that make no sense. So, how do you marry different cuisines together at home?

We spoke with chef Kwame Onwuachi, the owner and head chef of Tatiana, an Afro-Caribbean restaurant in New York City. Onwuachi is currently partnering with beer brand Guinness on a Block Party in NYC, and he says that mixing multiple cuisines is all about being deliberate. "I start with some sort of intention rather than throwing things together wildly," Onwuachi says. "I work from a place of understanding the history of the dish and then trying to bring my own personal references into that space."

Chef Kwame Onwuachi's advice for home cooks struggling to work with different cuisines at once is to "let go" of your concerns about failure. "You don't need to have so much perceived angst around potentially messing up a recipe," Onwuachi explains. "You can add your personality to it. There's enough history in every person, and most people have roots all over the globe that can influence their cooking. When you dive into your own history with your food, it will come more naturally." If you have favorite family recipes from relatives or from your childhood, those can become a jumping-off point as you gradually bring in new styles.

If you're still concerned about fusion cuisines, keep in mind that with any food, certain flavors always pair well: Sweet flavors go great with either spicy, savory, or salty flavors, for example. Contrasts with different textures often complement the flavors in a dish. As you cook more with different styles, reuse what you learn. You can utilize French cooking tips like subtle applications of herbs, Thai cooking techniques to balance strong flavors instead of reducing them, and Greek and Turkish methods that incorporate lots of acidity.

Kwame Onwuachi's final piece of advice is simply to try dishes before you begin experimenting with them: "Eat as much food as you can from different cultures. Experiencing these new ingredients is the best way to understand it." This could involve traveling if you have the budget and time, visiting Singapore, Tokyo, or other favorite destinations of Anthony Bourdain. On the other hand, it can mean simple trips to local restaurants that work with the same cuisines and taking notes. Use the Notes app on your phone to keep track of what you liked best and what flavors stand out. 

Don't just stick with specific kinds of food. If you want to work with fusion cooking, then you should be on the lookout for cuisines you've never tried before everywhere you go. Every meal can be research if you start supporting local restaurants with cuisines that are new to you.

Guinness and chef Onwuachi are touching down in Brooklyn to host an epic Block Party on Saturday Aug. 24th. Stop by for NYC-inspired dishes and, of course, cold pints of Guinness by RSVPing at Guinness.