East-meets-West fusions aren’t exactly a new concept in the culinary world. Western dessert fusions are big in Japan and Vietnamese-French baking has been around for centuries. But, as Baking Business discovers, Asian flavours are now trending in the Australian baking scene, marrying increasingly adventurous flavours to create new sensations Matcha made in heaven.

Ethnic-inspired breakfast items were among the top 20 US restaurant trends identified in the National Restaurant Association’s 2016 culinary forecast, with additional research from Technomic showing Chinese, Japanese/sushi and Thai were three of Americans’ 10 favourite ethnic foods. Some experts suggest this could be due, in part, to an emerging generation of diners with diverse tastes.

From more traditional flavours of Vietnamese banh mi and Korean barbecue to modern twists such as peking duck waffles and Sriracha-glazed dougnuts, there’s a whole new continent of flavours to explore.

According to an article published by Dawn Foods, the US is leading the charge when it comes to unsual East-West flavour fusions. Wicked Waffle in Washington, DC, has created a peking duck waffle, while Minneapolis’ Glam Doll Donuts boasts a peanut butter and Sriracha doughnut that has become a cult favourite. In Charleston, South Carolina, Glazed Gourmet Doughnuts has added curried cocoa and Chinese five-spice doughnuts to its menu.

Then there’s matcha made in heaven, which looks to be leading the Asian persuasion in our own baking industry. A fine, powdered green tea renowned for its sharp bite followed by lingering sweetness, it’s being used primarily for its flavour but also for its texture, with some bakers and pastry chefs lightly dusting it on top of cakes and desserts.

Riding the popularity of the green tea movement is Top Impressions Bakery in Sydney’s Wolli Creek. The bakery is known for its incredible green tea croissants—green tea-infused pastry filled with green tea crème patisserie and dusted with matcha powder. It’s hugely popular with locals who often queue up in the morning to score a freshly baked croissant. Top Impressions has created a number of French-Japanese delights such as green tea yoghurt cheesecakes and ginger crème brulee custard croissants, to the delight of its clientele.

Then there’s Dulcet Cakes and Sweets in Burwood, in Sydney’s inner west. Here, pastry chefs and co-owners Vivienne Li and Juno Zhu produce a stunning array of Asian-inspired desserts.

Using far less sugar than a typical patisserie, with the aim of letting the natural sweetness of the ingredients shine, Vivienne and Juno whip up gorgeous cakes along with unique creations such as black sesame mousse with a matcha and red-bean centre, Marukyu Koyamaen green-tea sponge rolls, matcha made in heaven mille crepes, silken tofu cheesecake and the vibrant blackcurrant lychee mousse, to name a few.

“Initially they look at the cakes and think they look adorable. Then when they look at the flavours we use they can’t believe we are using things like tofu in cakes,” Vivienne says.

“We make our cakes and sweets using less sugar, which is healthier for you and also means you can really taste the flavours. After new customers try the products, the majority of the feedback we receive is very good.

“Our biggest sellers at the moment are our crepes as well as the yuzu, which is made with Japanese yuzu juice and roasted green tea is also very popular.”

The silken tofu cheesecake is another mouth-watering innovation with a twist. Brown sugar, not caster sugar, is added to the unique blend of cream cheese and silken tofu, resulting in earthy flavours that aren’t as sickly sweet as you might find a traditional cheesecake to be. Instead of a biscuit base, Vivienne and Juno use chiffon sponge, which adds a surprising textural element.  

“It’s a much lighter, more refreshing flavour, which is how we like it,” Vivienne explains.