These Fusion-Food Mashups Are Like Tasting the Future

The "hamburger sandwich" was invented somewhere in the United States sometime around 1900. Claims differ. Was it named after rowdy sailors from Hamburg? Unlikely. But maybe. For our purposes, it doesn't matter. The first burgers were made with ground beef. Later, someone would get the idea to make a burger out of ground chicken. Eventually, someone would add traditional Indian tandoori seasonings to the chicken burger and serve it with green chutney. And that's pretty much where things currently stand.

Baked or fried wonton wrappers stand in for corn taco shells in this light, crunchy appetizer or main dish. Fill 'em up with ground chicken cooked in sesame oil and a simple slaw of red cabbage and carrot marinated in soy sauce, red wine vinegar, coleslaw dressing, and teriyaki sauce."I bake the wonton wrappers to save time," says OdaMae, "and it eliminates most of the fat. For extra flaky shells, you can fry wrappers, folded in a triangle, in sesame or olive oil for about 1 minute on each side." Top your tacos with chopped cilantro, red onion, or sweet onion, with lime wedges on the side.

A classic Cobb salad includes greens, sliced chicken breast, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, blue cheese, tomatoes, and bacon. It was supposedly invented in Hollywood in the 1930s at the Brown Derby restaurant. Falafel, meanwhile, has been around a bit longer than that. Together, they're an inspired American-Mediterranean fusion, with vegetarian falafel standing in for the chicken, Greek feta replacing the blue cheese, and a creamy cucumber dressing taking over for the more traditional vinaigrette dressing.

Mexican chorizo (you can make the sausage yourself ), spices, and queso asadero combine with Italian ricotta. To complete the culinary trifecta, they're stuffed in wonton wrappers. "Serve with marinara sauce (add chopped cilantro to the marinara for a bit of Mexican flavor)," says Lia, the recipe submitter.

There's a Korean-inspired food truck in Los Angeles that makes killer bulgogi burritos -- a mashup of Korean BBQ and kimchi combined with familiar Mexican flavors: flour tortilla, salsa, cilantro, and cheese. "To avoid a soggy burrito," says Forevertiff, "Be sure to squeeze out any liquids from the kimchi."

Wasabi and habanero peppers team up to tantalize the taste buds and tickle the nasal passages. "There aren't many people who can take the habanero-wasabi combo, but those who can love this," says Brandon. "I've made toned-down versions with less intense peppers for the faint of heart as well."

"Spam Musubi is a popular snack in Hawaii," says Rashad, the recipe submitter. "It is a type of sushi that has marinated cooked spam in sushi. I got this recipe from a local Hawaiian friend when I was living there."

Quinoa and Pad Thai were separated by a vast expanse of ocean for somewhere between three- and four-thousand years. Not anymore. With this recipe, the flavors of Pad Thai finally merge with the nutty ancient grain first cultivated by the Incas.

Honestly, we didn't see this one coming. All your favorite pho ingredients, including beef, thin rice noodles and chili-garlic sauce, rolled up burrito-style in a tortilla.

This fascinating recipe combines the chimichanga, which is essentially a deep-fried burrito, invented somewhere in Arizona, with the classic flaming-bananas dessert from New Orleans. The Crescent City is, of course, a culinary capital of the world, a melting pot, and the birthplace of many fusion foods. Back in the 1950s, New Orleans was a major hub for bananas imported from South America. Eventually someone was sure to set a couple bananas on fire and top them with ice cream, right? And from there, it was only a matter of time before someone wrapped them in tortillas and dunked 'em in the fryer. Because America. Talk about "flaming bananas," this recipe is pretty much the limit.

This recipe takes a tangy American classic and mashes it up with the spicy flavors of Korean bulgogi to create an instant hit. Sriracha sauce, garlic puree, ginger paste, soy sauce, and ginger paste provide big, big flavor in this phenomenal, 5-star fusion.

Saucy, beefy, cheesy lasagna rolls are rolled up in flour tortillas for the ultimate quick fusion dinner. "When you take 2 great recipes -- lasagna and burritos -- and make them something new, you get a meal that's unique!" says ElyseJO.

Taco Tuesday ain't playing. "This recipe for chicken teriyaki tacos is like a symphony of flavors: savory and incredibly crispy chicken smothered in a rich teriyaki sauce, topped with a tangy Japanese cucumber salad, scallions, and spicy sriracha sour cream," says Hapanom. Wrap it all up in corn tortillas!

"Love Thai food? Love hummus? Me too," says taocode. "Here's a hummus with my favorite traditional Thai flavors, including lemon grass, ginger, basil, coconut, lime, and sweet chili. Dip veggies, chips, or my favorite sweet pepper strips in this spicy-sweet-savory hummus. Perfect when you need to scratch that Thai-food itch."

Avocados, lime juice, onions, and jalapeno pepper team up with shiso leaf, ginger, and wasabi paste.