ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the birth and rise of fusion cuisine and hybrid culinary words from the mid-twentieth century until now. Hybrid words are essential in our multicultural society to cater to word users’ diverse needs to express and share their linguistic and cultural experiences. The growth of second-generation English words in East Asia implies an increased influence of English in the region. The entry of English in the late nineteenth century radically changed the linguistic landscapes of East Asia. In Hong Kong English, some words describe aspects of life and culture unique to Hong Kong and have limited currency in other varieties of English, but others are used in various countries in the region with large Chinese communities, such as Singapore or Malaysia. The term matcha entered the English lexicon over 100 years ago, and in recent years it has become an increasingly trendy food in the Western culinary scene.
