Traditional / Authentic recipes

Herbie

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So when does a recipe stray too far to be traditional / authentic? A few discussions / comments here got me thinking.

One of the local (to where I now live) specialties is Staffordshire oatcakes. These are not small, hard 'biscuits' like the better known/available Scottish oatcake, but more like a savory pancake made with ground oats ]fermented overnight and is traditional for breakfast served with bacon and cheese. People would put a plate with money on and a plate on top outside the door at night and in the morning the oatcakes would be delivered to the plates. This would set you up for a hard day shift in the mine or the pottery. These days they are usually served as a weekend breakfast/brunch but also served in pubs for lunch.

Anyway, there are variations to the recipe as each oatcake shop seems to have their own recipe and people have a preference to a shop. I think as long as they are made with ground oats, yeast and wheat flour and fermented and the right size and thickness (Derbyshire oatcakes are bigger and thicker apparently) and not flavored with anything, then they are authentic. However, serving them with jam or eggs is not authentic, but a nice dish in themselves.

Shepherd's pie is another. I don't think anyone's is the same. Usually made from leftovers from the Sunday roast, as long as it contains minced lamb and topped with mashed potato then it is a shepherd's pie. Any veg from the roast can be added. However the addition of spice or baked beans (yes, people do!) then I don't consider it authentic.

What do you think?

I do a twist on my mother-in laws squid stew (I must type up the recipe for you) of which I do wonder if she would have approved. I make it as she did but keep the tentacles and dip them in cornflower and chili and deep fry them to add on top as a garnish. I think it makes a nice addition with the texture and are not ingredients that are not used for the main dish. I wonder. I'll have to ask her cousin what she thinks.
 
@Herbie

A very interesting topic. I think the difference between authentic and traditional is about nomenclature. Example: Authentic Cajun Gumbo is made with a dark roux. Gumbo made with tomatoes is a Creole Gumbo. Roux or tomatoes - the dividing line. From there everything else is traditional. How did your Mama make her gumbo? Tradition has no rules. Now I am very sensitive about nomenclature. Do not call Creole Gumbo authentic Cajun Gumbo. I am the Queen of Cajun Gumbo. Last week we visited with friends. Rachel uses chicken gizzards in her chicken and sausage gumbo. I have never heard of that. Not wrong - her family tradition.

A dear friend does not like roux so he makes Creole Gumbo. It is delicious. As long as he does not call it Cajun Gumbo.

Your examples are more about tradition rather than authenticity. The dishes are all authentic just personal twist based on personal tradition.

I do not like to get too twisted on authenticity. If a dish has different names based on different basic ingredients then give it the proper - authentic - name. (Cajun VS Creole Gumbo) Other than that tradition rules and there are no rules for tradition.
 
@Herbie

A very interesting topic. I think the difference between authentic and traditional is about nomenclature. Example: Authentic Cajun Gumbo is made with a dark roux. Gumbo made with tomatoes is a Creole Gumbo. Roux or tomatoes - the dividing line. From there everything else is traditional. How did your Mama make her gumbo? Tradition has no rules. Now I am very sensitive about nomenclature. Do not call Creole Gumbo authentic Cajun Gumbo. I am the Queen of Cajun Gumbo. Last week we visited with friends. Rachel uses chicken gizzards in her chicken and sausage gumbo. I have never heard of that. Not wrong - her family tradition.

A dear friend does not like roux so he makes Creole Gumbo. It is delicious. As long as he does not call it Cajun Gumbo.

Your examples are more about tradition rather than authenticity. The dishes are all authentic just personal twist based on personal tradition.

I do not like to get too twisted on authenticity. If a dish has different names based on different basic ingredients then give it the proper - authentic - name. (Cajun VS Creole Gumbo) Other than that tradition rules and there are no rules for tradition.

@ElizabethB

Well stated ..

It is like adding sausage or chorizo to a Paella and not using Valencian Arborio appellation short grain rice and red prawn stock broth ..

Sausage is not put into Paella here (too greasy), however, some like it abroad and thus, this is their tradition or personal tastes, but authentic, never.

Some use long grain rice too. Not authentic but someone´s tradition or personal likes and product availability abroad ..

Have a lovely weekend and New Year ahead ..
 
In counties that have regional cuisines, I find it very hard to apply the words "Traditonal" and "Authentic" to any dish. I can see "Traditional" being used to identify ingredients used in a specific region for a particular dish. "Authentic" is specific to the region of origin and because there may be ingredients used that are not available outside that region, we can never make the "Authentic" dish. To me, it doesn't matter from family to family how the dish is prepared as long as the original ingredients are used.
 
@CraigC
Well put. As a fan of Cajun and Creole cooking you have encountered the individuality of authentic dishes. I used gumbo as an example. Within my family we all make AUTHENTIC Cajun Gumbo - with roux. None of us make it the same way. We all have our personal preference of methods and ingredients. None are wrong - all are wonderful.
 
This is a very interesting topic. "Traditional" is a bit of a nonsense term really. Recipes have been evolving since mankind discovered fire and crafted a cooking pot to put on top of it. Take any of of your "traditional" or "authentic" recipes and I can pretty much guarantee that they would have been made differently a thousand years ago. Or did someone, one day, stand up and shout "Hey, I've just invented this recipe called Paella. These are the ingredients, and this is how it should be made. No other way is acceptable." I think not. At best, these terms might reflect a snapshot in time, when a general consensus has accepted a recipe as being the best it could be. Even this is flawed logically as it denies the possibly of improvement. This fantastically "authentic" recipe, that has probably evolved and improved over hundreds/thousands of years has finally ground to a halt. That's it. No more. A bit like language, or cultural identity, even.
 
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