Does America do a good job representing your culture's cuisine?

RomanAnthonysMama

RomanAnthonysMama

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I just wrote an article about this recently, and the responses were pretty surprising! How do you feel about how America represents your cultures cuisine? If you're Italian, do you feel like the American versions of your foods do not add up? Or maybe you're Chinese, and you feel as though our imitation of Chinese food is not up to par at all. What are your views on how Americans cook your culture's native dishes?
 
Arch said:
Oh yes, there's curry, pizza, fried rice.... :wink:
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:roflmao::roflmao:

TBH I was thinking more along the lines of Shropshire Fidget Pie, Lancashire Hotpot, Cumberland Sausage, Yorkshire Pudding, Eccles cakes, Bakewell Pudding, Apple (or other fruit) Pie, etc....etc....

I understand that we now produce more regional cheeses than France. :eek: Who'd have thought that only 15 years ago?
 
RomanAnthonysMama said:
I just wrote an article about this recently, and the responses were pretty surprising! How do you feel about how America represents your cultures cuisine? If you're Italian, do you feel like the American versions of your foods do not add up? Or maybe you're Chinese, and you feel as though our imitation of Chinese food is not up to par at all. What are your views on how Americans cook your culture's native dishes?
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I have only one thing to say on the subject:

Fortune Cookies!

That really sums up how I think America does Chinese food! I haven't had American Chinese food, nor been to America for that matter, but even if Americans made the most fantastic Chinese food, the introduction of the Fortune Cookie brings the score right down to negative figures.
:D
 
I think Americans probably do the same with the food of other cultures as Brits do in the UK - adapt it to their own tastes. I've never been to Asia, but a friend who has travelled widely there says that true Asian food is nothing like the stuff served up in Chinese, Indian and Thai restaurants. To be honest, it doesn't really matter to me how other cultures view British food. As long as everyone enjoys what's served up, that's the main thing.
 
Rickshaw Phil said:
:roflmao::roflmao:

TBH I was thinking more along the lines of Shropshire Fidget Pie, Lancashire Hotpot, Cumberland Sausage, Yorkshire Pudding, Eccles cakes, Bakewell Pudding, Apple (or other fruit) Pie, etc....etc....

I understand that we now produce more regional cheeses than France. :eek: Who'd have thought that only 15 years ago?
Click to expand...


That reminds me of an idea for a book I've toyed with. A journey through British food named after places, visiting the places involved - from the Cornish Pasty to the Arbroath Smokie and all points in between, a sort of food travelogue. Each chapter would go into the history of one food. I've already got as far as deciding on a rule for cheese, because all cheeses are named after a place and there wouldn't be room for them all. So I'd only include Stilton, which isn't named after the place it was traditionally made...

One day, I'll get round to it. Or someone else will do it first....
 
The short answer would be poorly lol but I am Chinese who grew up in Indonesia and the area I live in, have NO Indonesian restaurant at all. I have to drive to Madison for Indo restaurant which is a 3 hours drive from where I live. On top of that, it's hard to find the packaged food such as ramen noodles from Indo. There are Chinese restaurants here but I'd say it's 'Americanized' from the taste to the size. When my husband took me to the Chinese restaurant and ordered me a small fried rice, I got depressed when it came to me. It was so much that there's no way I could finish it so it feels like a pressure that I have to eat the food or it would be a waste since fried rice being reheated?yeah unheard of in Indo. I told him that the portion would probably feed 3 people in where I come from. I then learn that if I want a real small size food ,I have to order the kid's version. Our large Pizza in indo is Medium in U.S. A lot of the Chinese food here also taste 'sweeter' than it is from where I come from so it takes a while to adjust.
 
Sandra Piddock said:
I think Americans probably do the same with the food of other cultures as Brits do in the UK - adapt it to their own tastes. I've never been to Asia, but a friend who has travelled widely there says that true Asian food is nothing like the stuff served up in Chinese, Indian and Thai restaurants. To be honest, it doesn't really matter to me how other cultures view British food. As long as everyone enjoys what's served up, that's the main thing.
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Yes, I agree with Sandra Piddock on this one here. The Americans do adapt cuisines form other cultures to their tastes, like jerk seasonings, for instance. I've heard of raspberry jerk seasoning sauce. We don't have that many raspberries that are cultivated in Jamaica, so that's most likely not a Jamaican product. I guess the Americans what a tarty and sweet flavor to the original jerk seasoning recipe, and I don't mind that at all; but it will definitely not taste anything like the Jamaican jerk seasoning which has its origins in a town called Boston in Jamaica. It will always fall short!
 
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