Cultural Appropriation of Food is a thing?

[Pink Partridge]

What do you think?


http://www.wweek.com/uncategorized/...tortillas-out-of-a-food-cart-on-cesar-chavez/


The gist of the story is these two women went on vacation to Puerto Nuevo, Mexico, ate from a food cart, and loved what they ate. The tortilla is what they wanted to learn how to make.


They begged for the recipe, and the food cart people gave them the basic ingredients. Then they watched the food cart people stretch the dough and watched their techniques.


They came home from vacation and started a food truck of their own, serving this tortilla. Everyone loved the tortillas that they emulated from the beach food cart in Mexico.


But then the accusations in the comments section went crazy.


These women have been called “thieves” and also accused of “appropriating our food” from Mexican commenters.


The food cart has now been shut down.


Here are a few comments:





“DEAR WHITE PEOPLE,




STOP APPROPRIATING OUR FOOD.




THANKS,




A MEXICAN




“This is infuriating. What is wrong with people?




On what level is this ok??? Its NOT. Its insulting to our culture and heritage”





"She snooped on these women techniques and stole the secrets that make their tortilla recipe and method uniquely theirs.




*Added: it's called stealing intellectual property.




Also, appropriation is not exclusively about knowing how to make other cultures foods. It's about profiting off of other cultures... In this case, when they blatantly stole the methodology of people not from their own culture.”

 

[mom2rtk]

I hope I'm not appropriating this popcorn, but I like living on the edge so here goes.......

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Do tortilla recipes vary that much? That would be the only issue I see, using the recipe as their own...

 

[Planogirl]

Lol! People are getting weirder all of the time.

 

[Pink Partridge]

Lol! People are getting weirder all of the time.

I agree. I read some of those comments and found them frightening that people think this way. Always looking to be offended.

It's the "hoop earrings" thread all over again.

 

[fly girl]

What?! I could see the outrage if they opened a food truck in Mexico next to theirs. But it's in Oregon. Why does it matter if they're white? Tasty food is tasty food regardless of the chefs race in my book.

Are you now going to say only Italians can make pizza?

 

[mom2rtk]

Are you now going to say only Italians can make pizza?

That seems to be where this is heading.

 

[Westcoastwild]

I'm going to play devil's advocate here...

I think it would matter a lot on their marketing tactics and what they're serving as toppings. Is a clear fusion place, unusual toppings? Or is it like "authentic tacos like abuela made"? The first is fine. The second, in oregon which has tons of mom and pop Mexican taco trucks, definitely would be offensive.

(Read the article, hangover burritos, I got nothing, And if I'd been those girls I wouldn't have given up. It's just the comments section for crying out loud)

But what cracks me up is that a friend and I made tortillas like that in college- my friend found a recipe. So it isn't like any of the begging and corporate espionage was necessary. Portlandia should do a sketch on those two.

 

[AustinMommyofThree]

I'm surprised at how frequently Disers seem to be able to find obscure, minor issues to get worked up over. It seems to me like a certain percentage of the posters here are really sensitive and look for things to be post about being offended by. I cannot imagine having the time to be perpetually offended at the things that bother other people, much less post about it on a message board, but to each their own, I suppose.

 

[bcla]

These guys would have a crazy time with all the "Mexican" eateries around here owned by those with non-Spanish names. Heck a friend of mine interned at a Mexican restaurant owned by a Spaniard. And what about Rick Bayless?

We have quite a few fusion places here. Seoul on Wheels is a Korean food truck serving fusion tacos and burritos. There a Filipino burger place. And Avatar's Punjabi Burritos is self explanatory.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I'm surprised at how frequently Disers seem to be able to find obscure, minor issues to get worked up over. It seems to me like a certain percentage of the posters here are really sensitive and look for things to be post about being offended by. I cannot imagine having the time to be perpetually offended at the things that bother other people, much less post about it on a message board, but to each their own, I suppose.

Did I miss something?

 

[Westcoastwild]

Did I miss something?

I think they may be new

Anyway, they have it wrong. This is how it goes: someone picks something to mock. Someone else comes along and says something offensive. Often something that doesn't even relate to the original article. And then it turns to a free for all over buttering bread.

I actually enjoy these threads way more than the Disney wrangling threads.

 

[Westcoastwild]

These guys would have a crazy time with all the "Mexican" eateries around here owned by those with non-Spanish names. Heck a friend of mine interned at a Mexican restaurant owned by a Spaniard. And what about Rick Bayless?

We have quite a few fusion places here. Seoul on Wheels is a Korean food truck serving fusion tacos and burritos. There a Filipino burger place. And Avatar's Punjabi Burritos is self explanatory.

Where are you again? Bay Area if I remember correctly? Because I kind of want to try the Punjabi burrito place.

Funny thing is that Portland has a ton of fusion food too. The food truck pods are like an international market- and sometimes not an authentic one either. I think it might be just the way the girls came across in the article...or the fact that the trolls were exceptionally bored that day.

 

[tzolkin]

I'm surprised at how frequently Disers seem to be able to find obscure, minor issues to get worked up over. It seems to me like a certain percentage of the posters here are really sensitive and look for things to be post about being offended by. I cannot imagine having the time to be perpetually offended at the things that bother other people, much less post about it on a message board, but to each their own, I suppose.

Did I miss something?

Me too...

The only thing the OP said in the first post was "What do you think?" (The entire rest of the post was info from the article.) Where that is getting "worked up", "sensitive", or "offended" I truly have no idea.

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm surprised at how frequently Disers seem to be able to find obscure, minor issues to get worked up over. It seems to me like a certain percentage of the posters here are really sensitive and look for things to be post about being offended by. I cannot imagine having the time to be perpetually offended at the things that bother other people, much less post about it on a message board, but to each their own, I suppose.

You must be new to the CB. That's what we do here. Tons of the critical things going on in the world are against the rules to discuss. So we tend to hone in in earth shattering stuff like this.

 

[bcla]

Where are you again? Bay Area if I remember correctly? Because I kind of want to try the Punjabi burrito place.

Funny thing is that Portland has a ton of fusion food too. The food truck pods are like an international market- and sometimes not an authentic one either. I think it might be just the way the girls came across in the article...or the fact that the trolls were exceptionally bored that day.

It's in Marin County. They have a main restaurant that has a full range, but three smaller locations with limited seating.

https://www.enjoyavatars.com/

 

[RedAngie]

Portland, Oregon-home of pretentious hipsters and the perpetually offended crowd.

 

[amberpi]

Portland, Oregon-home of pretentious hipsters and the perpetually offended crowd.

But quality food and coffee, drinks!

 

[Westcoastwild]

But quality food and coffee, drinks!

Yep! And they're only perpetually offended on the interwebs lol

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Dear white people? I'm sure my many Caucasian Mexican friends will be shocked to learn being non-white is now a prerequisite for being Mexican.