foods that are more 'american' than authentic

[mykidsand_i]

OK, my family and I just returned from Mexico (It was a GREAT trip, I am soooooo happy we went there!!!) and we know from a Mexican relative of ours that Mexican food in all American chain restaurants isn't even really Mexican! Like tacos for example. When we were there, not ONCE did we see a ground beef taco on the menu (we only saw fish or shrimp ones)! AND NOT ONCE did we see a flour tortilla (they are all made of corn, and taste SOOOOO much better than the corn tortillas here!!!)

The corn tortillas that we can buy here STINK compared to the REAL ones that they make there. And they don't douse everything with piles of cheese, nor do they eat huge burritos stuffed with ground beef and cheeses. UNLESS you are in a MAJOR touristy area- like maybe Cancun has some of that stuff- but it's not catered towards the locals, it's catered towards the visitors that belive this is REAL Mexican!

This also brought me to think of my trip and my husbands several trips to China (he goes there for work)...when in China there is no such thing as 90% of the stuff of the menu at our local Chineese restaurants. Not even if it's made by actual Chineese/Asian people. It has become so Americanized that it's not even Chineese food anymore. They don't have sweet and sour sauce- it's more like fish sauces and fish pastes...they don't have 'sweet and sour chicken balls', in fact they'd be grossed out by the idea of them! My husband has people coming over here for work from China two or three times a year and they are MORTIFIED of the food that we call 'chineese food' here. It doesn't even resemble anything they serve, except for the rice and maybe one dish with veggies and meat.

What other countries do you all know of that are like this? I know Italy is different too- we've changed Italian foods quite a bit to suit our "American tastes"...

But, when do we get to a point where it shouldn't even be called "______ (mexican/chineese/Italian) food" anymore? I wish there were more authentic places in the US. I am sure there are a small few, and I'm not saying it's not all good food (I LOVE sweet and sour chicken balls and tacos and cheesey 'Mexican' food), I'm just saying that things have become SOOOOO Americanized that we've reached the point now that most of this stuff is SIMPLY AMERICAN foods, because it's not even SERVED in those countries!

 

[monkeybug]

They have real Mexican tacos in California!!!!
I grew up eating yummy authentic Mexican food, and didn't realize until I moved what so much of the rest of America was trying to pass off as Mexican!
No ground beef or velveeta for me thanks! I want some carne asada, onions, cilantro, and a lime please! And a Margarita with extra salt!

 

[mykidsand_i]

They have real Mexican tacos in California!!!!
I grew up eating yummy authentic Mexican food, and didn't realize until I moved what so much of the rest of America was trying to pass off as Mexican!
No ground beef or velveeta for me thanks! I want some carne asada, onions, cilantro, and a lime please! And a Margarita with extra salt!

Yeah, I know Cali has MANY good REAL mexican food places there! I love to go to San Diego and tour through old town- they have women rolling out tortillas and REAL tacos there.

I laugh so hard at some of the 'mexican' recipes people have given me- once I got this recipe for 'queso' dip and it was velveeta, some other things and a jar of salsa. The lady who gave it to me said it was the best "mexican food' she'd ever had. I almost died of laughter, because it was just after we returned from San Diego.

I know that San Antonio and some areas of Arizona and New Mexico have some good REAL Mexican too- but other than that it's almost NOT TO BE FOUND!

 

[monkeybug]

Oh and my family is mortified by what the Olive Garden calls Italian food! My Grandma is from Italy, and that stuff isn't Italian! It's cheese and tomato sauce! (bad tomato sauce!)

I have to say that I do sometimes like the American version of things too though. They have their place.
I taught myself to make real Mexican food because my husband and I craved it like nothing else, and can not find it where we are. Every now and then though I want a burrito with ground turkey, sour cream, beans, olives, lettuce, cheddar cheese, and a side of sliced avocados! Not authentic, but still yummy!

 

[monkeybug]

Yeah, I know Cali has MANY good REAL mexican food places there! I love to go to San Diego and tour through old town- they have women rolling out tortillas and REAL tacos there.

I laugh so hard at some of the 'mexican' recipes people have given me- once I got this recipe for 'queso' dip and it was velveeta, some other things and a jar of salsa. The lady who gave it to me said it was the best "mexican food' she'd ever had. I almost died of laughter, because it was just after we returned from San Diego.

I know that San Antonio and some areas of Arizona and New Mexico have some good REAL Mexican too- but other than that it's almost NOT TO BE FOUND!

Ha ha! I have a friend who is from the mid west, and she made the velveeta, salsa, and ground meat concoction one night too! She was dipping her chips and talking about how much she LOVED Mexican food! So we invited them over to our house for taco Tuesday!
She took one look at our counter with Cotija, tomatillo salsa, cilantro, limes, ect. and said "Oh, is this for Asian tacos? Mexican food doesn't usually have so many vegetables!"? LOL!!

 

[bumbershoot]

I can think of one and a half that haven't changed too much.

Indian food. DH's department has a fellow department in India, and those guys come out to Seattle on occasion. Except for one guy (who just wants American food his whole trip), they always just want to go to the Indian restaurants, so they get the tastes of home and it doesn't mess up their bellies.

The half is Korean food. DH felt it was pretty authentic here (we live in/near some pretty Korean-immigrant-heavy areas), but then he went on a work trip there, and his mom went too b/c she was born there and hadn't visited in about 15 years. And while this didn't change DH's eating habits since we are vegetarian, he was astonished at how *little* meat is eaten at any given meal in Korea. At Korean restaurants here, they'll have what amount to "meat buffets"...that would horrify his cousins in Korea. Meat there is a supplement to the meal, not THE meal. But everything else is very authentic, he found. Other than more-meat, he didn't notice anything that's catered to American tastes here in America, compared to how it is in Seoul and Busan. So it counts as half, since it's only one aspect that seems to have changed.

 

[monkeybug]

I can think of one and a half that haven't changed too much.

Indian food. DH's department has a fellow department in India, and those guys come out to Seattle on occasion. Except for one guy (who just wants American food his whole trip), they always just want to go to the Indian restaurants, so they get the tastes of home and it doesn't mess up their bellies.

The half is Korean food. DH felt it was pretty authentic here (we live in/near some pretty Korean-immigrant-heavy areas), but then he went on a work trip there, and his mom went too b/c she was born there and hadn't visited in about 15 years. And while this didn't change DH's eating habits since we are vegetarian, he was astonished at how *little* meat is eaten at any given meal in Korea. At Korean restaurants here, they'll have what amount to "meat buffets"...that would horrify his cousins in Korea. Meat there is a supplement to the meal, not THE meal. But everything else is very authentic, he found. Other than more-meat, he didn't notice anything that's catered to American tastes here in America, compared to how it is in Seoul and Busan. So it counts as half, since it's only one aspect that seems to have changed.

LOL! Seattle doesn't count! It's the home of all things culinary goodness!

 

[Tinijocaro]

DH and I lived in Japan back in '92 and other than the basic sushi, they have none of the Americanized sushi rolls. No cream cheese or cheese of any kind, but they did have California rolls.

While in Japan, we went out to a very ritzy Chinese restaurant. It was NOTHING like any Chinese food we ever had in the states, but I have knowidea how it compares to food in China. It was delicious though.

 

[binny]

Seattle has some very authentic restaurants, they have (or had when I was there) an amazing China town area. I was a nanny in West Seattle for awhile and we would often go with our friends who were from China. They swore it was the same food that they grew up with.

Its funny because you really have to look for authentic food but I think it can be found in pretty much any city. Often times you have to be willing to look outside the box though. You can almost always find a mom and pop restaurant that cooks things the way they were meant to be cooked. Chains in the US are another story all together though, there is very little "authentic" about a chain restaurant

 

[Jennasis]

Spent three weeks in Shanghai back in 2007 and the food there was nothing like "Chinese" food here. I wasn't particularly impressed with it, to be honest, but I am a very picky eater. However, I could LIVE on those steamed buns with the pork in the middle. SO GOOD!

 

[Golf4food]

OK, my family and I just returned from Mexico (It was a GREAT trip, I am soooooo happy we went there!!!) and we know from a Mexican relative of ours that Mexican food in all American chain restaurants isn't even really Mexican! Like tacos for example. When we were there, not ONCE did we see a ground beef taco on the menu (we only saw fish or shrimp ones)! AND NOT ONCE did we see a flour tortilla (they are all made of corn, and taste SOOOOO much better than the corn tortillas here!!!)

The corn tortillas that we can buy here STINK compared to the REAL ones that they make there. And they don't douse everything with piles of cheese, nor do they eat huge burritos stuffed with ground beef and cheeses. UNLESS you are in a MAJOR touristy area- like maybe Cancun has some of that stuff- but it's not catered towards the locals, it's catered towards the visitors that belive this is REAL Mexican!

My father spent many years growing up living in central Mexico, far, far away from tourist areas, so he is very picky about his Mexican food. I can still enjoy Americanized Mexican most of the time - just because it isn't authentic doesn't mean it automatically tastes bad! - but much prefer the real thing if possible. The corn tortillas are a biggy for him - he never touches a flour tortilla.

 

[FireDancer]

I grew up in a family with people who were born in and emigrated from Italy (Sicily actually) and have traveled to Italy and can say that the majority of Italian restaurants are vastly different then restaurants in Italy. The other thing that is annoying is that Italy as a whole doesn't have a single type of food. If you are in Venice you will get vastly different food then in a small town in Tuscany.

I was listening to a food anthropologist talk about the Chinese food we have here in the US and how it is so different then what you will actually find in China. Of course there are authentic restaurants available but what we thing of Chinese, like in the strip malls of America, is very frozen in time. That is the food that was eaten in China in the mid 1800's and came with the Chinese immigrants that came over to build the railroad. She went on to talk about how a lot of what we consider ethnic food here is frozen in time from when the big waves of immigrants came over. It was a fascinating discussion.

 

[amandaluvsgoofy]

I lived in Cuernavaca, Mexico one summer in college and LOVED the food! Our family was very gracious in giving us some food that had been "Americanized" (please tell me chicken fried steak isn't authentic Mexican cuisine). The tortillas were so good! And everything just tasted better, more fresh... My family did inform me had I gone somewhere else, I might have been exposed to things like tacos de ojos!

 

[emma'smom]

Read "History of the Fortune Cookie". This book outlines the history of the Chinese food industry in the United States and how/why the menus in your typical "strip mall" Chinese restaurant look like they do. We live in typical midwestern town where the chinese food includes things like fried chicken breast strips with brown gravy and the Mexican is really, really bad!

This was a rude awakening when we moved here from NYC---but I honestly think many folks in this town would turn their noses up at "real" ethnic food. We have to drive an hour for decent Indian and Thai food.

However, the town has food charms of its own (Amish Fry Pies, anyone?)......it just makes us appreciate our trips to NYC even more!

 

[Tinkermommy]

I would venture to say that all "chain" restaurants are ethnically-leaning American food.

Even the local Mom and Pop restaurants we like are not truly authentic. For one, the restaurant owners have to adapt to the produce, spices, and other food stuffs that are found here. For example, the butter in France is wonderful! So much better than here (I think it is less processed - they leave certain enzymes in). But even if you make certain items here with same ingredient list it just isn't the same. Our climate, how we grow our food is different. Thus it tastes different.

My father speaks Mandarin Chinese and when we go to the more authentic restaurants in our area (yes, we have a large Asian population here in Atlanta), he gets the more authentic menu in Chinese. We get the American menu in English. But even then, our friends from China says it's not the same.

That's why I love to travel. You really do experience a culture and all it has to offer. And you cannot duplicate those experiences anywhere else.

 

[aduck126]

I'm from a large Italian family and I work at a italian food chain restaurant and that "Italian" food makes me sick. I can't eat it because it is just so blah compared to real italian food that my grandma and mom make. They ate there once when I first started working and were appalled by it.

 

[Planogirl]

We have a few authentic Mexican restaurants even in this area of Tex-Mex and it's good but personally I prefer Tex-Mex. I don't like Velveeta (I have my limits) but I like freshly prepared Tex-Mex with lots of seasonings. My favorite is grilled skirt steak.

As for Chinese, I have been to a so-called authentic place but mostly what I remember is the rooster heads available. I don't know why that sticks in my mind so much.

I think authentic has its place and so does Americanized. By the way, this doesn't only happen here. The Dutch love Indonesian food but I'm sure that it's been changed to suit their palates too.

 

[Jennasis]

As someone pointed out, just because it isn't "ethnically authentic" does NOT mean the food doesn't taste good.

 

[legalsea]

First of all, by definition, if it is made in Mexico by a resident, then it is ‘authentic Mexican food’. Many Mexicans have moved to the USA and opened small restaurants and certainly serve food much like they would have cooked back in the home country. Of course, I agree about Taco Bell and such: they do not serve ‘authentic Mexican food’.

I guess I have had the ‘real thing’. Once I was on a train, in Mexico, going through the Copper Canyon. At one stop (next to a shanty town made up of old, abandoned railroad cars) I was stretching my legs when a small boy ran up and offered to sell me a taco. It was a fried corn tortilla with, I think, goat meat inside (I assume goat due to the number of goats around). Nothing else. I bought it for a quarter. It was ‘ok’. Since I was deep in the interior of Mexico, buying from a small boy who (I assume) got it from his mother (he had a small basket of goat tacos) I believe that is as ‘authentic’ as you can get. However, I doubt that this simple goat taco would go over big here in the USA.

Mexico is a pretty big country, with different regions having different foods. Even the lowly corn tortilla can be different from region to region. Recall, a corn tortilla is made up of corn flour and water. Nothing else. I once was in Honduras (part of a cultural tour) out in the country and we visited a small village where an old woman was making corn tortillas. Her son was grinding the corn into flour, she was rolling some corn dough with water, patting it out, and placing it on a hot, flat stone to cook. Authentic corn tortilla. It was pretty good, since the corn was very, very fresh. It was not the yellow corn we usually eat up here, but white corn. As I have traveled throughout Mexico and Central American I have come across different varieties of corn (there are dozens) and, hence, corn tortillas. The ones here in Fort Worth (like at Joe T. Garcia’s) are the ‘yellow corn’ variety and, I believe, pretty authentic, since they are just corn flour and water. They also have wheat tortillas in Mexico, in those districts where they grow wheat. Again, locality is everything. You would not want to eat a fish taco in the middle of Mexico, since one would have doubts about the freshness of the fish.

I like to think that a lot of authentic foods are actually improved upon here in the USA. For instance, the worse authentic pizza I ever had was in Italy (the home of pizza). It was dough with some watered-down tomato sauce and a little bit of cheese, and I think a basal leaf or two. I once read that when the ‘pizza’ hit our shores back in the 1890s it was essentially the same thing, but that Americans improved upon it and are still working on it. I advise our Italian friends to rethink the pizza concept.

I agree about China: when I was in China two years ago, as part of a tour group, we had essentially ‘Americanized’ Chinese food everyday: virtually the same dishes you get here at any American Chinese restaurant. However, one place did serve up a bowl of ducks’ feet in some type of sauce. It was ‘ok’. When wandering through Chinese markets and seeing what was being offered I was glad that we stuck to mostly Americanized Chinese food.

 

[NotUrsula]

Lots of authentic recipes have ingredients which the cooks might well have preferred not to use -- had they been able to afford better.
That's the key with a lot of the "so much more meat in the American versions" questions -- here they could afford it. It's a luxury, as is the cheese in many cases.

Also, remember that much of what we now think of as traditional ethnic food started out as poverty cuisine, and a lot of what makes a certain thing poverty cuisine is related to climate and geography. For instance, the ingredients in traditional Tuscan food are cheap in Tuscany, but how much would you pay for them in, say, Scotland?

Where I grew up, fresh fish is cheap, so we ate it all the time. Where I live now in a landlocked part of the US, it's quite expensive, so fish is a luxury. That's how Tex-Mex ended up with so much ground beef in it -- 100 years ago you were not going to find a lot of fresh saltwater fish in some place like Laredo. These days Laredo is not quite three hours from the Gulf, but at the turn of the last century the trip took closer to 3 days. If what they had was beans and leftover cheap beef scraps, then that was what they used.

Being Irish, my faux traditional food would be corned beef and cabbage. Trust me, in most parts of Ireland 100 years ago, very few people were ever able to afford a big chunk of beef brisket -- most of them would have had no idea what they were seeing if you showed it to them. The "meat" that got cooked with that cabbage was a wee bit of salt pork to flavor it, because they couldn't afford any herbs, either. In America with their newfound prosperity they could afford to upgrade to corned beef on special occasions. (My immigrant Dad's very definition of having made it in life was being able to provide some form of meat on the table every single day.)