Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Well, if I cook you beef stroganoff, borscht, and serve a glass of vodka, would you consider that authentic russian because a russian served it?

In America? sure I could take that leap

Szechuan Beef and Hunan Pork

I mean, to me, as long as food is good, I don't care about authenticity

Agreed. I wont be traveling to Mexico to order a chalupa off a menu.

remilia_scarlet wrote:Well, if I cook you beef stroganoff, borscht, and serve a glass of vodka, would you consider that authentic russian because a russian served it?

In Soviet Russia, the stroganoff cooks you!

KingCracker wrote:In America? sure I could take that leap

In honesty, I don't care for borscht, but I'll fix the stroganoff and pour vodka.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Monster Rain wrote:

remilia_scarlet wrote:Well, if I cook you beef stroganoff, borscht, and serve a glass of vodka, would you consider that authentic russian because a russian served it?

In Soviet Russia, the stroganoff cooks you!

In soviet russia, food eat you

gorgon wrote:Quick point...

Your point isn't all that quick or well thought out. My Chinese Asian History Professor used to say there were at best 2 or 3 restaurants in the US (and Canada) that served traditional Chinese food. If another Chinese person disagrees with him, and I'm sure some would, how would we come a consensus? A friend who owns a Chinese Restaurant, and is Chinese, would say his food is authentic, but not traditional. History gets to decide what is traditional not just being random citizen from a place. Accidents of birth are rarely good indicators of whether a person is an expert on a subject.

Saying "this dish came from here" is all fine and good but when it turns into "only old recipes made in china by people living in China and staying in China count as Chinese food" is ridiculous. Even these dishes being claimed now as Chinese weren't always "Chinese", but owned by specific areas, we just lump them all in together, much like we are doing here. Food, like everything else, evolves and changes. Even the dishes that you are regaling us with claims of authenticity were different 100 years ago. Neo-Chinese food is still Chinese food, it's just new. You seem to want to continue to treat 'authentic' and 'traditional' as if they have the same meaning.

Also, Chinese people aren't some homogeneous group that all think one way or the other, so try not to pretend they have created a consensus when there is not.

Swordwind wrote:Alright then, let me rephrase.

I dislike it when people think it's the same food that is served in China regularly and that they can order it in a Shanghai restaurant without getting weird looks and mutterings of "guailoh".

Nice xD

Ahtman, understand where I'm coming from here -- I've eaten countless tens of thousands of calories worth of General Tso's.

But I feel like you're ignoring my point -- that people aren't necessarily being snobs or looking for your "magical cookie points" for hoping others would experience what they know and enjoy more. Sure, it's kinda relative and very complicated. We haven't even gotten into differences between upscale and downscale Americanized restaurants, and I think factors there probably influence many opinions of the Americanized stuff. There are some truly crummy mall joints out there, and IMO the truly good Americanized places are hard to find.

Avatar 720 wrote:

Monster Rain wrote:

Ahtman wrote:I don't get the hate with 'American' Chinese food. It took both cultures to produce it and some of it is quite good. It isn't any more or less authentic than anything else and you don't get magical cookie points for treating it as second class food. It has also been a good bridge between the cultures and a way for Chinese immigrants to be successful.

Oh Ahtman, hating on stuff that's American makes you cool. Didn't you know?

Take The Office for example...

The Office was originally British...

Yes, and we all know that Gervais > Steve Carell

remilia_scarlet wrote:Well, if I cook you beef stroganoff, borscht, and serve a glass of vodka, would you consider that authentic russian because a russian served it?

I would not turn this meal down...

Really?...Really?

Is the " It's really "Americanized" food...not authentic Chinese ." debate really worth having?

I doubt very many people who sit down to a meal at a "Chinese Restaurant " (and I use that term because it's on the sign outside the building) care if the dish set before them was the same as what was served during the Ming Dynasty.
Is it hot and delicious?...good...bring me some more of it.

To put things into perspective, I've walked into lots of Restaurants in Atlanta that advertised " Authentic New Orleans style food", and was less then impressed with what they served...but I wasn't overwhelmed with the need to berate the establishments owners for not having a clue as to what " Authentic Cajun/Creole" food was.

You call this Gumbo?

Monster Rain wrote:You call this Gumbo?

...Exactly .

I was served a bowl of what tasted like dirty dish water, followed by an Etouffee that would have made my Grandmother punch the server.
I pushed it away, had it boxed, paid and left making a mental note not to return to that establishment.

Hmmm...

I'm making a big batch of stock tomorrow. I think the first thing I'm going to make with it is etouffee. I read that word and my stomach grumbled.

Wow this got a lot of replies. Try eating a egg roll stuffed with blue crab. It's good.

Knox wrote:Wow this got a lot of replies. Try eating a egg roll stuffed with blue crab. It's good.

Yes, or, crawfish dumplings

That sounds really good.

Swordwind wrote:

Ahtman wrote:I don't get the hate with 'American' Chinese food. It took both cultures to produce it and some of it is quite good. It isn't any more or less authentic than anything else and you don't get magical cookie points for treating it as second class food. It has also been a good bridge between the cultures and a way for Chinese immigrants to be successful.

I like American Chinese food. What I dislike is people thinking it's authentic Chinese food.

+1
In a world where Americans are exactly seen as intelligent, it's really not helping when Americans go up to you and are like:
"Oh I love authentic chinese food! I have it all the time! You know that dish Tso's chicken? My goodness...."
and I'm like
".... wh..... wha.... th... the.... .... ... BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD, BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD, BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOOOOODDDDDDDDDDD "

Ahtman wrote:I don't get the hate with 'American' Chinese food. It took both cultures to produce it and some of it is quite good. It isn't any more or less authentic than anything else and you don't get magical cookie points for treating it as second class food. It has also been a good bridge between the cultures and a way for Chinese immigrants to be successful.

It IS a second class food. American chinese food is basically amazing real chinese meat dishes like "cha shao" drowned in corny syrup with a bit of vinegar and served with broccori, an abomination of vegetation that is not found anywhere in asia.
Now, do I enjoy it? Yes, general tso's chicken is amazing. I enjoy it as much as I do hot dogs, fish n' chips and freedom fries and consider them in the same class of food.

Monster Rain wrote:
Oh Ahtman, hating on stuff that's American makes you cool. Didn't you know?
Take The Office for example...

I think its generally cool to hate Americans worldwide atm but oh well. I'm sure that the societies that were conquered by Rome hated Romans too
A bit off topic but has anyone ever been to a cafe/restaurant in Paris called America or something? Where they serve coffee in mugs the size of cereal bowls and the chicken wings are the size of a human's forearm. The chairs are also designed for 4 Europeans, or one very big American. Very amusing parody.

gorgon wrote:Galbi = Korean.

Indeed. I meant to group it was one of my 2 favorite dishes on planet earth, not as a chinese dish.

Im tempted to quote wayne's world and say "cream of sam yung gai" but seriously, sweet and sour chicken

I really shouldn't be reading this thread so late at night, I'm now wondering if there is a " late night" Chinese Delivery any where nearby.

You could always go with the Wang Hung Lo.

Monster Rain wrote:You could always go with the Wang Hung Lo.

...But...I don't want Wang Hung Lo delivered.

mmmm, just cooked up some fried rice. onions, egg, chicken, chili oil, and of course a wee bit of the "flavor enhancer". You know what I'm talking about

Ysclyth wrote:mmmm, just cooked up some fried rice. onions, egg, chicken, chili oil, and of course a wee bit of the "flavor enhancer". You know what I'm talking about

Weiner dogs?

LunaHound wrote:

Swordwind wrote:Alright then, let me rephrase.

I dislike it when people think it's the same food that is served in China regularly and that they can order it in a Shanghai restaurant without getting weird looks and mutterings of "guailoh".

Nice xD

I'm guessing guailoh is the equivalent to gringo

youbedead wrote:

LunaHound wrote:

Swordwind wrote:Alright then, let me rephrase.

I dislike it when people think it's the same food that is served in China regularly and that they can order it in a Shanghai restaurant without getting weird looks and mutterings of "guailoh".

Nice xD

I'm guessing guailoh is the equivalent to gringo

Got it in one.

Then I am a guailoh and proud of it. Now pass the fortune cookies I need some chinese food

youbedead wrote:Then I am a guailoh and proud of it. Now pass the fortune cookies I need some chinese food

Resisting...urge...to swim across Pacific...and roundhouse kick you...

Most of what's ordered in takeaways here are the equivalent of cheap diner food, which is generally eaten for lunch/breakfast.

Then there's Dim Sum, which is generally a lunch thing with a few small things for variety, from chicken feet to sponge cake.

Having several dishes which are picked from, along with white rice is the norm for a dinner.