On Wed, 10 Dec 2003 08:16:12 -0600, "Rona Yuthasastrakosol"
> wrote:

>"Frogleg" > wrote in message
.. .
>
>>
>> But why must everything from a "foreign" cuisine that is cooked/served
>> inside the US automatically become inferior "poorly represented
>> ethnic" food? Why can't at least some of it become "cleverly adapted"
>> or "emblematic of American willingness to embrace new tastes"?
>
>I don't think anyone has said "everything" is inferior.

From "Tea" earlier in the thread: "But I would suspect
that most Chinese food in the US is horrid- just as most food in the
US is horrid."

>And once you get
>into "cleverly adapted" foods it starts becoming fusion cuisine. There's
>nothing wrong with fusion as long as it's labelled accordingly, but to say
>it's "just like the original" (whatever that may be) would be incorrect.

I never said "just like the original" because much of this began, more
or less, when I was told I couldn't like Thai food, because, unless
I'd been to Thailand, I had insufficient experience to express an
opinion. I must say I like "Thai-American" or "Chinese-American" or
"French-American" food. And probably "distinctly inferior to the
original Thai-American." Which proves I go out of my way to seek out
bad food. Talk about a no-win situation! I should just eat (and
discuss) tuna casserole, Taco Bell, and hot dogs. Because I'm a dumb,
ignorant, no-taste American.

>Even though it was just an example, in the case of Thai food, the reason
>most North American Thai food isn't Thai is because it is made by Laotians
>who pass themselves off as Thai. Most farangs don't know the difference,

Oh, gee whiz. Now I have to inquire into the specific background of
cooks? The restaurant (where I had lunch yesterday) is a tiny place in
a small shopping strip. It is labeled a Thai restaurant and grocery,
named after the wife of the husband (Caucasian in apperance)/wife
(Asian in appearance) owners/cooks. 'Though I have been going here for
some 10 years or more, I've never been so rude as to inquire about
specific ancestry. The travel posters on the walls are for Thailand.
Does that count?

>anyway (or don't think there's a difference, for that matter) so they quite
>happily rave about their favourite Thai food which, in fact, isn't even
>Thai. You could make the argument that Laotian food is like Northern Thai
>food, anyway, but from what I've tasted Northern Thai food is still more
>flavourful than Laotian food. Of course, it's possible that the Laotian
>food I've eaten was just not very good, but IME, what I say is true.

I've also heard Chinese-American food dissed because it's all
Cantonese. Until much became Szechuan, and then *that* became
non-authentic. So one can visit and eat in China and have "correct"
dining experiences, but not if you only visit in Canton or Szechuan.

BTW, the quote is "What I tell you three times is true." Lewis
Carroll. :-)
>
>> Now, in searching out recipes, I came across a description of Bangkok
>> street food that made my mouth water. No, I've never come across
>> mango/coconut cream pancake 'tacos', or thin pork slices and noodles
>> in broth. Dipping fruit in a salt/sugar/chile combo sounds like
>> something I would like. And I'll bet American fruit, salt, sugar, and
>> chiles are pretty much the same. I haven't tasted *all* Thai food, but
>> I've enjoyed *some* quite a bit.

>I would disagree about American fruit, salt, sugar, and chiles being pretty
>much the same as their Thai counterparts. There is a huge difference in
>flavour between what is available in NA and what is available in Thailand
>with respect to fruits and chiles, as well.

I think salt is pretty standard. :-) Is the fruit-dipping mixture
made with palm sugar? (I have some, but it's pretty solid/syrupy.) I
am well aware of the variety of chiles (and flakes) available. I was
thinking of using (oh, geez -- the jar only says "product of Thailand"
without pedigree, or specified variety) the chile flakes I normally
carry around to ginger up bland food.

I will yield (many) fruits. I'm somewhat interested in food origins,
and North America is singularly deficient in natives. Pineapple and
papaya originated in middle/South America, BTW. (Chiles are
"American.") A tropical/subtropical climate supports many fruits, and
I realize we have access to far from a full spectrum of fruits just
because kiwi and carambola are now supermarket standards. Since the
page I stumbled across mentioned pineapple, was thinking of trying the
'dip' with that.


> IMO, it's equally ridiculous to
>say "This Thai food is really good" when you (again, a general "you") don't
>really know anything about Thai food

The thin end of a wedge! I didn't/don't say "this is good Thai food,"
I say, "this food tastes really good to me." I *like* what is
represented to be Thai food in the US. If I have to say, "I like a lot
of food that is cooked with or accompanied by rice noodles or rice,
and sometimes with coconut milk, lime juice, chiles, fish sauce,
basil, cilantro, chicken, fish, pork, chicken, lemon grass, cucumber,
different soy sauce..." every time I mean Thai, I'm gonna wear out my
kybd. :-)

Don't mean to be confrontational, Rona. I'm just debating. I *know*
you care about food. Your trip pics were great, particularly the food
close-ups!