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Saw something on Greek foods when it reminded me of a story with gyros.
Back in my hometown, there was a large Greek population with plenty of mom and pop joints. Gyros there were slowly roasted on a spit. As you ordered a gyro, it was hand carved while it was still roasting. You got sizzling and golden brown slices of flavorful meat. Slather on yogurt sauce, potatoes and onions and I loved the hot against the cool refreshing sauce. SOOOOO GOOOOOD.
I moved to another state and was really missing my gyro when my mom and I saw a Greek restaurant and it was advertising authentic cuisine and gyros. We excitedly go in there anticipating the gryo only to see them take strips of pale meat out of hot water and piled them on pita breads. Blech. My mom asked if they had any roasting? They told her they can grill them on the griddle and pointed to a griddle. Yeah no.
And you can't tell me that they boil their gyro slices in Greece. If you can't roast meat on a spit, don't offer it.
That was a very informative article. I do have a question regarding Asian cuisine and maybe the
article is telling me so. Anyway, there are several Chinese restaurants and then there are Thai
and Vietnamese. I personally love Vietnamese and when I spoke to the owner (from VN) she said
that the Chinese never eat there. Is it loyalty or something else?
Quote:
Originally Posted by puginabug
To answer the OP, yeah it kinda does make a difference.
Sure, I can make my own "authentic" family recipe Italian, but occasionally it's nice to be able to go out and get decent, authentic Italian food. Where I live, deep south USA, you can't even get a decent pizza let alone a really good eggplant or veal parmiagana.
After reading the entire thread the majority of ethnic cuisine is Chinese and Mexican. I do miss the
European restaurants that used to be common (not chains but owned and run by European immigrants
with family members in the kitchen cooking). I agree with puginabug. I too can cook Italian (southern)
as well as German and Eastern European but those restaurants are fading away. Those dishes back then
were called peasant food but now getting a good plate of pasta outside a chain restaurant is hard to find
and it's definitely not inexpensive.
I view people who run around judging what's "authentic" and what isn't are obnoxious snobs. Most of them don't know what they're talking about ... if it tastes good, it's good. I like Taco Bell, Don Pablo's and the little mom and pop Mexican joints in South Philly equally ... Depends what I'm in the mood for at the time.
Except by definition you're perhaps the obnoxious one since Taco Bell and Don Pablo's clearly aren't representative of what would be served in Mexico. Fine if you prefer it Americanized, but don't act as if it's the "normal" option. Going back to the OP's question regarding "obsession" with authentic, why not? I for one would never stand for places like The Olive Garden, Don Pablo's and most random strip-center Chinese restaurants being seen as authentic, and why exactly are we supposed to perpetuate the lie?
Except by definition you're perhaps the obnoxious one since Taco Bell and Don Pablo's clearly aren't representative of what would be served in Mexico. Fine if you prefer it Americanized, but don't act as if it's the "normal" option. Going back to the OP's question regarding "obsession" with authentic, why not? I for one would never stand for places like The Olive Garden, Don Pablo's and most random strip-center Chinese restaurants being seen as authentic, and why exactly are we supposed to perpetuate the lie?
Nobody said Don Pablo's and Taco Bell "are represenative of what would be served in Mexico." We all know it isn't the "normal" food in Mexico ... but it still tastes GOOD! Be envious.
Nobody said Don Pablo's and Taco Bell "are represenative of what would be served in Mexico." We all know it isn't the "normal" food in Mexico ... but it still tastes GOOD! Be envious.
Taco Bell, maybe. But you'd be surprised how many people think the combo plate stuff served at restaurants like Don Pablo's is what Mexicans eat regularly for dinner. You rarely hear anyone say Don Pablo's is "authentic", but that mom & pop down the street that serves an almost identical menu... that one is "authentic"!
Again, being authentic or not has little to do with whether one likes a restaurant or not. There's plenty of delicious inauthentic/fusion/Americanized food to be had out there.
To me, it's when a place advertises it is "authentic" when it's nowhere near the same area code, and diners believe it without any curiosity as to the origins... well, that's just a sad commentary on both parts. I'm one of those weirdos that think knowing something about a culture's food helps one to better understand the culture.
Saw something on Greek foods when it reminded me of a story with gyros.
Back in my hometown, there was a large Greek population with plenty of mom and pop joints. Gyros there were slowly roasted on a spit. As you ordered a gyro, it was hand carved while it was still roasting. You got sizzling and golden brown slices of flavorful meat. Slather on yogurt sauce, potatoes and onions and I loved the hot against the cool refreshing sauce. SOOOOO GOOOOOD.
I moved to another state and was really missing my gyro when my mom and I saw a Greek restaurant and it was advertising authentic cuisine and gyros. We excitedly go in there anticipating the gryo only to see them take strips of pale meat out of hot water and piled them on pita breads. Blech. My mom asked if they had any roasting? They told her they can grill them on the griddle and pointed to a griddle. Yeah no.
And you can't tell me that they boil their gyro slices in Greece. If you can't roast meat on a spit, don't offer it.
In San Diego, CA they have what you describe - where the gyro meat is carved directly from the shank. In fact it's hard NOT to find that. In San Diego!
I come to Seattle and, craving a gyro, I stop by a place called "Extreme Pita". Apparently, hipster-ish places like this are the norm out here. Guy pulls out some frozen gyro meat slices and tosses them on the griddle, then spritzes them with water.
Thing is, people love that out here. It makes me think people don't really understand how the food is really supposed to be prepared.
Nobody said Don Pablo's and Taco Bell "are represenative of what would be served in Mexico." We all know it isn't the "normal" food in Mexico ... but it still tastes GOOD! Be envious.
In San Diego, CA they have what you describe - where the gyro meat is carved directly from the shank. In fact it's hard NOT to find that. In San Diego!
I come to Seattle and, craving a gyro, I stop by a place called "Extreme Pita". Apparently, hipster-ish places like this are the norm out here. Guy pulls out some frozen gyro meat slices and tosses them on the griddle, then spritzes them with water.
Thing is, people love that out here. It makes me think people don't really understand how the food is really supposed to be prepared.
That's still better than boiled strips...lol But yeah, that would also have been disappointing.
First thing I do when I enter a new Greek or kebab place is look for the spit roasters (or whatever they are called). I am not above the Gyro loaf thing, but it should at least be cooked properly.
Oh yes - it matters to me. That sugar-laden fried concoction you get at a mall isn't authentic Chinese. That cheese-covered platter of ground beef and beans served at every "Mexican" restaurant isn't authentic Mexican fare.
Once you taste the real goods, all that Americanized speed-food is just disappointing.
However, if you like the Americanized versions, I guess it really doesn't matter to you.
Edit: I have the luxury of being able to dine on authentic British, German, Chinese, and Latin-American dishes.
I agree that once you develop a taste for the real versions of the ethnic foods, you aren't really satisfied with the Americanized version. This happened to me after 2 stints of working in China, I just didn't really want to eat the Chinese food available in my area as it just wasn't the same and not good enough for my changed tastes.
If one has never had the real deal, then it is understandable that one might be satisfied with the local version of it.
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