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My daughter is the same way. After going to school in China, she wasn't excited about eating Chinese food in the US. There was a place she felt was "authentic" in Jersey City--they had the standard Chinese-American menu, but they also had a Szechuan specialty menu, and since she had been in Chengdu, she was familiar with that food.
Now she's back in China, but in Beijing, and still misses the Szechuan flavors.
"Sichuan" is the actual way of saying it. Szechuan is the Western name.
In America, there are almost zero Americanized versions of Sichuan dishes. Because Americans just can't eat real spicy food. Not that burning hot stuff, I'm talking about painfully spicy.
Sichuan cuisine is very difficult for most Americans to enjoy but once you get it you can't get enough of it. There are like 11 ways to prepare Chicken in Sichuan and 1/2 of the methods would scare Americans.
Let's do a drunken chicken bathed in 4 different sichuan spices and rice wine then served cold. My favorite Sichuan dish is pig intestines in a spicy hot sauce that not only is spicy, hot, it stings, and burns.
Imo as far as Chinese food, Sichuan > Cantonese > Hunan
Shrimp diablo? Ahhhh.....not sure how authentic their version is....but spicy shrimp dishes over rice and beans is indeed a Mexican dish....why would you think it's 'unMexican'?
Because 1) there's no cheese on it, and b) it's not wrapped in some sort of tortilla thing. That's what I think of when I think of Mexican food, because, frankly, that's what is usually available in a Mexican restaurant. Also, I think of black beans as part of Cuban cuisine, not Mexican, which usually has refried reddish-colored beans. In addition, it's not all thrown together. The shrimp is separate from the rice and beans and there is a side of spinach.
As I said in my earlier post, people often claim how there are all sorts of DIFFERENT types of Mexican foods based on regions, yada yada yada, and I believe them, but when you walk into a Mexican restaurant, what is primarily on the menu but meat/chicken, covered in cheese and wrapped in some sort of tortilla? There usually isn't much else to choose from, which is why I like this place where at least I can get that shrimp dish. I've never seen anything like that on any other Mexican menu. It's almost always enchiladas, burritos, tacos, and chimichangas, and fajitas, all of which are pretty much made up of the same ingredients.
Not that I don't believe people who say they get better Mexican food in the southwest, such as the woman who said she moved here from there, but come to Jersey and walk into any Mexican restaurant, and that's what you will see.
"Sichuan" is the actual way of saying it. Szechuan is the Western name.
In America, there are almost zero Americanized versions of Sichuan dishes. Because Americans just can't eat real spicy food. Not that burning hot stuff, I'm talking about painfully spicy.
Sichuan cuisine is very difficult for most Americans to enjoy but once you get it you can't get enough of it. There are like 11 ways to prepare Chicken in Sichuan and 1/2 of the methods would scare Americans.
Let's do a drunken chicken bathed in 4 different sichuan spices and rice wine then served cold. My favorite Sichuan dish is pig intestines in a spicy hot sauce that not only is spicy, hot, it stings, and burns.
Imo as far as Chinese food, Sichuan > Cantonese > Hunan
LOL! I originally typed "Sichuan", but then I thought, "No, somebody will correct me..."
This past year my daughter has become a vegan, so she'd eschew pig intestines and rabbit now, but she did like the spiciness, as well as the vegetables that you can't get here. You are right, people in the Sichuan province are raised eating spicy peppers that most of us wouldn't be able to tolerate.
I said that it all seems to be the exact same stuff--some gloppy beef or chicken, mixed with cheese and rice and some spicy stuff and then put into a taco or rolled into tortillas of varying sizes and then given different names. It's all the exact same taste, just comes in different shapes and with different names. I would go with people who would order enchiladas or chimichangas or burritos, mulling over which one to pick, and I wanted to scream, "WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE??? IT ALL TASTES EXACTLY THE SAME!!!!!"
What a limited palate you have. SO, because it's prepared the same, they must all taste the same?
Do you feel the same about egg rolls? Lumpia? Chow mein? Because of course, chow mein from a restaurant MUST taste the same as that packet of Ramen for $1.19, right? Right?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801
Then a lot of people responded saying that "REAL" Mexican food is different from that and better and varies more widely...so I guess that's really a problem here in NJ.
Your issue is different than the "Real" vs "Authentic".
Your issue is, the general food prep contains mainstays that don't change, therefore it must all be the same. A taco from Taco Bell has a shell, it has cheese, it has sauce, it has meat, therefore it's the same thing as a taco shop. Totally ignoring the 100% difference in taste. Because there IS a difference in taste. If you can't taste the difference then there's something wrong with your buds, and I don't mean that as an insult.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801
When I allow the persistent friends to drag me out for Mexican, there is one place I don't mind going because it's got this open-air area in the back that's nice in the good weather, but mostly because they have this decidedly un-Mexican thing on their menu. It is jumbo shrimp in a hot, spicy sauce that burns your mouth, and it comes with spinach and black beans and rice. I love it, but it's probably pretty far from authentic! I don't care.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ScarletG
Shrimp diablo? Ahhhh.....not sure how authentic their version is....but spicy shrimp dishes over rice and beans is indeed a Mexican dish....why would you think it's 'unMexican'?
Quote:
Originally Posted by momtothree
It's probably the most Mexican dish there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801
Because 1) there's no cheese on it, and b) it's not wrapped in some sort of tortilla thing. That's what I think of when I think of Mexican food, because, frankly, that's what is usually available in a Mexican restaurant. Also, I think of black beans as part of Cuban cuisine, not Mexican, which usually has refried reddish-colored beans. In addition, it's not all thrown together. The shrimp is separate from the rice and beans and there is a side of spinach.
As I said in my earlier post, people often claim how there are all sorts of DIFFERENT types of Mexican foods based on regions, yada yada yada, and I believe them, but when you walk into a Mexican restaurant, what is primarily on the menu but meat/chicken, covered in cheese and wrapped in some sort of tortilla? There usually isn't much else to choose from, which is why I like this place where at least I can get that shrimp dish. I've never seen anything like that on any other Mexican menu. It's almost always enchiladas, burritos, tacos, and chimichangas, and fajitas, all of which are pretty much made up of the same ingredients.
And this is the problem with places like Taco Time and Taco Bell and Taco Del Mar and whatever. Assumptions based on seeing common items on a menu.
Assuming that all meat is prepared, marinated, cut, etc. the exact same from restaurant to restaurant. Ground beef =/= chorizo. Carne asada =/= ground beef. Pollo asado =/= grilled chicken and grease.
Hating on foods because a tortilla is involved. Because cheese is involved. Because things are "mixed".
Shrimp Diablo is a good example of something "not of a tortilla". So is
pollo asado plate
adobada
chile relleno
pescador
menudo
machaca
carnitas
chorizo (REAL chorizo)
huevos rancheros
lengua
steak ranchero
tamales
tortas
cabeza (normally in a taco but you can have it open faced)
Just off the top of my head. I guarantee you even the restaurant she's going to has at least half of these on the menu, she's ignoring them because maybe there's a picture of a tortilla off to the side, I don't know.
Authentic food is always better, because there is a reason they are the way they are in their home country especially for the cusines that come from countries with long history and traditions. People have been refining the ingredients and cooking methods for centuries and you seriously think a few Americans experimenting with some weird new ideas are going to come up with something better than the original version? Well, i don't say it's entirely impossibly but the chances are very slim.
People experiment with food all the time, which may not be authentic, but it doesn't mean the end result isn't enjoyable.
Part of the reason for the change in "authentic" food is that when people emigrate to another country they may not be able to access all the ingredients that were available in their home country. With the internet and specialty stores this is less and less of an issue, but even 20 years ago cooks and restaurants had to make do with what they had. The famous story about corned beef and cabbage is that it's not a traditionally Irish dish. Since Irish-American cooks couldn't get the cuts of pork they used back in the old country they substituted with brisket, which they could find easily. It's not authentic, but it's still tasty and it's become a tradition in and of itself.
Last edited by fleetiebelle; 01-28-2015 at 10:29 AM..
In America, there are almost zero Americanized versions of Sichuan dishes. Because Americans just can't eat real spicy food. Not that burning hot stuff, I'm talking about painfully spicy.
Lots of places seem to have a mapodofu nowadays (not that any of them are any good), and technically kung pao is Sichuan (Sichuan-inspired).
What a limited palate you have. SO, because it's prepared the same, they must all taste the same?
No, because almost everything I've ever tasted from a Mexican restaurant pretty much tastes the same. Remember, as you make your sneery little judgment call about "my limited palate", we're talking solely about MEXICAN food here, specifically Mexican food available in New Jersey, not any other cuisine in any other place. I love Thai, Turkish, different types of Chinese cuisines, Portguese, Cuban, Italian...but because I don't care for what I've had at Mexican restaurants, you get to proclaim that I have SUCH a limited palate. OK. Are you the Supreme Defender of Mexican Food or something?
Quote:
Originally Posted by revelated
Do you feel the same about egg rolls? Lumpia? Chow mein? Because of course, chow mein from a restaurant MUST taste the same as that packet of Ramen for $1.19, right? Right?
Irrelevant. I don't like egg rolls. I have never in my life eaten ramen, and I have no idea why anyone would. Never heard of Lumpia. Not big on chow mein--but again, none of those things are Mexican. Unless Lumpia is. I'll look it up.
ETA: Nope, it appears Lumpia is not Mexican, either.
Quote:
Originally Posted by revelated
Your issue is different than the "Real" vs "Authentic".
Your issue is, the general food prep contains mainstays that don't change, therefore it must all be the same. A taco from Taco Bell has a shell, it has cheese, it has sauce, it has meat, therefore it's the same thing as a taco shop. Totally ignoring the 100% difference in taste. Because there IS a difference in taste. If you can't taste the difference then there's something wrong with your buds, and I don't mean that as an insult.
And this is the problem with places like Taco Time and Taco Bell and Taco Del Mar and whatever. Assumptions based on seeing common items on a menu.
Assuming that all meat is prepared, marinated, cut, etc. the exact same from restaurant to restaurant. Ground beef =/= chorizo. Carne asada =/= ground beef. Pollo asado =/= grilled chicken and grease.
Hating on foods because a tortilla is involved. Because cheese is involved. Because things are "mixed".
I've never eaten at a Taco Bell, and I've never heard of the other two places you mentioned. I'm guessing from the context that they are Mexican chains similar to Taco Bell?
Once again, because you seem to miss things that I've already written, I'm not basing anything on a menu, but ON MY EXPERIENCE EATING MEXICAN FOOD AT MEXICAN RESTAURANTS.
Quote:
Originally Posted by revelated
Shrimp Diablo is a good example of something "not of a tortilla". So is
pollo asado plate
adobada
chile relleno
pescador
menudo
machaca
carnitas
chorizo (REAL chorizo)
huevos rancheros
lengua
steak ranchero
tamales
tortas
cabeza (normally in a taco but you can have it open faced)
Just off the top of my head. I guarantee you even the restaurant she's going to has at least half of these on the menu, she's ignoring them because maybe there's a picture of a tortilla off to the side, I don't know.
Since I already posted the menu, go look at it. Surprised to see chorizo on your list--love that, but I associate it with Portugese/Spanish and Cuban food, not Mexican. There's a great little place in the Ironbound (Portuguese section of Newark, NJ) that has a chorizo and cheese sandwich on a Portuguese roll. To die for.
Last edited by Mightyqueen801; 01-28-2015 at 12:11 PM..
Hahaha, maybe it is, in which case, that just goes to show that I PREFER "authentic" Mexican. It's my favorite thing on the menu. Your ears and throat BURN from the heat.
The use of wheat flour tortillas, ground beef, and copious amounts of cheese are actually Tex-Mex, which is an Americanized take on northern Mexican cuisine. But yeah, I'm in the northeast too, and even most of the so-called authentic Mexican restaurants are actually Tex-Mex, with a few random traditional dishes. Personally, I loooove Veracruz cuisine, which uses a lot of seafood and has a Caribbean flare to it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801
Because 1) there's no cheese on it, and b) it's not wrapped in some sort of tortilla thing. That's what I think of when I think of Mexican food, because, frankly, that's what is usually available in a Mexican restaurant. Also, I think of black beans as part of Cuban cuisine, not Mexican, which usually has refried reddish-colored beans. In addition, it's not all thrown together. The shrimp is separate from the rice and beans and there is a side of spinach.
As I said in my earlier post, people often claim how there are all sorts of DIFFERENT types of Mexican foods based on regions, yada yada yada, and I believe them, but when you walk into a Mexican restaurant, what is primarily on the menu but meat/chicken, covered in cheese and wrapped in some sort of tortilla? There usually isn't much else to choose from, which is why I like this place where at least I can get that shrimp dish. I've never seen anything like that on any other Mexican menu. It's almost always enchiladas, burritos, tacos, and chimichangas, and fajitas, all of which are pretty much made up of the same ingredients.
Not that I don't believe people who say they get better Mexican food in the southwest, such as the woman who said she moved here from there, but come to Jersey and walk into any Mexican restaurant, and that's what you will see.
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Are you the Supreme Defender of Mexican Food or something? 
