Pad Thai, in fact isn't even Thai at all (wine, appetizers, coffee)
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So? It's popular in Thailand. Think of it like a Chicago Hot dog. It's a Chicago thing; the sausage itself is of german (Frankfurter) derivation but the dish itself is an amalgamation.
New England Clam Chowder is likely of French origin. That doesn't mean it isn't an American dish. Winerschnitzel is an Austrian dish but known as German, and the precursor to the Chicken Fried steak. By that same logic a Chicken Fried Steak isn't American but Austrian.
I can't confirm, but something tells me that "Chicago Style Pizza" is or was available on the Italian Peninsula before Uno's or Rosati's popularized it in Illinois; dough topped with tomatoes and cheese and baked in cast iron. Delicious, probably ubiquitous going back as long as metal pans were used.
Most "National" cuisines resemble that of their neighbors, to a certain extent. That's doubly true when you consider that Ethnic Chinese make up something like 10% of Thailand's population.
It isn't reptitive, but it rhymes.
German Food, while distinct, is a lot like French food, especially the further one gets from the south of France. Meat is often braised, rich sauces, etc...
Germany has a lot of sausage dishes; so does Poland, Czech republic...
Greek Food is different than italian food, but again, often it rhymes, same climate, geographic proximity, etc...
Thai Food, and Vietnamese and Chinese and Japanese food, are mostly distinct...but they rhyme...they are similar...Though much traditional Thai food has more curry than many Americans care for.
Just in case people don't realize how the whole western world keeps calling the dish "Pad Thai" when in fact there's nothing Thai origins about the dish at all.
That's why it is not known in the Asian countries at all. Just like many Asian named dishes in America have no origins outside of America.
Chop Suey, Egg Foo Young, Po-po platter, and even egg roll. It's all Americanized or improperly named.
Who cares? Still yummy whatever it's called. Don't sweat the small stuff ...
Real Thai dishes are not really palatable for most Americans. Pad Thai is one of those that got Americanized based on how the locals here that made it to cater the palates locally.
Define "Real." I've eaten at what appear to be some authentic Thai restaurants and had food that's as exotic as anything else in terms of flavor profiles, etc, and some that's been blow-your-top spicy too.
I also think that a lot of how a populace eats on a given day is a lot more pedestrian than what we see in their restaurants. That's true in America too...IE I like French Fries at a restaurant because I don't want to hassle with the mess of frying them at home. Or other foods that are more complicated/harder to prepare.
I'm pretty sure most people know by now that American Chinese food has been Americanized. We just don't think that makes it a mistake or inferior.
Indeed, we are not so dumb that we think we are getting anything authentic to the originating Nation when we eat out. Maybe it surprised OP, but not me.
when in fact there's nothing Thai origins about the dish at all.
Well it was the result of a Thai Prime Minister leading an effort to create a national dish of some sort for various reasons. It did therefore become known as a part of Thai cuisine. Guess it depends on your definition of "nothing".
Just in case people don't realize how the whole western world keeps calling the dish "Pad Thai" when in fact there's nothing Thai origins about the dish at all.
That's why it is not known in the Asian countries at all. Just like many Asian named dishes in America have no origins outside of America.
Chop Suey, Egg Foo Young, Po-po platter, and even egg roll. It's all Americanized or improperly named.
I thought the po-po platter got its name because police liked to eat it.
I was going to point out that according to my Thai friend, they don't use chopsticks (except for certain Chinese noodle bowls), but a lot of people ask for them in Thai restaurants. While finding a source to verify this, the article does mention that Thais eat Pad Thai with forks. Whether it's authentic or not, Thais do eat Pad Thai.
Most of the Thai restaurants in America that serve the various Pad Thais, and noodle dishes, and curries, are likely run by chinese also.
What makes you think this?
Pad thai is a Thai dish popular in Thailand, and I suspect the overwhelming majority of Thai restaurants in USA serve it. Curries are emblematic of Thai cooking. There are noodle dishes that are distinctly Thai and popular in Thailand. The fact that some ingredients came from China centuries ago doesn't mean only people of Chinese origin cook them, most of the Thai restaurants I've been to in USA has been run by Thai people. They might even be Thai people of Chinese origin (Thailand has a large Chinese population) but those are Thais too, just as an Asian kid who was born and raised in San Diego is American.
Italian restaurants in USA serving red sauce are likely run by South Americans since that is where the tomato originally came from?
Quote:
Originally Posted by vision33r
Real Thai dishes are not really palatable for most Americans. Pad Thai is one of those that got Americanized based on how the locals here that made it to cater the palates locally.
I found pad thai in Thailand is similar to pad thai in USA and palatable to most Americans whether in Thailand or USA. Biggest difference to Thai food in America is they often use different vegetables (like broccoli instead of Thai eggplant) and many restaurants that offer varying levels of heat use chili flakes to adjust on the fly per order, whereas in Thailand the heat would come just from the oils of the chilis. Also more beef and white breast meat chicken in USA.
I don't understand what aspect of "real" Thai dishes you think makes them not really palatable to most Americans. Not all Thai cooking is blazingly spicy. Some things that might turn off westerners might be pieces of chicken with bones in it, head-on shrimp, chunks of coagulated blood, and some really sour composite meats. But there are so many other soups, rice, and noodle dishes that wouldn't be much of a challenge to most Americans. I guess some skewer places have things like chicken hearts or livers that wouldn't be popular either.
Last edited by lieqiang; 10-14-2021 at 04:52 AM..
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