Which foreign cuisine reigns supreme?

[Cius]

Mexican is probably my favourite, although technically that is texmex, so what the US added to it counts. Italian next. Lots of good options though. I enjoy trying different foods from different places.

 

[LCBXX]

Local Indian cuisine is far superior to the garbage you eat in India itself.

Thank God.

 

[wbot]

Italian. Nothing else comes close.

 

[wizardofid]

Exchange not appropriation. Most of what you mistakenly believe was appropriation was immigrants bringing their cuisines to the US and making it unique.

Now I need to prep my turkey for tomorrow.

The issue is that Americans don’t have a long-established, distinct national cuisine in the same way that, for example, German or French cuisine developed over centuries. What people call American cuisine is, for the most part, a collection of immigrant dishes brought over and then mostly bastardized rather than fully transformed into a unique culinary tradition. The core ideas stayed the same, but many dishes were simplified, altered, or commercialized instead of evolving into something entirely new.

By contrast, South African Afrikaans cuisine is also heavily immigrant based, but it actually developed into a unique culinary tradition. While it draws strongly from Cape Malay influences among others it branched out significantly, creating dishes and flavor profiles that are recognizably and uniquely South African. It deviated enough from its roots to become its own cuisine rather than just a preserved version of what settlers once brought with them.

In the United States, many iconic foods remain very close to the original immigrant recipes, with limited evolution into a distinct national culinary identity. The result is that American cuisine is more of a mosaic of preserved immigrant traditions rather than a fully transformed, unified cuisine of its own.

America doesn't really have a unique cuisine, hence the appropriation, because it is not an exchange, bastardized is likely the more correct term.

If you were the ask an American, if the hamburger is American, odds are pretty good they will say it is an American invention, but only in part, slapping it between two slices of bread doesn't make it "unique" now does it.

Bunny chow is uniquely south African, and the food made for the bunny chow is also uniquely south African "Durban curry" is a cuisine.
If Americans have Unique dishes it is quite limited.

How often do you hear people say else where in the world, lets have American tonight. ? lol

 

[$m@Rt@$$]

There's no French on the list?

 

[Stokstert]

German variety.

 

[thestaggy]

The issue is that Americans don’t have a long-established, distinct national cuisine in the same way that, for example, German or French cuisine developed over centuries. What people call American cuisine is, for the most part, a collection of immigrant dishes brought over and then mostly bastardized rather than fully transformed into a unique culinary tradition. The core ideas stayed the same, but many dishes were simplified, altered, or commercialized instead of evolving into something entirely new.

By contrast, South African Afrikaans cuisine is also heavily immigrant based, but it actually developed into a unique culinary tradition. While it draws strongly from Cape Malay influences among others it branched out significantly, creating dishes and flavor profiles that are recognizably and uniquely South African. It deviated enough from its roots to become its own cuisine rather than just a preserved version of what settlers once brought with them.

In the United States, many iconic foods remain very close to the original immigrant recipes, with limited evolution into a distinct national culinary identity. The result is that American cuisine is more of a mosaic of preserved immigrant traditions rather than a fully transformed, unified cuisine of its own.

America doesn't really have a unique cuisine, hence the appropriation, because it is not an exchange, bastardized is likely the more correct term.

If you were the ask an American, if the hamburger is American, odds are pretty good they will say it is an American invention, but only in part, slapping it between two slices of bread doesn't make it "unique" now does it.

Bunny chow is uniquely south African, and the food made for the bunny chow is also uniquely south African "Durban curry" is a cuisine.
If Americans have Unique dishes it is quite limited.

How often do you hear people say else where in the world, lets have American tonight. ? lol

Louisiana. Their local cuisine is a fusion of native American, French, African and Spanish cuisine that evolved into its own identity, and they have two variations of cuisine: Louisiana Creole and Cajun, both reflecting their different cultural backgrounds.

Fried chicken across the southern states. While early mentions of fried chicken come from Scotland, the process of spicing and seasoning it is traced to African slaves in the US, bringing their cooking traditions from Africa, and fried chicken's global popularity is directly linked to the US. Fried chicken is also culturally and historically relevant to the southern US states because the first restaurants African Americans could access in the segregated south served fried chicken. Fun fact - the recipe for Chicken Licken was brought over from the US.

The first recording of the word ''barbecue'' was by a Spaniard who found Native Americans slowly cooking and smoking meat. This was observed through the Americas and specific to the US, by tribes in what is now Florida. The American-style barbecue also has since evolved into various regional variations and like the South African braai, has cultural connotations. T

Seafood cuisine in the northeast was heavily influenced by Native American traditions, notably in the steaming of clams, which is now a traditional US dish in New England.

The US is a massive and diverse country that has developed and evolved regional- and cultural-specific cuisines, and the further you move from the major population centers on the east and west coast, the more pronounced this gets.

 

[wizardofid]

Louisiana. Their local cuisine is a fusion of native American, French, African and Spanish cuisine that evolved into its own identity, and they have two variations of cuisine: Louisiana Creole and Cajun, both reflecting their different cultural backgrounds.

Fried chicken across the southern states. While early mentions of fried chicken come from Scotland, the process of spicing and seasoning it is traced to African slaves in the US, bringing their cooking traditions from Africa, and fried chicken's global popularity is directly linked to the US. Fried chicken is also culturally and historically relevant to the southern US states because the first restaurants black Africans could access in the segregated south served fried chicken. Fun fact - the recipe for Chicken Licken was brought over from the US.

The first recording of the word ''barbecue'' was by a Spaniard who found Native Americans slowly cooking and smoking meat. This was observed through the Americas and specific to the US, by tribes in what is now Florida. The American-style barbecue also has since evolved into various regional variations and like the South African braai, has cultural connotations. T

Seafood cuisine in the northeast was heavily influenced by Native American traditions, notably in the steaming of clams, which is now a traditional US dish in New England.

The US is a massive and diverse country that has developed and evolved regional- and cultural-specific cuisines, and the further you move from the major population centers on the east and west coast, the more pronounced this gets.

Look, rattling off Louisiana like it somehow represents the entire U.S. doesn’t prove anything. Yeah, Creole and Cajun food are great, but they’re basically the one part of America where the food actually evolved into something unique. It’s the exception, not the rule. You had to zoom all the way into one specific bayou just to find an example.

Fried chicken? Also not the “gotcha” you think it is. The Scots were frying chicken long before the U.S. existed, and the seasoning side came from West African cooking. America didn’t invent it they just mashed two immigrant traditions together and cranked the marketing dial to max.

Same with barbecue. The technique came from Native Americans, the word from Spanish, and the U.S. basically took those influences, slapped different sauces on depending on the state line, and called it regional pride. Cool? Sure. Ancient, uniquely American? No.

New England seafood being based on Native American cooking just proves the point again. Settlers copied what already worked. That’s not culinary evolution that’s survival.

And the “America is huge and diverse” line doesn’t magically turn all this into a national cuisine. It just means the country has a ton of little regional scenes, most of which are still heavily tied to whatever immigrant or indigenous dish they started with.

So yeah, the U.S. has some great food, but pretending it’s some long-developed, unified cuisine is like claiming America invented language because people speak English with different accents.

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

Portuguese by a mile...

 

[3WA]

I enjoy all the meats in the cultural stew.

 

[_Jakes_]

.....While early mentions of fried chicken come from Scotland...

Scotland is also the home of deep-fried: Mars bars, pizza, crème eggs, and cheeseburgers.

 

[3WA]

But not hot pot. WTF, boiled meat?

 

[Mephisto_Helix]

Italian followed closely by Greek

 

[DrJohnZoidberg]

Portuguese by a mile...

If you're referring to our local Portuguese (or Mozambique style) then yes. The food in Portugal (at least on the coast) I didn't find all that impressive, definitely a lot more bland than we would make Portuguese food here.

 

[Werner1975]

I can't make an informed vote/choice as I have not had proper Japanese/Morrocan/Mexican/Thai food. From what I have tried its Italian followed by Chinese and then Indian food.

 

[Athos]

I vote for Food. Can't beat it. So in essence, all of them are amazing.

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

If you're referring to our local Portuguese (or Mozambique style) then yes. The food in Portugal (at least on the coast) I didn't find all that impressive, definitely a lot more bland than we would make Portuguese food here.

Yep local. More to the point, Joburg South local. The porra aunties here make the best food, nevermind all the restaurants...

 

[Marius De-Kock]

I love Italian food.

 

[Captain Slog]

French! Followed by Chinese.

 

[thestaggy]

Look, rattling off Louisiana like it somehow represents the entire U.S. doesn’t prove anything. Yeah, Creole and Cajun food are great, but they’re basically the one part of America where the food actually evolved into something unique. It’s the exception, not the rule. You had to zoom all the way into one specific bayou just to find an example.

Fried chicken? Also not the “gotcha” you think it is. The Scots were frying chicken long before the U.S. existed, and the seasoning side came from West African cooking. America didn’t invent it they just mashed two immigrant traditions together and cranked the marketing dial to max.

Same with barbecue. The technique came from Native Americans, the word from Spanish, and the U.S. basically took those influences, slapped different sauces on depending on the state line, and called it regional pride. Cool? Sure. Ancient, uniquely American? No.

New England seafood being based on Native American cooking just proves the point again. Settlers copied what already worked. That’s not culinary evolution that’s survival.

And the “America is huge and diverse” line doesn’t magically turn all this into a national cuisine. It just means the country has a ton of little regional scenes, most of which are still heavily tied to whatever immigrant or indigenous dish they started with.

So yeah, the U.S. has some great food, but pretending it’s some long-developed, unified cuisine is like claiming America invented language because people speak English with different accents.

Hilarious comments.

Bunny Chow - a dish invented by an imported culture using imported spice is unique, but when America does it, it isn't unique?

Regarding the fried chicken, perhaps read deeper? It is literally tied to the cultural development of African American communities in the south.

Also, your little rant about unified cuisine. You think French cuisine is unified? You think the people living near the Alps and Pyrenees developed the same dishes as those living in Brittany? What about those living on the south coast who would have been influenced by the Mediterranean? How about the interior, where for centuries what is now Germany and France had a tug-of-war over Alsace-Lorraine and the Rhine? how do you think that would have influenced the development of both food and culture? Wait until you learn about the Basque country where France and Spain intersect and how that too influenced the development of the local cuisine. And let me not get started on the French overseas departments that were influenced by African and Native American practices and how this would have also made its way back to France.

The same would apply to Italy, another country famous for its food. You think Sicily and Tyrol developed the same cuisines? Sicily has been occupied by just about every major culture in the Med and this is reflected in its food. Arabs, North Africans, the Spanish and Greeks have all had a go in Sicily and have influenced dishes there. Then up in the north of Italy, aside from the climate dictating food, you have influence coming from Austria. Fun fact - soups and dumplings are popular in the north of Italy, two things more synonymous with Central Europe, but it took root in northern Italy because of geographical proximity and climate.

I don't see how the US is much different when some of the most celebrated culinary cultures in the world are bastardised and regional-based themselves.