So I see that blanket dismissal of Indian and Chinese food as generically bad now causes cries of "racism".
Seems a tad over the top, both the opinion and the most accusatory responses. While the criticism of what foreigners eat can be closely aligned with racism, it's not much fun if you can't go over the top in your dismissal of an entire cuisine once in a while.
I get into trouble routinely by dismissing Greek food with some acquaintances who have invited me to a local restaurant that they say is good.
I respond with: it's the least interesting national food that I know of, although more than likely Russian cooking is even worse. It's just that Russian restaurants don't really exist here, and so I can't compare.
There is nothing sophisticated about the seemingly very limited range of recipes that come out of Greece, and while it is certainly edible, it's also so uniform that all Greek restaurants or cafes seem to me to be virtually interchangeable in their bland-ish quality. I may have mentioned before, I was pleased to hear Rick Stein say, when he did a series through that country, that his friends back in England said they thought it was a dull food destination. He tried his best to talk it up, but the recipes he cooked or watched being cooked all looked just like pretty standard, pretty basic, Greek food to me. And their desserts - just sweetness overload.
So there...
10 comments:
silly to call it racist. also silly to refer to a monolithic Indian or Chinese food. I think I responded to something on twitter about this.
South beats North re Indian food.
I'd say the same about Chinese actually.
Cantonese cuisine is the most sublime of cuisines. However this new fangled Northern cuisine that is getting faddish - blech, it's as if Northerners can't eat anything unless it's soaked in chilli oil. Borderline barbarian food
both are over-rated.
Hard to complement with a decent wine for a start. most Chinese have too much corn flour!!
All Greek to me.
I find Greek food rarely straying from its primary source. The fish for instance, is the primary thing and should be eaten that way, with little fanfare.
To be honest, I see French food as a little boring. Other than steak frittes I'm lost as what to order at a frog restaurant.
Greek food is very masculine. There's no messing around with sauces etc thereby destroying the main ingredient. French food is very gay.
Yeah, JC confirming why I find Greek food uninteresting. You've basically said anyone can do it, which is true, and why I can't be bothered seeking it out at a restaurant.
As for this typical JC thing about what's masculine and what's "gay": French food is heavy on meat,butter and cream. Vegetables don't get that much of a look in. They also are prepared to force feed geese for the sake of good pate. Pretty "masculine" if you ask me.
Greek is probably among my favourite European cuisines. i like to taste the animal I'm eating. also why I don't like things covered dipping in chilli oil, but that's another context.
Italian is too cheesy. I don't like the smell of cheese. and French is intermediate between Italian and Greek. nothing beats a good lamb shoulder with eggplant, except maybe a jaeger veal schnitzel
Perhaps the problem I am seeking to explain here is that, sure, meat cooked simply can be delicious; but if you are talking "cuisine" it needs to be more interesting and technical (and have an interesting combination of flavours) than that to make me say I like the cuisine of a country.
Someone saying they love Greek food is akin, in my mind, to someone saying they find a pub steakhouse to be great "cuisine". My response would be "really? Sure, sometimes I want a simple steak, but I wouldn't say it's a "cuisine" worthy of praise>"
Soony needs to be arrested by the taste police
Italian is easily the best which is why pasta is now our national dish.
The best to drink red wine with as well.
Greek over-rated, french fantastic but fatty. Spanish very interesting.
I have to say, Germany is borderline boring too. But a good Bratwurst makes me forgive a lot.
boring. I become a sauerkraut eating it.
Jason
Try a veal Milanese. It’s basically a crumbed veal chop with tomato and salad on top. Delicious.
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