What’s with stereotypes and food? Like many people think Mexicans are addicted to hot Cheetos, black people are addicted to ribs and white people love
Hotdogs and a coke?
26-30, M
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ArishMell · 70-79, M
If a stereotyped national or regional dish is mistakenly thought the main food in its home nation, it is only because those thinking so do not know much about the country.
There are national staples - rice in the Middle East and Asia, fish in Scandinavia, potatoes in much of Europe, and so on - and many regional specialities, despite the American big-name fast-food chains trying to spread their dreary uniformity internationally; but [i]if possible[/i] most people eat quite varied diets well beyond the stereotypes.
I stress "if possible" because of course there are huge numbers who have little or no choice or even very little quantity of any food at all.
I don't know what Cheetos are - but if as the capital C suggests, it is a trade-name of a snack I cannot imagine those being anyone's national dish even in stereotype.
The French all love [i]biftek et frites[/i] (steak and chips)... but only if you believed the French text-book we used in the First Year of my upper school! Presumably, washed down with[i] vin ordinaire[/i] and followed with a 'Gitaine' or 'Camel', though the book would have omitted the cigarettes. (Those are popular French makes of them.)
Mind you, some French supermarkets sell what might politely be called [i]vin tres ordinaire[/i], in bulk! I would not have believed it had I not see it personally, but they dispense the stuff from big tanks into 5-litre plastic bottles like those used for retailing bleach or wood-preservative. So [i]ordinaire[/i] it tastes rough even to a non-wine-buff like me; but it's probably used in cooking, not primarily for drinking as it is.
There are national staples - rice in the Middle East and Asia, fish in Scandinavia, potatoes in much of Europe, and so on - and many regional specialities, despite the American big-name fast-food chains trying to spread their dreary uniformity internationally; but [i]if possible[/i] most people eat quite varied diets well beyond the stereotypes.
I stress "if possible" because of course there are huge numbers who have little or no choice or even very little quantity of any food at all.
I don't know what Cheetos are - but if as the capital C suggests, it is a trade-name of a snack I cannot imagine those being anyone's national dish even in stereotype.
The French all love [i]biftek et frites[/i] (steak and chips)... but only if you believed the French text-book we used in the First Year of my upper school! Presumably, washed down with[i] vin ordinaire[/i] and followed with a 'Gitaine' or 'Camel', though the book would have omitted the cigarettes. (Those are popular French makes of them.)
Mind you, some French supermarkets sell what might politely be called [i]vin tres ordinaire[/i], in bulk! I would not have believed it had I not see it personally, but they dispense the stuff from big tanks into 5-litre plastic bottles like those used for retailing bleach or wood-preservative. So [i]ordinaire[/i] it tastes rough even to a non-wine-buff like me; but it's probably used in cooking, not primarily for drinking as it is.
ArishMell · 70-79, M
@REMsleep Ah, I see! I'd read the question perfectly innocently as such stereotypes are probably world-wide in their own ways, and usually innocent.
I am a Briton both by nativity and residence, and here we enthusiastically adopt foods from all around the world as well as our own regional specialities. Part of that is historical, dating back to our Empire days and even before then, with centuries of traces via various links with European countries, even as far back as the Romans. In more recent times, it is a result of many Britons holidaying in many different countries; and at home, sampling the culinary skills of our many and diverse immigrant communities and cultures.
They are not always "authentic" in that the recipes have evolved somewhat to nearer NW European tastes, but certainly are in their original spirit.
Near me for example, are a fish-and-chip shop (British tradition), two Chinese and an Indian take-away food shops, and a branch of the Dominos pizza chain... though I buy my pizzas in the ordinary shops and finish-cook them myself. How "italian" they are, I don't know but the concept is there.
I think we can buy Cheetos here but I have not really noticed them, because I very rarely buy savoury snack foods anyway, not even potato crisps (I think called "chips" in America).
A woman who had once run a Cajun-based restaurant in Australia told me the local newspaper's food critic there was a bit dismissive about her products being noticeably different from those of her rivals. What he didn't know was that[i] her[/i] recipes were real Deep South ones, sent to her by contacts in those States! He was used to recipes originating in America but modified to be more "Australian".
I am a Briton both by nativity and residence, and here we enthusiastically adopt foods from all around the world as well as our own regional specialities. Part of that is historical, dating back to our Empire days and even before then, with centuries of traces via various links with European countries, even as far back as the Romans. In more recent times, it is a result of many Britons holidaying in many different countries; and at home, sampling the culinary skills of our many and diverse immigrant communities and cultures.
They are not always "authentic" in that the recipes have evolved somewhat to nearer NW European tastes, but certainly are in their original spirit.
Near me for example, are a fish-and-chip shop (British tradition), two Chinese and an Indian take-away food shops, and a branch of the Dominos pizza chain... though I buy my pizzas in the ordinary shops and finish-cook them myself. How "italian" they are, I don't know but the concept is there.
I think we can buy Cheetos here but I have not really noticed them, because I very rarely buy savoury snack foods anyway, not even potato crisps (I think called "chips" in America).
A woman who had once run a Cajun-based restaurant in Australia told me the local newspaper's food critic there was a bit dismissive about her products being noticeably different from those of her rivals. What he didn't know was that[i] her[/i] recipes were real Deep South ones, sent to her by contacts in those States! He was used to recipes originating in America but modified to be more "Australian".
