Are the Thais shamelessly culturally appropriating our beloved authentic western foods?

[Jane Dough]

I don't worry.

 

My Marmite and Vegemite are always safe. 

 

I have never met a Thai or any Asian who will go anywhere near them.

 

Rooster

[androokery]

10 hours ago, grollies said:

Pad krapow pizza.

Is the best food invention ever - if done right.

[TKDfella]

And chilli in my favourite...sweet and sour pork AAAAAAGGHH

[Date Masamune]

16 minutes ago, LNKDES1 said:

This almost made me throw up in my mouth.

Yuk. How do the get the durian smell out ion the oven?

As liberal as I am don't get appropriation. Search Google learning a foreign language is now

the sickest form of appropriation especially if you want to meet Asian women!

 

[Paul52]

10 hours ago, faraday said:

Bit like the bloomin' french calling Chips "pommes frites" - & as for the Americans....

 

What do they call Spring Onions, those lovely little alliums, with such a gentle taste?

 

Scallions!

 

Sounds like a battleship part.

 

Really hope this is just a windup post and that you do know the Belgians invented  “pommes frites” Which the brits later copied (badly) and called them (greasy, soggy) “chips”.

[Pravda]

Who cares. Americans have been massacring Asian/Thai food for decades.

 

Speaking of ketchup, just go to any Thai restaurant in North America and see how many are using ketchup while making padthai. A bit ironic OP, no?

[rwill]

Ice cream in a sandwich roll has been around for decades in Thailand.  I used to see it much more 30 years ago than now.  They have moved on to Ice cream with toast and waffles now.

[transam]

36 minutes ago, Paul52 said:

Really hope this is just a windup post and that you do know the Belgians invented  “pommes frites” Which the brits later copied (badly) and called them (greasy, soggy) “chips”.

Us Brits used beef fat, soggy no, crispy yes....  ????

Edited June 11, 2019 by transam

[NoshowJones]

 I know this is a little bit of topic. I had chips (French Fries) straight out of the freezer on to my plate and put in front of me, this was in the restaurant of the hotel that I was staying in.

[Lacessit]

1 hour ago, Jane Dough said:

I don't worry.

 

My Marmite and Vegemite are always safe. 

 

I have never met a Thai or any Asian who will go anywhere near them.

 

Rooster

Or an American. They react as if they have poisoned.

I want to start a lawsuit for discrimination, as I get pilloried any time I use the V-word on TV. It's also stealing my cultural identity from me.

[Golden Triangle]

2 hours ago, Retfed50 said:

Not to be overly picky, but the "Buffalo" in Buffalo Wings, refers to the city of Buffalo, New York, and not the animal!

In a Michael Caine voice - And not a lot of people know that ????

[RJRS1301]

11 hours ago, faraday said:

Bit like the bloomin' french calling Chips "pommes frites" - & as for the Americans....

 

What do they call Spring Onions, those lovely little alliums, with such a gentle taste?

 

Scallions!

 

Sounds like a battleship part.

 

Or the Americans and "French Fries"

[Oxx]

11 hours ago, faraday said:

as for the Americans....

 

What do they call Spring Onions, those lovely little alliums, with such a gentle taste?

 

Scallions!

 

Sounds like a battleship part.

 

When I was up at Cambridge in the late 70s what you refer to as "spring onions" were always on the menu for Hall as "scallions".  "Spring onions" is simply a vulgarism.  This is just one rare example of the Americans' not being more vulgar than the common British.

[Jonah Tenner]

6 hours ago, Curt1591 said:

Then there's this thing:
 

What on Earth is that?

[Jonah Tenner]

2 hours ago, Jane Dough said:

I don't worry.

 

My Marmite and Vegemite are always safe. 

 

I have never met a Thai or any Asian who will go anywhere near them.

 

Rooster

I think that is safe from most of the world. I have tried both - once, like I have a lot of things.

[Jonah Tenner]

1 hour ago, rwill said:

Ice cream in a sandwich roll has been around for decades in Thailand.  I used to see it much more 30 years ago than now.  They have moved on to Ice cream with toast and waffles now.

Deep fried ice cream is also available.

[Swedenlars]

Deep fried ice cream is also available.

I ecen saw cheese ice cream. Yaks

Gesendet von meinem SM-N950F mit Tapatalk

[Oxx]

4 minutes ago, Swedenlars said:

I ecen saw cheese ice cream. Yaks

 

Not clear.  Was it the cheese or the ice cream base that was made from yak milk?

[faraday]

42 minutes ago, Oxx said:

 

When I was up at Cambridge in the late 70s what you refer to as "spring onions" were always on the menu for Hall as "scallions".  "Spring onions" is simply a vulgarism.  This is just one rare example of the Americans' not being more vulgar than the common British.

 

 

Does Cambridge even know which end of the punt to stand on?

 

Edited June 11, 2019 by faraday

[AAArdvark]

17 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Chicken "Maryland" (completely UNKNOWN in Maryland)

Except for Perdue which has been based in Maryland for a very long time.

[Jane Dough]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

Or an American. They react as if they have poisoned.

I want to start a lawsuit for discrimination, as I get pilloried any time I use the V-word on TV. It's also stealing my cultural identity from me.

I'm British but I prefer Vegemite. It's the taste as well as being able to spread, liberally, from the fridge.

 

Nothing comes close. 

 

Rooster

[shy coconut]

13 hours ago, Curt1591 said:

They put haggis on pizza up in Scotland.

[Dumbastheycome]

It just  may be that  while  adapting the nebulous concepts  of  that which non Thai could  consider "authentic" western foods  there is no more shame in that than whichthe  western world  presents as Thai food.

Any shame belongs all round  for the  mongrelization  of "food as we  know it  Jim" !

[Acharn]

12 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I'm wondering when they'll get around to a variant of Hawaiian pizza - durian instead of pineapple.

See the post by Curtis at #5. Durian Pizza. It's even in English on the sign.

 

Actually I couldn't care less if people put catsup on steak (I think Trump does that). I don't like the way they put mayonnaise on pizza, but I just don't buy it. Some people love vinegar on their Frency Fried (what the British call "chips" and the French call "pommes frites"). How does it affect me if they do it? I'm more worried about my toenail fungus.

[grollies]

6 hours ago, androokery said:

Is the best food invention ever - if done right.

Not tried it yet.  My missus makes great pad Krakow mop and pizza.  Just waiting for a new oven and will give it a go. 

[madmen]

Love ketchup unfortunately the Thais even ruined that by adding copious amounts of sugar

[Curt1591]

11 hours ago, Jonah Tenner said:

What on Earth is that?

It's KFC Thailand's "Double Down", a pseudo bacon slice and cheese sandwiched between 2 chicken patties.

[30la]

Accept that others have different tastes than yours.

[orchis]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_Maryland

[Evil Penevil]

On 6/11/2019 at 1:14 AM, Jingthing said:

Think of all the ways Thais serve our beloved western foods.

 

Ice cream on a bread roll

Ketchup on pizza

"Steak" 

"American" Fried rice with "hot dogs"

Chicken "Maryland" (completely UNKNOWN in Maryland)

Spaghetti with spicy Thai stuff

 

The list could go on and on.

 

Are our traditional western foods being shamelessly culturally appropriated?

Authenticity is a muddled concept when it comes to food.  Who gets to decide what food is traditional and whether it is authentic? What standards are used? Until objective standards can be established for traditional ethnic and national dishes, it's a meaningless discussion.

 

Like chefs and cooks all over the world, Thai cooks have tried to copy foreign foods and often failed.  But there's nothing sinister about it.  It happens everywhere.  Much of what is called Thai food outside Thailand is atrocious.

 

A few points:

Chicken Maryland (aka Maryland Fried Chicken or Chicken a la Maryland) is indeed a dish with its roots in the state of Maryland.  However, the Chicken Maryland served outside the U .S. seldom resembles its traditional U.S. namesake.

 

A half-dozen stories exist about the origin of American Fried Rice, but all agree it was invented by a Thai cook.  Most versions say it came about during the Vietnam War years to feed U.S. servicemen stationed in Thailand or on R&R in Bangkok.  Some claim it was an attempt to create an American breakfast with fried rice instead of toast as Western bread was expensive and could be hard to get in Thailand in the 1960s.  Others say it was simply an adaptation of Thai fried rice to American servicemen's tastes as they didn't like Thai vegetables or spices.

 

Ice cream between halves of toasted bread rolls or buttermilk biscuits is a dessert in a few trendy U.S. restaurants, but it's quite rare.  It's more likely Thai chefs were inspired by Japanese Shibuya Honey Toast.

 

Thais are not the only one who sometimes put ketchup or exotic toppings on pizza, however much it horrifies aficionados of traditional Italian pizza.  It happens all over the world.  Some people just like the taste of ketchup and have it on almost everything.

 

Thais have been making spicy noodle dishes for centuries. With the availability of dried spaghetti in Thailand in modern times, it's not much of a stretch that spaghetti became the base of some Thai dishes.

 

Grilled meat has also been eaten in Thailand for a long time.  It was the quality of native Thai beef that made Western-style steak problematic.  However, cross-breeding has produced Thai beef that is tender enough to be eaten as steak.

 

Appropriation of traditional Western dishes?  No, merely adaptation.  And if you you don't like it, don't eat it.  Problem solved.

 

Evil

Edited June 12, 2019 by Evil Penevil