Discussion of methods of preservation is not insidious. Asserting that people in hot (poor ... foreign) countries use chillies to disguise the taste of rotten food is.

What is your concentration with hot climates being related to economics or any degree of judgement as to what is "better?"

As tb86 pointed out, we are not talking about rotten food here, merely food which has begun the process. And this has absolutely nothing to do with any judgement on culture or anything else.

In Peru, the people who live in the lowlands, the "rich" Peruvians, so-to-speak, have a somewhat spicy cuisine.  Their ceviche, for example, is noted for its inclusion of chilis.  However, the cuisine of the Peruivians living high in the Andes, the "poor" Peruvians, is a much blander and milder cuisine. SO how does that fit in with your theory that this is cultural imperialism?

This has nothing at all to do with perceived superiority of any nation, as you are trying to make it out to be. This is simply an issue with climate and food preparation.  Period.

Here is one simple question.  Chilis (the capsicum berries) were introduced to the world about 500 years ago.  Why is it that they have been embraced as a staple mostly in warmer climates worlwide while other tropically grown spices and flavorings embraced by cuisines in colder climes have a milder, less "hot," flavor?

If you were brought up being told that Thai food was the best in the world why would you bother trying anything inferrior?

Intellectual curiosity?

Never mind ...

Imagine the USA without Mexican restaurants! But, funny thing, I never once came across a CANADIAN restaurant in the US.

our tastes are too well refined for you JT

Yeah, I had that poutine once, a good excuse to have an enema.

BTW, checked the Tim Horton's menu. That is just fast food, the same type of items you would find at a USA fast food chain. BTW, I do love Canada and have had great fun eating there, as long as you keep your loonies in check.

I agree that Poutine is disgusting (fries, cheese, and gravy), but please don't lump poutine in with Canadian cuisine. It's a Quebec thing, and any true Canadian knows that Quebec isn't really part of Canada. (At least that's what they keep telling the rest of Canada by demanding seperatist referendum votes.) But I don't want to highjack this thread by getting into how whiney the French Canadians in Quebec are.

Imagine the USA without Mexican restaurants! But, funny thing, I never once came across a CANADIAN restaurant in the US.

our tastes are too well refined for you JT

Yeah, I had that poutine once, a good excuse to have an enema.

BTW, checked the Tim Horton's menu. That is just fast food, the same type of items you would find at a USA fast food chain. BTW, I do love Canada and have had great fun eating there, as long as you keep your loonies in check.

I agree that Poutine is disgusting (fries, cheese, and gravy), but please don't lump poutine in with Canadian cuisine. It's a Quebec thing, and any true Canadian knows that Quebec isn't really part of Canada. (At least that's what they keep telling the rest of Canada by demanding seperatist referendum votes.) But I don't want to highjack this thread by getting into how whiney the French Canadians in Quebec are.

Keeping this thread way off topic, Vancouver is a great foodie city!  

On the other side of the country, after my screechers intiation in Stephenville, I was invite to a lobster "feast" where the lobster were supposedly the best in the world, at least according to my Newfie hosts (something to do with cold deep waters).  I tried them, and, well,  yes, they are by far the best.  Much better than Maine lobsters!

I always hear Thai people about the food here in Europe as "plain taste", I can imagine with everything they put into their dishes....

I am always amazed about how open they are when it comes to food safety and hygiene. Seeing peaces of meat in a hot country laying on a street vendors for days, gives me the chills.....