Mexican Food Fans

[Gippy]

I wonder if the Mexican food fans here should get a room, I mean a sub forum. A lot of the posts here seem to be about Mexican food, do you have enough to make it worthwhile starting a new sub forum for Mexican food reviews, recipes etc?

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

Sounds like a good idea.

[languageexpress]

Arriba!

[Jingthing]

I disagree. However, I am also the one who argued before that Mexican belongs in the INTERNATIONAL forum, not the western forum. A simple edit could be made there to head that forum

Global cuisine (including Mexican) except Thai and Western Food

The reality is that Mexican food can be difficult to classify. I recently read it is one of the world's great FUSION cuisines. Thus, I truly think INTERNATIONAL is the best fit.

[bkkjames]

Any new thread that can take all 20 of the mex / what's not/ thai / american beef topics and firmly keep them together is 3 thumbs up from me.

While you are at it, could you do the same with the Daily Takki News topics x 30 in the Newsclipping forum?

[sabaijai]

Mexico is in the Western hemisphere, therefore it's Western cuisine, just like American cuisine, which also comprises influences from Amerindian culture (and more).

Rather than create a separate subforum, how about keeping all the Mexican food topics in one thread? That's what we do with Myanmar/Burma topics in the SE Asia subforum, to keep such topics from overwhelming that subforum.

[Jingthing]

Mexico is in the Western hemisphere, therefore it's Western cuisine, just like American cuisine, which also comprises influences from Amerindian culture (and more).

That's a false argument.

This is NOT about hemispheres!

Most of Europe is in the EASTERN hemisphere, as is Australia. So by S's "logic", all European food and Aussie food belongs under International cuisine, not Western cuisine. That of course would be completely wrong, as to most people western food means European and heavily European influenced food. In the Americas, American, Canadian, and Argentinian food is very western. Mexican on the other hand is much more of a fusion with more global influences as well as the native American roots of it.

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

Mexican food seems to generate more debate than even such classics as the English breakfast, fish and chips, and the ubiquitous pizza threads. Give it room to grow and maybe we'll get better Mexican restaurants in Thailand.

[bkkjames]

Mexican food seems to generate more debate than even such classics as the English breakfast, fish and chips, and the ubiquitous pizza threads. Give it room to grow and maybe we'll get better Mexican restaurants in Thailand.

Wishful thinking, more likely we will just end up with more of these threads.

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

Mexican food seems to generate more debate than even such classics as the English breakfast, fish and chips, and the ubiquitous pizza threads. Give it room to grow and maybe we'll get better Mexican restaurants in Thailand.

Wishful thinking, more likely we will just end up with more of these threads.

I disagree. If I recall, the owner of La Monita bounced his restaurant concept around this forum before he opened. Based on the initial reviews of the restaurant, I think he got some good feedback here.

[Jingthing]

The topic is too big for one thread, but not big enough for an entire sub-forum. I will always think Mexican belongs in the international food forum though, but it doesn't matter. A sub-forum to one specific nationality other than Thai on a Thai site is daft.

[kikoman]

Mexican food is a Western Cuisine, It also is a base for many European foods, Tomatoes for Italy, Potatoes for Ireland and American meat/Potatoes cuisines, Chiles for most of the the great cuisines of the world ,and corn for the world consumption and animal feeds.The Sweet Tooth of the entire world came from Chocolate, as well as the other items mentioned were discovered in Mexico.

Now some people want it ,declared an international food . Thus trying to denied the Native American Indigenous culture for their true contributions they made to the world cuisines.

Most people are not well inform about Mexican Food per/say. Much like the Soul Food of the Black American South, was formed by slave owners, killing a animal, keeping the best meat for themselves and giving all they considered not to their standards to the slaves the head, innards, feet etc for there ,was the birth of the Soul Food of the U.S. The same thing happened in Mexico, the rich gave the peon the same out of which was born the Mexican food ,incorporating much of the indigenous diet of corn, beans ,Chiles and squash. Cabeza de Res, Tripas de leche,Lengua, among many other innards tacos , Menudo, Posole among many foods.

Mexico has a great amount of sea foods that abounds in the country, the great 7 seas soup, Ceviche, shrimp and fish tacos. But that is not all the cuisines that Mexicans eat, many of the border crowd would be lost in some of Mexico city upscale restaurants, Not only in Mexico City but the likes of "La Parrilla Swisa" of Tucson Arizona ( you can pull up its menu on search) name of Restaurant , City click menu.

Tacos, enchiladas, tortas etc. are not the only food found in Mexico.

Mexican food does not need a sub category of its own it is where it belongs, The Western Food Forum.

Cheers:

[Jingthing]

I am quite informed about Mexican food and have traveled in Mexico extensively. I just disagree with you. I consider Mexican a fusion cuisine with the predominant influences NOT being western in the European sense most people consider western cuisine. For example, the rice is eastern. The beans, corn, and chilies are native Indian. I also do not consider native Indian origin foods western. I have already spoken on the hemisphere issue. If we are going by hemisphere we must kick Italy, Germany, France, Australia, etc. out of the western forum. The subject of the influences of native American foods on global cuisines is not the question. The question is Mexican food and ITS dominating influences. Yes, there is a lot of Spanish influence on Mexican food, just as there is a lot of Eastern influence on Spanish cuisine. Thus, bottom line, good cases can be made both ways. So no big deal, just talking. However, I do not buy the western hemisphere cop out.

BTW, it is a fact that in ancient times the ORIGINAL people that migrated to the Americas including Mexico were, guess what, ASIANS, from the EAST. They came by the way of "I can see Russia from my back porch" Alaska.

BTW, I am certainly not belittling Mexican food by thinking it doesn't belong under western. I just don't think it belongs with dishes like roast beef/yorkshire pud and Coq au vin.

Speaking of categories, where do you think Russian food belongs?

[Gippy]

I wasn't suggesting that Mexican food wasn't western or didn't belong on the forum. I was just hoping to move these never ending discussions about what is real Mexican food, what it has influenced etc. (as this thread has turned into already) into a sub forum before it takes over the western food forum. This forum is supposed to be about western food in Thailand yet today we have pictures of Mexican hot dogs for sale somewhere in the US. How is that Thailand related?

[kikoman]

I wasn't suggesting that Mexican food wasn't western or didn't belong on the forum. I was just hoping to move these never ending discussions about what is real Mexican food, what it has influenced etc. (as this thread has turned into already) into a sub forum before it takes over the western food forum. This forum is supposed to be about western food in Thailand yet today we have pictures of Mexican hot dogs for sale somewhere in the US. How is that Thailand related?

In my estimation it shows how popular Mexican food is, The Sonoran Hot dog, Shows the versatility of Mexican cuisines.

That hopefully someone will see its value and start a business selling them here in Thailand, unlike all other foods discussed on this forum, all the ingredients are available ,here in Thailand now.

Same as some posters wishing for a Taco bell, McDonald's Etc., Same relevance!

Cheers:

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

I have to agree with Kikoman. It would be nice to see some experimentation by restaurants in Thailand. I think there's just too many restaurants trying to serve the standards, and screwing them up in the process.

[DP25]

I don't even think there should be separate Western and International food forums, let alone a specific one for Mexican food. There should be a Thai food forum, and a forum for all non Thai food.

[Gippy]

I don't even think there should be separate Western and International food forums, let alone a specific one for Mexican food. There should be a Thai food forum, and a forum for all non Thai food.

I'm all for that as well. I guess what I'm really looking for is more effort in keeping the threads relevant to Thailand. I'm venting at the Mexican food fans because those threads seem to go off topic faster than most and I don't like the stuff anyway :-)

[Jingthing]

I am the member with the original suggestion to separate western and international food (in other words, to create the international food forum). The impetus was that before (if I recall) there was only Thai and western, so topics about things like Korean, Chinese and Indian were ending up either/or, and neither made sense. I stand by my original suggestion and think it was the right change to make. With an international forum, obviously Korean, Chinese, and Indian belong there and not western, and not Thai.

As far as the mod here goes, he is convinced Mexican belongs in Western, so that's where people should put it to remain consistent. And French in International because it isn't in the Western hemisphere, ha ha.

[tutsiwarrior]

I'd say keep things as they are...the present arrangement provides for passionate discussion, droll response, pedantry, etc...much more interesting than what one observes in other TV forums...

vinegar as opposed to lime juice in salsa?...smashing repartee...

[bonobo]

I personally consider "western food" that based on European cuisine.  I would not classify Mexican food as western.

However, the Smithsonian-type history-diving as to the origins of various cuisines/foods, while fascinating, is not really the topic here.  What is the main point is to make topics easy to find to forum members.  And if people look in western for Mexican or in international, well, as long as they find the thread of interest, then that is all that matters.

I am not a big poll guy, but if someone wants to set up a poll as to which forum makes more sense for Mexican, western or international, I can live with whatever the majority wants, and I would guess I am speaking for other mods as well.

[SpoliaOpima]

Mexican food is just as western as American food. You're wrong, Jingthing.

[Jingthing]

Mexican food is just as western as American food. You're wrong, Jingthing.

State your reasons or what is the point of your post except a mere vote? I have already debunked the hemisphere argument unless you want to kick European food out of the western food forum

[bonobo]

Mexican food is just as western as American food. You're wrong, Jingthing.

Quite a bit of "American food" would not be western, in my opinion, as well.  

But once again, the purpose of ThaiVisa is not to get everything into the right gastronomical classification, but to put things where members can easily find them.

From what I have seen posted before, it would seem most members would look in western for Mexican, so unless someone can show me that a majority of members would prefer it elsewhere, then I guess that is where is needs to stay.

[SpoliaOpima]

I personally consider "western food" that based on European cuisine.  I would not classify Mexican food as western.

However, the Smithsonian-type history-diving as to the origins of various cuisines/foods, while fascinating, is not really the topic here.  What is the main point is to make topics easy to find to forum members.  And if people look in western for Mexican or in international, well, as long as they find the thread of interest, then that is all that matters.

I am not a big poll guy, but if someone wants to set up a poll as to which forum makes more sense for Mexican, western or international, I can live with whatever the majority wants, and I would guess I am speaking for other mods as well.

A poll on whether Mexican food is Western or International? Makes about as much sense as a poll to decide whether pizza is American or Italian.

Seriously, I don't see anyone having a hard time finding the Mexican food threads because they're in the Western Food subforum. Only Jingthing thinks it's wrongly placed, and obviously he has no problem finding the topics.

[Jingthing]

I agree, bonobo, classification is a convenience, even if it is often wrong. For example, marijuana is commonly classified under laws as a narcotic, when actually it is most certainly not a narcotic.

[bonobo]

A poll on whether Mexican food is Western or International? Makes about as much sense as a poll to decide whether pizza is American or Italian.

Sorry, but I disagree with you.  You are comparing apples to oranges.  The history of pizza is something which food scholars can argue however they want.  Where we, in ThaiVisa, put threads about a certain topic is simply a matter of choice, a matter of where most people can find that topic.  There is no right or wrong about where we put it. 

Quite frankly, I am fine with where it is, but to put off further bickering on who is right, I am saying that we will keep it in western or move it to international if most of our posters want it there instead.  And instead of posters going back or forth on that, the only way I see to move it is to have a poll on where people want it (not where taxonomy would put it.) 

And no poll (and therefore no action) is fine with me as well (even if my personal opinion is not in agreement with the placement.)

[Jingthing]

To heck with this, I am gonna do a poll!

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=3230499

[SpoliaOpima]

Mexican food is just as western as American food. You're wrong, Jingthing.

State your reasons or what is the point of your post except a mere vote? I have already debunked the hemisphere argument unless you want to kick European food out of the western food forum

You have a point there but it depends on how you define Western hemi (in most, but not all instances, it's as you described). Yet Wikipedia states:

Geographically, "The West" today would normally be said to include Europe as well as the overseas territories belonging to the Anglosphere, the Hispanidad, Lusosphere or Francophonie.

What matters here is culture, and the culture that produced Mexican cuisine is, in my opinion, every bit as Western as that which produced Spanish cuisine, for example. In fact both Spanish and Mexican cuisine were heavily influenced by Middle Eastern cuisine, via the 800-year Arab occupation of the Iberian Peninsula. However the intervening cultural innovations that created Spain and Mexico are Western, even if many ingredients used in both cuisines are non-Western.

A lot of websites on Asian cities, such as the one below, list Mexican restaurants under 'Western.'

http://2006.discoverhongkong.com/eng/dinin...stern-food.html

However, after thinking it over more I can understand the preference for classifying Mexican cuisine as international rather than western. You can argue either way and although I may have sounded like I cared about this subject, in fact I don't care at all how anyone categorizes Mexican cuisine. Just as long as it tastes good.

[bonobo]

... in fact I don't care at all how anyone categorizes Mexican cuisine. Just as long as it tastes good.

And with this I am in full agreement with you!